City Council Members Call For Brooklyn Bridge Path Expansion
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Three New York City Council members say something has to be done to handle the Brooklyn Bridge's rising pedestrian and bike traffic.
Council members Brad Lander, Stephen Levin and Margaret Chin want to double the width of the path that is shared by bicyclists and walkers on the upper deck of the bridge.
They unveiled their plan Monday. It calls for designating three-quarters of the widened lane to pedestrians and the rest to cyclists.
The Department of Transportation says about 4,000 pedestrians and 3,100 cyclists use the path each day.
The number of pedestrians, cyclists and tourists on the bridge has surged in recent years and the congestion presents a growing safety problem. The path is above the center of six lanes of vehicle traffic.
The council members offered no cost estimate, but are seeking ideas from engineering and design firms on how the expansion could be accomplished.
It could take years to make the change due to the bridge's landmark designation.
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