Changing the roads in NYC

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At every turn there is a new bike lane.  The city just started working on Hudson Street.  It is fantastic.  The bikers should be separated by a median from the cars.  Much safer.  Less area for driving will perhaps create an incentive for people to start using bicycles. 

I loved the Velib system in Paris but the bikers were in the same lanes as the buses which scared the hell out of me.  If we had the Velib system here, with the separation of bike lanes for bikers only, it would be great.  If I was in Soho and needed to jump home, I could grab a bike and be home in 5 minutes.

Downtown we travel so much east and west vs north and south that the subway system isnt always the best option.  If there were bicycles on different street corners….it would literally change the way people commute. 

With the changing of the roads, the city is obviously looking to make changes for a greener city.  Good news.

Comments (Archived):

  1. chefbikram

    Hooray. Weather will likely play into any cycling decision for commuters. Die-hards won’t care. I love that more cities are doing this. Chicago has done quite a bit. For any cycling fans, check out a post we did on cycling in San Diego and the rules regarding earphones: http://www.athleticmindedtr

  2. kenberger

    Well then this is fascinating. It would imply that this cash-strapped city has approved something so well-needed and justified, Well worth the price considering the payoff in environmental, congestion, and health gains.This in seemingly sharp contrast to recent policies on scooters and motorcycles in NYC. The past few years have seen documented spikes in tickets and summonses regarding 2-wheeled vehicles, as you (GG) have previously posted about. Some informed people see it as a “crackdown” primarily to raise revenue. No support for parking areas or spots (such as found in San Francisco), etc. And then absurd “Congestion pricing” plans which say nothing on encouraging 2-wheeled vehicles or regulating taxis better.

  3. fredwilson

    have you seen Grand Street in Soho and east of Soho? They not only shrunk the width for cars, but put parked cars between the car lane and the bike lane. Now if they’d only let Vespas go in the bike lane, we’d really have something

    1. kenberger

      Totally agree (watch for doors opening though).Noticeable use of brand-specific ‘Vespa’ instead of generic ‘scooter’? You’ll make that brand go the way of Kleenex, Bandaid, etc!Or maybe you indeed implied exclusive use for the privileged Italian brands (there are those who would concur).Maybe nyc could 1 day be like Saigon, Vietnam, where it’s almost ALL scooters:http://picasaweb.google.comhttp://picasaweb.google.com

    2. Gotham Gal

      Unfortunately vespas are not going to get any breaks.

  4. aarondelcohen

    I think that biking could be a huge part of a progressive political movement. It helps with two core issues of our time: energy and healthcare. I’ve been thinking about ways to start working on this, but I haven’t come up with anything great yet.Aaron

  5. Scott

    At the end of the day, you always have to ask yourself, “Are the roads of NY better than the roads of Boston?”If No, you must move immediately 🙂