Build a High-Quality Bike Network for All Ages & Abilities

Bicycling can improve public health, reduce pollution and congestion, grant freedom of movement, and expand access to opportunity at a low cost. But building a city where all types of people feel comfortable hopping on a bike to get around requires a safe and connected system of protected bike lanes, greenways, and secure bike parking. Today, biking is more popular than ever, but less than 2% of New York City’s streets have a protected bike lane. Creating safe, separated spaces for bicycling increases bike ridership, reduces cycling on the sidewalk, slows speeding drivers, and improves safety for everyone on the road. Transportation Alternatives is fighting to:

• Create a citywide network of protected bike lanes that works for New Yorkers from all neighborhoods, ages, and abilities. 

• Fund and build links between existing greenways and waterfront paths to create a multi-borough, connected off-street route

• Build the infrastructure necessary for 24/7 bike access on all bridges 

• Launch a publicly accessible, citywide secure bike parking program

Building a high-quality bike network for all ages & abilities…

…saves lives.
On average, 21 people on bikes are killed and more than 5,000 are injured every year in New York City. Of those killed, roughly 90% were not in a protected bike lane at the time of their crash.

…makes streets safer for everyone.
Protected bike lanes reduce the risk of serious injury or death for everyone by 18% and for pedestrians by 29%. 

…gets more people on bikes.
Bike ridership has been rapidly climbing since the City of New York began expanding protected bike lanes and greenways. East River bridge crossings by people on bikes have risen more than nine-fold since 2000.

…gets cars off the road.
In NYC, each additional mile of protected bike lanes results in 1,100 daily bike trips. Between 15% and 20% of these trips replace vehicle trips., with an average length of 2.4 miles. Each mile of protected bike lane built in NYC results in 140,000-190,000 fewer vehicle miles traveled.