Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In

No sooner did Brad post about the dismal state of biking to school in most of the country than City Room published this great little story about the opposite trend here in New York. A few dozen schools are trying to make it easier for students and parents to bike in every day. Writing for the "Spokes" column, Josh Brustein profiles Meghan Faux and her daughter Ryan, who ride to P.S. 261, an elementary school in Boerum Hill:

There are no estimates about how prevalent bicycle commuting isamong parents, students and teachers at New York City’s schools, but amorning spent in front of P.S. 261 gives credibility to Ms. Faux’sclaim that she is not an anomaly. P.S. 261, which has about 830students, is one of 34 schools to have requested that the Department ofTransportation install bike racks through the department’s CityRacksprogram. Last spring, the department installed five bike racks in frontof the school, giving parents an alternative to the chain-link fencethat they had been using to lock up bicycles to that point.

The school’s principal, Zipporiah Mills,said that the racks had made it easier on parents, and that thepopularity of bringing children to school on bicycles had been growingfor several years.

Also among the parents Brustein interviews: Livable Streets Education director Kim Wiley-Schwartz, who's raising two kids to ride bikes.

This actually got me thinking about Saturday night's bike slam design battle. Team New York, you were on to something with this whole Safe Zones thing. How many more parents and childrens would bike to school if they had safe routes to travel?

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Beach Reading: Zohran Mamdani’s Answers to Streetsblog’s Mayoral Candidate Survey

Spend the holiday weekend with Zohran Mamdani's answers to Streetsblog's mayoral candidate questionnaire.

July 4, 2025

Friday Video: Why NYC Needs ‘Low-Traffic Neighborhoods’

London's Church Street, like so many of our business corridors, was choking on cars — until the advent of the low-traffic neighborhood.

July 4, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: E-Bikes in Parks … Permanently Edition

The Parks Department will permanently allow e-bikes in city parks following a two-year pilot. Plus more news.

July 4, 2025

Anti-Miracle On 34th Street: Adams Administration Pauses Work On 34th Street Busway

The highly-anticipated 34th Street busway may not happen under Mayor Adams after all, sources said.

July 3, 2025

Manhattan DA Says Alleged Central Park Hit-and-Run Cyclist Didn’t Flee, Drops Charges

Prosecutors said the 30-year-old cyclist "remained on the scene for about 45 minutes after the crash and waited for paramedics to arrive to treat the injured person."

Sean Duffy’s ‘Great America Road Trip’ Wants You to Drive to Central Park

Sean Duffy's "Great American Road Trip" encourages Americans to drive to sites in the most transit-rich and car-choked parts of the country.

July 3, 2025
See all posts