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Council Members Brad Lander and Stephen Levin Join Transit Activists in Citywide Bike Ride exploring Bike Access to New York City Bridges

August 17, 2021 By Transportation Alternatives
Participants in front of the Verrazzano Bridge.
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Council Members Brad Lander and Stephen Levin, representatives from the Harbor Ring and Bike South Brooklyn, activists from all five boroughs, and over 60 riders joined the Transportation Alternatives #Bridges4People campaign at the Bay Ridge Promenade underneath the Verrazzano Bridge yesterday morning for the first annual #Bridges4People Citywide Bike Ride. The bike ride explored disparities between bike and pedestrian access to bridges across the five boroughs.

The ride, which was close to 30 miles in length, started at the Bay Ridge Promenade and ran through Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx, stopping in Brooklyn Bridge Park, and Queensboro Plaza before ending in at McNally Plaza. Riders went over the Brooklyn Bridge, Queensboro Bridge, Triborough Bridge, and Washington Bridge.

Our bridges connect New York City and riders participated to show their support for safe and equitable bike and pedestrian access to all the bridges of New York.

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Statement from Katherine Willis and Blythe Austin, Co-chairs of TA Brooklyn Activist Committee and Co-founders of the Bridges 4 People campaign: “A 21st-century city demands space for people over cars. Our bridges are major chokepoints in the NYC bike network, and we need bridges for people to ensure safe, dependable, and green transportation.”

Statement from Council Member Brad Lander: “If we are to center a just and green recovery from the Pandemic, alternative transportation is a huge part of that. We have to provide safe biking infrastructure on our Bridges and I am glad to be a part of the Bridges 4 People summer ride to push for this.”

Statement from Shahana Hanif, Council Candidate, District 39: “Building more protected bike lanes and expanding connected transportation networks is an essential step as we continue to move our city away from cars. This is both a climate and street safety issue. As we combat climate change, providing alternate accessible zero-emission forms of transportation is a necessity. But this is more than just for the climate, on a daily bike food delivery workers are injured or killed by cars at an alarming rate because of unsafe and inadequate bike infrastructure. I’m proud to stand with Transportation Alternatives as they host their first annual #Bridges4People Citywide Summer Ride and are powered up for the fight ahead for safer and accessible streets for all.”

Statement from Council Member Stephen Levin: “These last 18 months have shown us the status quo isn’t working and we need real change when it comes to our transportation and infrastructure needs. I am a proud supporter of the Bridges 4 People campaign because more than ever we need to dedicate space for bicyclists and pedestrians and move away from car-centric planning. We can transform our bridges, streets, and roadways to be more accessible, sustainable, and inclusive and that’s the future we are fighting for today. Thank you to the organizers of today’s ride helping to shine a light on this important issue.”


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