Williamsburg Bridge

New York City is an island, this is an understatement. The city is composed of 5 boroughs which include Manhattan Island, surround by busy, over populated neighborhoods in which most of the workforce reside. These individuals create the highest demand on transportation in the nation. Their options are: boat ferries, underground tunnels, sky trams, walking, biking and taking a motorized vehicle (taxi, private, bus, etc). Out of these, more than half are possible due to the bridges that connect this global city to the rest of the world.

Willaimsburg Bridge Peds and Bike Tracks Join

Besides the tolled motorized methods, which are a nightmare at rush hour, walking bridges is tedious, and doesn’t prove to be the most pleasant promenade. Most, if not every bridge connecting the Boroughs and New Jersey to Manhattan have dedicated bike lanes which include traffic control devices and are separated from motorized vehicles. All bridges differ in lane design, which is a bit upsetting once you are used to a daily commute and are forced to explore other alternatives. 

Brooklyn Bridge Narrow Bike and Ped Path

As an avid bicyclist, I’ve had the opportunity to travel on most of these bridges; including the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg, Queensboro and George Washington, and other Bronx bridges.

Each experience has been unique in from safety, flow, traffic devices, lane width, end intersections and ramps. My daily commute consists of the Williamsburg Bridge onto East Broadway to the financial district.  The bridge is composed of four separate mode paths: motor vehicles, pedestrians, trains, and bicycles. While the train tracks remain in the centerline of the bridge, with the motorized lanes on its exterior, the pedestrian and bicycle paths are set above these. 

 

Williamburg bridge bike Only track

This is an excellent design due to that the noise level from the motor and tracks are somewhat buffed to the exposed individuals above. In addition the pedestrian track is on the southside of the bridge, totally separated from the bike tracks which differ from the Brooklyn bridge lanes where several accidents have occurred due to its narrow lanes. This The conditions of the lanes are good and have visible markings and warnings, the occasional chipping of the thin layer of asphalt that bikes require are treated annually. The width of the lanes is adequate for faster bikes to pass slower ones without creating any dangers for oncoming traffic. The slope of this bridge is not too dramatic as the ends were developed well inland on the Manhattan and Brooklyn sides, so this isn’t too much of a burden on cyclists. This differs from the Manhattan and Queensboro bridges which is drastically different in the ascending and descending slopes. 

Queensboro Bridge Bike and peds lanes

Brookyln Bridge Ped and Bike paths

Finally, the intersections and access ramps towards and from the bridge dedicated lanes on the Williamsburg Bridge were clearly considered in the overall design. On the Manhattan side, the main intersection has various traffic signals and barriers informing motorized drivers of busy bicycle crossings while the green light time for bike and ped bridge access is decent and comfortable. On the Brooklyn side, the pedestrian and bicyclist tracks arrive at separate side of the bridges width and have quick access to the loop around under the bridge immediately after the exits. Compared to the other bridges, the Queensboro bridge lanes prove difficult to find as one must go around the block and towards the middle of the bridge foundation, one can finally access them. The Manhattan intersection for this bridge has been established the most dangerous intersections in the city where bicyclists have gotten hit. On the Brooklyn Bridge, the slope proves to be comfortable to such a point where the distance to the midpoint is twice as long, and finally the Manhattan Bridge does have safer access points, but like the 59h bridge, they are not symmetrical to the structures center line.

 

Williamsburg Bridge Brooklyn bike only access with illegal pedestrians

Williamsburg Bridge: Manhattan access