Stapleton Residents got a chance to talk with officials from the local community board about a newly approved plan to bring bike lanes to the area. Officials hope it will help curb speeding, and prevent traffic problems.
“It's more than a bike lane, the abbreviation is to call it a bike lane, but really it's about traffic safety and enhancing the quality of life of residents in Stapleton,” said Priscilla Marco, President Van Duzer Street Civic Association.
The Department of Transportation first revealed proposal during summer 2016.
The goal is to add bike lanes to sections of Van Duzer Street, Targee Street and St. Paul's Avenue, as well as other traffic safety improvements.
“To increase parking spaces, to increase signage, crosswalks, roadway markings,” said Peter Lisi, the VP of the Van Duzer Civic Association.
Lisi says at first residents didn't like the plan. So , the community board and DOT got together and tweaked it until everyone was happy.
"Staten Island's a place we don't have too much transportation we really rely on the bus, but if the bike lane comes, it will open up a big gateway where transportation can flow smoothly,” said a driver.
But some people in the neighborhood worry the roads are too narrow to accommodate new bike lanes and say they're concerned it would put cyclists at risk.
“Some of these streets there shouldn't be too many bike lanes because the streets are too small and too narrow,” said a Stapleton resident.
That's why under the new plan, the DOT would also add barriers in certain areas, to separate bike lanes from cars and busses. And add a special type of speed bump.
“They're called Speed cushions, they allow the busses and trucks that also transverse Van Duzer to continue, cause they go slower to begin with and slow down the vehicles,” said Marco.
The project is now in the design phase, and officials hope the project could start as early as this summer.