NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) – New pedestrian paths and bike lanes are opening on the Robert F. Kennedy and Queensboro Bridges, officials announced this week.
Starting Sunday, pedestrians and cyclists will have their own dedicated spaces on the Queensboro Bridge between Manhattan and Queens. Cyclists will take over the current 11-foot-wide pedestrian and bike lane, while pedestrians use an outer lane on the south side of the bridge, the Department of Transportation announced Tuesday.
DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said the new paths will accommodate increasing bike traffic. The Queensboro Bridge paths took years of advocacy, Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris said.
On Monday, the MTA announced that Manhattan, the Bronx and Randall's Island will now be connected via a new ADA-accessible bike and pedestrian path on the RFK Bridge. Come 2027, another section of bike and pedestrian path will connect Randall’s Island to Queens, officials said.
It’s part of a $128 million investment into new, widened and accessible paths on New York City’s bridges, MTA officials said Monday. The city has already updated the Henry Hudson Bridge path and a ramp leading to the Cross Bay Bridge.
The new pedestrian and bike options will help commuters with the so-called last mile, the distance between their homes and the nearest mass transit option, MTA CEO Janno Lieber said.
“If you can walk, if you can bike, if you can scooter the last mile rather than having to drive an automobile and park, that is a huge factor in deciding whether you’re going to be taking mass transit or drive,” Lieber said.
Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter who has covered New York City since 2023 after reporting in Los Angeles for years. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here.
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