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"Amazing" Growth in Estimated Number of Cyclists

By

John Del Signore

Published Apr 26, 2010

Modified Apr 26, 2010

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By

John Del Signore

Published Apr 26, 2010

Modified Apr 26, 2010

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The number of bike riders in NYC has increased 28% over last year, according to an annual estimate by Transportation Alternatives, using DOT data. According to the group's latest report:

The continued cycling boom is largely attributable to the DOT's commitment to increasing bike lanes throughout the city. The city has installed more than 200 miles of bike lanes over the past three years, including 5 miles of physically-separated bike lanes. "NYC just posted a fourth straight year of double-digit grown in cycling, and this was the biggest jump ever," said Paul Steely White of Transportation Alternatives. "This is real transportation. More New Yorkers are moving on bikes today than will ride the first
phase of the Second Avenue Subway on opening day in 2017."

The estimate, which has been calculated by policy analyst Charles Komanoff since 1992, extrapolates citywide cycling rates from the DOT's so-called screenline counts [pdf], taken at entrances to Manhattan below 50th Street. "The screenline number is as good a number as I think we have," Komanoff tells City Room. "Even if it probably overstates the increase in overall cycling... I think it’s kind of amazing. I think it is now legitimate to refer to cycling as a mainstream mode of travel. And to me, that is a profound development." By the way, the DOT's 2010 cycling map is now out, and can be obtained free of charge at most bike shops. It's also online here.

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John Del Signore

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Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.

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