A growing number of New Yorkers are riding around the city on bikes, now that the city Department Of Transportation is celebrating Bike Month.

DOT officials say commuter biking has risen 35 percent between 2007 and 2008, to 185,000 daily riders.

In return, the DOT has greatly increased the opportunities for cyclists to move through the five boroughs.

The city's total amount of bike lanes has increased from 220 to 420 miles.

The recent extension of the Eighth Avenue path from 14th to 23rd Streets in Chelsea eliminated a lane of motor vehicle traffic.

"It's great for your pocketbook, it's great for your health, it's great for the environment and it's great fun," said DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan.

While DOT officials say there is room for everyone on the road, some business owners complain the extra lanes added congestion and made it harder for them to conduct business.

"We're very much working with the police department and Commissioner Kelly in terms of what we need to do in terms of enforcement here," said Sadik-Khan. "So everybody needs to obey the rules of the road, whether it's bicyclists or whether it's motorists, so we're doing everything we can."

"It's forced people to park in the middle of the street," said Roy Savelli, the owner of Flight 151 Bar. "It hasn't so much implemented the ability to find parking on Eighth Avenue but it has congested Eighth Avenue, forcing delivery trucks to literally be in the middle lane while they deliver, shrinking Eighth Avenue's driving lanes to only two lanes."

The transportation commissioner said that bike lanes will help businesses.

"With the additional lanes, we have additional foot traffic, so we are seeing more people going into stores translates into more revenues going into stores," said Sadik-Khan.

Some pedestrians are also concerned about reckless cyclists on city streets, like ones that NY1 witnessed riding through red lights and traveling in the wrong direction in bike lanes.

"I almost got hit by one recently, just coming right at me when I was crossing the street, because they don't look at the stop signs I guess," said a New Yorker.

"Some people ride on the sidewalk which is kind of sketchy," said another.

Sadik-Khan said DOT officials are talking to the NYPD about enforcement and trying to stress smart cycling.

"We've got a big public safety campaign that we are rolling out to encourage people to look out for one another as they are on the roads and also to obey the rules of the road," said Sadik-Khan.

For more information about activities taking place during Bike Month, visit www.bikemonthnyc.org.