Queensboro Bridge pedestrian lane to finally open after countless delays

The city is finally opening the South Outer Roadway on the Queensboro Bridge after years of delays. Eagle file photo by Ryan Schwach

By Ryan Schwach

After years of delays and setbacks, the city is finally opening a long-awaited pedestrian-only lane on the Queensboro Bridge.

City Hall announced that the new South Outer Roadway will open for pedestrians on Saturday, May 18, more than 1,500 days after the project was first announced in 2021.

The existing North Outer Roadway will remain open for cyclists only.

Locals, officials and transportation have long called for the new lane to open. The North Outer Roadway – which is currently shared by both cyclists and pedestrians – has grown crowded in recent years and has become known for being dangerous – two dozen people have been injured along the path since 2021.

Originally slated to open in 2022, the completion of the new pedestrian walkway was delayed six times due to construction issues and political inertia.

Most recently, City Hall claimed they canceled a planned ribbon cutting for the path because Mayor Eric Adams had not been properly “briefed” on the project, which had been in the works since his predecessor was in office. Adams claimed he had concerns about negative impacts to traffic the lane may have.

The cancellation caused the city to miss their sixth self-imposed deadline at the end of March.

But such concerns were unwarranted, it seems.

City Hall told the Eagle on Tuesday that the briefing occurred last week during a meeting between Adams, the Department of Transportation, First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro and Deputy Mayor of Operations Jeffrey Roth. It was determined after the meeting that the pedestrian lane would not affect traffic on the Queens-Manhattan crossing.

“For over 100 years, the Queensboro Bridge has safely connected New Yorkers driving, riding, and walking between Manhattan and Queens, all while offering breathtaking views of the greatest city in the world. Now, our administration will make it even easier and safer to do so,” said Adams in a statement on Tuesday. “The more we make it safe to walk and bike, the more people utilize their bikes, and thanks to new cycling infrastructure in communities near the bridge, more and more pedestrians and cyclists are utilizing the Queensboro Bridge. [Monday’s] announcement will double the space available for pedestrians and cyclists by building off those upgrades and is a win-win for everyday New Yorkers.”

In a video, the mayor added that his office “heard people on both sides of the issue.”

“When you make a major conversion like that, take your time, get it right,” he added.

The most recent delay and cancellation of the ribbon cutting frustrated locals and transportation activists, prompting some to hold a mock ribbon cutting and march across the completed, yet unopened, lane in April.

Queens Senator Michael Gianaris called the delays “government ineptitude.”

“We have been here for so many years,” he said at the mock ribbon cutting. “We could have built an entire new bridge.”

Those same transportation advocates and officials are now finally celebrating the opening of the path they have been calling on for years.

“[It is] a victory for generations of activists and a major quality of life improvement for New Yorkers,” Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Ben Furnas said on social media.

City Councilmember Julie Won, who represents the Queens side of the bridge, has long fought the city on the opening of the path. Earlier this year she grilled DOT officials on the delays and the cancellation of the March ribbon cutting.

Local transportation advocates have long called for an end to delays of the opening of the new pedestrian-only lane on the Queensboro Bridge, which will open next week. Eagle file photo by Ryan Schwach 

“After years of delays, the opening of the Queensboro Bridge south outer roadway is a huge safety win for the 10,000 pedestrians and cyclists who cross the bridge every day,” she said on Tuesday. “We’re thrilled to celebrate a safer future for the Queensboro Bridge, previously marked by violent crashes and deaths on the shared northern outer roadway. From marches across the Queensboro Bridge with advocates to urging DOT at hearings and in letters to open the south outer roadway on time, our collective advocacy to open the pedestrian pathway helped to make this opening a reality.”

“Thank you to our transit advocates and neighbors for fighting to keep New Yorkers safer on the Queensboro Bridge,” she added.

Despite the safety issues on the bridge, it is one of the most popular in the city for cyclists, according to city data.

The Queensboro Bridge is the second busiest East River crossing for people on bikes and two feet. More than 2,785 pedestrians and another 7,568 cyclists traverse the Queensboro Bridge each day in 2025.

“We’ve seen record-high bicycle ridership in the city because we’ve provided safe, meaningful connections to riders commuting within and across the boroughs,” said DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “By reclaiming the south outer roadway for pedestrians, we’re helping create comfortable connections for the growing number of pedestrians and cyclists on the bridge, as well as helping all New Yorkers get around more easily without a car. We look forward to delivering continued upgrades to each side of the bridge to improve cycling and pedestrian connections this summer.”  

This lane is the third Queens bike lane to open this week. On Monday, the MTA announced completed bike lane projects on the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge and the Cross Bay Bridge.