Spokes: NYC Bike Map News
Summer Streets Photo Gallery
August 31st, 2008Photos taken during the Summer Streets events.
Three Saturdays in August, New York City had a 6.9 mile car-free path leading from the Brooklyn Bridge in Lower Manhattan to the East 72nd Street entrance of Central Park. The street closures occured from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on three consecutive Saturdays in August, the 9th, 16th and 23rd. The streets closed were Centre Street, Lafayette Street, 4th Avenue and Park Avenue.
Car-Free Summer Streets in August
August 1st, 2008For three Saturdays in August, New York City will have a 6.9 mile car-free path leading from the Brooklyn Bridge in Lower Manhattan to the East 72nd Street entrance of Central Park. The street closures will occur from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on three consecutive Saturdays in August, the 9th, 16th and 23rd. The streets to be closed are Centre Street, Lafayette Street, 4th Avenue and Park Avenue.
from the DOT press release:
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan today announced Summer Streets, a new City program that will temporarily open a 6.9 mile car-free route from the Brooklyn Bridge to 72nd Street. Featuring connections to Central Park and other open spaces, Summer Streets will give New Yorkers unprecedented access to the streets for exercise and exploration from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on three consecutive Saturdays in August, the 9th, 16th and 23rd. Major cross-town streets will remain open for vehicles that need to cross the route. The Mayor and Commissioner Sadik-Khan were joined at the announcement by Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Lance Armstrong and David Byrne.
NYC Century Bike Tour - September 7th, 2008
August 1st, 2008The NYC Century offers five route options (ranging from 15 to 100 miles) to provide all cyclists a great way to see New York City and explore some of the City’s best greenways and parks.
NYC Century starts in 16 hours
Choose your distance, Ride your Pace15 mile: Lead by T.A. Marshals, this ride is meant for first time riders and families. Riders travel down Broadway, passing NYC icons, Columbus Circle, Time Square, Herald Square, Flatiron Building, Union Square, cross over the Brooklyn Bridge and finish in beautiful Brooklyn Bridge Park. Leave 8 am Finish 10 am-2 pm
35 mile: This ride is for those looking for more than a Sunday stroll. Riders are taken through downtown Brooklyn, around Prospect Park and continue through hip and trendy Williamsburg and up to Astoria Park, Queen finishing in Central Park. Leave 7:30 am Finish 11 am.- 3 pm
55 mile: This route is more miles but since NYC is relatively flat terrain it makes for a manageable ride for someone who is looking to challenge him or herself. This route takes riders along the Brooklyn greenway with views of the Verrazano Bridge and Coney Island and connecting to with 35-mile finish. Leave 7 am Finish 11 am.-4pm
75 mile: This is not for armatures. From Canarsie Piers riders split and continue on the greenway and head north to Queens. The journey takes riders to Kissena Park where riders can take a loop around the Velodrome. Leave 6:30 am Finish 12-4 pm
100 mile: Experienced Riders Only. Picking up from the 75 mile route, riders continue north to the Bronx. This part of the ride is the most challenging because we saved the hills for the end. Riders enter northern Manhattan and take to the east side to get a view of Yankee Stadium and travel through historic Harlem. 6 am Finish 12-6 pm
For more information and to register, visit NYCCentury.org.
14th Annual Tour de Bronx - October 19, 2008
July 20th, 2008The Tour de Bronx gives riders the choice between a 25 mile and 40 mile route (and the choice of several starting locations and options to extend the ride). Since the Tour de Bronx offers cyclists of all skill levels a great ride it is no surprise that it is New York City’s largest free cycling event.
The Tour de Bronx starts in 1 month, 11 days, 16 hours on October 19th, so mark your calendars.
Multiple Routes and Starting Locations to Choose From
The 25-Mile Ride:
A leisurely ride good for every age and skill level. We will ride at approximately 11 mph on flat, open stretches. Ride through the Bronx Greenway bike paths, historic districts, the Bronx Shoreline, parklands and neighborhoods. Ride marshals and police escorts form a safety cell around riders to ensure their comfort. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience and a great way to see the Bronx. Note: this ride is 35 miles if you choose the Riverdale start.The 40-Mile Ride:
The pace is significantly faster on this ride which covers a greater distance in the same amount of time. We will ride at approximately 15 mph on flat, open stretches. This ride ventures farther to City Island, SUNY Maritime College, and Co-op City. Recommended for experienced cyclists who are comfortable riding in traffic. (There is no safety cell on this ride; Children under 16 must be accompanied by a parent). Note: this ride is 50 miles if you choose the Riverdale start.Choose a Starting Point for All Riders:
* from the Metro North Station at the New York Botanical Garden: (9 am check-in)
* or the Bronx County Building at 161 Street & The Grand Concourse (10 am check-in)
* or Henry Hudson Park in Riverdale (8:15 am check-in) [Directions to Riverdale Start]
* or our new check-in location at Muskrat Cove, Woodlawn Metro-North Station (8:30 am check-in) .Both the 25-mile and 40-mile routes leave from all four locations, but if you start in Riverdale, you will add 10 miles to the distance you ride.
More info at the official Tour De Bronx site
For more information and to register, visit TourDeBronx.org.
New York Bike Share Project 2008
July 10th, 2008July 10–14: Free Bikes
The NYC DOT continues to impress announcing that it will experiment with a bike share program to “create a network of publicly accessible bicycles at minimal cost, and could provide an important transportation link at transit hubs and commercial and social areas”.
More info at NYbikeshare.orgMore info at NY Bike Share .org New York Bike Share 2008
Imagine walking to a sidewalk corner and finding a public bicycle. With a cellphone call or swipe of a card, you unlock it from its bike rack and ride it across town. Once at your destination, you steer to the closest bike rack and, with one more call or card swipe, return the bike to the public network. You pay less than $.50 for the trip, and the bike is once again available for the taking.
So-called “bike-sharing” already exists in cities across Europe, with Paris alone currently installing over 10,000 bikes at 750 stations. Bike-sharing is revolutionizing transportation networks and greening the urban fabric. How could it launch in New York?
- City Bakery 3 West 18th Street
- Birdbath Bakery 145 7th Avenue
- Birdbath Bakery 223 1st Avenue
- Storefront for Art Architecture 97 Kenmare Street
Find a Free Bike at the Following Locations
Bike the New York City Waterfalls
June 26th, 2008New York City will be home to four man-made waterfalls in the East River and New York Harbor thanks to artist Olaf Eliasson’s “New York City Waterfalls” project. The temporary art installation will be place from June 26th to October 13th, 2008. The DOT has put out a great map for cyclists to take a “waterfall tour” (hat tip to Streetsblog).
The falls will be located in the East River and New York Harbor:
- Under the Brooklyn Bridge
- Brooklyn’s Piers 4 and 5
- Pier 35 in Manhattan
- Governors Island via ferry
Full Size Map from StreetsBlog (PDF)
Countdown to the 2008 Tour de France
June 23rd, 2008While the Tour de France has little to do with bicycling in New York City, it certainly inspires many riders to hit the streets of New York every July and to get you excited for the upcoming Tour here is map of the route, plus a list of the 30 most defining moments of the Tour de France from Bicycling Magazine.
Anybody have a favorite bar to watch the Tour de France in NYC?
Permanent Link to Countdown to the 2008 Tour de FranceUpdate: BikeBlog has a tip on a bar showing the TDF during happy hour:
For viewing in NYC, the Lakeside Lounge is airing coverage on Versus, located at 126 Ave. B. between 10th and 11th st.
I believe it is coverage during happy hour, starting when they open around 4:00pm. So for all of you who get off work in time or aren’t working…this works out great for you. At least it shows they are a cycling friendly bar.
Ride the City: Bicycle Routing for NYC
June 10th, 2008Uh oh, this site has some competition, although we welcome it since anything that makes cycling in New York City better is a good thing for everyone. Ride the City is a new NYC bike routing site that allows you to enter two addresses and it will provide the best route to take by bicycle. Kind of like if NYC Bike Maps merged with Mapquest. Check it out at www.RideTheCity.com
Here’s how it works:
Permanent Link to Ride the City: Bicycle Routing for NYCThe concept is pretty simple. Just like MapQuest, Google, Microsoft, and other mapping programs, Ride the City finds the shortest distance between two points. But there are two major differences. First, RTC excludes roads that aren’t meant for biking, like the BQE and the Queens Midtown tunnel. Second, RTC tries to locate routes that maximize the use of bike lanes and greenways.
4th Annual Tour de Brooklyn - May 25th, 2008
May 25th, 2008The Tour de Brooklyn is a leisurely paced, 18-mile bike tour along a relatively flat route that starts May 25, 2008 at 9:00am.
Registration is free and required. [there's a 2000 person limit on the ride]
Day-of Event Registration will be available at New Dock St. and Water St. in Dumbo from 8-9 am on Sunday, May 25th. See you there!
Sunday May 25th, 2008: Check-in: 8 am Line-up: 9 am Ride: 9:30 am
For more information and to register, visit TourDeBrooklyn.org.
Montauk Century - Sunday, May 18, 2008
May 18th, 2008The 44th annual Montauk Century will roll on May 18, 2008. Choose from 65, 100, and 145 mile routes on Long Island’s beautiful South Shore. Check-in points are at Penn Station and the LIRR station in Babylon. All routes end in Montauk. Transportation is available to get you and your bike home. official site
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Start Time: 4:00 AM
End Time: 6:00 PM
