The city has made significant changes to Frankfort Street, evicting police vehicles from a previously restricted parking area and replacing it with pedestrian space and a two-way protected bike lane. This transformation marks a noteworthy win in the ongoing battle for urban space, prioritizing the needs of cyclists and pedestrians over those who have benefitted from exclusive parking privileges.
For many years, the stretch between Gold Street and Park Row was allocated for the personal vehicles of officers stationed at 1 Police Plaza. This area has now been repurposed to create a vital connection for cyclists accessing the Brooklyn Bridge’s protected bike lane, enhancing routes to the south side of the iconic structure.
This location gained notoriety for its use as a placard zone, even earning coverage in The New Yorker’s 2023 feature on Streetsblog’s campaign against illegal parking practices. The city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) is undertaking this revamp as part of its ambitious $56 million “Chinatown Connections” project. This initiative aims to improve access to both the Brooklyn Bridge and nearby streets like Kimlau Square, although a timeline for the full project remains unspecified.
Local cyclists are already voicing their appreciation for the upgrades. Vanessa Yuan, a mother biking with her children in a cargo bike, expressed her satisfaction, stating, “This is really helpful. It’s easier for cars to see us.”
Previously, cyclists faced peril when navigating the bike lane that ended abruptly at Park Row, forcing them to ride without protection on a busy stretch of Frankfort. The newly installed painted strips now facilitate a safer connection for cyclists moving in both directions at the Gold Street intersection.
Owais, a cyclist passing through, voiced his approval of the changes. He questioned the logic behind a half-finished bike lane, remarking, “What’s the point of having a bike lane if it stops halfway? If cop cars can be parked elsewhere and bike lanes can be made, then I’m for it.”
The DOT’s redesign also included removing numerous security barricades on the street, thus easing access at the Park Row entrance and furthering its objective for the project.
Conversely, an NYPD officer, Reihita Tekaaho, stationed at Park Row, expressed frustration over the loss of designated police parking. “When you take away parking, it sucks,” she commented, noting the difficulties for officers commuting from distant precincts to find parking in the area. City records indicate that Officer Tekaaho received $202,000 in compensation last year from the NYPD.
On the other hand, pedestrians along Frankfort Street have welcomed the enhancements, countering concerns that police parking would simply shift to neighboring streets. Max, a frequent Citi Bike user and car owner, stated, “It’s already a struggle to find parking, so it’s not going to change it for the majority of people.”
Despite the improvements, there are calls for further enhancements at the intersection of Frankfort and Pearl Streets, which has seen 43 reported crashes and 19 injuries since 2020, including six pedestrians and five cyclists. Notably, the current designs for the Chinatown Connections project do not address this particularly hazardous intersection.
Nonetheless, for the moment, pedestrians and cyclists can enjoy a safer, less police-dominated portion of Manhattan as they make their way toward Brooklyn.
image source from：nyc
