Celebrate Bike Month In Bed-Stuy As Ridership Grows Citywide

BED-STUY, NY — As bike ridership soars citywide, there's still time to jump in on the month-long, car-free bike month celebrations in Bed-Stuy.

On Friday, New York City bikers ditched their Metro cards and cars and biked to work — a national tradition dating back to 1956.

“'Bike-to-Work Day' is coming at the perfect time for New York City. Thanks to one of the most popular public bike share systems in the world and this administration creating safe cycling infrastructure faster than the city ever has, bike ridership is at an all-time high," said Mayor Eric Adams.

Brooklynites have jumped in on the celebrations with multiple organized group rides, including one coming up on Saturday starting in Prospect Park — with a guest appearance expected from Council Member Rita Joseph.

Earlier this week, Council Member Chi Ossé joined cyclists for a Brooklyn bike ride kicking off at Restoration Plaza.

In Park Slope, the city's "only bicycle flea market" took over Washington/JJ Byrne Park Saturday for its 12th year for bike-lovers to find new wheels and accessories.

Celebrations throughout the month have included free helmet fittings and group bike-rides through blocks across NYC. One more free helmet distribution is scheduled for Sunday in Seward Park, and cyclists in the Bronx will close out the month with a River Greenway Tour.

Some 469 cyclists competed in May to see who could bike the most in the month. A Transportation Alternatives competition tracked how many miles cyclists biked in May — all to win “bragging rights” and prizes.

The top contender on Friday had already ridden 671 miles in 17 bike trips — a healthy lead over the next contender with 483 miles under their belt.

Across NYC, biking is more popular than ever, according to city data.

“Each day over half a million bike trips occur in the city,” the Transportation department said in a news release.

In 2021, New York City logged 54,966 regular bike commuters, reflecting a 104 percent increase in daily bike commuters over 10 years, according to Department of transportation data.

In Community Board 3, which covers Bed-Stuy, over 64 percent of households do not own cars. U.S. census data from 2016-2020 shows 9 percent of Community Board 3 residents use walking or biking as their main mode of transit, and 63 percent ride transit.

Community Board 3 has no protected bike lanes, based on DOT data from 2021.

The city is also working on some bike-focused infrastructure improvements. The Transportation department said in April it was on track to install a record number of protected bike lanes in 2023 and “harden” existing lanes.

“The continued rise in cycling is a sign of true progress for our city, but we must give new and experienced cyclists all of the tools they need to bike safely,” Adams said in an April news release.

But advocates, like Transportation Alternatives, say the city is moving too slow on bike safety infrastructure. They say the city has under-delivered on their protected bike lane promises.

On average, 3.43 percent of NYC’s street miles have protected bike lanes, according to DOT data from 2021. Leading the city was Manhattan’s Community Board 5, which had 24.3 percent of street miles covered by protected bike lanes.

Multiple Community Boards in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens had no protected bike lanes, according to data on Spacial Equity NYC.

“We really need NYC DOT to create a safe, connected network of protected bike lanes in every neighborhood,” advocacy group Flatbush Streets for People wrote on Twitter. “As a reminder, protected bike lanes make streets safer for everyone — people walking, biking, and driving.”