New York City officials are hoping a new traffic light design will catch the eye of Manhattan cyclists.
Smaller, eye-level traffic lights are being installed along a portion of the Third Ave. bike lane, city Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced Wednesday, in an effort to increase cyclists’ compliance with traffic signals.
The new traffic lights come after a 2023 overhaul of the East Side thoroughfare, which involved a slew of bus and bike improvements — and months after the corridor got the city’s “green wave” treatment, aligning the timing of green lights with typical cyclist speeds.
“Our transformative redesign of Third Avenue has already made the street safe — whether you are walking, biking or driving,” Rodriguez said Wednesday in a statement.
“These new traffic signals for cyclists complement our green wave traffic timing, the next natural step in making sure the thousands of cyclists who use this street every day can keep both themselves and the many pedestrians crossing Third Avenue safe,” he said.
The first of the new lights is at Third Ave. and E. 69th St., with more expected to be added at intersections where motor vehicles making left-hand turns will cross the bicycle lane.
Emily Jacobi, an organizer with Transportation Alternatives, welcomed the new eye-level signals.
“With cars, bikes and pedestrians all navigating the intersection, it can be unclear when you’re supposed to cross,” she said. “This initial rollout uptown will make the streets of the Upper East Side safer for everyone.”
