Streetfilms: Shocker from New York. 200 Miles of New Bike Infrastructure Leads to More Biking

This year the New York City Department of Transportation measured a 26 percent jump in commuter cycling. Coming on the heels of 2008’s unprecedented 35 percent growth, that puts the total two-year increase at a whopping 66 percent.

Much
of the growth in cycling can be attributed to the installation of 200
miles of bike routes in the past three years, including innovative
facilities like the cycletracks on Eighth Avenue and Ninth Avenue,
which separate car traffic from cyclists. Safer streets get more people
to ride, who encourage their friends to ride, and more riders on the
road means cyclists are more visible and safer. The virtuous circle is in effect here in New York.

With
triple the number of cyclists on the road since 2000, we thought now
would be a good time to get a reality check from riders: How’s it going
out there? Overwhelmingly, folks we interviewed said it is getting
quite crowded on New York’s streets and bridges. Good thing bikes
aren’t space hogs!

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

STREETFILMS

Cambridge: Britain’s Cycling Capital

By Clarence Eckerson Jr. |
In the city of Cambridge, just about an hour’s train ride north of London, you’ll find lots of people bicycling. In fact, the official bike mode share is 22 percent, but advocates believe it’s even higher and could comprise up to 50 percent of all trips in the city center. More than protected bike lanes, the key to Cambridge’s success has been the […]
STREETFILMS

How Seville Got Its Bicycle Network

By Clarence Eckerson Jr. |
As recently as 2006, almost no one in Seville got around by bicycle. The city’s bike network was nearly non-existent. When the leaders of this city of 700,000 in Andalusia decided to make bicycling a viable transportation option, they didn’t mess around — they built an 80-kilometer bike network in just 18 months — and that was just the […]
STREETFILMS

Austin: The Most Bike-Friendly City in Texas

By Clarence Eckerson Jr. |
I was in Austin a few months ago for the NACTO Designing Cities Conference. While in town I was able to put together this look at what the city is doing to improve bicycling, including the dazzling 3rd Street curb-protected bikeway. Also captured on camera: many bike paths along the Pedernales River, car-free nights on 6th street, and the ridiculously long […]
STREETFILMS

It’s Smart to Be Dense

By Clarence Eckerson Jr. |
As the world’s population continues to urbanize, our cities have two options for growth: densify or sprawl. To accommodate a more populous and more prosperous world, the spread-out, car-dependent model of the 20th century must change. In this video, the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and Streetfilms team up to bring you the most important reasons for building […]