Yesterday I rode my bike down to SoHo via the 9 Av bike lane. It was the first time I had taken the route that far. At a red light, an elderly gentleman pulled up next to me and said in a heavy European accent, "You are wearing a helmet. That is good. We can heal a broken arm but not a broken head." I thought about how few Europeans wear helmets while bicycling (at least relative to Americans). Cycling is seen as such a normal activity (just like walking) that it is expected to be safe--and of course it is much safer in Europe due to a combination of urban design and laws that put the burden of safety on operators of dangerous vehicles.
Once I reached the Meatpacking District, vehicular and pedestrian traffic became very congested, with many vehicles blocking each intersection. It was difficult to maneuver around them. I wonder if this would be a good place to widen sidewalks and narrow roadways to reduce car traffic. The West Village was more pleasant, although it was frequently necessary to maneuver around turning vehicles. Once I got onto 7 Av South I was able to ride much faster, which was nice although it meant being surrounded by speeding traffic.
On the return trip, I took the Hudson River Greenway. It is one of my favorite places to ride because it is completely separated from motor vehicles and all using it are clearly enjoying themselves. (Unfortunately, every so often a motor vehicle infringes--a Parks Dept. trash collector zipped past me, its rear wheel coming within mere inches of my left leg. It then stayed directly in front of me for a long time, trailing a smelly plume of exhaust and trash in my face.) There is a section above Riverside Park where the path becomes like a washboard. Every time I ride it I wonder what it will take to have it resurfaced.
Today I took a recreational ride around upper Manhattan. It is a route I enjoy but don't often ride because the Harlem River Greenway is so neglected. Washboard pavement, litter and junk detract from the beautiful surroundings and cause me to worry about punctures. The section linking the waterfront to 155 St involves an uncomfortably narrow cattle chute where two people cannot easily pass. While I rarely pass anyone coming the other way, many more people undoubtedly would use the path if it were better designed and maintained.
Double parking is a significant problem on St Nicholas Av and Dyckman St. There seems to be absolutely no enforcement of parking regulations uptown, and even less on Sundays. I simply rode in the center of the general traffic lane and braced myself for the blast of a car horn. If anyone yelled at me to get in the bike lane, I would simply point out that their fellow motorists had made that impossible. Thankfully, no one honked--they seemed to recognize the situation.
I was pleased to see construction of a ramp extending the Hudson River Greenway to Dyckman St so that it will no longer be necessary to use the Hudson River Parkway on-ramp to access the path. I am hopeful that it can be extended even farther north through Inwood Hill Park--it would be nice to have an alternative to Broadway, which is not very bike-friendly. Alternatively, adding bike lanes and ticketing/towing double-parkers could improve cycling conditions on Broadway.
Near the George Washington Bridge, some people had stopped to take photos, and a CitiBike was lying across the path. I maneuvered around it, suggesting that they move it before someone got hurt. I wondered why anyone would ride a CitiBike up so far, and especially on such a hilly path.
I hope to take a CitiBike for a spin soon. Until the system is expanded uptown, it is not an option for my daily travel, but I fully expect it to be indispensable once expansion occurs.
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