Eyes on the Street: Pedestrian Islands Arrive on Amsterdam Ave
![Pedestrian islands, like this one at 73rd Street and Amsterdam Avenue, shorten crossing distances while providing additional protection for cyclists. Image: Robert Baron](http://www.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/amsterdam-73rd-ped-island.png)
DOT has finished striping the protected bike lane on Amsterdam Avenue between 72nd Street and 110th Street, and now it’s moving on to the concrete. A reader sent in this photo of a brand new pedestrian island, more of which will be going in on the north side of intersections along the corridor.
The nine-foot-wide raised concrete islands shorten crossing distances and tighten the turns drivers make from side streets onto Amsterdam.
![A rendering of a typical pedestrian refuge island on Amsterdam Avenue. Image: DOT](http://www.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/ped-island-rendering.png)
Earlier this week, DOT said most pedestrian islands on Amsterdam will be installed this year. Between 107th Street and 110th Street a separate capital project will likely delay construction of ped islands until 2017.
The redesign began this spring, dramatically changing the feel of an avenue that used to function more like a highway than a neighborhood street. Some drivers still haven’t gotten the message that the bike lane isn’t for them, however. Our tipster also sent in this photo of illegal parking by 72nd Street.