The Thursday morning commute over the Queensboro Bridge turned deadly when a stand-up scooter and a bicycle slammed into each other in the crowded bike lane, killing both riders, according to police.
The crash happened around 8:21 a.m. in the bridge’s westbound bike lane, where officers say a 39-year-old man on a stand-up scooter was heading westbound when he struck a 35-year-old cyclist who was riding eastbound in the same lane. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, and westbound vehicle traffic on the bridge’s lower level was disrupted as the investigation unfolded, CBS New York reported.
Bridge Had Recent Safety Changes
The deadly collision comes not long after the Queensboro Bridge was reconfigured to separate cyclists and pedestrians into different paths, a long-awaited change city officials had touted as a fix for chronic crowding and close calls, according to Gothamist.
Even with that redesign, riders have warned the route still feels tight. Crash records back that up: Streetsblog New York City found dozens of reported collisions on the narrow span and noted that the two-way bike route can shrink to roughly nine feet across in spots, a squeeze that raises the risk of head-on or passing crashes.
Investigation Ongoing
NYPD collision investigators spent the morning on the bridge working to piece together what led up to the impact, and the official cause of the crash remained under review, according to CBS New York. Portions of the westbound lower level were shut down while officers documented the scene, and drivers reported delays rippling through the morning rush.
Advocates Call For Enforcement And Design Fixes
Cyclists and street safety advocates said the fatal crash highlights what they have been warning about for years: an intensely used bridge crossing that still has not caught up with the surge in ridership or the mix of faster scooters and e-bikes sharing tight quarters with bicycles.
They have pressed the city for stronger enforcement against high-speed scooters and e-bikes in busy corridors like the Queensboro path, along with more robust design changes to give everyone more room to maneuver. "Just what you’d expect from a [two-way bike and pedestrian] path that narrows to nine feet," a Queens bike advocate told Streetsblog New York City, summing up long-standing complaints that there is almost no margin for error when something goes wrong.
Police investigators continue to probe the crash, and city officials and advocates say they will be watching closely for any safety lessons that emerge. Commuters were warned to expect lingering delays on the span while the scene is fully cleared and the review is completed.
