White Plains Road residents and businesses up in arms against protected bike lanes
The Department of Transportation says White Plains Road is a Vision Zero priority corridor.
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Business owners and neighbors along White Plains Road say the protected bike lanes that were recently added have created chaos in the community.
The new lanes run from Burke Avenue to 241st Street along White Plains Road, and community members say that you won’t see too many bikers along the lanes. What these residents do see is shoppers, drivers and workers trying to conduct business in, through, and around these new lanes more than anything else.
“We’re not against bike lanes, it’s just that there’s nowhere to park anymore,” said Dimitri Dellis, manager of Michael’s Florist on White Plains Road. “Deliveries are struggling to get in, these commercial vehicles try to pull up and they can't, there's no room. Everything's being squeezed."
Shops say the new lanes don’t only affect their bottom lines, but the safety of their customers and the community as a whole.
"If there's an accident right here on the corner, the firemen can't get by, the police can't get by,” said John Cordero, employee at local MGM Glass & Mirror. “Everybody's fighting for parking out here, it's like a war for parking out here."
The Department of Transportation says White Plains Road is a Vision Zero priority corridor, and that they have worked extensively with the community to create a more organized roadway.
