Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation that will require the MTA to develop a strategic action plan to promote access for bicyclists and pedestrians on Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) bridges and trains.
The new legislation was proposed by Bronx Senator Alessandra Biaggi and Queens Assemblywoman Jessica González-Rojas.
It also requires the MTA to plan capital projects and improve access to bicycle parking at the MTA subway and commuter train stations.
“Public transportation in New York must be welcoming, safe, and accessible to bicyclists and pedestrians,” Governor Hochul said.
According to Hochul, this legislation will expand access to public transportation, no matter how people decide to get around.
Both bills were passed unanimously in both the Senate and the state Assembly in June 2021.
Improving bike and foot access to MTA bridges and a better connection between bike facilities and traffic are important policy areas the agency must begin to address.
“The MTA Bike Access Bill will finally connect all five boroughs with safe bike lanes on MTA bridges and promote bicycling in every corner of the city, including the Bronx,” said Senator Biaggi.
In mid-November, both legislators and activists gathered at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge at the entrance to Manhattan, where New York City recently completed the construction of a bike lane.
This type of construction, according to legislators, is an example that they aspire to take further by trying to replicate it on all bridges in the state with this new legislation.
“During the height of the pandemic, we saw that cycling increased by 33%, which means that almost a million New Yorkers are cycling. Increasing pedestrian and bicycle access to MTA bridges is good for public health and the environment, ”said Assemblywoman Jessica González-Rojas.
For the Queen’s state representative, this represents a proper recovery of the city where the voices of cyclists are heard at the negotiating table.
Bicycle advocates hailed the passage of the law, and hope the new legislation will promote the policy and use of bicycles.
