The City of Rochester has been reallocating road space regularly since 2011, resulting in more bike lanes each year. Since the passage of its Active Transportation Plan in 2023 and announcement of ROC Vision Zero in 2024, the City has paid increasing attention to connectivity, which is what the bike community has been clamoring for. Disappearing bike lanes and sharrows on arterials are not as common as they used to be. Monroe County made its own Active Transportation Plan and built its first bike lane in 2023, and shoots now for roughly 4 miles of bike lanes per year along with 10 miles of shoulder widening. In short, we’re making progress but there’s more work to be done.
Rochester’s Bike Network Analysis score, based on Open Street map data, is very low, well below other cities’. There are too many gaps in its on-street infrastructure.
Welcome to Reconnect Rochester’s fifth annual Mind the Gap campaign, wherein we ask you what the most important bike network gap is to fill. Each year, we go to the winning entity with evidence in hand that they’re in position for a huge win next time they work on this segment of road.
Past winners include:
- 2022 Elmwood Ave in Brighton, which got a road diet and bike lanes in 2023. (Perhaps a future Reconstruction project could extend the off-street cycle track).
- 2023 Empire Boulevard around Irondequoit Bay. NYSDOT is pursuing a study that would consider changes.
- 2024 Culver Road traversing 104. Though County DOT made Culver bike-friendlier south of 104 last year, their changes stopped short of the intimidating crossing under 104. However, the Town of Irondequoit has applied for a feasibility study for a trail alongside 590.
- 2025 The gap in the Genesee Riverway Trail north of downtown. The City just finalized its Genesee Riverway Trail North Completion Study. It now has a list of priority projects to seek funding for!
Without further ado, we present to you the nominees for the 2026 Mind the Gap award:
1. Main Street through downtown
Our audience knows well by now: Reconnect Rochester’s highest bike aspiration in the near term is for the City to attain a “minimum grid” of protected bikeways in and through downtown from all four directions. If Rochester does receive the federal SS4A funding for protected bike infrastructure on Chili Ave and East Main (between Union & Goodman), that only leaves downtown for the grid’s east-west axis! The stretch from Union Street to West Broad/490 is 1.5-miles and will require some serious political will.
Jurisdiction: City of Rochester
2. Monroe Ave from Highland Ave to 490
As you’re probably aware, Monroe Ave in Brighton is receiving a road diet in 2028. Many cyclists want to see Monroe Ave in the City receive a similar treatment. The City will be working on Monroe from Highland to 490 sometime in the foreseeable future. As Spine D in their Active Transportation Plan, the City envisions Monroe Ave as *THE* high-comfort bike connection worth investing in towards the southeast. The reality: Without the ability to move curbs, there isn’t room for bike lanes AND car parking on each side. If parking were restricted to one side, perhaps we could have a bidirectional parking protected bike lane on one side? This stretch is 6/10 of a mile.
Jurisdiction: City of Rochester
3. Connecting Gates Memorial Park to Trolley Blvd
Biking to Gates Memorial Park would be a breeze if the Town of Gates connected it with Trolley Blvd to the north. From there, it’s just a hop, skip and a jump to the Erie Canal Trail. If this connection were made, cyclists from the east wouldn’t have to bike on Lyell Ave at all to access the park. Perhaps Trolley Blvd itself could receive a side path someday for bonus points. A new path through the park would only need to be 693 feet. An even easier lift could simply be putting in a path to connect Trolley Blvd to Albert Street. There’s already bike/ped access to the park in that neighborhood. This project is in the Town’s Capital Improvement Plan.
Jurisdiction: Town of Gates
4. Lee Road connecting Erie Canal Trail to 390 Trail
Not too far from Gates Memorial Park, another low-hanging fruit connection could be made: Safe biking facilities on Lee Road from the 390 Trail to the Erie Canal Trail. A great start was made in 2022 with the new 390 Trail extension and Eastman Trail. Unfortunately, a NYSDOT project to construct a trail along Lee Rd from Ridgeway Ave to Trolley Blvd fell through. In the not too distant future, hopefully County DOT can give Lee Road a road diet and protect cyclists from that intimidating semi truck traffic. This stretch is 1.4 miles.
Jurisdiction: Monroe County DOT
5. South Clinton Ave
In the City, South Clinton has one travel lane & a shoulder in each direction – a tight squeeze for cyclists with all the parked cars. But once you get into Brighton, the roadway expands bigtime. Each direction gets two lanes for motor vehicles and the shoulders are very skinny; quite unusable for cyclists. The wide road and travel lanes invite speeding. In the not-too-distant future, County DOT will be resurfacing South Clinton from the city line down to Westfall, which offers the opportunity to reallocate existing road space. How about a road diet, or as we like to call it, a Road Buffet, since it gives residents more options? This stretch is 1.5 miles.
Jurisdiction: Monroe County DOT
6. West Henrietta Road
As many have seen, NYSDOT will be doing significant work on West Henrietta Road from 390 down to Jefferson Road. Biking along this stretch is terrifying currently. With all the jobs in Henrietta, this stretch deserves high comfort bike facilities. To strengthen the case further, West Henrietta Road is envisioned as part of Monroe County’s Active Transportation Network. If they’re able to work outside existing curbs, how about a bidirectional raised cycle track along the west side of this stretch?
Jurisdiction: NYSDOT
7. Hylan Drive from Calkins to Marketplace Drive
Parts of Henrietta (residential streets) are somewhat bikeable but 390 severs Henrietta in two. The north branch of the Lehigh Valley Trail is also severed in two. Perhaps someday Bailey Road, West Henrietta Road and Calkins will be made bike-friendly in order to really complete the trail’s north branch. But an easier lift would be giving Hylan Drive a road diet and really taking care to protect cyclists going over 390. Once a northbound cyclist gets to Marketplace Drive, they can veer off west or east for lower-stress biking. Where the trail ends at Calkins to Marketplace Drive is only 7/10 of a mile.
Jurisdiction: Monroe County DOT
8. Auburn Trail bridge over the Erie Canal
The Auburn Trail is one of Monroe County’s treasures. It takes you from Midtown Athletic Club all the way to 332 in Farmington! But without a bridge over the Erie Canal, riders are forced to ride on East Jefferson Road, which doesn’t hit the mark for an all ages & abilities recreational trail. This 2005 Study recommends “a new bridge across the Erie Canal be constructed and eventually extend across Jefferson Road, if possible.” Is it time for Pittsford to get serious about this possibility?
Jurisdiction: Town of Pittsford and NYS Canal Corporation
9. Highland Crossing Trail spur to S Clinton & Lac De Ville Plaza
We’re huge fans of Brighton’s Highland Crossing Trail. Someone recently suggested that Brighton add an eastern spur to The Gables of Brighton and South Clinton. This would provide access to Tops Plaza from the west without having to bike on Elmwood or Westfall.
Jurisdiction: Town of Brighton
10. The 104 Bridge over Irondequoit Bay
This is the largest bridge in our region and is near the end of its useful life. Transportation officials agree: Now is the time to scope scenarios for the bridge’s future. A planning level scoping report is being developed for a major future investment. What if that future investment included safe, separated bike/ped facilities? It’s probably more realistic than you think, if far in the future. See the George Washington Bridge across the Hudson for inspiration.
Jurisdiction: NYSDOT
