Protected bike path along Central Park West inches forward

The transportation committee of Manhattan’s Community Board 7 passed a resolution to build a protected bike lane on Central Park West, West Side Rag first reported.

The northbound bike lane would run from Columbus Circle to Frederick Douglass Circle, or 59th to 110th Streets, and would include physical barriers to separate the bike lane from traffic. It would eliminate parking on the side of Central Park West that’s closer to the park, a loss of about 400 parking spots.

Upper West Side residents have been in talks with the DOT regarding a protected bike lane for years—they’d originally requested a two-way bike lane—but the death of Australian cyclist Madison Lyden last summer accelerated the process. Lyden was biking on Central Park West when she was struck by a vehicle last August.

“This plan will make sure what happened to Madison Lyden will never happen again,” Council Member Helen Rosenthal told West Side Rag.

The next step is for the full Community Board to vote on the resolution. If approved, implementation of the plan could begin as soon as this year and conclude in 2020.