A demonstration of the “if you build it they will come” effect.

Another demonstration of it I suspect will happen, in probably even more dramatic fashion, is the increase in cyclists the city will see when it finally closes the greenway gaps on the east side of Manhattan.

Sure, it will be nice to be able to ride on a greenway where you currently can’t. But that’s nothing compared to this: think of all the people who are currently NOT using the greenway on the East Side, because they can’t use it as an actual travel route to, from, or past Midtown. When the city finally finishes that greenway, you’ll not only see an increase in cyclists on the greenway itself, but all over Manhattan.

Couldn’t agree more with ddartley. I commute straight up 1st ave every day and today took a detour to go on east side greenway (well, detour was really for the doughnut plant, but I digress). I hadn’t done that in a while and had almost forgotten just how inadequate it is, (and the part that does exist from delancey To 34th is pretty sad). I think many people would use it as a north south route, even if they didn’t have to be on the east side ultimately.

There are plenty of counterflow bicyclists out there, and we’ll continue to see them as more and more new bicyclists hit the road. It’s the same as new drivers, who often cut corners in disrepectful and unsafe ways. I did when I first got my license.

I’ve started gently admonishing the salmon as I pass, and I’ll stick to the curb side of the bike lane so they will have to lie in the bed they have made for themselves. Usually I just meet eyes and shake my head, the message seems to get through. Most bicyclists who get that kind of treatment repeatedly will stop. The ones who don’t, there’s not much that can be done.

The DOT has also recently expanded the sidewalks on the west side of 3rd Avenue on a number of the intersections between the Prospect Expressway and 9th Street. Overall this is a good thing, but there are still two traffic lanes going north on 3rd Avenue and if you are biking these blocks during the morning commute it has gotten much more dangerous at each intersection. There is very little room between the expanded sidewalk area and the traffic lanes for two cars and a bike to fit. Worse there have been a number of totally out of control drivers rushing to pass on the right, who are not even aware that these increased sidewalk intersections are in place. In fact, one morning earlier this week a large truck from a store called Dee Dee’s went flying by passing cars on the right me and actually jumped the curb and ran through part of the sidewalk area on the next intersection. I was quite glad to be a half block behind him at that point.

These blocks need to be reviewed and the most intelligent course of action would be to add a north bound bike lane (there is a south bound bike lane on the other side) and have only one lane of traffic going north until you pass 9th Street.

Sam Gardener:

Good eye! I think that there are a lot of women riding is possibly the bigger story here. Women aren’t will to take the risks us guys are (and after being purposely buzzed by a driver last night who was doing 50mph+, I can’t blame them). When women are riding in large numbers its because the riding environment is safe, perceived or otherwise.

And Jass:

I’m not surprised there lots of “salmon” on Broadway. Put the lane on the left and riding contraflow will seem “right”.

Even if DOT were to provide a counter-flo lane who’s to say the salmon will use it? Although there is the occasional wrong way cyclist who obviously knows better and will even apologize for riding ‘upstream’ most of these riders seem to be oblivious to any sense of traffic flo whatsoever. Add another bike lane and we could easily find ourselves with two lanes of chaos.

So what’s worse than a salmon in a bike lane?
Two salmon riding abreast in a bike lane.

…and if only pedestrians would realize that just because a car isn’t coming doesn’t mean you have the “right” to cross the street in front of a cyclist that has a green light and proceed to curse them out for almost hitting them. It goes both ways.

I did my best to admonish a wrong-way salmon on Plaza St West by Union St in Brooklyn on Saturday by calling, “Wrong way!” and he swore at me in NSFW language. I guess even misanthropic jerks are doing their part to save the planet.