NYC nowhere close to promised number of new bike and bus lanes

Cyclist riding on bike lane in Park Row in Financial District
Cyclist riding on a bike lane in Park Row in the Financial District in June 2018. Photo credit Getty Images

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The Streets Master Plan was supposed to usher in a new era for New York.

Along with other mandates, the plan approved by the City Council in the last days of former Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration required the city to create 30 miles of bike lanes every year.

So far this year, the city's only installed close to seven miles, according to Jacob DeCastro, senior communications coordinator at Transportation Alternatives.

It's the same story with bus lanes, where two out of 20 miles are completed.

"These numbers tell us that there is a lot more work to be done before the end of the year," DeCastro said.

The Department of Transportation is among the city agencies dealing with high-level departures and understaffing.

John Orcutt, who worked at the DOT nearly a decade ago and is now with Bike New York, said it's an "unbelievable set of moving parts to transform" the city's streets.

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"The clash [is between] the technical and the political, and you need to have experience on both sides to get those things through," he said.

Orcutt added that there's been a steep learning curve for new leadership.

A DOT spokesperson told WCBS 880 that they are working toward the targets, insisting the bulk of construction happens in the last few months of the year.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Getty Images