Supplying building materials for movie production sets in and around the five boroughs, LeNoble Lumber Company is a family-owned business in Long Island City, Queens.

“LeNoble Lumber was started in 1965 in Hell's Kitchen. One man in a station wagon. And today it's a family business. And today we're over 120 employees,” said Matt Dienstag, owner of the business.

Located in an industrial area, LeNoble sits on Review Avenue, a busy corridor. 

“The whole stretch from Greenpoint to Laurel Hill is all businesses with loading docks, tractor trailers coming in and out, forklifts into the road,” Dienstag said. "The opposite side of the street, the north side is Calvary Cemetery, but this whole road is just filled with commercial businesses.”

This week, NY1 drove down Borden Avenue, then Starr Avenue, and finally ended up on Review. It’s full of tight parking, truck deliveries and bold bikers.

Soon, a new bike lane could stretch along that route — if the city has its way.

“Death after death, injury after injury, nothing was being done. And when we want safety for our residents, that includes our business owners as well,” said Democratic City Councilwoman Julie Won, who represents the district. 

“For those trucks that are going in and out, especially because it's a very increased, it's a very heavily congested truck route, we want safety for our truck drivers, cyclists, pedestrians," she added. 

Won requested the city Department of Transportation step in back in 2019, citing speeding and injuries along the road. 

She says residents have few transit options. Many voiced support for the plan at a recent Community Board 2 meeting. 

“I can see Greenpoint from my window, but I can't get there unless I decide to fly there, or I'm gonna have to spend an hour and a half just to get there,” Won said.

DOT statistics provided to NY1 show that during the period between 2019 and 2023, 15 people were killed or injured, including two cyclists. 

Department analysis also found 200 cyclists use parts of the route daily. The DOT also said the department has “observed” speeding along the route.

Bike lanes have become a political cudgel in some cases, specifically, in nearby Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where transit advocates and area electeds sought protected lanes along McGuinness Boulevard — locked in a battle with City Hall. 

“To build a city, not around cars, but around alternative modes of transportation and making sure that we are working towards environmental justice is extremely important, whether you see that as political or you see that as humane,” Won said.

Although the DOT organized route walkthroughs with businesses after presenting the plan in May, Dienstag says shortening the street will make it even more unsafe for bikers. 

It could negatively affect not just his business, but others along the planned route, he argues. 

“We're saying: Hold up, because they want to start this fall. We're saying delay this until you can do a traffic study that shows the impact on businesses, on safety, on all of the stakeholders in this area,” Dienstag said.

He thinks the city rushed its plans, telling NY1 he is considering legal action should the plan move forward. 

"Maybe look at alternatives that don't involve putting bicyclists on a completely industrial road. As I said, I'm in favor of bicycle lanes, but bicycle lanes are not appropriate on every street,” he added.  

DOT spokesman Scott Gastel told NY1 in a statement: “In an area like Blissville plagued by excessive speeding… This route fills a critical gap in our bike lane network and will go a long way towards supporting cycling ridership, which has increased dramatically in the area over recent years.”

“We look forward to implementing these much-needed safety improvements this fall,” he added.