The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is advancing a project on Route 112 from Granny Road to New York State Route 25 in the Town of Brookhaven that will serve to better balance the roadway for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike. The roughly 1.5 mile project, entering its final design phase, will:

• build out connected sidewalk infrastructure on both sides of the roadway
• enhance pedestrian crossings
• implement landscaped medians and
• include a five- to six-foot bike shoulder

In early June, TSTC submitted comments supporting the project as a “good example of a ‘fix-it-first’ initiative that maintains existing road infrastructure [and] improv[es] mobility by redesigning Route 112 into a more complete street”, but also called for a more progressive vision for bicycling infrastructure.

While shoulders are a welcome first step to encourage cycling, TSTC suggested further steps to improve safety for cyclists along this corridor, such as implementing plastic bollards or paint-buffered bike lanes. Either of these treatments would better delineate space for cyclists and enhance their safety, and the safety of other road users by creating a traffic calming effect. Increased safety will also lead to increased ridership.  According to a study of road injuries in Vancouver and Toronto conducted by the American Journal of Public Health, roads with protected bicycle infrastructure saw the risk of injury reduced by 90 percent when compared to wide roads with no cycling infrastructure. And a study by Portland State University’s National Institute of Transportation and Communities found that protected bicycle lanes increased ridership by an average of 75 percent.

These suggestions were rebuffed by NYSDOT, citing limited width for inclusion and concerns about snow plowing and the passage of emergency vehicles.

In response, TSTC requested a road treatment that would mitigate these concerns: painting bike lanes along Route 112 green. Increasing visibility of cycling infrastructure using low-cost and colorful paint has shown to increase safety of users of the roadway, and doing so without physically separating the bicycle lane would address agency concerns about lack of width, snow plowing and passing vehicles.

But once again, this suggestion was rejected.

NYSDOT is clearly making strides to implement a more balanced transportation system with this project, and hopefully similar ideas make it into future projects. But if the agency is truly committed to developing a 21st century transportation system to match Long Island’s 21st century needs, it will need to be more open to innovative ideas and find ways to say ‘yes’ instead of ‘no’.