Skip to Content
Streetsblog California home
Streetsblog California home
Log In
Bicycling

Bikes Help Beat Coronavirus. Make Streets Safe For Them.

This is the new bike lane symbol.
This is the new bike lane symbol.
false

Cyclists to mayor: Biking is the best way to get around town — so please do more to make it safe.

After Mayor de Blasio asked New Yorkers to bike to work this week to reduce the spread of coronavirus, Streetfilms auteur Clarence Eckerson hit the street to talk to riders, and the subtext was that they love cycling, but don’t appreciate that the mayor told people to ride, but then did not add capacity during the crisis.

“The infrastructure is not accessible to all,” one woman cyclist says on the film, as footage shows blocked bike lanes.

Another rider adds, “It’s kind of infuriating for elected politicians, who get driven everywhere, to say, ‘Yeah, take a bike!’ Well, we have a lot of kids who can’t do that and don’t feel safe.”

A third female cyclist, who had just entered Queens via the 59th Street Bridge bikepath, said the roadway was “crowded.”

“There needs to be more space,” she said, referring to extensive coverage of the boom in cycling that has made the existing infrastructure “very dangerous and only going to get worse.”

The film was published hours after Transportation Alternatives called on the mayor to make immediate improvements to the bike network to handle the crisis — just as the city did to encourage cycling and reduce car traffic during last year’s United Nations General Assembly. It also comes as cyclists are reporting huge increases in biking this week.

City Hall said it would not carry out TransAlt’s demands, saying that the mayor’s multi-year Green Wave plan is currently being implemented as promised.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog California

Give Input on Metro Sepulveda Rail Plan to connect Valley and Westside

Metro is still deciding between some low-performing monorail alternatives and some high-performing heavy rail alternatives. What do you want to see?

July 10, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: Localities Subsidize the State DOT

Adie Tomer of Brookings on how to improve regional coordination around infrastructure.

July 10, 2025

Call to Action: Car Brains Try to Remove San Mateo Committee Member for Opposing Widenings

Mike Swire fought highway widening, so asphalt-addicted bullies want him kicked off the San Mateo Transportation Authority Community Advisory Committee.

July 10, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines

Calmatters continues their great reporting on the state's lack of teeth when it comes to dealing with deadly drivers.

July 10, 2025

Five of the Ugliest Transportation Policies In the ‘Big, Beautiful’ Bill

Here's a rundown of some of the transportation provisions in the Republicans' reconciliation package, and what they might mean for your community.

July 9, 2025
See all posts