Staten Island elected officials fume over another DOT street plan that eliminates driving lanes, adds bike lanes

"The NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) started another Staten Island street redesign, removing one travel lane in both directions on a segment of Father Capodanno Boulevard, which is a thoroughfare for motor vehicles, buses, and micromobility devices, such as e-bikes. Both Democratic and Republican elected officials from Staten Island held a street-side press conference on Sept. 16, pleading with the DOT to stop the plan and leave the street with four lanes."

"This critical safety project addresses a wide, low traffic volume stretch of Father Capodanno Boulevard along which a 61-year old pedestrian was killed last year, a spokesperson for DOT told amNewYork. NYC DOT listened to community concerns about the original proposal and incorporated them into a revised project that will still address excessive speeding and reckless driving along this wide street by adding median tips and a protected bike lane."

The NYC Department of Transportation is redesigning a segment of Father Capodanno Boulevard by removing one travel lane in both directions and adding a protected bike lane and median tips. The corridor serves motor vehicles, buses, and micromobility devices, including e-bikes. City officials from both parties publicly opposed the lane reduction, warning it will increase rush-hour traffic for drivers who use the road daily to leave the island. DOT cited a 2024 fatal pedestrian collision and four other injury crashes on the stretch and described the segment as wide with low traffic volume.

Read at www.amny.com