By Jennifer R Jones | Posted on December 04, 2009 10:00 AM
A Recent Study Of Almost 500 Random Streets Found That Bike Paths Are Blocked By Vehicles About 60% Of The Time With Morning Rush-Hour Being The Worst
Bikers Stuck In New York City Traffic
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.
Vehicles Block Bike Paths Across The City
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.
Obstructions Lasted 10 Minutes Or Less
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.
