That’s NYC DOT Commish Janette Sadik-Khan, a Regular Bike Commuter, in the Black

New York City offers perhaps the most prophetic glimpse into what the future may hold for bike/pedestrian projects and planning in the coming years. At the top levels of the government, there is a dedication to improving the lot for cyclists. DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, an avid cyclist, has surrounded herself with a dream team of alternative transportation advocates and has pushed forward with a lot of exciting projects even though she’s been in office for less than a year. In just the last six months, new bike lanes have opened and major bike routes have been planned, for instance:

New Bike Shelters Are Popping Up All Over the City

The City Announced Its First Bike Share Plan

Prince Street Bike Lane Has Arrived

Manhattan Bridge Bike & Ped Improvements Nearing Completion

While none of these stories is earth shaking by itself, the trend is clear; the city is slowly re-engineering itself to become a more bike compatible place.

However, giant urban bureaucracys being what they are, the execution remains uneven as bureaucrats and the police continue to do things the old way and slow the pace of the reforms.

Image (and about half of the links) via Streetsblog

(Full Disclosure: Sadik-Khan sat on the board of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign while I was the Campaign’s New Jersey Coordinator. During much of that time, Jon Orcutt was the Campaign’s executive director)