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The number of commuters riding their bikes to work has increased by 26 percent over the past year, according to city statistics. In a "dramatic" uptick, the portion of New Yorkers traveling to work on bikes has doubled since 2002. This spike comes after an increase of 35 percent last year and amidst the Department of Transportation's ambitious — and at time controversial — push to bolster the city's bike lane network. Over the past three years, the city has laid down 200 new miles of cycling routes including loved and loathed paths on Kent Avenue in Brooklyn and Ninth Avenue and Grand Street in Manhattan.
“Cycling in the city continues growing rapidly as our bike network expands and becomes safer,” said Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, whose agency determined the increase by studying "highly used areas where trends are easily spotted" like the East River bridges, the Staten Island Ferry’s Whitehall terminal, and 50th Street on each avenue and the Hudson River Greenway. “With more cyclists using roads alongside motorists, both need to take safety measures and look out for each other when sharing our streets.”
The bike boosters over at Transportation Alternatives cheered the surge in commuter cycling: “New Yorkers are starting to hop on bikes with the same readiness as they hail a cab or take the subway," said spokesman Wiley Norvell. "Cycling is finally becoming a full-blown means of transportation for the city.” The folks over at Streetsblog put together a video to celebrate the uptick.
While the streets might be improving for bikers, another study revealed yesterday that the city remains a dangerous place for pedestrians. Almost one out of three people killed in New York-area traffic accidents is a pedestrian — a percentage nearly three times the national average, according to the Daily News.
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Yeah, your numbers and big words aren't gonna keep me from thinkin' yer all fags while I sit outside of Tommy's Tire waitin for my Explorer's oil to get changed.
Ya fags.
I bet any of those fags would be willing to check your oil for free...
Like all of DOT Diktator Sadik-Khan's stats, these figures are bullshit!
After rummaging through DOT's website to get to the buried actual numbers and not bullshit statistics, you'll the "26% increase" represents a mere 3,167 more bike riders than last year's 12,328!
Just 3,167 more bicyclists for all the money and propaganda wasted by the Diktator! What a joke and perversion of the truth.
In 1980, when DOT first began taking these statistics, there were 2,081 cyclists making the crossing into Manhattan. Now, thirty years later, there are only 15,495, a mere 13,000 extra in three decades despite all the money, hype, publicity, and propaganda.
Sadik-Khan's programs are failures and she uses phony statistics to bolster her untenable position. Time to dump this chauffeured, limousine-riding phony DOT commish now!
The voters last week almost dumped her boss, despite a weak opponent whom he outspent by $90million dollars. Bloomberg should listen up, get smart and clean house asap.
Right now, the streets are BARELY safe for cycling, thanks to decades of DOT's auto-centric policies. As the streets are made safer for cyclists, the number of cyclists will naturally increase. I voted for Bloomberg SOLELY because of Janette Sadik-Khan, and I hope she builds a dedicated bike lane right on top of your lazy, polluting ass.
I use a bicycle for most of my local transportation and have for years. I don't know about the figures quoted, but the use of bicycles has increased a lot in the last couple of years, which is noticeable at chokepoints like the Pulaski Bridge. This is not merely a fair-weather thing.
Sorry for not posting a "humorous" or abusive message.
You got it all wrong, man. Bikers are fags, not cyclists.
coulda fooled me with all that spandex, sisterboy.
Jibbly: I wear the required uniform.
Hotstepper: Tights.
Jibbly: Shut up.
I figure all I need, is a lobotomy and some tights.
http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2009/03/anti-veloism-weird-creepy-bike-hate.html
Yet another Gothamist article about bicycles...
Would you expect anything else, it's a hipster website.
I took advantage of Sunday's perfect weather and went on a "leisurely" 4 hour bike ride over the brooklyn and manhattan bridges, around brooklyn, and through the city. It was probably one of the most fun experiences I have ever had in NYC, except for the cobblestone streets in SoHo for obvious reasons (pain in the bicycle seat area).
no surprise given the complete inadequacy of the MTA.
now can we do something about the noobs going the wrong way down bike lanes because it drives me bananas. almost tacoed my front wheel when someone "biker" made a right turn into a one way street going the wrong way. grrrr.
The Ford Explorer is for soccer moms
I was going to say "actually they're for people with small dicks", but that definition fits soccer moms too.
I keed, I keed. Soccer moms are totally cool, just don't run me over and can I please have another Capri Sun fruit punch?
Cycling is only as good as the weather. Days like this past weekend with temps in the 60s and 70s are great, but how about cold and windy days with temps in the 20s and 30s?
Forget to mention I wonder if this has to do with the changing demographics of the city. More hipsters and more people from the midwest and west of coming in droves here.
Yeah Steven, but people do successfully do it everyday... Get bundled up, get the right clothing - it's not rocket science, and it doesn't take a lot of expensive gear. Sure, you have to have some hardiness in you, but we do live in an era where people are afraid of the cold because they think it'll kill them...
LOL buttface
Yeah, like Danny Helmman, my mayoral vote was affected by Sadik-Khan and the "new" DOT -- I went to the polls but did not vote against Bloomberg because of her work plus one other commissioner I like a lot (didn't vote for any candidate for mayor).
Steven, just ride when you can. With good clothes, you might be suprised at the weather you can tolerate. But ride when you can and want to, as a start.
I don't know where those supposed bikers are, but they aren't on 9th Avenue; aren't on Washington Street, aren't on Broadway around the 50s. I am in all these areas almost daily, on foot and by car and the ratio of bikes to cars is about 1/1000, at best. Now, on Broadway you see all cars squeezed into one lane, instead of four; bike lanes unused almost completely.
One other note: car lanes are 24/7, 365 days a year. How many bikers are there in inclement weather? Like none. And how many tourists are going to be sitting in Times Sq after midnight or in the dead of winter or during rain or cold? None. This experiment is a total waste of very precious city resources for the benefit of nearly no one.
Try opening your eyes.
All of you bike haters are really boring.
1. We bikers don't all come from the Midwest or whatever place you have some sort of irrational fear of (I was born and bred here, and have been biking in the city for over 30 years).
2. We aren't all fags - but those of us who are will be happy to whip your butt anytime.
3. @justthefacts: what is so misleading about a percentage increase? The numbers have to start from somewhere. Of course the numbers are still low - this city has been so hostile to bikers for so long that it will take more than a few years of pro-bike policies until significant numbers of people are riding. But an increase of over 25%? That's incredible by any measure, but you are so blinded by your hatred that you can't see it.
4. No, most people won't be riding their bikes in the winter and in bad weather. So what? What does that prove? Biking is just one more option, not an all-or-nothing commitment. Sometimes I take the subway to work, sometimes I bike the 4 miles, sometimes I walk, and sometimes I walk part-way and take a subway or bus for the rest. Isn't New York supposed to be about having the options to do what you want rather than being forced to act in only one way?
I love when things like this irritate these twinkie munching fatties.
I for one have absolutely nothing against biking; I don't myself, but it's a great sport and I did it in the past. My only issue is with the city, so strapped for funds, devoting so much street space to a tiny number of bikers to the great detriment of everyone else. New York is not going to become Amsterdam or Seattle no matter what. I've driven down 9th Avenue, for instance, many times, on week days, weekends, mornings, evenings, often in the midst of a lot of traffic and I see absolutely no one in the bike lanes. This is just a monument to a egotistical dilettante.