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The Steady Rise of Bike Ridership in New York

citylab.com

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Re: The Steady Rise of Bike Ridership in New York

#11

Post by odiroot »

matt4077 wrote: post #3

I've made the switch 4 years ago and never looked back. I thought it'd be struggle to take the bike when (good) public transport is available (Berlin, Germany) but I've found that it doesn't require any willpower: I prefer the independence and that I get to see the city, and not just the subway walls. Anything within a 10km radius is absolutely no problem. During the day I'm faster than a car, and at night it's just…

How does your commute look like, if you don't mind asking?

I commute north-south, alongside S1 train. I noticed it recently got a lot harder though. It seems like there's construction work everywhere (even on the riverbanks and channels). I need to to add extra kilometres just to cut through Mitte.

Also my route is very "hilly", both ways (northern Mitte to Schöneberg). I guess going east-west may be a lot easier.

I have to agree though, cycling is usually faster than U-Bahns and buses. Trams are not even worth discussing. I still found S-Bahns to be the fastest.

Re: The Steady Rise of Bike Ridership in New York

#13

Post by kazinator »

mtbcoder wrote: post #4

I'm not too surprised by this since car ownership is quite expensive over the life of the car. Combine that with the rapidly increasing costs of living, high rents, stagnate wages, etc and things start to give. Not to mention the overwhelming feelings of depression, rage and frustration that comes with sitting in traffic congestion common to East Coast cities for hours on end everyday. I just wish a good, reliable ra…

You can get a very good bike for less than the cost of yearly car insurance. Even very-discounted-for-years-of-good-driving car insurance.

Re: The Steady Rise of Bike Ridership in New York

#14

Post by cauterized »

mtbcoder wrote: post #4

I'm not too surprised by this since car ownership is quite expensive over the life of the car. Combine that with the rapidly increasing costs of living, high rents, stagnate wages, etc and things start to give. Not to mention the overwhelming feelings of depression, rage and frustration that comes with sitting in traffic congestion common to East Coast cities for hours on end everyday. I just wish a good, reliable ra…

In NYC, bike ridership is probably increasing at the expense of subway and bus ridership rather than car commutes (which almost nobody who lives within biking distance of their job does around here unless their job requires an automobile).

Re: The Steady Rise of Bike Ridership in New York

#15

Post by fulafel »

mtbcoder wrote: post #4

I'm not too surprised by this since car ownership is quite expensive over the life of the car. Combine that with the rapidly increasing costs of living, high rents, stagnate wages, etc and things start to give. Not to mention the overwhelming feelings of depression, rage and frustration that comes with sitting in traffic congestion common to East Coast cities for hours on end everyday. I just wish a good, reliable ra…

You get to feel good about reducing your co2 footprint too. Top of the list for many people.

(This goes even if you switch from public transit)

Re: The Steady Rise of Bike Ridership in New York

#16

Post by nine_k »

aaronharnly wrote: post #6

I work in Brooklyn, in a building that houses Etsy, Amplify Education (my company), Tough Mudder (until recently), and others. In the annual bike commuting challenge put on by Transportation Alternatives, our building is overflowing with bikes -- all of those companies achieved double-digit participation rates. Granted, these are tech and lifestyle companies that draw a young and idealistic workforce, but it's pretty…

WRT Brooklyn, I noticed that in the summer the area around 7th ave / Flatbush often has all its rather numerous bike parking spots overfilled. Not a frequent view in other places yet. (And I hope it will not be, because they'll just build more bike parking spots.)

Re: The Steady Rise of Bike Ridership in New York

#17

Post by krschultz »

cauterized wrote: post #5

One thing the article mentions but the headline misses is the need for more and better bike lanes all over the city. De Blasio hasn't been emphasizing this nearly as strongly as Bloomberg did. But the numbers show that replacing one lane of traffic with a protected bike lane can actually ease congestion and increase average car speeds and total throughput (Lafayette St. in Soho is apparently an excellent example of t…

Agree 100% with that sentiment, but I think the problem is actually lower in the political food chain. The Department of Transportation is very pro-active about adding bike lanes (in contrast to previous generations at the DOT), but they are often blocked by old stodgy community boards in the city. The minority of people that own cars are heavily involved in that level of government, and bikers/pedestrians are not coming out and supporting bike lanes. If people focus on those meetings, the DOT will get more done.

Re: The Steady Rise of Bike Ridership in New York

#18

Post by ams6110 »

curveship wrote: post #9

This is happening all over the nation. Here in small Durham, NC, we've seen biking more than double over the last 6 years. Most of the increase is young creative workers who've come for Durham's growing tech and advertising scene. It's also causing some growing pains -- we had three cyclists killed last year by cars.

I passed a car v. cyclist crash this morning on way to work. Cyclist had evidently been riding in the pedistrian crosswalk, against the flow of traffic. Couldn't tell if he had hit a car turning across the walkway, or the car had hit him. Looked like no injuries, though the bicycle was pretty mangled.

Re: The Steady Rise of Bike Ridership in New York

#19

Post by bko »

I commute using New York's bike share program Citi Bike. It's about a 20 minute ride each way. I can't over-state how much access to a bike share and a (relatively) safe bike path has improved my every day life. It's faster than most modes of transportation (including even cabs), allows for exercise and most importantly, is actually pretty fun and engaging.

I'm glad that more people are picking up the habit, but I do know that as more people start biking regularly for the first time, there will be a period in which those new riders aren't acclimated to the proper etiquette and law. As a result, I have noticed more and more police at stops pulling over bikers that run red lights. I'm afraid good-will from non-cyclists is declining due to overly aggressive or careless bikers. Hopefully as responsible cyclists, we can help set a positive example and help those new to the road ride responsibly.

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