I could swear that when I first returned to cycling four years ago that there was a white reflective line that ran straight up the middle along with the usual cycling and skating logos on which are used on other sections of the Greenway. The green line was actually to separate cycling area from pedestrian space. We had a lot of snow that year and by the time Spring rolled around the lines were gone and this section hasn’t been repainted since.

Of course good reflective road markings would only provide a bare minimum of safety. The area really needs better lighting and perhaps more hedges to deflect blinding lights where the path runs so close to oncoming traffic.

At the very least, some low-cost solutions not requiring electric lines could be implemented immediately:

(1) reflective paint defining the lane boundaries
(2) reflective posts (as one sees on highways)

I also agree with Stacy that hedges between the path and the automobile roadway would block out the blinding headlights.

Ultimately, of course, proper lighting would solve the problem.

The same problem exists further north on the Greenway near the GWB between roughly 162nd and 165th streets.

The really dark stretches are the same ones that have stretches of burned-out highway lights. If NYSDOT or NYCDOT simply replaced the burned out lights on the highway, it would do a lot to fix this problem.

I just got back from riding Cherry Walk, southbound, in the dark, and was amazed by how well my new 5 led Grog blinkie was able to light up those driveway reflectors near the islands. If DOT installed some of that industrial grade reflective material onto the guard rails it could make a real difference.

i’ll admit to never having ridden this stretch… but all the MUPs here in burlington, vt are unlit (except @ street crossings)… and while we don’t have trees and planters and landscaping down the center of them… we do have crap pavement, manhole covers, curves, trash, downed branches, and trees and roots to either side.

wouldn’t some proper bike lights help tremendously?

Andy B – perhaps we’ll have to grow up as a bike riding nation and start looking at bikes as vehicles and develop some standards similar to the Germans when it comes to lighting … I have several German lights – both dyno and battery powered – they typically use optics which shape the beam much like a car headlight and throw the light on the road where you need it… even a 3w E6 light can put out enough light to ride unlit dark country roads… and with the new LEDs that are dyno powered there are even more options for light just where you want it.

Re: #12, I disagree. I have always ridden the Cherry Walk at night with lights running on my bike, and they are not powerful enough to illuminate all the hidden hazards of the path.

Urbanis (#13), i did not say that right now a good light is sufficient for the cherry walk. However, the current problem is the more glare and less the lack of (any) street lighting. A bicycle should be equipped with a light which allows not only to be seen but also to see. But i guess having grown up in a rural area this is somewhat (too) self-evident, certainly judging from the average NY cyclist where you have to be glad if they have any lights at night … 😉

Mike,

Agreed. I have a half dozen or so lights, from modest LED and halogen headlights (I don’t use the halogen anymore, better as a flashlight) to a super high powered Nightrider HID system that has a beam pattern best suited for technical trail riding (throws light all over the place). Believe it or not I rarely use the HID light anymore even though I spent $400 on it (almost a shame really). I’ll have to check out those German lights the next time I visit family back in Bavaria. They sound really neat!

No mater the headlight however I always use a fairly basic rear blinky LED but I do have a Planet Bike Super Flash which is really awesome but more prone to theft.

Anyway, I had a thought after reading the suggested of bushes along the highway. I doubt either the NYC Parks or DoT would go for an impenetrable hedgerow but what about some fat bush every 20 or 30 feet. At an acute angle to the line of the road, the bushes would overlap blocking the glare of the headlights without walling off the Cherry Walk from the road. Also some of those paddle shaped glare blockers that are positioned perpendicular to the road and use the same acute angle concept could be mounted to the guardrail.

I hate to say this, but I don’t think this is a solvable problem. If you’re riding northbound, you face directly into multiple headlights, from multiple angles, all of which are aimed to their right. [Vehicle headlights are supposed to illuminate the right side of the road more brightly than the left in order to avoid blinding oncoming traffic and in order to make signs (which are usually on the right side) easier to see.] Even with better street-lighting (which isn’t going to happen for a variety of practical reasons), cyclists would still be blinded by the on-coming headlights, which is the real problem here. Potentially, hedges or something similar could be planted, but this would obstruct the view of the river from cars (I know, boo hoo), and would almost certainly be strongly opposed. I don’t think there’s a practical alternative to exiting the path at 96th street after dark.

I ride this section every night on my way home, and have done so for the past 4 years. Each year I’ve complained to DOT about burned out street lights. I’ve also asked Parks to install better striping around the edge. Having tired of waiting for DOT to fix the burned out lamps over the highway (which does make a difference), and for parks to install some real striping, I fixed the problem (at least for myself) by pouring some money on it, in the form of 2 separate 200 lumen lighting systems, costing about $120 each. Problem solved. I now have enough lighting to light up the path well ahead of me, and cut through the glare of on-coming headlights. Modestly priced LEDs and Halogens don’t cut it in this section. Also, it helps a lot to slow down, and not outrun your vision.

My lights? Cygolite Rover II LED on the handlebar, and Dinotte helmet mount light.