New Yorkers’ appreciate of bicycling, embraced as a safe and sound journey substitute throughout the pandemic shutdowns of 2020, carries on to develop in 2021.
Bicycle owner counts on East River bridges climbed to an ordinary of 25,431 for each day in June, 11.4 per cent higher than June 2020, which was by now properly forward of pre-pandemic 2019 quantities, according to the Division of Transportation. The details appeared at non-holiday getaway weekdays devoid of precipitation.
Metropolis officials expect a escalating quantity of individuals to pedal each and every thirty day period by September, as they did past year. Bike visitors on the Williamsburg Bridge, for instance, peaked at 288,846 riders in September 2020 – a stunning rise of 39 p.c about September 2019.
“There’s been a substantial change towards biking since the beginning of the pandemic, a trend that is continuing as the town recovers,” DOT spokesman Brian Zumhagen explained to The Article.
The metropolis plans to increase an more 30 miles of guarded bicycle lanes by the close of 2021, whilst mayoral applicant Eric Adams past month vowed to embrace pedal electrical power if he’s elected in November.
The enhance in cyclists has also led to an enhance in troubles, especially involved with speedy e-bikes. The city counted 20 e-bike fatalities in 2020 in comparison with just 6 in 2019. Actress Lisa Banes died very last thirty day period from accidents sustained in an e-bicycle accident.
