On Wednesday, December 21, Transportation Alternatives, New York's advocates for bicycling and walking, announced that bicycling has increased 500% since the beginning of the transit strike.

To determine the increase in bicycling, Transportation Alternatives counted bicyclists traversing the four East River bridges during the peak commute times on Tuesday, December 20 and Wednesday morning, December 21. The results show that the volume of bicyclists using the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg and Queensboro Bridges are 250% to 850% higher than usual during the month of December. Bicyclists were also counted on Sixth Avenue and the Hudson River Greenway. The transit strike bicycle volume data were compared to monthly bicycle volume data collected by the City of New York and Transportation Alternatives during 2002 and 2005.

Says Noah Budnick, Transportation Alternatives' Projects Director, "Everyone knew that bicycling would increase during the strike. But I don't think anyone expected a jump of this magnitude."

Budnick adds: "Clearly, dedicated, wide bike lanes and bike parking in parks and offices is encouraging New Yorkers to bicycle."

Transportation Alternatives also reports that the sales of bicycles and accessories is up 200% - 400%. Says Charlie McCorkle, the owner of Bicycle Habitat bike shop on Lafayette Street in Manhattan, "Business is up 400%. It's more crowded than a warm day in May."

Other city bike shops report similar surges in sales. The West Side Bicycles bike shop, next to the popular Hudson River Greenway (the west side bike path) reports that sales jumped 300% - 400% on the first day of the strike.

Transportation Alternatives is calling on the city to make permanent the wide, protected bicycle lanes and indoor bike parking provisions that have helped New Yorkers take to two wheels. "Bicycling makes for a resilient and efficient transportation system all year around," concludes Budnick.

T.A. will continue the bridges study and similar studies on streets in popular cycling neighborhoods.

Go to www.transalt.org/bikethestrike for the latest information, including bike communing tips, maps and "bike pools," where New Yorkers can meet up and commute in small, safe groups.

perative that employers and building managers provide bike parking for employees and tenants. To accommodate the tremendous number of cyclists in the central business district, Transportation Alternatives is calling on building owners and managers to:

• Allow bicycles on freight elevators and in workplaces.
• Create guarded bike parking in parking lots, garages or storage rooms to ensure security.

The NYC Parks Department is providing guarded bike parking from 6am to 10pm at:

• Washington Square Park (Washington Square & 5th Ave)
• Tompkins Square Park (St. Marks Place/East 8th Street & Avenue A)
• Union Square Park (14th Street & Broadway)
• Madison Square Park (23rd Street & 5th Ave)
• Herald Square (8am-7pm) (35th Street & Broadway)
• Bryant Park (8am-7pm) (42nd Street & 6th Ave)

"New Yorkers can, and are, biking the strike," said Noah Budnick, Projects Director for Transportation Alternatives. "Now we are asking the City to do more to help more New Yorkers take to bicycling and walking."

The City should dedicate an off-peak travel lane on each bridge for bikers and walkers to ensure sufficient safe space for people on foot and bicycle. Because of the huge increase in bikers and walkers, bridge paths are suffering from “ped-lock” (pedestrian gridlock).

The City should lead by example and provide bike parking at City-owned buildings (like borough halls and court houses) and in Municipal garages.