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Life in the Bike Lane: New York City

By    July 28, 2010    6 Comments   

Cycling is the fastest-growing way to get around NYC. Image via Jaszek PL.

Cycling is the fastest-growing way to get around NYC. Image via Jaszek PL.

As WNYC highlighted on Thursday, cycling is the fastest-growing way to get around New York City.  In 2008, the city added a record 90 miles of bike lanes — bringing the total to 420 miles — and passed the Bicycle Access to Office Buildings Law, which grants tenants of commercial office buildings the right to securely park their bikes in or close to their workplace.

These policies — part of the Bloomberg administration’s PlaNYC 2030 to make the city more sustainable – contributed to an unprecedented 35 percent one-year increase in bike commuting from 2008 to 2009.

Still, only 1 percent of New Yorkers bike to work.  So what’s life like for this small slice of the Big Apple? What motivates, irks and inspires them?

Now you can find out (if you want to know). WNYC has produced a video documenting life in the bike lane in NYC.  One good tip from a reasonable rider: “We all have to co-exist; we all have to follow the rules; and we all have to walk, bike, and drive defensively.”

Watch the video:

Tags: bike lanes, New York City, United States, Video
  • http://twitter.com/bikeandrollnyc bikeandrollnyc

    What do you have to say about puddle jumping these streets?? Here’s what others said: http://bit.ly/bKnW02

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  • http://twitter.com/jessefox82 jessefox82

    NYC: 90 miles of new bike lanes in 2008 led to an 35% increase in bike commuting in one year http://bit.ly/bKnW02

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  • http://bikinginla.wordpress.com/2010/07/29/a-pch-cyclist-speaks-out-on-safety-and-the-proposed-malibu-bike-crackdown/ A PCH cyclist speaks out on safety and the proposed Malibu bike crackdown « BikingInLA

    [...] truth to the rumor L.A was named the best city to get run over by a road raging driver. Life in a New York City bike lane. A child’s ghost bike appears in NYC, indicating a 9-year old boy was killed in a [...]

  • http://twitter.com/jlangem jlangem

    Life in the Bike Lane: New York City http://shar.es/mLdr7

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  • http://twitter.com/urbanphoto_blog urbanphoto_blog

    “cycling is the fastest-growing way to get around New York City” http://bit.ly/bKnW02

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  • http://thecityfix.com/next-stop-new-york/ Next Stop: New York | thecityfix.com

    [...] about New York City, from its iconic subway map makeover to its new bus-only and bike lanes, and life in these bike lanes. That’s because I love New York, where I’m now headed to work with Wolfensohn & [...]

  • http://thecityfix.com/next-stop-new-york/ Next Stop: New York | TheCityFix.com

    [...] about New York City, from its iconic subway map makeover to its new bus-only and bike lanes, and life in these bike lanes. That’s because I love New York, where I’m now headed to work with Wolfensohn & [...]

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