Maintaining streets is one of NYC DOT’s core functions. But once fresh asphalt is down, the wait for new markings can drag on, and for streets in the bike network, that can mean the loss of protection for weeks at a time. On a block of Clinton Street on the Lower East Side, it’s now been 10 days since DOT repaved the street, and the two-way protected bike lane has yet to be restriped.

DOT began milling Clinton Street and East Broadway on the Lower East Side on November 30. Both streets were repaved by December 1, according to Noel Hidalgo. Ten days later, essential lane markings are still missing.

On East Broadway, DOT has only painted a new double-yellow center line. The painted bike lanes aren’t back in place yet.

There are no markings at all on the block of Clinton between East Broadway and Grand, which is supposed to have a two-way parking-protected bike lane along the western curb. The photos at the top of this post shows what Clinton Street looked like this afternoon and how it’s supposed to be marked.

The city recently increased DOT’s budget for street markings, which was supposed to help prevent situations like this. DOT seems to have no Plan B, however, when markings can’t be replaced promptly.

Thermoplast, the material DOT uses for crosswalks and bike lane markings, doesn’t adhere well to pavement in temperatures below 50 degrees, so striping in this weather might not be feasible.

If that’s the case, though, DOT could still put down some inexpensive temporary protection to recreate the missing bike lane. Contractors already do this using low-cost, high-visibility barriers, like at this construction site on Lafayette Street. Can’t DOT do the same?