Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Author of Rival Cycling Study Doubts 236K Biker Estimate
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 27, 2010
Modified Apr 27, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 27, 2010
Modified Apr 27, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Yesterday's annual report by Transportation Alternatives estimated that some 236,000 New Yorkers commute by bike every day; the number was an extrapolation of citywide cycling rates from the DOT's so-called screenline counts [pdf], taken at entrances to Manhattan below 50th Street. But this wasn't the only study of cycling in NYC released yesterday; a team of researchers working with Rutgers University professor John Pucher released their own study [pdf], which casts doubt on the rival report's extrapolation. And now there's a cycling study war brewing!
"All of us agree that there's been big increases in cycling," Professor Pucher tells Streetsblog. But "there's so many assumptions that you can question" in the TA estimate. Pucher does not care for this "screenline count" extrapolation one bit, because it's based on data on cyclists in downtown Manhattan and northwest Brooklyn, where bike commute rates are the highest (according to census data). So extrapolating from those DOT numbers may provide a highly distorted estimate, Pucher contends.
Pucher's report refrains from extrapolating, instead digging into the demographics of who rides bikes in NYC, how they get hurt, and examining the reasons for the cycling boom. The report uses a variety of data, including census data, which Pucher also finds inadequate, because it "understates total cycling." The bottom line in Streetsblog's thorough article is that NYC lacks the data to really understand how many cyclists are using its streets. "In Portland, every single year, they have travel surveys, broken down by mode, gender and age. Why don't we have that in New York City?" asks Pucher. The comments are now open for your "Go back to Oregon" remarks.
Tagged
bicycle
bike
cycling
rutgers
study
John Del Signore
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.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Serbians forced to wait hours to vote at NYC consulate as Balkan nation holds election
Early voting may have kicked off in New York this weekend, but Serbian immigrants seeking to vote had a much tighter window on Sunday.
By
Jill Webb
and
Michael Sol Warren
Published Oct 25, 2026 at 2:57 p.m. ET
Retired NYPD detective charged in George Washington Bridge killing out on $1M bail
Victor Romero, who retired from the police department in 2001
By
Michael Sol Warren
News
Retired NYPD detective charged in George Washington Bridge killing out on $1M bail
Victor Romero, who retired from the police department in 2001
By
Michael Sol Warren
Suicides decline in NYC, but inequities persist across groups
By
Jill Webb
Cuts to rural healthcare become key issue for upstate votes in race for NY governor
By
Samuel King
NY Archdiocese will soon settle $800M clergy sexual abuse claims
By
Arya Sundaram
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .