Bike Shorts

Hooray for Big Bike Symbol Debut
One of the most commonly asked questions we used to get was: "What do those diamond things on the street mean?" Our answer now is "who cares, we finally got clear symbols of bicycles installed on every bike lane!" After a four year quest by T.A. (that seemed akin to beating our heads against a stone wall), the DOT has installed clear, well designed bike symbols on every bike lane. The symbols are an important step in upgrading city bike lanes and making them a strong reminder that cyclists belong on the road and are supported by the City. The next step is painting or paving lanes a red or green color to emphasize their distinctiveness. (FYI: Diamonds mean "special use lane," which covers everything from HOV lanes and rush-hour bus lanes to bike lanes. As a result, they mean next to nothing.)

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CityRacks Goin' In
Overjoyed to see those silver bicycle hitching posts appearing about town? So are we. While the seemingly simple task of installing bicycle racks on NYC sidewalks has taken longer than any cyclist would like, this spring has seen the planting of numerous CityRacks throughout the five boroughs. Remember the sites you requested? Visit them and see if a rack is in the ground. The roughly 320 racks installed to date give hope to urban cyclists whose improvisational parking regularly includes lamp posts, meters, fire hydrants, bus shelters, mailboxes and trash cans. The DOT hopes to install a total of 500 racks by summer's end, and there should be 2,200 new CityRacks in total. Know a place that needs a rack? Call 212-442-7705.

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