by Olivia Young

Bronx Community Board 8 passed a resolution June 18 that called on the New York City Department of Transportation to pause city-wide installations of new concrete barrier-protected bike lanes until data shows they don’t negatively impact New York City Fire Department operations.

The board also took issue with the department of transportation’s proposal to convert part of Sedgwick Avenue into a one-way street, after New York City Fire Department Chief of Operations Kevin Woods said in a letter it would increase response times. The board requested the department of transportation immediately abandon the proposal.

Ed Green, chair of the board’s public safety committee, told The Press that without proper research on the consequences of these projects from a public safety perspective, it is unclear how they come to fruition in the first place.

“There’s insufficient public data that assesses this stuff,” Green said. “If they want to start building these things, they need to assure the public that this is not going to cost people their lives.”

The fire department did not respond to requests for comment by press time.

1. What a community board does

A community board is an advisory body that considers the needs of its district, and then works with elected officials on issues that matter to the community. Board members are nominated by City Council members, and appointed by the borough president, according to the city. Bronx Community Board 8 covers Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil, Kingsbridge, Marble Hill and part of Kingsbridge Heights.

When a board passes a resolution, like Bronx Community Board 8 just did, it represents a neighborhood’s official stance on an issue, and is sent to relevant government officials in hopes in pursuit of awareness or action.

2. FDNY can’t support new street plan

According to an April 27 letter addressed to New York City Department of Transportation First Deputy Commissioner Margaret Forgione, and signed by Woods, the department of transportation submitted project evaluations to the fire department. The letter presented a response to those project evaluations.

The project proposes changing Sedgwick Avenue — from West 183rd Street to Fordham Road — from a two-way street to a one-way street heading south. This, Woods wrote, would dramatically affect the nearby Morris Heights station’s ability to respond to sections of their assigned area. It would not only impact the Morris Heights station’s response patterns, but also neighboring stations, including Kingsbridge’s, Woods wrote.

3. Why the DOT wants to make changes

According to an April 27 department of transportation presentation to Bronx Community Board 7, changing Sedgwick Avenue into a one-way street is part of a larger proposal that also includes improving safety on Bailey Avenue from West 225th Street to Sedgwick Avenue.

Between Hall of Fame Terrace and West 225th Street, 179 people have been injured between 2021 and 2025, with two fatalities, the department said. Changing Sedgwick Avenue would help reduce traffic and improve safety, according to the department.

Removing a traffic lane would also let the department add to the continuous, seven-mile path from Van Cortlandt Park to Randall’s Island Park, known as the Harlem River Greenway, according to the department.

4. CB8 says issue is bigger than just Sedgwick Avenue

Bronx Community Board 8 said based on conversations with the fire department, bike lanes with concrete barriers can restrict apparatus positioning, turning and access to hydrants and building fronts.

In its resolution, the board explained it supports safe active-transportation infrastructure, but believes public safety and unimpaired emergency access are the priorities. The board requested the department of transportation pause city-wide installations of new concrete barrier-protected bike lanes until data is gathered that shows no adverse effect on response times, apparatus access and rescue operations.

The board also requested that the department of transportation and the fire department jointly publish data that compares response times before and after barrier installations, and simulations of apparatus routing under proposed conversions.

The resolution will be sent to the mayor, borough presidents, local elected officials, impacted community boards and their City Council members, and the commanding officers of all affected fire department battalions, the board said.

5. Adjustments as needed

A department of transportation spokesperson told The Press it consults the fire department on all street redesigns and makes adjustments as needed. The spokesperson added that fire department vehicles can utilize protected bike lanes in case of an emergency. The department also emphasized that street redesigns reduce deaths and serious injuries for all road users.

Keywords

Bronx Community Board 8,

NYC DOT,

New York City Department of Transportation,

FDNY,

Fire Department,

protected bike lanes