Handling the congested traffic found on New York City streets also means maintaining specific types of infrastructure, such as bridges that enable access to New York City metro area locations.
One good example is the George Washington Bridge, which serves travelers going from New York City to New Jersey and vice versa. This bridge, operated by the Port Authority, is a sort of microcosm of how city planners need to handle multiple types of traffic issues — not only for the success of the local economy and the convenience of residents, but also with an eye toward public health and safety.
City planners have announced that the George Washington Bridge project renovations will cost $1 billion over 10 years to change bicycling and pedestrian paths for the bridge both northbound and southbound.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of GW Pedestrian and Bike Improvements
Building a new set of paths that will separate bicycle and pedestrian traffic will be good for those who need access to the bridge on foot and by bike. However, some controversial points of this project are that the city may not preserve any type of pedestrian traffic during construction. There’s also the idea that the new project will not actually widen the bicycle/pedestrian spaces, which runs counter to some of the ideas behind making these types of sites bicycle-friendly in the first place.
Modern Bridge Design
Bicycle advocates point to bridges like the Williamsburg Bridge as examples of engineering that fully accommodates bicycle and pedestrian traffic. Elements of these include wide separated lanes, designs that preserve the view for pedestrian and bicycle travelers, and high “suicide barrier” fences on the sides of the paths that prevent people from jumping off of the bridges.
Local personal injury lawyers understand these issues from a different vantage point. When tragedy strikes and someone is harmed by one of these bridges, these professionals are brought in to look at the details of the case and the factors led to an accident. Injury attorneys have front-row seats to these kinds of controversies after unfortunate examples of injury and loss.
To serve their client’s interests in court, these injury lawyers will look closely to see whether inattention to safety or negligence helped lead to an accident. They will also advise clients on all of their legal options and their rights under the law, helping them to get their voices heard in local courts.
Get Help from a New York City Bicycle Accident Law Firm Today
Hurt in a New York City bike accident? Call the experienced bicycle accident lawyers at Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff. Our attorneys help injury victims get the best chance of collecting the money they need for the costs of care and recovery. We have experience helping New York City families deal with the process of bringing a personal injury or wrongful death case against various parties in the state of New York.
