Activists Demand Pedestrian Access on Queensboro Bridge—But City Still Prioritizes Cars Over Safety

Despite years of planning and a near-complete pedestrian infrastructure project on the Queensboro Bridge, New York City continues to favor motor vehicles over the safety of its most vulnerable road users. On Saturday, more than 200 activists, including local officials and transportation advocates, walked across the southern roadway of the bridge to protest Mayor Adams’s failure to open the long-promised pedestrian pathway.

As New York City bicycle crash attorneys and pedestrian accident lawyers, we’ve seen firsthand how overcrowded, dangerous infrastructure contributes to severe injuries and fatalities. Nowhere is this more evident than on the Queensboro Bridge, where pedestrians and cyclists are forced to share a single, narrow 10-foot path—often resulting in collisions, near-misses, and chaos.

A Preventable Safety Crisis

This is not a new problem. The plan to restore the bridge’s South Outer Roadway to pedestrians—reclaiming a lane that was taken away in 2000—was developed six years ago and completed under the current administration. The Department of Transportation had even scheduled a ribbon-cutting for March. But the mayor canceled the event, citing a need for further review, despite growing public outcry and the rising number of vulnerable road users commuting between Queens and Manhattan.

“This pathway is ready, and every day that it is not open, Mayor Adams is choosing to have more near-misses, more crashes, and more injuries on the north roadway,” said David Morant of Transportation Alternatives.

Unfortunately, he’s not wrong. Our firm has represented pedestrians and cyclists struck in congested corridors just like the Queensboro Bridge path—individuals who suffer broken bones, brain injuries, or worse, simply because the city failed to separate modes of travel that should never have been combined in the first place.

Legal Implications and Accountability

When preventable infrastructure failures lead to injury, victims may have grounds for legal action—especially if the city was on notice of the danger and failed to act. Inadequate design, delayed improvements, and lack of proper signage or maintenance can all play a role in establishing liability.

In this case, the city has had ample time to correct a known danger. Officials acknowledged the need for a dedicated pedestrian lane years ago. Design plans were approved. Equipment was installed. So why is this bridge still a hazard?

From a legal perspective, this isn’t just about poor policy—it’s about public safety and accountability. If someone is seriously injured on this shared path, the city could face claims for negligence under New York’s municipal liability standards. But litigation should not be the only mechanism for change.

Advocating for the Rights of Cyclists and Pedestrians

Council Member Julie Won and State Senator Michael Gianaris, both longtime supporters of the bridge reconfiguration, expressed frustration at the mayor’s inaction. “I am breaking up with Mayor Adams,” Won said. “This is a dysfunctional relationship.”

And she’s right—pedestrians and cyclists deserve more than symbolic gestures. They deserve infrastructure that protects their right to cross safely, without being forced into close quarters with faster-moving traffic.

We applaud the advocates who continue to fight for change and echo their call for immediate action. With traffic volumes declining due to upcoming congestion pricing and long-term shifts in commuting behavior, there is no excuse to delay.

Our Commitment to Safer Streets

At Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf, we have spent decades advocating for injured New Yorkers—including pedestrians and cyclists struck due to the city’s failure to provide safe infrastructure. We believe that the law should be used not only to hold wrongdoers accountable, but to demand a safer, more equitable city.

If you or a loved one has been injured while walking or biking on unsafe infrastructure like the Queensboro Bridge, contact us for a free consultation. Our team of top-rated NYC bicycle and pedestrian accident lawyers has the experience and resources to help.

Picture source: Courtesy of Simsala111 on Wikipedia