Friday, May 18th 8:33am from Fix Cafe in Brooklyn to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan

This morning, Luci Olewinski, Nurse Practitioner at Bellevue Hospital, won Transportation Alternatives' Bike Month NYC 2007 6th Annual Commuter Race by making it from Fix Cafe on North 11th Street and Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan in 15 minutes, despite strong headwinds over the bridge. Olewinski beat subway rider Phillip Pond, by 4 minutes and Cab rider James Vincente, by 8 minutes.

Olewinski, a nurse practitioner who commutes daily to her night shifts in the Bellevue Hospital Emergency Room, reported that she was happy that her "victory proves to would-be bike commuters that getting to work by bike is fast and easy." She encouraged others to "take advantage of the good summer weather and give bike commuting a spin."

According to 2000 Census figures, New Yorkers have the longest average commute in the country, about 45 minutes. However, the average bicycle commute in New York City only takes 30 minutes.

Cycling is booming in New York City, and Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC long-term sustainability initiative commits to making cycling an everyday form of transportation and recreation for New Yorkers. Bicycle use is at record levels with over 120,000 daily cyclists in New York City, up from 75,000 just ten years ago. Mayor Bloomberg's goal of adding 200-miles of bike lanes by 2009 and 40-miles of greenway paths by 2010 will improve safety and encourage more New Yorkers to ride. More cycling will help achieve PlaNYC's goals of reducing global warming emissions by 30%, achieving the cleanest air of any big city in the U.S. and improving travel times -- all necessary to maintain livability now and in the coming years.

Bike Month NYC, presented by Transportation Alternatives, the NYC Department of Transportation and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene honors the bicycle as a healthy convenient, quick, quiet, clean and community-friendly form of transportation. This year's sixteenth annual celebration of cycling in New York City features over 175 events throughout all five boroughs between April 24 and June 3, culminating with the 3rd annual Tour de Brooklyn bike ride. The calendar of events is available at bike shops and online at bikemonthnyc.org.