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  • Burn baby, burn - by biking

    Thursday May 14, 2009 10:58 AM By Heather Haddon

    Transportation Alternatives will help New Yorkers get geared up for biking to work during free events Friday

    (Photo courtesy Nick Goddard)

    By Heather Haddon

    If miles of new bike lanes weren’t enough, city transit officials think vanity might encourage more New Yorkers to commute by two wheels.

    The average roundtrip bike commute burns 440 calories, according to city figures released in tandem with Bike Month.

    The Department of Transportation and transit groups have organized more than 200 rides and events to celebrate biking in May. On Friday, Transportation Alternatives will give away breakfast and free biking advice to celebrate “National Bike to Work Day.”

    “Bike Month is a great occasion for New Yorkers … to hop on a bike, and see just how fun and welcoming the streets, bridges and parks have become," said DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan.

    In other city biking news:

    * The average bike commute takes 30 minutes, as compared to the average overall commute of 45 minutes for New Yorkers* The average cost of owning a car in New York City is $5,569, as compared to about $260 for a bike (with insurance).

    * There are 185,000 cycling commuters in the city, up from 75,000 daily riders in 1992

    * New York City currently has more than 620 lane miles of bicycle paths, lanes and car-free greenways

    For more information about events, see www.bikemonthnyc.org.

    Tags: biking, new york city, transit

comments   1 - 4 of 4

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    • 11/8/09
  • JM
    Oh, please, Gwin -- I'm sure the two cyclists made it to wherever they were going heads intact. The only thing unsafe about riding without a helmet is all the cars driving aggressively and recklessly. And I say this having worn a helmet today.
    • 7/14/09
  • Kelley
    Biking as a group reduces one's risk of injury by more than just wearing a helmet. Thus "proper gear" on an individual is less important than getting lots of people on bikes--so I say good choice of a photo. As a daily bike commuter (who does choose to wear a helmet), I would rather the media encourage more people to try biking because they can do so in "normal clothes" than discourage those same people because "proper gear" is required.
    • 7/14/09
  • Gwin
    Showing two cyclists riding without helmets helps promote unsafe cycling. Couldn't you have found a photo of someone wearing the proper gear?
    • 7/14/09
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