The Queensboro Bridge’s newly separated pedestrian and cyclist paths officially opened Sunday, after years of advocacy by street safety activists.
Pedestrians and cyclists had long shared an 11-foot-wide space on the bridge’s north outer roadway. But on Sunday, that lane became bike-only for the first time, while the south outer roadway — which was previously a vehicle lane open during limited hours — was converted into a dedicated pedestrian path.
“By reclaiming the south outer roadway for pedestrians, we’re helping create comfortable connections for the growing number of pedestrians and cyclists on the bridge, as well as helping all New Yorkers get around more easily without a car,” city Transportation Department Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said in a statement. “We look forward to delivering continued upgrades to each side of the bridge to improve cycling and pedestrian connections this summer.”
Transportation Alternatives, one of the groups that pushed for the redesign, celebrated the change with a march and ride across the bridge where advocates walked from Queens to Manhattan and biked back.
“We were among the very first people to actually walk across that pedestrian path because it just opened, so that was really, really exciting,” said Alexa Sledge, director of communications at Transportation Alternatives. “There were so many people that were walking on it and running on it for the very first time, and they were so excited. They were like, ‘We run on this bridge all the time. And now, it finally feels safe for us to do so,’ so it's really better for everyone.”
Jackson Heights resident and activist Steven Bodzin, who has walked and biked across the bridge since he moved to Queens more than eight years ago, said it had gotten increasingly stressful during that time.
“It was dangerous," he said. "I personally have seen at least three injury accidents out there."
He said crossing the bridge Sunday was a completely different experience.
“I walked over and it was just me and other pedestrians walking over this bridge looking at this beautiful view of the skylines of Manhattan and Queens and even some of Brooklyn,” he said. “I watched a ferry boat go by. I was able to smile at the people walking the other direction.”
Cycling over the Queensboro Bridge has surged in recent years, with more than 2 million cyclist crossings recorded last year. That led to congestion and frequent conflict on the formerly shared path.
In an effort to improve safety, the city also recently moved to allow registered mopeds on the bridge’s lower roadway, though pedestrians and cyclists had remained in close quarters until Sunday.
The redesign makes the Queensboro Bridge the third city span to separate cyclists and pedestrians in recent years, following the Brooklyn Bridge in 2021 and the Washington Bridge over the Harlem River in 2024. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio had pledged to add a walkway to the Queensboro, but progress stalled under the Adams administration until earlier this month, when officials announced the opening date.
“Honestly, I don't know why it took so long," Sledge said. "But I am happy that now it finally does exist."
The Department of Transportation said more than 2.7 million people, including 7,500 cyclists and nearly 3,000 pedestrians each day, use the Queensboro Bridge. That number is expected to grow, especially with expanded bike lanes throughout Queens feeding into the span.
