 This is the NYC.gov News You Requested for: "Bicycle Updates" |
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NYCycles - The Official Newsletter of NYC DOT's Bike Program
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Quick Bit:
"If you want to know if an urban environment supports cycling, you can forget about all the detailed 'bikeability indexes'---just measure the proportion of cyclists who are female," says Jan Garrard, a senior lecturer at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia, and author of several studies on biking and gender differences. Scientific American, October 2009
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In this September edition of NYCycles, you'll find:
Allen / Pike Malls
A new protected center-lane bike lane connects the Lower East Side and Chinatown to the waterfront.
Sands Street
The Brooklyn approach to the Manhattan Bridge gets a separated bike lane, protecting cyclists from the heavy traffic near the bridge.
Manhattan Bridge – Bike Path Construction
Security improvements are being made to the Manhattan Bridge. The bike path remains open during construction.
Summer Streets
This year's Summer Streets was bigger and better than ever. For three consecutive Saturdays this August, DOT once again transformed a 6.9 mile stretch from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park into a cyclist's and walker's paradise in the heart of the City.
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Allen / Pike Malls
In the past few weeks some big changes have come to the Lower East Side. The East River Waterfront has long been cut off from the Lower East Side. Big, busy streets made the median malls feel isolated and disconnected; walking and cycling along Allen and Pike was not just uncomfortable, it could be downright dangerous.
This new project will improve pedestrian safety on Allen and Pike Streets from East Houston Street to the water's edge at South Street. New signals and intersection designs are being installed at nine key intersections and pedestrian refuge islands are being added to the intersections with Canal and Delancey Streets. The project will also connect the median malls at four locations (between Madison and Cherry Streets; at Hester Street; at Broome Street and at Stanton Street). These connections are being created with temporary materials, allowing DOT to move quickly to test these safety improvements.
Cyclists will benefit from all of these improvements, including new left turn bays and left turn signals, which will reduce vehicle conflicts. But the most noticeable part of this project from a cyclist's perspective will be the new protected bicycle lanes that will run adjacent to the current malls. These lanes create a safe and comfortable connection between the East River Greenway and Houston Street. They also bring cyclists within a few blocks of the Manhattan Bridge bike path.
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| Sands Street |
Standing on Sands Street near the Manhattan Bridge you can watch New York City's transportation system at work. The subway rattles overhead, cars, trucks and buses criss-cross the bridge, cyclists ride on dedicated bike lanes, pedestrians walk and jog on protected sidewalks. On the bridge, they each have their own space. But approaching the bridge has long been a different story altogether.
For years cyclists from Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bed Stuy, and parts of Prospect Heights had to contend with treacherous traffic, turning onto and off the BQE and the Manhattan Bridge, on their way to and from the protected bike path on the bridge. As DOT has built out the bicycle network in these neighborhoods it has become more attractive to cycle there. But Sands Street was the weak link between a robust neighborhood bicycle network and a protected path into Manhattan.
That is why in 2005 DOT announced a plan for a protected bike path on Sands Street itself, running from the Brooklyn Navy Yard to the Manhattan Bridge. It shelters cyclists from vehicles headed to the highway and bridges and provides a clear path to the cyclists' entrance to the bridge. The protected path was designed by DOT and built by the Department of Design and Construction as a capital project. And today it is nearly done, and completely ride-able. |
Manhattan Bridge – Bike Path Construction
You might have noticed construction on the Manhattan Bridge bike path. This is part of overall security improvements to the bridge. The bicycle path is open during construction.
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Summer Streets
This year's Summer Streets was bigger and better than ever. For three consecutive Saturdays this August, DOT once again transformed a 6.9 mile stretch from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park into a cyclist's and walker's paradise in the heart of the City. Tens of thousands of New Yorkers enjoyed the events each week, from biking to salsa classes to aerobics classes to musical performances and more.
On the third Saturday DOT marked a milestone: 25,000 free bicycle helmets fitted and distributed since the program began in 2007. The 25,000th helmet was presented to Peter and his children from Borough Park, Brooklyn.
This year we offered over 200 free bikes for people to use to travel the route. These bikes were provided by the NY400 project and Bike & Roll as well as Hub Station Bikes. In addition, Bicycle Habitat and the Five Borough Bike Club provided free bike repair all three weeks. But the biggest attraction for bike-lovers on the route was the bike share demonstration stations.
B-Cycle, BIXI, EcoTrip and Samba, all came out to show off their bikes. And BIXI, which currently operates a 5,000 bicycle program in Montreal, and will be opening programs in London and Boston next year, brought a full bike share station to show how the bikes are parked, checked out and checked back in. Hundreds of New Yorkers stopped by to learn more about bike share and hundreds more took the bikes out for a spin. One participant, Leigh Ferst of Sutton Place said, "I think this is a great idea for New York. I want one in my neighborhood. I hope it happens soon." And another, Janeffa Perkins of Harlem said, "Bike share! What a great way to stay in shape!" New York City DOT continues to explore the idea of bike share.
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New Bicycle Routes
See upcoming bicycle projects here. Want to learn more? Check the DOT calendar to find out when we give public presentations about these projects.
Get Your 2009 NYC Cycling Map
 Get your copy of the Departments of Transportation, City Planning and Parks' NYC Cycling Map. The map includes bike lanes, routes, greenways, parks, bike shops and subway stations in all five boroughs. The map also shows bike rental locations. Download a copy online, pick up one at a local bike shop or order one for FREE by calling 311.
Safety Tip
Wondering how to safely make a right turn from a center lane bike path? Look around and then:
1) If traffic volume is light, maneuver from the path into the travel lanes by signaling and yielding to traffic, as necessary to get to the right side, or
2) If traffic volume is heavy, proceed to the intersection and move to the right side when the traffic is stopped for the red light. If there is a bike box, use it to cross to the right side when the traffic is stopped for the red light. Or if you feel safer, you can get yourself into position ahead of time, by leaving the path and maneuvering to the right in advance of your turn.
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Quick Tip:
Summer Streets are over, but Weekend Walks are still going strong throughout September. These temporary pedestrian streets are in neighborhoods around the City, and while they often run just a few blocks they're great destination spots for your weekend bike ride. Find out more at www.nyc.gov/weekendwalks.
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Road and Bridge Closures
For information about street closures, sign up for weekly traffic advisories.
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Free Helmets
The DOT has distributed over 12,000 official NYC Bicycle Helmets for free to New York City residents. You can schedule a time to get fitted for an NYC helmet at one of the DOT's Safety Cities by calling 311. Check our events calendar for upcoming fittings.
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Suggest Bike Rack Locations
Do you live or work somewhere that could benefit from bike parking? NYCDOT is working with Community Boards to identify strategic areas to install clusters of new bike parking, including at transit stations, along commercial corridors and at other major destinations. If you'd like to suggest an area that needs bike parking, contact your Community Board.
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Report a Problem or Send Kudos
 Potholes
Street Construction Hazards
Missing or Broken Street Signs
Report a faded or damaged bike lane: Call 311
Other Complaints and Compliments
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