By Joseph Morales

      Soundview is a neighborhood in the Eastern Bronx with many residential and commercial land uses.  In Soundview, many residents do not own a vehicle, meaning that walking, cycling and public transportation is imperative for these residents to travel around the city. The neighborhood includes many bus routes, the 6 train as well as a station for the Soundview route of the NYC Ferry. Unfortunately, Soundview is not considered cyclist or pedestrian friendly. According to NYCDOT(New York City Department of Transportation) data, from 2014 to 2018, 554 pedestrians, 180 cyclists and 2,663 motorists were injured in accidents between 2014 and 2018  with 123 severe injuries and 27 fatalities occurring between 2014 and 2021.

             Thus, the NYCDOT is proposing a couple of projects to improve safety conditions in Soundview with the most notable being the Soundview Bike Network. As of now, Soundview does not have bike lane connections to any neighborhood destinations including Soundview Park, the Soundview Ferry, the 6 train and more. Soundview does have numerous bike trails within its major parks as some of its  parks are among the largest in the borough  such as Starlight Park and Soundview Park, however it is difficult for cyclists to access these parks considering there are no cycling connections to them. In addition to an expected increase in cycling in the community, e-scooter usage is expected to rise as well in the neighborhood given the NYCDOT is expanding an e-scooter pilot program into the neighborhood, and e-scooterists o can also benefit from a bicycle network. The plan includes shared or standard bike lanes on several corridors such as Gleason Ave between the Cross Bronx Expwy and Noble Av and on Pugsley Av between Watson Ave and Lacombe Av. Shared lanes are lanes where cars are alerted through signage and road markers to be aware of cyclists on the road. Standard lanes are curbside lanes exclusively for bikes.  E-scooters are permitted in all forms of bike lanes. These techniques can be particularly useful as many streets in Soundview are wider than necessary, resulting in faster vehicle speeds. This can provide safer cycling connections to parks, schools, the 6 train and so much more. As shared and standard bike lanes tend to calm traffic, pedestrians can benefit too from cars maneuvering slower and safer on the streets.

             In addition to the proposed bike network, the NYCDOT has a proposal to help increase pedestrian/cyclist safety on Soundview Ave which is one of Soundview’s Vision Zero Priority corridors. The corridor had a total of 119 injuries, 9 of which were severe between 2015 and 2019 according to NYCDOT data. This data showed that 30% of collisions on the corridor were caused by rear-end collisions or sideswipes, which shows that speeding is an issue along the corridor. The NYCDOT said that the root of the problem here is excess road space and low traffic volumes, two conditions that can result in speeding. Other causes of the problem include, long crossing distances, frequent double parking, as well as shared/through left turn lanes causing unpredictable vehicle maneuvers. Thus, the NYCDOT is proposing to build a parking protected bike lane that would run on Rosedale Avenue between Watson Ave and Story Ave, Soundview Ave between Lafayette and Gildersleeve Avenues and a shared bike lane to run between Gildersleeve Ave and the end of Soundview Av at Clason Point Park. The shared lane will preserve angled parking south of Gildersleeve Ave.The project  would reduce vehicle traffic to one lane in both directions instead of two, add daylighting and pedestrian islands at intersections, add NB/SB left turn bays at Lafayette Ave as well as a left turn bay at Gildersleeve Ave and add a flush median to separate NB/SB traffic. The protected bike lanes will also improve conditions for pedestrians as well as cyclists. NYCDOT data shows that protected bike lanes result in 15% decreases in all crashes with injuries as well as motor vehicle occupant injuries along with a 21% drop in all pedestrian injuries.  

                        Parking protected bike lanes are also proposed on Lafayette Ave between Metcalf and Zerega Avenues along with pedestrian islands at intersections.

                      If completed, these projects should make streets in Soundview safer and better for pedestrians and cyclists for years to come and make it easier for residents and visitors alike to take advantage of Soundview’s bus and ferry connections, parks, businesses and community facilities.

Works Cited

New York City Department Of Transportation. “Soundview Avenue, Rosedale Avenue and Lafayette Avenue – C B 9 – June 2, 2022.” NYC.gov, 2 June 2022, https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/soundview-ave-rosedale-ave-lafayette-ave-jun2022.pdf. Accessed 11 October 2022.