Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Mamdani administration's new 72nd Street bike lane would link Upper East and West Sides
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Apr 15, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
NYC DOT
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Apr 15, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The Mamdani administration is proposing a new bike lane on 72nd Street that would connect to Central Park, giving cyclists a new link between the East River and Hudson River.
The Department of Transportation presented its plans for the two-way protected bike lane to Community Board 7 in the Upper West Side on Tuesday night. It included cutting the four lanes of traffic on 72nd Street in half and new turning restrictions to protect cyclists in the bike lane.
“Designs like this make our streets safer for everyone, whether you’re biking, walking, or driving,” DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn said in a press release.
The city plans to build the Upper West Side portion of the bike lane first. The transportation department plans to present its plan to the community covering the Upper East Side in the fall.
If implemented, the plan would be a substantial cross-town upgrade to the bike lane network. The only cross-town protected bike lanes are either on the north or south ends of the park. Cyclists looking to head across town through Central Park face limited options that involve riding in traffic or riding a big section of the park’s loop.
City Councilmember Gale Brewer, who represents the Upper West Side, said she’s already received complaints from local businesses about the plan.
The current layout of 72nd Street at Amsterdam Ave.
NYC DOT
“ Conceptually, I think I understand it makes sense to go across on 72nd Street,” she said. “ What I worry about are the businesses.”
Brewer cited Acker Wines, which claims to have opened in 1820 and bills itself as “America’s oldest and most respected wine merchant,” as well as Tip Top Shoes.
She said both worry how a two-way protected bike lane will affect deliveries.
Brewer said she’s also worried about an Islamic Cultural Center at 72nd Street and Riverside Drive that many drivers frequent.
“There's double parking, triple parking sometimes. I've personally spent hours trying to get the triple parking to go away,” Brewer said. “I don't know if you've ever been around a mosque, but there are people who come in to pray five times a day.”
The DOT noted in a release that it will update the curb management in the area and create new unloading zones.
“For years, riders have been forced to navigate busy, high-risk streets without a direct, protected way to travel connecting the Hudson River Greenway, Central Park, and both the Upper West Side and Upper East Side,” said Ken Podziba, CEO of Bike New York. “A two-way protected bike lane on 72nd Street will change that.”
The city expects to begin making the street changes in late spring or early summer.
Tagged
manhattan
transportation
Stephen Nessen
Stephen Nessen covers transportation. Since 2008 he has reported on everything from Occupy Wall Street, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, Hurricane Sandy, to Trump’s campaign for president. His transportation reporting has taken him everywhere from the MTA’s secret Rail Control Center to the gleaming subways of Seoul. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 4:15 p.m. ET
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
News
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
NYC nor’easter dries up after weather service reports minor flooding
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .