QBB Bike Path · Status: Unsafe & Unenforced Action · Sat June 27 · 9–11 AM

A neighbor-led action for the Queensboro Bridge

Show up for a
safe bridge.

Roughly 10,000 of us cross the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge by bike every day, into a lane the city won't enforce, sweep, or even properly paint. On May 28, two riders died here. We're meeting at both ends of the bridge to demand the basics. Bring a sign. Bring a neighbor.

When
Sat June 27
9–11 AM
Where
Both ends:
Manhattan + Queens
Bring
A sign
& your voice
● Current QBB Conditions
Video: u/lunaownz via r/NYCbike

Why we're here

This was preventable.

On the morning of May 28, 2026, two people died head-on in the 11-foot north bike lane — Dmytro Stechenko, 35, on a bicycle, and Francis Del Valle, 39, on an illegal stand-up scooter built to hit 50+ mph.

Police say the scooter crossed the center line to pass. That is exactly the failure riders have flagged for years: motorcycle-speed devices the city won't enforce against, a lane the city won't sweep, and markings the city never finished painting. None of this is a mystery, and none of it is hard to fix.

We are not asking for a study. We're asking the people responsible to do the parts of their jobs that would have made this corridor safe.

Who owes us an answer

Three desks, one plan owed.

DOT and NYPD failed to act on a danger riders reported for years — and worse, neither has put forward any go-forward plan since May 28. The risk is that the city quietly files this away as an "accident" and waits for the public to forget Dmytro's name. We won't. Mayor Mamdani makes a show of biking the city; here is an easily fixable safety need, and so far he hasn't stepped up. Tell all three otherwise.

Commissioner, NYC DOT

Mike Flynn

Owns the lane: the missing markings, the "no pedestrian" signage, and the sweeping schedule the agency keeps claiming it follows.

Commissioner, NYPD

Jessica Tisch

Owns enforcement: the illegal high-speed scooters, mopeds, and dirt bikes that the department can stop at the two ends of a bridge.

Mayor of New York City

Zohran Mamdani

Owns the priorities: a cyclist mayor can make two cops per side and a paint crew happen with a single phone call.

What we want

Five things. All doable now.

  1. Post officers at both ends of the bridge
    Two officers per side, at minimum during peak hours (7 AM–7 PM), to stop illegal devices before they ever reach the lane.
    The math The city posts roughly 2,800 officers to the subway each day for about 3.7 million riders. Two officers on each end of a bridge that carries ~10,000 daily riders isn't a big ask — it's basic equity. It would put an instant stop to the illegal mopeds and scooters.
  2. Crack down on illegal e-scooters, mopeds & dirt bikes
    The high-speed stand-up scooters and mopeds are already illegal to operate here. Enforce the rules already on the books.
    From a daily rider It's not unusual to be passed by two or three mopeds on a single crossing. The stand-up scooters are nearly silent and terrifyingly fast — you pin yourself to the right edge and hope they don't clip you. Adams' crackdown tamped this down for a while; they've been steadily testing the waters again.
  3. Sweep the path at least once a month
    Clear the debris and litter pushed to the edges so riders can use the full width of the lane instead of being funneled toward the center.
    What the city told us · DOT case DOT-739987-G1J6
    "Please be advised that the locations are maintained on a weekly basis… Thank you for your concern in this matter." — NYC DOT Commissioner's Correspondence Unit
    For the record Countless 311 requests have come back with the same line — that each side is cleaned weekly. Anyone who rides it knows the edges are full of debris. Send the sweepers. Then it'll be true.
  4. Finish the lane markings & the "no pedestrians" signs
    Repaint clear, durable lane lines and add a large "No Pedestrians" symbol at each end so the rules are obvious to everyone.
    Why it matters DOT never finished painting the markings after opening the pedestrian side. A resident spray-painted lines one night; the official paint is chipping and faded. Runners — historically allowed across — ignore signage they aren't looking for, so pedestrians end up in the bike lane constantly. An 8–9-foot "No Pedestrians" symbol at each end fixes most of that.
  5. Post clear behavior reminders along the path
    Simple, repeated messaging where riders will actually read it:
    • Stay in your laneNo passing over centerGet off your phone
    The center line is the point The crash that killed Dmytro happened when a rider crossed the center to pass. Everyone thinks they're the main character and that oncoming traffic will move for them. Sometimes you wait a few seconds to pass safely. If you're counting on the other rider to slow down for you, you're doing it wrong.

Before June 27

Make a sign.

Foam board or cardboard, a thick marker, big letters readable from across the road. Keep it short. Pick one of these or write your own — a few favorites to start:

Straight to the point

Enforce the bridge
2 cops per side. Now.
Clean the lane
Paint the lines
No illegal scooters
Stay in your lane
Safe passage for all
10,000 riders. Zero enforcement.

A little wit (still on point)

53 mph is not a bicycle
Mr. Flynn — the lines won't paint themselves
My commute is not a contact sport

Can't make it? Do this.

Send three messages.

Two minutes, three officials. Be specific, be polite, and name the bridge: the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge bike path (DOT case DOT-739987-G1J6). Ask for officers at both ends during peak hours, monthly sweeping, finished lane markings and "No Pedestrians" signage, and a public plan after the May 28 deaths.

Email DOT — Comm. Flynn Contact NYPD — Comm. Tisch Contact Mayor Mamdani