The top stories from NYCycles -
The Official Newsletter of New York Cities DOT's Bike Program
Summer Streets
Summer Streets returns this year Saturdays August 8,
15 and 22 from 7:00 am - 1:00 pm.
DOT Completes an Unprecedented 200
Miles of Bike Lanes
In June 2009, the NYC Department
of Transportation completed the City's ambitious
goal of building 200 bike-lane miles in all five
boroughs in just three years, nearly doubling
the citywide on-street bike network while reshaping
the City's streets to make them safer for everyone
who uses them. The same period also saw unprecedented
expansion and innovation of the overall network,
including the installation of 4.9 miles of bike
paths physically separated from car traffic lanes,
20 sheltered bike parking structures and 6,100
bike racks, accompanied by a more than 45% growth
in commuter cycling in that time.
Find a Bike Map Online
DOT and Department of City Planning (DCP) have partnered
to create a Google Map showing the location of nearly
every CityRack throughout the five boroughs.
DOT's website now has a map, which shows the location of over 97 percent of the outdoor bicycle parking racks available throughout the City. Created through a partnership with the Department of City Planning (DCP) this new, interactive feature is one of the many ways in which DOT continuously works toward ensuring cyclist are safe, comfortable, and well informed each time they grab their bicycles, and set out to explore the wonders of the City. DOT worked side by side with DCP to take data that had long been sitting in file drawers and transform it into a tool that would be beneficial to the public. Together the agencies compiled years' worth of data on the City's bike rack inventory, and DOT converted the information they acquired into a format suitable for the Google maps application. The information is now available both as a Google map and as a downloadable data set. Computer savvy members of the public are encouraged to incorporate this data into their own maps and applications.
The familiar Google Maps interface allows users to click on a City map and magnify it to a street level. Bike labels reveal the exact locations of the City's bicycle parking racks. Whether the webpage is accessed through a home computer, a mobile device, or any other internet compatible gadget, one thing is for sure: with over 6,000 bike rack locations listed, cyclists can now take the guesswork out of wondering where to lock their bicycles once they arrive at their destination. Users can also use the webpage to submit any errors or omissions they notice in the data. DOT is also piloting a new web application called Ride the City. Savvy cyclists have been using Ride the City for several months now to plan door-to-door routes best suited for two-wheels. You can use Ride the City's routing application by visiting DOT's bike map page.
8th Avenue Gets a Protected Bike
Path
DOT is completing the new, protected bike path (pictured above with a dumpster in it - and way off a car parked in it)
and pedestrian safety features on 8th Avenue in
Manhattan. Using a design similar to that of the
popular 9th Avenue bike path, the project includes
a nine-foot-wide, one way, signalized path with
a four foot buffer for cyclists. Construction on
the 8th Avenue bike path is being completed in
two phases. The first phase, which included the
section between Jane Street and West 14th Street,
was completed last fall. The second phase is nearing
completion from Jane Street to W. 23rd Street.
While most of the improvements are in place, DOT
is working to install the bicycle signal head,
ensuring the bike path does not just meet set standards
but exceeds them. The newly installed bike path
will give cyclists protection from moving traffic
as they travel. Pedestrians will enjoy a greener,
safer streetscape thanks to new pedestrian refuge
islands. And motorists will benefit from a safer
street where everyone has a place and there are
fewer conflicts with pedestrians and cyclists.
The new configuration of the street will accommodate
turning vehicle movements more safely, cyclists
will have their own turn signals, separate from
motorists.
Photo by satanslaundromat
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