Biking is an fast, fun, and rewarding way to get around, but it's also dangerous. When I was 10 years old, I flipped over the front of my bike and landed on my head, blacking out as I was rushed to the Emergency Room. Because I was wearing a helmet, I was okay. Yet every time someone gets on a bike in a busy city, they take risks on their safety that can be fixed with one Bill.

New York City already has a legal benchmark to build 50 miles of protected bike lanes every year. In 2025, the Department of Transportation completed only 18.2 miles. In 2024, they installed about 29 miles. They are consistently falling short of the legal requirement, showing a lack of responsibility and commitment. A safety agreement that repeatedly falls short is not enough. 

Protected lanes give people riding bikes real separation from moving traffic. But that protection only works when routes connect. When a protected lane suddenly ends, commuters, delivery workers, families, and other riders are pushed back into traffic because the safe infrastructure ran out. This endangers bikers, vehicle drivers, and even walkers.

Building an additional 600 miles of bike lanes will have strong and clear benefits to everyday New Yorkers. More people can bike safely and with confidence. This can reduce street traffic, clean up the air, and increase physical and mental wellbeing. Forcing riders to share the street with motor vehicles endangers the safety of everybody. Having a dedicated protected network that connects the city will make life better for all, whether you personally ride a bicycle or not. This is a great step in making New York City more solarpunk (a sustainable utopia), and cities around the country and the world can follow. In fact, many cities like Paris and Amsterdam have already created extensive biking networks with incredible success.

The Bill called Int. 0613-2026 would require DOT to install at least 100 miles of protected bike lanes every year for six years. The bill was introduced on February 12, 2026, and remains in the Council's Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. It was introduced by Council Member Rita C. Joseph, and currently has 9 sponsors. 

This is not the first attempt. The 2023 version of this attracted 12 sponsors but was filed when the Council session ended without becoming law. New Yorkers should not have to watch the same proposal disappear again while the city continues missing its existing bike-lane targets. By adding your name and sharing this, we can ensure the Bill comes to the attention of council members and gets the serious attention and consideration it deserves. There is a future where you are able to bike virtually anywhere in NYC through a protected lane, and that future starts by making it clear to our elected officials that it's what we want.

Sign this petition to demand that the New York City Council pass Int. 0613-2026 and require the city to build 100 miles of protected bike lanes every year. Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Shaun Abreu must move the bill through committee, and Speaker Julie Menin must bring it to a full Council vote by December 31, 2026. The Council's process requires legislation to clear committee before receiving a vote from the full body. And then, the DOT must be held accountable to build at least the minimum amount required by law each year.

New York can lead the country on safe streets—but only if we gain traction, so the Council will turn this bill into law, and the city will turn that law into connected, protected lanes.

Add your name to join others in demanding this Bill passes!