Bicycle Blueprint - State of Cycling in New York

Introduction

NYC Cycling
1. NYC Bike Policy

State of NYC Cycling
3. Cyclists & Streets
“A Bike and a Prayer”

Riding Infrastructure
4. Street Design
5. Bridges
6. Road Surfaces
7. Greenways
8. Parks
9. Bicycles and Transit
10. Reducing Traffic

Security
11. Bicycle Theft
12. On-Street Parking
13. Indoor Parking

On the Job Cycling
14. Bicycle Messengers
“Fifth, Park & Madison”
15. Freight Cycles
16. Gov't Cycling

Reducing Risks
17. Accidents
“Three Who Died”
18. Air Pollution

Bicycle Education
19. Schools
20. Public Education

Appendices

Chapter 2:
State of Cycling in New York City

State of Cycling in New York
b) Current Ridership
c) Would-Be Ridership
d) Public Perception of Cycling
e) Cyling's Untapped Potential
Table 2: Interest in Bike Commuting According to Trip Distance

State of Cycling in New York

New York City is one of the best of places to ride a bicycle. The terrain is flat, the geography is compact, and the city offers a matrix of routes to choose from along with an ever-changing galaxy of sights, sounds and serendipitous encounters. Cycling here is almost always the fastest, most reliable path between point a and point b, and gives commuters a greater sense of both autonomy and community than any other transportation mode. As one cyclist wrote, “There is magic in blending with traffic, feeling the wind in one's face, the sheer fact of traversing the city under one's own power.” [1]

Cycling is ecologically sound and provides a perfect workout. And once the bicycle is paid for, biking is virtually free. “At times in New York, which puts a price on everything,” wrote another cyclist, “the freedom and mobility of a bicycle can make you feel like a rich man." [2]

Unfortunately, New York City is also one of the worst of places to ride a bicycle. Everything seems to conspire against the cyclist. The pavement is torn and filled with glass, the bridges are crumbling and often off-limits, the air is polluted. The streets are choked with cars, and pedestrians and motorists are inattentive at best and frequently hostile. Cyclists also have to worry about having their bike stolen whenever they lock up outdoors, and must contend with buildings that flatly refuse to grant them entry.

NOTES:

1. “The Bike Ban Is Bad Medicine,” by Charles Komanoff, New York Observer, Jan. 25, 1988.
2. “A Bike & A Prayer,” by Chip Brown, 7 Days, July 6, 1988.