Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Bicycling

Need to Add a Bike Lane to a Bridge? Experiment Like Pittsburgh Did

The Pro Walk Pro Bike Pro Place 2014 conference took place this week in Pittsburgh. Even though the Andy Warhol Bridge already has a nice shared bike-ped path on it, for one week the city decided to put bike lanes on its roadway. It's the simplest design you can imagine, just two rows of small traffic barriers and a little bit of signage. I compiled a few moments of footage while walking to an event one night.

In New York City, the Brooklyn Bridge is just packed with pedestrians and cyclists. For about the last ten years or so, the crowding gets so intense at peak hours that it can be perilous. There have been many solutions suggested over the years, including converting one of the roadway's car lanes to a two-way protected bike lane so cyclists and pedestrians don't have to jostle for space on the narrow promenade they currently share.

Of course the Brooklyn Bridge has more traffic of all types than the Andy Warhol Bridge. But keep this Pittsburgh experiment in mind for the future. Something has to be done on the Brooklyn Bridge. Maybe a trial bike lane during the summer would be a good place to start.

It wouldn't be an unprecedented decision. There are many other examples throughout the world -- here's our video of Vancouver giving road space to bikes on the Burrard Bridge:

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

‘A Direct Attack’: Top Dem on House Transport Committee Slams Trump’s Green Infrastructure Clawback

The Trump administration's attempts to claw back already-awarded grants for active transportation are on questionable legal footing, the top transportation Democrat says – and he won't stop fighting to save pedestrian and cyclist lives.

March 18, 2025

No Earmarks in Tuesday’s Headlines

The continuing resolution Congress passed last week cedes more power on transportation and other spending to the Trump administration.

March 18, 2025

Vandals Attack Great Highway Park

Echoing the national trend, a contingent of anti-Prop. K folks have decided to reject democratic process.

March 17, 2025

Op-Ed: Anti-Speeding Technology Could Have Saved My Son

A new Washington state bill could help end speeding. And similar bills are spreading across the country.

March 17, 2025

What Will ‘Safe Streets and Road For All’ Mean Under Sec. Duffy?

Last week, Secretary Duffy directed staff to start the process of clawing back millions in discretionary dollars for bike lanes. How will he spend it instead?

March 17, 2025
See all posts