Bicyclists
Bicycle Counts
All-Year Cycling Indicator
Five years ago, DOT began counting cyclists in winter months and off-season cycling has seen significant growth—indicating that more and more New Yorkers are cycling year round as part of their transportation routine. A new report details this information and shows that bike riding is at record highs Download Cycling in the City (pdf)
Bicycle Screenline Count
The Bicycle Screenline Count tracks bicycle traffic entering and leaving the Manhattan core via the East River Bridges, the Staten island Ferry, each avenue at 50th Street and the Hudson River Greenway. DOT conducted its first comprehensive “screenline” count of bicyclists in 1980. The count has been conducted annually since 1985. Since 2007, DOT has counted three times a year, in May, August and September. The count had historically been conducted in July or August. The count is performed midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday), and includes a 12-hour count (7 am–7 pm) and, since 2007, an 18-hour count (6 am–midnight). The data collected through the screenline count is used to derive the Commuter Cycling Indicator. Download the screenline counts for 2000–2012 (pdf)
The data are incorporated into New York Metropolitan Transportation Council's annual Hub-Bound Travel Report. NYMTC also collects data on cycling in the five boroughs and suburbs through the NYMTC Bicycle Data Collection Program.
Bicycle Screenline Counts
Rounded to the nearest hundred. Years marked with (*) are the average of May, August and September counts.
| Year | 12-hour | 18-hour |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 6,600 | N/A |
| 1990 | 10,900 | N/A |
| 2000 | 12,800 | N/A |
| 2005 | 16,300 | N/A |
| 2006 | 22,300 | N/A |
| 2007* | 19,900 | 27,000 |
| 2008* | 22,700 | 31,200 |
| 2009* | 28,300 | 38,400 |
| 2010* | 33,000 | 43,600 |
| 2011* | 34,600 | 48,300 |
| 2012* | 32,200 | 45,300 |
*Average of May, August and September counts
2012 Bicycle Screenline Count Details
Counts are the average of May, August and September counts, rounded to the nearest ten.
| Road or Bridge | 12 Hour Avg | 18 Hour Avg | 18-Hour as Pct. of Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Ave | 1,072 | 1,574 | 3% |
| Second Ave | 1,286 | 1,835 | 4% |
| Third Ave | 1,023 | 1,589 | 4% |
| Lexington Ave | 736 | 1,052 | 2% |
| Park Ave | 1,021 | 1,483 | 3% |
| Madison Ave | 969 | 1,308 | 3% |
| Fifth Ave | 1,485 | 2,039 | 5% |
| Sixth Ave | 1,554 | 2,343 | 5% |
| Seventh Ave** | 752 | 1,215 | 3% |
| Broadway*** | 705 | 1,021 | 2% |
| Eighth Ave | 1,158 | 1,868 | 4% |
| Ninth Ave | 1,123 | 1,838 | 4% |
| Tenth Ave | 557 | 949 | 2% |
| Eleventh Ave | 420 | 575 | 1% |
| Twelfth Ave | 101 | 183 | 0% |
| Hudson River Greenway | 5,455 | 6,887 | 15% |
| Subtotal | 19,417 | 27,761 | 61% |
| Brooklyn Bridge | 2,054 | 2,661 | 6% |
| Queensboro Bridge | 2,717 | 3,670 | 8% |
| Williamsburg Bridge | 4,284 | 6,134 | 14% |
| Manhattan Bridge | 3,534 | 4,703 | 10% |
| Staten Island Ferry | 235 | 344 | 1% |
| Subtotal | 12,824 | 17,512 | 39% |
| Total | 32,240 | 45,272 | 100.0% |
**Average of August and September counts
***Average of May and September counts