May, of course, is bike month, and this week's calendar is packed with cycling activities, including city cycling lessons, bike-share events and a Saturday tour of bike-friendly businesses.
The week kicks off with an important meeting on the future of Brooklyn's Fourth Avenue, one of the deadliest streets in the five boroughs. Lined with several schools, Fourth Avenue in Sunset Park is a major walking destination for children and families. It's also a high-speed traffic disaster: From 2008 to 2010 alone, three pedestrians lost their lives in crashes on the stretch that DOT and Community Board 7 will discuss tonight. The public is invited to attend, and support for traffic calming measures could save lives.
- Today: At a meeting of the Brooklyn Community Board 7 Fourth Avenue working group, DOT will present preliminary plans for safety improvements to Fourth from 15th to 65th Streets in Sunset Park. The plans are based on community visioning sessions held in February and March. As with any community board committee, public input is crucial. The DOT flier is here. CB 7 board room, 4201 Fourth Ave.; entrance on 43rd St. 7 p.m.
- Today: The Manhattan CB 5 transportation committee will be holding two back-to-back meetings. The first will feature a presentation by NYU’s Wagner School: "A Capstone Project: A Study of the Penn Station Area." The second meeting will feature a presentation from the city's Department of Design and Construction on the revised design for Broadway between W. 42nd and W. 47th Streets. 6 p.m.
- Tuesday: The Rudin Center for Transportation Policy & Management presents "Technology and Urban Mobility: Perspectives from the Front Lines," a look into technology’s influence on mobility management in New York City. Featuring representatives from the MTA, the Port Authority and Jeff Maki of OpenPlans. 8:30 a.m. RSVP online.
- Tuesday: Would you like to bicycle (or bike more), but don’t feel comfortable riding in city traffic? Volunteers from the Five Borough Bicycle Club will explain your rights to the road, the skills needed to assert them, and how to safely fit in with motor vehicles and ride without stressing out. Hosted by the Park Slope Food Co-Op. 6:30 p.m.
- Wednesday: DOT is holding information sessions on its NYC Plaza Program in each borough. Wednesday's session will be on Staten Island. 10 a.m.
- Wednesday: The transportation committee of Manhattan CB 8 will discuss bike-share for Roosevelt Island. 6:30 p.m.
- Thursday: Karen Rae, New York State deputy secretary of transportation, will be the featured speaker at a luncheon entitled "New York Works: Connecting the Dots Between Infrastructure and Economic Development." Rae will "discuss the plans of the state to invest in those critical infrastructure projects necessary to promote and increase economic development, creating jobs, addressing transportation’s financial needs, and improving the state and the region’s economic vitality." 11:45 a.m. RSVP by tomorrow (May 1). Entrance fee required.
- Thursday: Ahead of Sunday's Five Boro Bike Tour, Bike Expo New York will give residents and visitors a look at urban cycling. The expo will feature vendors, live-performances, hands-on programming, bike gear giveaways and free bicycle classes for youths and adults. Bike Tour packets may also be obtained at the expo. Pier 36 in Manhattan. Thursday noon to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Friday: DOT hosts the Brooklyn public plaza program info session. 3 p.m.
- Saturday: Transportation Alternatives and Ethikus, a non-profit that promotes ethical purchasing decisions, will host a Bike Friendly Business Ride. The brief tour will visit bike friendly businesses, community gardens and some of the city's best bike lanes. Free lemonade and pierogies from Bike Friendly Business Veselka along the way, and a free barbeque in Brooklyn’s McCarren Park at the end of the ride. 1 p.m.
- Saturday: Grand Central library and DOT present an opportunity to check out bike-share bikes. Come see the bikes, ask questions and pick up free bike giveaways. 2 to 4 p.m.
Keep an eye on the calendar for updated listings. Got an event we should know about? Drop us a line.
