NYC Bike Path Experience by Loriann Joseph

On Saturday, September 13, 2014, I went bicycling on the NYC bike path that runs parallel to the Westside highway. I entered the bike path uptown near 95th Street and exited downtown at the Freedom Tower / World Financial Center area. My round trip was approximately 15 miles, which took me about two and half hours to complete. The weather was overcast and in the low 70's which made it ideal for bicycling. I will breakdown my experience into 2 categories, “Uptown Experience” (above 59th Street) and “Downtown Experience” (at or below 59th Street).

Uptown Experience

There are trees separating the actual bike path from the Westside Highway. As a result, bike trail users’ exposure to harmful emissions from the vehicles travelling on the highway, is significantly reduced.

In addition, certain sections of the bike path in this area have segregated “pedestrian only” paths which foster a leisure-oriented environment.

Downtown Experience

I experienced a change in the air quality once I got below 59th Street. The bike path in the downtown area comes in very close contact with vehicular traffic, which negatively impacts the air quality.

Traffic light features were added to the bike path in this area due to its close proximity to passing vehicles on the roadway. However, users tend not to obey the light features and rely on their own perception of danger.

The usage of the bike facility in lower Manhattan is mixed. Similar to upper Manhattan, I spotted pedestrians and joggers. For the first time, I could see mostly tourists commuting on Citi bikes between midtown and uptown. There were also bicyclists using the facilities for business related purposes. For example, I saw messengers from a company named Lacoste utilizing the bike path.

My overall experience on the bike path was pleasant. Despite the multi-usage of the path, the flow was good. With lack of access to the Citi-bike App, bike path users are at a loss as to the location of nearby docking stations. Therefore, coupled with the App, I would also like to see more signage along the path indicating where the nearest Citi bike dock stations are located, since only one docking station at Chambers Street is located on the path.

In an effort to make the bike system more cohesive with other modes, integration with other forms of transportation should be considered. Citi-bike docking facilities could be strategically set up near designated bus/train stations. This would encourage more usage if people perceived the facilities as being more accessible and user-friendly.

Bicycle Lane and Bike Share Policy Review by Slavica Mickovic

  

Over a year has passed since Citi Bike became part of the New York City transit program family and it has become indispensable to the city’s dwellers and visitors in rotation.

Despite the occasional negative reviews portrayed in the media, user statistics show that the program has been a tremendous success. To date, there are more than one hundred thousand annual members and over seven million rides taken. However positive the reputation, financial statistics reveal that the program is in jeopardy and in need of urgent support. Unlike other city transit family members, Citi Bike is unsubsidized. A 24-hour pass costs $10.00 and annual membership fee sells for $95.00; in short, this is not enough to keep the bikes rolling.

Sunday, September 7, 2014, was my first bike share ride experience and I could not have chosen a better day! The weather was beautiful, sunny and clear. My trip started at Columbus Circle just before 1:00 pm and it was there that I faced my first obstacle.

Buying a pass at the station kiosk was a bit frustrating- the system rejected my credit card twice before accepting another card. Then, the code was incorrect and I had to begin again. I overheard people who were waiting in line behind me saying that incorrect codes were a common occurrence and it often took two or three times before receiving one that worked. I was unsure at first, how the experience was going to turn out.

After checking all of the recommendations provided in the kiosk display, I chose to ride down 60th Street to 9th Avenue, and then south to 14th Street. I continued pedaling east down 14th Street and then ended my ride at the Jackson Square Park station at Greenwich Street and 8th Avenue. During the ride, I exchanged the bike once at a docking station- it was simple.

Despite a few bumps, I had a good experience, though I was slow to warm up. Since this was my first time riding a bike on the streets of New York City, it took me until my final destination to get comfortable and recognize the appeal. Unfortunately, the bike lanes I rode on were in the same sorry condition as the streets and avenues themselves, and there were too many delivery bikes riding in the wrong direction. However, as the time passed, I got used to the chaos and my fears melted away. These bike lanes allowed me to travel separate from traffic, above ground, and experience the excitement of the city around me. Once at my final destination I felt energized and free.

Over the following weekends, I took several more rides on various routes. A ride from Grand Central Station to 14^th Street and 8^th Avenue e.g., took only 10 minutes. Could it be faster with a cab? Perhaps not! Well, maybe less ‘sweaty’! Nonetheless these rides reinforced my initial feelings of the Citi Bike ride as a positive experience.

In large cities, such as New York City, bike sharing programs are absolutely vital to city dwellers and their well being. Should we expect that everything in a big city like this will run without a problem? Even the subways jam up from time to time. Perhaps there should be more policies to help the program thrive. And perhaps more road rules would need to be adopted. Maybe if people were given tickets for misbehaving, like the delivery people riding in the wrong direction, the money could be appropriated to subsidize the project. That is just one idea that I might entertain since I would like to see Citi Bike remain and even become an intermodal part of the transit family. As far as I’m concerned, I am planning to make bike-riding a part of my daily routine, and will most likely purchase my very own annual pass!

The previous text was written during the month of September, 2014. It is currently mid-November, 2014, and several important events and changes have happened in regard to the future of the bike sharing program in New York City.

First and foremost is the news that the bike share program is ‘growing up’, as it is growing in many cities in the United States. In New York City, a new generation of the bike share program is on its way, and the new proprietors have promised to double the size of the program by the end of 2017.

For New Yorkers, this means the addition of twelve thousand new bikes, the expansion of the current number of bike stations to over seven hundred, and expansion of services into new areas. New coverage areas would include 59^th Street to Harlem just above 125^th Street, expanded Brooklyn zones such as Greenpoint, and introduction into some areas in Queens such as Astoria and Long Island City.

At the same time, Mayor de Blasio launched his ‘Vision Zero Action Plan’, two-decade goal of eliminating all traffic deaths and serious injuries on New York City streets. In order to achieve this goal, many new measures and actions will need to take place. Some of these actions are already underway, such as the enactment of the speed-limit reduction law that should contribute significantly to safer streets for all participants. Many more actions and measures are needed.

One measure that could help achieve the Mayor’s goal would be to slow traffic through traffic-calming measures such as raised crosswalks and intersections, speed bumps and other measures outlined in the Urban Bikeway Design Guide (http://nacto.org/cities-for-cycling/design-guide/ ). Better education regarding bicycle driving and sharing the road through driving safety classes, public workshops, and school curricula would contribute to greater safety on shared city roads. Reducing the total number of motor vehicles in the city through planning and law enforcement would undoubtedly contribute to calmer, safer roads.

With safer streets and growing ridership on the way, improvements to the bike share program itself should be considered. One recommendation would be to increase the number of shared bikes within the vicinity of significant public transit hubs such as Penn Station, Grand Central Station, and the new Fulton Street Transit Center, to name just a few. Introducing signage indicating the locations of bike stations and adding timers on the bikes to help reduce overtime charges would increase the user-friendliness of the program. Posting a ‘hot-line’ at docking stations and on the program’s website for user comments could identify many more ideas to help the bike share program grow into an integral, safe and enjoyable part life in New York City.