For the first time in my life, I visited New York City, and I even cycled there! I had heard and read so much about New York thanks to the significant developments in active transportation, the new green cycleways, and placemaking over the past few years, that I simply had to see all of that with my own eyes. When we were in the US for the eclipse last April, we took the opportunity to also visit New York City. Thanks to the hospitality of my friends Doug Gordon (co-host of the podcast “The War on Cars“, also known as Brooklyn Spoke) and Clarence Eckerson (the creator of over 1,000 Streetfilms), I managed to see all the right places in Brooklyn, Queens, and, of course, Manhattan.
What stood out for me? To begin with, for me New York still very much feels like a city designed around automobiles. I had heard about the placemaking project in Times Square which started all the way back in 2009 and understood it had become a pedestrian-friendly area. However, I was surprised to find that there are still four or more car lanes of 7th Avenue running right through it! The sheer number of people walking around is staggering, and these factors combined made Times Square a bit of a disappointment for me. When I saw signs to inform people that they cannot stop while walking, I took that as an indication that the location is not functioning properly. Apparently much more space is needed for people still.
New York leaves room for improvement, to say the least. The cycleways, often in Kermit green, come in various forms and shapes. The north-south paths on Manhattan are generally quite good, but the shorter east-west paths were notably worse. Clarence even made a video of us on these so-called crosstown bike lanes, which he published earlier.
It was also disappointing to see how many drivers chose to invade the cycle paths, using them as loading zones or parking spots. In places where drivers needed to be kept out, huge posts were installed in the middle of the cycle path, which is, of course, not a very safe situation. Maintenance is also not a real strong point in the US, as evidenced by the potholes of considerable sizes and stormwater grates that were simply dangerous.
However, it is absolutely not all bad. I liked the cycle route on 1st Avenue in Manhattan with its dedicated traffic lights that had separate phases. There were some impressive cycleways in Queens too, such as the one on Crescent Street, which passes a playground which is – to my amusement – called Dutch Kills. Maybe I should have written that it was impressive once we got past the truck parked on it at the beginning when we had just left the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge path.
The bridges in New York are quite something! You need to get so high up to cross the rivers! And that leads to very long ramps and incredible views from those bridges. The Open Streets in Queens (I saw an example on 34th Street) were spectacular in a different way. I had read and seen a lot about these streets on social media, but I always understood they were only temporarily closed to traffic on certain days. I was delighted to learn that some of these streets are “open” all the time, just not for cars! This shows that some things only become completely clear once you see them in reality.
It was great to see the cycleway along Prospect Park in real life too. This was a very controversial path over a decade ago, and seeing it now in its finished state, it was almost amusing to think about the fierce protests. It blends in so nicely! The lane of parked cars was moved sideways for about three meters, and the space the cars once occupied is now a green cycle path. Hardly something to lose sleep over, but it allows for much safer cycling in this area!
It was good to have locals point out smaller details that I might have missed as a visitor, such as “intersection daylighting”. This safety improvement restricts parking near intersections, making it easier for road users to see and respond to each other. Creating better sightlines can be accomplished quickly and affordably by placing flexible, vertical posts at intersections and adjacent to crosswalks. Some of the open space created this way was used for bicycle parking. It may not always be in the most needed locations, but at least the space is used in a useful manner. We have a form of ‘daylighting’ in the Netherlands too, we just don’t have such a snappy term for it!
The biggest change for central NYC will come at the end of this month: The Central Business District (CBD) Tolling Program will introduce a Congestion Relief Zone Toll on June 30, 2024. This is expected to drastically reduce the number of motor vehicles in that part of the city and also reduce travel time, lead to safer streets and cleaner air, reduce emissions, and improve the quality of life.
Oh, but I should not forget to write this: I did enjoy cycling in New York! I never really felt afraid, but I wonder how it would feel after the novelty wore off and I would need to cycle there for transport on a regular basis. It’s great that there are so many big and small projects in NYC, but it is a huge city, and I’m afraid it will take quite some more time before it truly feels like a city that is meant for people and active travel rather than for motor vehicles.
BICYCLE DUTCH 
RIP Congestion Zone, and the so-called “tax on poverty” that will be on businesses instead, which is much more of a so-called poverty tax than the one on cars. The car/oil lobby is big, stupid & powerful.
You came to NY a few days after I moved from Crescent Street. In fact, I lived r close to the place where that driver blocked the lane. I have had to veer into oncoming traffic—or the sidewalk.
Although the number of cyclists and e-bikers is growing , most New Yorkers don’t see cycling as a feasible alternative to driving or mass transportation. One reason is that even though the number and length of bike lanes are increasing, they don’t form a network. Too many lanes start “out of nowhere “ and end abruptly. So, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to actually go to where one needs to go.
Also, as you point out, maintenance is poor to non-existent. (Americans aren’t very good at maintaining public facilities.) Sometimes this results in hazardous conditions. Moreover, too many lanes have poorly-designed crossings and merges. For the reasons I’ve mentioned, I often ride on the street even when a bike lane is available.
Even with the situation I’ve described, New York—as auto-centric as it is—still is better for cycling than most other American locales.
In Times Square, pedestrians have to keep moving not (just) for the sake of cars, but for other pedestrians. New Yorkers don’t like people stopping in the middle of any sidewalk! Residents know not to do it, but tourists aren’t aware, and Times Square is full of them. There are just too many people walking not to abide by “traffic” rules as pedestrians.
Exactly and well said.