Take Your Bike to Work Days Kick in Across the City

Lots of bike-related news in New York lately: First came the study about bike lanes being blocked frequently (you read about it here...) and now comes a new law that mandates bike access to office buildings.
The law went into effect last Friday; it states that building managers must make bike access plans and allow bicycles in freight elevators. (The law, as makes sense, only applies to buildings with freight elevators.)
But like most New York City laws, there’s a catch: Employers don’t have to actually make a space for the bikes to be stored. So you can ride your bike to work, get it upstairs to your office--and then you’re on your own. (Perhaps it can share your cubicle?)
Another drawback: Access only has to be granted during the hours the freight elevators run, which can sometimes end as early as 6 pm. Plus, of course, there's paperwork—bikers may need to fill out forms asking landlords to create a bike access plan, and some buildings may be exempt (for instance, a freight area may not be safe.)
Still, the law at least makes a start in allowing New Yorkers a greener (and often faster) way to get to work. In addition, it eliminates the worry of having to park a bike on the street.
And should you decide to join the cycling hordes, when all around you are gnashing their teeth waiting for the next bus or subway car, you can smile smugly and pedal on.

Riding a Bike in New York? Be Prepared to Wait

It will probably come as no shock that despite the presence of bike lanes in New York, cyclists find their way blocked by other vehicles almost 60 percent of the time.
A Hunter College survey released this week found that during a 10-minute stretch of time on a 5 to 6-block stretch, bikers found their way blocked by all manner of vehicles. Cars led the way (30 percent), followed by small trucks (17 percent) and taxis (14 percent.)
The worst offender in terms of location? Well, take a tip from us and stay away from the Upper East Side if you're perched on a two-wheeler: Ninetieth Street from 5th-3rd Avenues was deemed the most congested stretch.
The good news: Bikers who used the lanes were more likely to wear helmets than those riding in the street (72 percent vs. 64 percent).
On the other hand, 20 percent of bikers weren’t riding in the bike lanes at all.
The worst obstructions, of course, came in morning rush-hour traffic.
The study is the first of its kind. Suryveists chose almost 500 random streets in the city, and observed Class II bike lanes--those with painted stripes designating them for cyclists. The survey was conducted from September 22-October 22, from 8 am –6 pm.
Although on the whole the obstructions lasted for 10 minutes or less, that’s a long time when you’re sitting in New York City traffic.