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The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Improvement for Hudson Street Bike Lane Moves Forward, Report Says

By Andrea Swalec | November 10, 2011 7:13am

MANHATTAN — A plan to improve the bike lane on Hudson Street in the West Village passed its first hurdle Tuesday night, winning Community Board support for upgrades, Streetsblog reported.

The proposed changes would transform the lane along Hudson Street, between West 12th Street and Canal Street, from an indistinct lane with worn-away paint to one separated from traffic by parked cars.

Locals said a parking-protected lane would be safer for bikers and pedestrians.

“There are people who don’t even know that we have a bike lane on Hudson —  it’s just totally washed away,” CB2 member Denise Collins said, according to Streetsblog. "I hold my heart in my hands sometimes when I see these people on bikes.”

Hudson Street may soon have a parking-protected bike lane like this one on Eighth Avenue at 16th Street.
Hudson Street may soon have a parking-protected bike lane like this one on Eighth Avenue at 16th Street.
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DNAinfo/Tara Kyle

If approved and installed by the Department of Transportation, the upgrades would create a north-south, continuously parking-protected lane starting on Eighth Avenue at 59th Street and ending on Hudson Street at Canal Street.

The proposal would switch the placement of parked cars and the bike lane but not change the placement or number of lanes for cars.

“All we’re doing is flipping it,” CB2 member Ian Dutton said, Streetsblog reported.

CB2 chair Brad Hoylman told DNAinfo on Wednesday that the bike lane proposal will likely receive approval by the full board, which will vote on it on Nov. 17.

"Community Board 2 has consistently supported bike lanes that are well-planned, increase safety for cyclists and pedestrians, and are vetted thoroughly by the community," Hoylman said.

"For these reasons, the Hudson Street bike lane proposal is on track to win support from CB2."

Daily bicycle ridership was up 14 percent this past spring over last year, according to DOT statistics released in July.