Bicycling

Icy and Dicy: Bridge Bike Commuters Report Hazards After Late Snowfall

It wasn't enough snow for a sneckdown, but last night's storm did mess with more than a few commutes this morning. Bike commuters discovered slippery conditions riding across the East River after winter threw one more dusting of snow at New York City.

By Stephen Miller

12:29 PM EDT on April 16, 2014

"N'ice day to walk your bike to work," tweeted Wiliamsburg Bridge commuter Will Sherman. Photo: Will Sherman/Twitter — “N’ice day to walk your bike to work,” tweeted Wiliamsburg Bridge commuter Will Sherman. Photo: Will Sherman/Twitter

It wasn’t enough snow for a sneckdown, but last night’s storm did mess with more than a few commutes this morning. Bike commuters discovered slippery conditions riding across the East River after winter threw one more dusting of snow at New York City.

Although the thin coating of snow on city streets melted under this morning’s sun, cyclists riding across the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg, and Queensboro Bridges encountered stretches of iced-over paths. Many cyclists dismounted and walked across the bridges. Of those who stayed in the saddle, a number reportedly slid and fell.

The #bikeNYC hashtag lit up Twitter this morning with warnings and complaints about the icy conditions. We’ve asked NYC DOT, which manages snow clearance on the bridge paths, if it had planned for last night’s snowfall or if it plans on clearing the bridges today. We’ll let you know if we hear anything back.

Things were no better on the Queensboro Bridge this morning. Photo: Jeremy Lenz/Twitter

Stephen Miller

In spring 2017, Stephen wrote for Streetsblog USA, covering the livable streets movement and transportation policy developments around the nation. From August 2012 to October 2015, he was a reporter for Streetsblog NYC, covering livable streets and transportation issues in the city and the region. After joining Streetsblog, he covered the tail end of the Bloomberg administration and the launch of Citi Bike. Since then, he covered mayoral elections, the de Blasio administration's ongoing Vision Zero campaign, and New York City's ever-evolving street safety and livable streets movements.

Bicycling | DOT

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