Monday, May 13th 8:15 am at Junior's in Brooklyn
8:45 am at the Columbus Circle entrance to Central Park

This morning, Nicole Dyer won the Bike Week NYC 2002 Commuter Race by making it from Junior's Restaurant on Flatbush & DeKalb in Brooklyn to Columbus Circle in 31 minutes-on bicycle. Dyer beat straphanger, Amanda DeZutter by three minutes despite the rain. And, though he admitted to finding a lucky parking space right by Columbus Circle, motorist Thomas Kamber came in last place at 45 minutes. Dyer, DeZutter and Kamber were treated to fresh bagels at the finish line before heading to work.

Dyer, a regular bike commuter, reported that she was happy that her "victory proves to would-be bike commuters how fast and easy it is to get to work on bike." She encouraged others to "take advantage of the good summer weather and give bike commuting a spin."

The Commuter Race was the kick-off event of Bike Week NYC 2002. Bike Week 2002, presented by Transportation Alternatives and the NYC Department of Transportation, is the eleventh annual celebration of cycling in NYC. The week-long celebration honors the bicycle as a convenient, quick, quiet, clean and community-friendly form of transportation.

"New York City is flat and compact, and this makes it an ideal place for cycling," says Transportation Alternatives' Projects Director, Noah Budnick. "Bicycles are a quick and convenient way to get around New York City. Bikes aren't just for riding in the park-105,000 New Yorkers ride bikes daily to commute or run errands; that's up from 75,000 daily riders just ten years ago."

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