How Cycling Became An Integral Part Of Life In New York City

Reprinted from This Big City

Rachel Smith

18 August 2011


"I was in New York last week when it was announced that two-thirds of New Yorkers support bike lanes in their city. Cycling is now, undeniably, an integral part of life in the Big Apple.


Famous images of New York nearly always emphasize the city’s skyline and streets gridlocked with yellow taxis. But New York isn’t all designer shopping and ‘Sex in the City’. Since launching Sustainable Streets, a strategic plan that outlines goals for a more sustainable transportation system with better infrastructure and increased mobility, in 2008 the New York City Department of Transportation have boulevarded Broadway, created ‘Car Free Streets’ and built bikeways in Brooklyn and the Bronx.

Transportation has always been, and always will be, key to unlocking the potential of a city, that’s why over the last four years NYCDOT have built 250 miles of bike lanes. Building high quality protected and connected bicycle infrastructure, in a city where 80% of ‘public space’ is streets/footpaths used by eight million people each day has increased cycling by 300%, encouraged different demographic groups particularly women, children and tourists to cycle and furthermore improved traffic flow by 30%." Click here for the complete article...