Although New York City used other U.S. and International cities as a model for improving and building more than 200 miles of lanes and paths over the last three years, it’s now a model for the rest of us looking to improve our own city’s cycling facilities.
Rabble.ca, a Canadian news site, has a very good column that reports the 200 miles of new facilities recently built were designed to better connect the existing 400 miles of lanes and paths already there.  The result is that all of the lanes and paths are better connected and ultimately safer and more useful…which led to a 35% increase in commuter cycling in NYC in 2008.
Some of the ideas institued in NYC’s new and existing lanes include:
- Bike Boxes (see video) that give cyclists advance line ups at traffic lights, making them more visible to turning traffic.
- Wider bicycle lanes with buffers against parked cars and traffic, reducing “dooring” and vehicular intrusion.
- Green colored bike lanes that visually differentiate them from traffic lanes.
- Intersection markings and turn lane guides for both motorists and cyclists.
It’s encouraging to see one of the most car-centric cities in the world building out proper cycling infrastructure, and it’s even more encouraging to see that so many people are using it and clamoring for more!
