Roosevelt Island Bridge getting new dedicated bike ramp

It’s going to get just a little bit easier to commute to Roosevelt Island in the next few years (at least from Queens). Governor Andrew Cuomo has set aside nearly $3 million to create a dedicated bike ramp on the Roosevelt Island Bridge, DNAinfo first reported.

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, the organization in charge of managing the island, will lead efforts to build the ramp, but a spokesperson for the RIOC told DNAinfo that a construction timeline hadn’t been determined yet as the paperwork surrounding the state funds has yet to be finalized.

"RIOC is very excited to be able to provide a safe path for cyclists and we look forward to seeing this and other improvements to Roosevelt Island come to fruition," the spokesperson told DNAinfo.

The funds allocated to this project are part of the $112.2 million set aside by Cuomo for improving bicycle and pedestrian access all across the state. The funds will be distributed between 81 projects with each of the projects receiving a maximum of 80 percent of state support.

Courtesy of RIOC

"This funding is critical to enhancing our infrastructure and paving the way for both pedestrian and bicycle travel,” Cuomo said in a statement. "By improving roadway safety and increasing access to healthy transportation alternatives, we are providing both residents and visitors a chance to experience the state's natural beauty like never before, while supporting a cleaner, greener New York for generations to come."

New York City received a total of $16.1 million in funds from the overall $112.2 million package. Apart from the Roosevelt Island bike ramp, other projects that received funding include $5 million for pedestrian and bicyclist improvements along Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, and another $5 million for the second phase of reconstruction of Tillary and Adams Streets.

• Bike-Only Ramp on Roosevelt Island Bridge Gets $3M from State [DNAinfo]