The City on Two Wheels
Cycling for Psychic — and Many Other — Benefits
By David Gibbons
It’s a safe bet that most Americans’ first vehicle was some sort of bicycle. Learning to ride a two-wheeler is a classic rite of passage, the gateway to such adult activities as going fast and going somewhere of one’s own accord. Most of us abandoned this traditionally juvenile mode of transportation long ago – in our teens and twenties -- got serious, grew up, found steady jobs, and started commuting to work by almost any other means.
Aside from aggressive bike messengers, considered a dangerous fringe element by most law-abiding citizens, there were few cyclists on the streets of our city 20 years ago. In the past decade plus, New Yorkers have launched a concerted effort to become much more like their counterparts in -- perhaps not 21st-century Beijing, but at least Amsterdam, Holland, or perhaps Copenhagen, Denmark. There are plenty of “sensible adults” — architects, lawyers, brokers, editors, writers, even politicians — who commute by bike during the work week and enjoy pleasure biking on weekends. The cycling ranks are swelling. For conscientious city dwellers who are concerned about health, energy, and environmental issues, riding a bike is expedient, efficient, politically correct, satisfying, and -- at least in the abstract -- both cool and fun.
Ralph Lee has been a committed urban cyclist since the mid-1960s. He founded the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade in 1974 and lives in Westbeth, the artists’ residence off the West Side Highway in the old meatpacking district. Lee and his wife, Casey Compton, have run the Mettawee River Theater Company in upstate Salem, New York, every summer for more than 30 years; yet he is no weekend warrior or leisurely country rider. He bikes almost exclusively for transportation, ranging up, down, and across the entire island of Manhattan south of Midtown. And he harbors a great appreciation for the practical — and psychic — benefits of cycling: “I really do enjoy the exercise a lot, especially when there’s not a lot of traffic to negotiate. It’s really a pleasure,” he says. “The way you can weave in and out of traffic is always a lot more satisfying than being stuck in a car. You can keep on the move all the time. Having a kind of restless spirit, it’s very satisfying.”
Adjusting to the challenges of cycling in New York City is largely a question of getting comfortable with a potentially terrifying environment. Merely walking the city streets is enough over-stimulus for most people. Add the speed and proximity of fast, heavy traffic orchestrated by distracted motorists on crowded streets, and you have the reason most people don’t bike: They feel it’s just too dangerous. They also cite inconvenience: Bikes get stolen, there’s no place to park and lock them, you get your clothing dirty and sweaty, and that’s no way to present yourself for a meeting. With the increase in nontraditional employment, however, and more casual workplaces, as well as the desire for smarter, greener approaches to how to get around, bicycling in the city is on the upswing.
The 40-year cycling veteran Lee offers the following advice to fledgling Manhattan cyclists: “The smart thing if you’re just beginning to ride is start gradually. Ride around your neighborhood until you really feel comfortable with it, until you can begin to get a sense of the rhythm of the traffic in a small area, until you can begin to predict when you need to slow down, when you can go between cars. Then gradually expand your parameters.
“I got my bicycle several years before I actually began using it. I think the first ride I took was all the way down to the Lower East Side. It was a long trip, and there were some moments when I felt really terrified, just because of the unfamiliarity of the whole process. I realized that was kind of a dumb way to start out.”
For safe and successful city cycling, you need a healthy dose of forbearance. You need to proceed more cautiously and ride more defensively than you might like. Not only is everybody in a hurry – as usual -- but they are increasingly ensconced in their own microcosms, paying much more attention to their PDAs, cell phones, and iPods than to the etiquette of negotiating teeming city streets.
Even when you’re forced to take it down a notch, rest assured that riding a bike is the quickest, most efficient, and most Earth-friendly way to get around. When the sharp edge of impatience cuts through the Zen calm of your peddling rhythm, just remember you’re doing yourself and the planet a favor by getting more exercise and burning less fossil fuels than all those poor, misguided souls who drive or take mass transit. And consider those extra few minutes added to your travel time a valuable contribution toward increasing your chances of seeing your 70th birthday and beyond.
“I’m amazed at how few people look in the direction of oncoming traffic,” says 71-year-old Ralph Lee. “One of the worst situations I ever had was going uptown on Third Avenue near Cooper Union. I had the light, but the crosswalk was filled with people traipsing idly across. I was furious. I just kept riding and I hit somebody. It turned out to be a middle-aged French lady who was a tourist in New York City. She got hurt, I got hurt. My wheel was twisted. The cops came and took a report but nobody pressed charges. It was certainly a lesson to me. If you don’t want to hit somebody, you have to yield. I was boiled up about something else, I got angry at the people in the intersection and just kept riding. Not a good idea. This was about 10 years ago.”
Did that cause him to mellow out as a cyclist?
“It definitely did. I don’t get angry a lot, but if I were feeling self-righteous it would be very easy for me to get angry at pedestrians on a regular basis. I just have to tell that voice inside me to cool it.”
What is the government of our great city doing to make it a cleaner, greener place through cycling? City Hall released the New York City Bicycle Master Plan in 1997, and it is being implemented as a joint operation of the Departments of Transportation, Parks, and City Planning. The plan’s Bicycle Network Development Project aims to decrease transportation costs and congestion, and improve air quality, by promoting cycling. The project, which is 80 percent reimbursable from federal funds, projects the creation of more than 900 miles of bike paths throughout the city. The Master Plan is a nobly conceived and impressively written artifact of official documentese, but it is also egregiously open-ended. In the 10 years since it was made public, only about 20 percent of the proposed bike paths have actually been built.
Most prominent among the advocacy groups pushing to make New York a cycling city is an organization called Transportation Alternatives. T.A. is largely responsible for spurring our elected officials and their appointees to launch the Bicycle Master Plan. The T.A. modus operandi is to build consensus and lobby tirelessly for real bike- and pedestrian-friendly measures. “It’s important to get other organizations on board,” says T.A. Deputy Director Noah Budnick, an expert in urban planning. “These include citizens’ advocacy groups like us, local community boards, and organizations such as the Partnership for NYC, one of the largest business groups around. They now get it that traffic is a problem in the city and that biking is a part of the solution. When biking becomes a part of the menu for improving New York City, it attracts more groups like the Partnership. In New York City, you’re going to get opposition to proposals simply because they’re new or because you didn’t ask some people’s opinions. This is why it’s so important to build the kind of broad consensus we have for the bicycle plan.”
T.A. simultaneously runs dozens of campaigns, including one to make Central Park and Prospect Park automobile-free and another to create more bicycle parking. Lack of parking and storage facilities is the main reason more people don’t cycle to work. This past December the Department of Transportation, working with the local community board, announced a plan to widen the sidewalk and install bike racks outside the Bedford Avenue L subway station in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a heavily traveled stop for park-and-ride bicycle commuters. “It’s a model project that will hopefully be adopted around the city,” says Budnick. “It’s also a double-win for cyclists and pedestrians because the bikes were clogging the streets and making the whole area unsafe.” (In fact the situation got to the point where the police began impounding bikes by cutting off their locks with chainsaws.) Construction is expected to take place this summer. This type of special project augments the CityRacks program, put in place by the DOT in 2002, whereby citizens can request installation of a bike rack at any location where a need is detected. (Call 311 or go to the www.nyc.gov Website and search “CityRacks” to file an online request.)
Budnick, who has been with T.A. for six years, worked with Amy Pfeiffer, an official at the N.Y.C. Department of Planning, to develop the East River/North Shore Greenway, which will one day extend about 10 miles from Long Island City through Astoria to Flushing Meadow Park, thus enabling Mets fans in Manhattan to ride their bikes out to a game at Shea Stadium (or the new Citi Field, due in ’09). Budnick and Pfeiffer, who is now a colleague at T.A., visibly flush with pride when their baby — the greenway to Flushing — is mentioned. “Ever since I was with the planning department, Transportation Alternatives has always had a say in what is being built,” says Ms. Pfeiffer. “For example, when the city was planning the bike lane on Eighth Avenue in Manhattan, T.A. advocated for a buffer zone, with stripes painted between the lane and moving traffic. This is much more than the standard 5-foot width of a bike path. Most traffic engineers would never have chosen that, but it’s safer and encourages more people to cycle. So that’s what stands.”
The official New York City Cycling Map, an essential tool for all N.Y.C. cyclists (see below for information on where to obtain one), provides an outline of what is and what will be under the city’s bicycle-network plan. Existing bike paths and greenways are outlined in solid red and green, and planned ones in dotted lines. Thus far between 300 and 350 miles of bikeways have been built, depending on who’s counting and how. (Note that, for public-relations purposes, the city has often, at least in the past, cited two-way figures; in other words, 10 miles of bikeway would be considered 20 since they are two-way paths.) The map also lists bike shops, cycling organizations, and other useful information.
“I think New York City has the greatest untapped potential for cycling of any American city,” says T.A. Executive Director Paul White. “It has density, flatness, mixed-use zoning, plummeting crime, relatively temperate weather for cycling year round — all of these factors that make it almost the perfect place to ride bikes. It also has the advantage of an existing bike infrastructure. I think we’re doing okay with cycling in general, considering the nature of New Yorkers and of how things get done in New York City. But, judging the efforts of city government, I would say we’re doing less than okay -- although the government does get full credit for building the bike paths on the East River bridges.” The powers that be tend to be reactive, responding to the persistent prodding of the many cycling advocates, including Budnick, Pfeiffer, White and their colleagues at T.A.
In July 2005, T.A. and more than 20 like-minded organizations, including Times Up!, the Century Road Club, the Five Borough Bike Club. and the New York Bicycle Messenger Foundation, issued the New York City Bike Safety Action Plan.
“The city has responded with initiatives to address every item in that plan,” says Budnick. “The announcements are all very promising. Government has shown a renewed commitment from inside City Hall to get more people on bikes.” On September 12, 2006, the city’s police commissioners and its departments of parks, transportation, and health announced a new bike-safety plan, the highlight of which was adding 200 more miles of bike paths to city streets within three years. The announcement was made in conjunction with a joint report on bicycle injuries and fatalities from 1996 through 2005. As anyone even marginally familiar with the deliberate machinations of city government very well knows, a major capital project is virtually meaningless until it has specific goals and deadlines attached to it. So this announcement was cause for realistic optimism.
Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding Daniel L. Doctoroff, who commutes by bike from his home on the Upper West Side to his office in City Hall, has both the DOT and planning departments under his purview. A cycling mole inside City Hall? You betcha! And there is more. Joshua Benson, another urban planner, was appointed Director of the DOT’s Bicycle Program in July, 2006. Benson is responsible for what he terms the “ramping up” of on-street bike-lane construction. Twenty-eight of the planned 200 miles have been added since last summer and the rest are in the works, with a target date of summer 2009. “We’ve installed approximately 200 miles of on-street facilities in the last 25 years, so we’ll be doubling that in just three years,” says the DOT’s cycling czar, a daily bike commuter from his home in Brooklyn to his office in Tribeca. “I was stopped at a traffic light in Brooklyn yesterday morning [Monday, February 12]. There were actually eight other cyclists and just five cars, which is amazing on a February morning. There’s a core of commuters in New York City who are committed to year-round cycling, which is great. If you check out the Bergen Street bike lane in Brooklyn any day between 8 and 9 a.m., it’s full of commuters.”
In December 2006 the DOT announced the installation of shared-lane signage for sections of bike routes where the streets are too narrow for delineated lanes, including Grand Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn, and Times Square. Every little step counts. The city also has an additional 200 miles of off-street bike lanes, which are coordinated by combined efforts of the state DOT, the NYC Economic Development Corporation, and the NYC Parks Department. When various agencies become involved with a given issue, it signals consensus-building within the city and state governments. Furthermore, if, for example, the Health Department jumps on the bandwagon, it is an acknowledgment that cycling is more than just a traffic, transit, or street-planning issue. (T.A.’s Pfeiffer also happens to be working with the Health Department to develop a walking program called Safe Routes for Seniors.)
“The ‘getting it’ has increased,” says Budnick. “People get that, number one, New Yorkers are going to bike, and, number two, that biking is part of the equation for improving New York City — reducing congestion, improving air quality, and so forth.”
“The ‘getting-it’ part,” says Pfeiffer, “is assisted by events that necessitated people traveling in and out of New York City without cars: the transit strike, the blackout, and even 9/11.”
Nevertheless there continue to be cycling accidents and fatalities, and -- at least from the viewpoint of this regular cyclist -- rampant and often aggressive scofflaws behind the wheels of fast-moving private cars, taxicabs, and trucks of all sizes.
“The thing about trying to get more people to [bike] in New York City is that the on-street conditions are so daunting,” says Budnick. “No matter how old you are, unless you’re totally intrepid and daring, you’re always going to give it second thought.”
In Manhattan, seniors, for example, are more likely to cycle in off-street zones such as Battery Park City and the Upper West Side’s greenway. Other popular spots for senior cycling include Shore Parkway, Brooklyn, a scenic stretch that runs north and south of the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge, and the Coney Island boardwalk, which is open to two-wheelers from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. daily. “The Hudson River Greenway is a classic example of ‘If you build it, they will come,’ ” says Budnick. “I always like to say cycling should be safe for people of all ages and all abilities. The Greenway, especially above 59th Street in Riverside Park, is really perfect for riding in many ways.”
Jeromy Watkins, store manager of Gotham Bikes on West Broadway near Duane Street in Lower Manhattan, sees a range of older customers who are committed cyclists. “A lot of active men over 50 are getting away from running and other sports, and doing more cycling,” says Watkins, a six-year veteran at Gotham who utterly defies the stereotype of the surly grease monkey. “It’s the guy who’s maybe a former cross-country runner or marathoner, his knees are shot now and his doctor recommended cycling. He’ll buy a really good $1,500 road bike, and then he’ll come back for accessories. At the next level we definitely have a lot of customers over 50 who are commuting every day to work, putting in a lot of miles per year, and will buy a decent road bike for $300 to $500.”
Asked to assess the state of the city with respect to cycling, Watkins says: “New York is definitely one of the better cities in the U.S. for cycling. I would say Boston is the only other northeastern city that compares. Philly is all right; D.C. is not so great. Then you have the best cycling cities on the West Coast: Portland, San Francisco, San Diego.”
With the consensus efforts of all of those who care about improving the quality of life in New York City and believe cycling is an important piece of the puzzle, we will continue to inch closer to achieving the dream of Gotham as America’s premier bike metropolis. So join your favorite cycling organization, tune up your two-wheeler for spring, get out, and start peddling.
City Cycling Safety
The appearance of ghost bikes around New York City over the past few years is a poignant and grim reminder of the hazards of cycling in a dense, chaotic urban environment. These whitewashed bicycles, each adorned with flowers and a plaque, are on-the-spot memorials to fallen riders: Eric Ng, 22, killed by a drunk driver, at Clarkson Street and the Hudson River bike path, December 2006; Dr.Carl Nacht, 56, killed by an N.Y.C. Police tow truck at 36th Street on the Hudson River bike path, June 2006; Reginald Chan, 60, killed by a truck on Third Avenue between 16th and 17th Streets, September 2006. The list of cyclists killed in New York City between 1996 and 2005 contains 225 names; between 1996 and 2003 there were also 3,462 serious injuries from cycling accidents.
The official city-government position seems to have shifted recently — from the NYPD traditionally blaming cyclist error for 75 percent of bike accidents to the more recent admission, in the city’s report on serious accidents and fatalities, released in September 2006, that driver inattention was the largest contributing factor.
Don’t allow yourself to succumb to the “tyranny of the automobile,” but also don’t be a bike tyrant. Avoid Type A cycling behavior. Remember that pedestrians have the right of way at all times. As a city cyclist, you must expect them to jaywalk, and then, seeing you at the last second, to stop directly in your path with that proverbial deer-in-headlights stare. You’ve got to be ready for careless taxi-riders to fling open the door — on either side of the cab — directly in front of you, or for harried truck drivers pushing to complete exaggerated delivery schedules to turn right into you, oblivious of your presence, threatening your very existence.
Here are a few cogent facts, based on the city’s bike accident report, that you can use to help reduce your risks: 74 percent of fatal crashes involved head injuries; 97 percent of cyclists killed were not wearing helmets; 89 percent of fatal crashes occurred at or near intersections; large vehicles (trucks and buses) were involved in 32 percent of fatal crashes, although they make up just 15 percent of all vehicles on the road.
Advice? Wear a helmet and stay away from trucks and buses, especially near intersections. Both cyclists who were killed on the West Side bike path (Hudson River Greenway) were wheeling at night; this is not to say that grievous driver errors weren’t the primary cause — they were, and in fact one motorist was driving drunk down the bike lane — but that biking at night is especially risky. More advice? If you must do the night thing, use lights and reflective clothing, and be extra cautious.
A few other helpful hints: Keep an eye out for road hazards. Storm drains and potholes are everywhere. Puddles can hide the latter, which will dump you straight over your handlebars. Those steel plates that cover street excavations are extremely slick, especially when cold and/or wet. A 23-year-old cyclist was killed this past June when his bike slipped on a wet plate and he fell into the path of an oncoming truck at LaGuardia Place and Houston Street, Manhattan.
Ralph Lee recalls wiping out on an oil slick on Tenth Avenue: “It was like being on glare ice. The bike went right out from under me. I caught myself with one hand and hurt my wrist. I went on to my rehearsal, but after couple of hours I realized this was going to need some medical attention.” A trip to the emergency room revealed his wrist was broken.
Equip your bike with the following safety devices, which are required by law in New York City (in other words, if you ride without ’em, the NYPD has every right to write you a ticket): helmet, lights, and a bell. Gloves are also recommended, not only for comfort and grip but to protect your hands in the event of a fall. According to Gotham Bikes manager Watkins, a basic safety kit of these items should cost about $100.
Safety tips
1. Ride defensively; do not expect anybody to stop or yield — vehicles or pedestrians — even for traffic lights or stop signs.
1a. Keep both hands on your brakes and be ready to stop short at any time.
2. Obey all traffic laws.
3. Wear a helmet.
4. Signal your turns.
5. Make eye contact with motorists.
6. If you must ride in the dark, get lights and/or reflectors for your bike; also wear light-colored clothing and/or reflective vest.
7. Go slow when passing in narrow spaces between vehicles; this helps avoid getting “doored” or hitting pedestrians who dart out.
8. Beware of turning vehicles; keep an eye on their front wheels and be prepared to stop the instant they begin turning.
9. Use a whistle or bell to signal your approach.
10. Don’t do anything stupid, such as listening to music on headphones or carrying a shopping bag in one hand or talking on your cell phone while cycling.
10a. Assume that motorists or pedestrians will do something stupid, such as walking in front of you and stopping, or looking you in the eye and then turning right into you.
Maintenance tips
1. Check brakes and brake pads regularly and adjust as needed.
2. Keep tires inflated to recommended pressure.
3. Learn how to fix a flat and bring the necessary parts and tools, especially on longer rides to more isolated areas.
4. Have your bike tuned up once or twice a year at your favorite bike shop.
Resources
• The N.Y.C. Cycling Map, published by the city government, is free and available by calling 311; or by searching “N.Y.C. Cycling Map” on the city Website (www.nyc.gov); or at the N.Y.C. Department of Planning bookstore (22 Reade Street, New York, N.Y. 10007) as well as at various bike shops, libraries, and schools.
• The Transportation Alternatives Website, www.transalt.org, is an excellent source of all kinds of information about cycling in New York City, including practical issues, resources, and long-term planning.
• Take a course in basic repairs and maintenance. Monthly 45-minute classes in how to fix a flat, maintain your drive train, and adjust your brakes are offered by Gotham Bikes at 112 West Broadway, near Duane Street, and its sister shop, Toga, at 110 West End Avenue, corner of 64th Street.
