In mid-August, the Department of Transportation — with the support of Mayor Eric Adams — revealed its finalized plan to redesign McGuinness Boulevard after amending the initial (and controversial) “road diet” proposed in May. However, for members of Keep McGuinness Moving, the fight isn’t over as their concerns remain.
In a statement posted on August 16, the advocacy group (in favor of keeping all four lanes and parking on the boulevard) stated their belief that the plan “lacks feasibility for the entire community’s needs.”
“Our goal is for the DOT to collaborate with all community members to implement effective safety enhancements on McGuinness that do not create unintended, unsafe, and negative consequences. Unfortunately, yet again, thousands of voices have been ignored,” they wrote on Instagram. “We are requesting comprehensive area-wide studies using up-to-date data. The community is deeply concerned about the impact of diverted traffic on our residential side streets, delayed emergency response times, and many other issues affecting residents and businesses.”
They concluded their statement with a pledge to continue their work “until McGuinness Boulevard is safe AND functional for all,” and that includes an upcoming march taking place later today, September 12, at 4 p.m.
Starting at Key Food and marching down the boulevard, the group aims share their dissatisfaction with the plan — that includes protected continuous bike lanes to the Pulaski Bridge, one vehicle travel lane in each direction and shorter pedestrian crossings between Meeker Avenue and Calyer Street, and more — with DOT and local electeds.
Substantial work towards the plan is expected to begin this week with the first half estimated to be completed by end of year.
The people that are looking for safe bike Lanes on McGinnis boulevard, or just too lazy to go up to Leonard Street, where the bike lane has existed for many years. Instead of creating traffic jams people should follow the law and use the existing bike lane on Manhattan avenue then turn down Greenpoint avenue one block to Leonard Street and take that all the way down to past meeker avenue. Law breaking bikers want to take away the flowing traffic that actual road use taxpayers have paid into for many years. Stop breaking the law and use the existing bike lanes. This is a result of the police not enforcing a crackdown on bicyclists riding down McGinnis boulevard and especially on Manhattan avenue. This is a sign of this lazy generation that won’t follow existing laws. You’re truly Timothy
“Bicycle riding is permitted on arterial and local streets throughout the City even though no designated route exists. Bicycle riding is prohibited on the roadways of certain bridges, expressways and highways. Often a separate path exists on these facilities for bicycles.”
Pretty emblematic that you consider McGuinness (or Manhattan Ave? lol) an expressway, as basically every driver treats it as an extension of the BQE and that’s why it’s unsafe in the first place — see: 168 vehicle occupant injuries over 5 years, over a tiny stretch of road. It’s not safe for driving in the first place, and it’s much worse for cycling or walking. It’s bad for Greenpoint.
You are delusional. a lot of these drivers commercial or otherwise drive without due care for the pedestrian or the cyclist. It’s time to enact measures that protects people from reckless drivers. It is horrible that Mayor Swag back tracked on a proven plan. Clearly, he is in the pockets of the commercial and real estate interests.
It’s not illegal to bike on a street without a bike lane, Timothy. Never has been.
OK boomer, I’m assuming you cant comprehend that everyone who pays taxes, pay for the roads. The people that are looking to keep McGuinness (not “McGinnis” -you can’t even spell it correctly) boulevard a highway are just too lazy to follow traffic laws. You are the traffic you complain about so much.
Why are special interest groups like this given publicity in a community blog? They rather worship cars and pollution than allow the DOT to put in common sense safety measures like protected bike lanes and a road diet.
Timmy I agree with you this city is being taken over by a bunch of cry babies who have no clue on the impact these pointless stupid and dumb street designs are the is lost and gone Adam’s get out and let someone else do the job like me who would listen to the entire community and guess what if the community don’t like this I will leave the road way as is and people need to be aware of cars and not on their phones. Someone needs to file a lawsuit to stop all this BS in the pathetic city.
These guys jammed up lanes at different points causing cars to shift in haphazard manners to try to show what one less lane would be. It’s BS since a smooth expected merge would be a very different situation. The guys that they hired or paid their hourly wage to pull this stunt aren’t local residents but just employees. The narrative is misleading and stoking fear and misplaced resentment. The business behind this is no friend to the neighborhood. They also created a highly dangerous situation for any cyclists on the boulevard since there are no current bike lanes.
: finally. Enough with the guest l highway in the middle of our neighborhood!
: finally. enough with the highway in the middle of our neighborhood!
DOT study shows half the traffic on McGuiness is from highway to highway shortcutters that don’t even stop.
If they do manage to cut the lanes of travel in half, forcing through traffic to stay on the BQE or LIE a few more minutes, that’s a good in and of itself.
The bike lanes and pedestrian improvements are just icing on the cake. The neighborhood doesn’t need the mini highway Robert Moses built running through it.
I was born and raised in Greenpoint and continue to live here to this day one block over. All the parents who are concerned with the safety of their children should redirect their efforts from protesting the Blvd to teaching their children how to cross safely. My parents taught me to understand the road carries more risk than our side streets and may be more dangerous. So I always knew to cross after a red light and after all approaching cars come to a full stop. But that goes with any high traffic roadway. One should know not to run across the west side highway or any N/S bound avenue in the city. One thing todays progressive movements lack is common sense and logic for some unnecessary ideology just because.
Arthur, really sad to publicly blame little kids and parents for being run over on a road that regularly maims and kills adults. Adults that are twice as large, faster and with all the knowledge and wisdom age can bring–even they can’t survive.
Crossing at crosswalks and lights doesn’t do any good when people swerve aggressively around other cars stopped for pedestrians and run lights. The road plan will save many lives that cross either safely or foolishly, by keeping aggressive, rushed drivers on the BQE.
There was about 300 people that marched against the insane road diet plan and it ended in front of Gallaghers office and not a peep from Greenpointers about this. Such biased favoritism from this so called “news outlet”
Well said Timothy. A bicycle lane will do very little to protect pedestrians. What McGuiness Boulevard needs is more speed cameras, more speed bumps, allowance of left hand turns that have a turning lane and separate turning light, and a consistent law enforcement presence. We all want a safer McGuiness Boulevard and Keep McGuiness Moving wants this as well.