Greetings From the Manhattan Bridge on Bike to Work Day

Happy Bike to Work Day, everyone. How about this sunshine?

My gut assessment of the bike traffic this morning, based on watching the Manhattan Bridge for a few minutes at around 8:45: More people biking than on a typical day, but the scene was not so different than what you’d see on other clear, spring weekday mornings. Platoons of ten or so cyclists aren’t an uncommon sight on the Manhattan Bridge during the a.m. rush these days.

Meanwhile, reports from the Hudson River Greenway suggest that bike traffic there was much higher than usual this morning. You can share your pictures of today’s commute by adding the “Streetsblog” tag on Flickr or emailing tips@streetsblog.org.

Thanks as always to the TransAlt volunteers who got up early to hand out nourishment to bike commuters. That cold brew coffee really hit the spot.

Update: Here’s some video of people heading into Manhattan on the bridge from Brooklyn Spoke’s Doug Gordon, shot a little after 9 a.m. Definitely more people on bikes than I normally see:

  • kickstand

    I remember when that thing opened.

  • WE ARE ALL RELATED

  • “…in Kentucky”

  • Commuter

    Dear New York: the bikes are winning.

  • Bluewndrpwrmlk96

    2:07 in the video, don’t tell me those girls walked the whole bridge on the wrong side.

  • Anonymous

    Please. These people aren’t biking to “work” and we all know it. Everyone who rides a bike in NYC is a jobless trust-fund hipster transplant from the Midwest. And I KNOW this because I am Crotchet the All Knowing.

  • Joe R.

    I always love footage of biking over the city’s bridges. They’re a unique feature of New York.

  • Ridgewoodian

    I often ride to work when the weather’s good. My employer even maintains an off street limited access bike cage, which is very helpful. So I was certainly looking forward to today. Until I found out that my employer has chosen THIS DAY to shut down that cage for half a week. FACEPALM. Anyway, I’ve been working to get indoor parking in my building and this will just make me redouble my efforts. Hope everyone else had a great ride.

  • Anonymous

    My front wheel got stolen last night. The only day I haven’t biked to work this year is today. Damn! I was really looking forward to getting some free breakfast.

  • Anonymous

    I guess you don’t ride that much, eh? Yeah, people walk two abreast or in groups in the dedicated bike lanes on the Williamsburg Bridge, but you’re outraged by two girls walking the wrong way:)

  • Edward Slusarski

    Riding for fun in the BIG Apple before the BIG ride

    I LUV New York and New Yorkers

  • Bluewndrpwrmlk96

    Sorry to hear that, bro. I always lock my wheels up, since they’re quick release, and take off all my lights and things. Even if you think they won’t steal it because it’s cheap, they will. Can’t always trust people sometimes.

  • Anonymous

    bring the bike into the office!

  • Anonymous

    I know, it’s my own dumb fault. I usually lock my wheel up, but I didn’t for some stupid reason last night. They’re not quick release though, so somebody was walking around with a wrench.

  • Blerg. If only we had a bike share in this town, you’d be set.

  • Ridgewoodian

    Not allowed – YET. Working on that. Drafting a proposal with our “green committee.” To its credit – and I don’t often give it a lot of credit – my employer seems to be receptive to the idea, assuming some space can be found in the building. Hoping for about 12-15 spaces, maybe more; there are a fair number of us who bike and more who would if they had better storage options.

  • Anonymous

    What about your saddle? You lock that too?

  • Bluewndrpwrmlk96

    Sometimes it’s a group all with wrenches and allen keys…they’ll even take the bell, anything that can be disengaged and they even took parts when the bike was parked in the garage in his apartment house. My friend use to take out his saddle.

  • kevd

    I’ve been leaving the crappy old lights on my bike when I lock up. Because I’m kinda hoping they get stolen.
    I have 2 sets of gummy lights I’m using instead.
    After weeks of this, and the crappy lights always being there when I returned, they finally got stolen during a 2 hour lock up in Midtown.

  • kevd

    Chain leash is a good idea.

  • Daphna

    I have a permanent chain around my saddle to the frame. I lock both of my wheels since they are both quick release. I have older low quality components on my handlebar so I do not worry about that being stolen.

  • Bluewndrpwrmlk96

    I don’t know if you’re still reading this but check out Frank’s Bike Shop for your new wheel. Grand Street before the FDR Drive, Lower East Side. Their prices are usually reasonable.

  • True story: I didn’t notice ‘In Kentucky’ on the bridge until after I read your reply. TRUE STORY.

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