This Is Your Bike Lane On Drugs

Dashed Arrow Ben Yakas/Gothamist

Unless you're stuck in a 2011 timeloop, it seems safe to say that most rational New Yorkers can see the upside of bike lanes. They make the city safer for cyclists and drivers alike, even if there still aren't quite enough of them yet. But just as every day is a winding road, so too are some bike lanes psychedelic journeys into the unknown. Hold your breath, make a wish, count to three—come with me and you'll be in a world of funky bike lanes.

Thanks to an eagle-eyed NYer, we came upon this nutso bike lane at 10th Street between 1st Avenue and Avenue A. It looks like the scene of a messy car chase, or perhaps the work of one Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who believes straight lines are godless.

What happened here? Was a DOT worker macrodosing on the job? Did the person painting the lane get into a heated argument with a coworker about Laurel vs Yanny at precisely the moment they hit 10th Street? Was it just an attempt to throw off cyclists to make sure they're really paying attention? Is the bike lane straight, and you're the one who's twisted?

We've contacted the DOT for comment. In the meantime, enjoy a rollicking new Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks jam paying ode to beautiful bike lanes (and Freddie Gray, it's complicated):

Update: A DOT spokesperson tells us, "The utility contractor has been made aware and will address."

Featured in News