Safety revamp completed on Washington Bridge
People are taking advantage of the major safety upgrades on the Washington Bridge, a critical link that connects the Bronx to Manhattan over the Harlem River.
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People are taking advantage of the major safety upgrades on the Washington Bridge, a critical link that connects the Bronx to Manhattan over the Harlem River.
The upgrades include a two-way protected bike lane on the Manhattan-bound side that includes a divider and metal fence and a dedicated bus lane on the Bronx-bound side.
"It was crazy because I didn't have my own lane and I had cars around me, it was very dangerous," said Elvi Marte, who rides his scooter from his home in the Bronx to his job in Manhattan every day.
The Department of Transporation says on average, nearly 1,000 bikers cross over the bridge daily.
Before the bike lane was added, they shared a narrow sidewalk with pedestrians.
"They (bikes) used to come through on the walking route so if they didn't stop or you didn't hear them, they would just speed right past you," said Donnel Graham, who walks across the bridge daily.
The bike lane directly connects to the bike lanes on Edward L. Grant Highway and University Avenue.
Since the implementation of the bus lane, the DOT says bus speeds on Manhattan-bound routes have improved speeds by 30%. Five Bronx bus routes cross over the bridge and serve an estimated 68,000 riders daily.
"Our new bus lane is enforced with automatic enforcement, so drivers don't be in front of buses, which help make commutes even faster and more reliable," said Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez.
The added bus and bike lanes cut six lanes of car traffic down to four lanes. They also revamped the intersections that lead onto the Bridge.
The Department of Transportation says it wants to use this as a model for the Harlem River greenway project.
