Getting a bike lane across the Verrazano Bridge is just as likely as it was last October, when activists publicly advocated for its construction–that is to say, it almost certainly isn’t going to happen. But that isn’t stopping cycling diehards from continuing to push, as evidenced by a nearly 1,000-signature petition to Andrew Cuomo that has popped up on Change.org.
From the petition:
Built in 1964, the Verrazano Bridge was initially engineered to accommodate pedestrian and bicycle pathways stretching between Brooklyn and Staten Island, though the paths were ultimately never included in the final design. A 1997 study by the NYC Department of City Planning and the bridge’s engineers Amman and Whitney confirmed the feasibility of several options to enable bicycle and pedestrian access, including a multi-use path. In honor of the Verrazano’s upcoming 50th anniversary in 2014, we’re optimistic that the bridge will finally be completed, ultimately allowing for the full realization of the Harbor Ring.
The “Harbor Ring” the text refers to a utopian proposal that would augment 28 miles of existing bike paths with 50 more miles, connecting the shorelines of Brooklyn, Staten Island, Manhattan, and New Jersey. Hey, it’s not going to happen any time soon, but I’ll sign on the dotted line for good measure.
