With the redesign of 2.1 miles of Bronxdale Avenue in the Pelham Parkway section of the Bronx, comes a milestone for the city — the 1,500 bike lane mile.

“By far the largest bike network in the United States,” said Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez.

The safety improvements along the stretch made by the city Department of Transportation, is not a very popular change among residents. 

“It is a bad idea, now it is difficult to cross, now you have to be watching if a bicycle is coming, because they don’t hold, they don’t do nothing, they just woof, ‘excuse me!’ It is a bad idea, look the street is too narrow,” Angel Santos said, a resident.

According to the Department of Transportation, from 2014 to 2018, there were over 170 injuries to pedestrians, cyclists and motorists on the avenue. 

The high injury rate prompted the redesign, which reduced travel to one lane in each direction, installed protected bike lanes, left turning bays and shortened pedestrian crossing distances. 

The department says that these changes help reduce traffic violence by 18%,

“We are showcasing an incredible redesign that will not only make the streets safer for cyclist and scooter riders but also for pedestrians and even for drivers,” Rodriguez said.

Some pedestrians and drivers who frequent Bronxdale Avenue question if it is actually safer with the new lane markings. 

“It looks pretty good with all the signs and the pavement painted but it is uncomfortable because right now we have to pick someone up and we have to park in the middle of the street because we can’t go on the bike lane and it is kind of dangerous,” explained one driver.

Local resident Shana Brown disagreed, “with this narrow lane like this, this is just a death trap waiting to happen.”

While this project marks the 1,500 bike lane mile — a milestone, biking advocates criticize the city, expressing concern that it won’t finish 30 new miles of bike lanes this year, as promised.

City transportation leaders counter they will.