Video: A View of NYC Cycling From Montreal
Noah and I are busy with meetings and the Stop Speeding Summit today, so posting may be a little light until the afternoon. I do have a couple of items to share, including this short video from EcoMobility.tv. I know the title is over-the-top and there's some egregious wrong-way riding, but I like the outsider's viewpoint you get in the vid -- it was made by two guys from Montreal who think New York's new bikeways are great and want to understand why the press makes such a fuss over them. Also, I got some experience being in front of the camera.
I asked the producer, Aki Pagratis, about how Montreal's bike infrastructure has been received and how long it took for new street designs to become just another part of the city's landscape. He wrote back:
A few years ago, several new bike lanes were installed and a new bike rental program was launched (Bixi). We now have over 5000km of bike paths and 4000-5000 Bixi-bikes on the island of Montreal and it seems like everyone is cycling someplace. There was a little bit of controversy in the first couple of weeks after bike lanes started to be constructed downtown. A few shop owners complained about the loss of business due to a lack of parking, but it was minor and didn't last long. I think people in New York will eventually start to appreciate what enclosed bike lanes will bring to the city. I'm sure when you get a bike rental program, things will really turn around.
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog New York City
Friday’s Headlines: Yes He Said Yes He Will Yes Edition
That headline above is a reference to the last line of James Joyce's Ulysses, which we won't pretend to have read. But we have that ... and other news.
Madness: Port Authority Will Spend $8M to ‘Study’ Widening Outerbridge Crossing
Will this $8.3 million find out anything we don't know about induced demand?
Study: How Low-Income People Really Use Micromobility
Shared bikes and scooters are meeting low-income people's basic mobility needs — but they're not being subsidized like it.
School Bus Driver Hits Cyclist, Injures 3, On Major Brooklyn School Bike Route
The crash happened on the route of the weekly Bergen bike bus.
City of Yes Yes Yes! Adams Calls for Elimination of Parking Mandates on ALL New Housing
Mayor Adams today announced the historic end to one of the city’s most antiquated — and despised — zoning laws requiring the construction of parking with every new development.
