NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez encouraged New Yorkers to join him in partaking in Bike-to-Work Day on Friday, May 16, to promote cycling as a healthy, environmentally friendly, and accessible form of transportation. DOT officials said bike ridership is at an all-time high in New York City with an estimated 226 million cycling trips each year across the five boroughs.

 

To encourage and support this growth in ridership, DOT built a record 87.5 miles of new protected bike lanes and upgraded an additional 20 miles in the past three years. “This Friday, I encourage all New Yorkers to join me in participating in Bike-to-Work Day,” said Rodriguez. “I hope more New Yorkers will continue to embrace cycling as a go-to way of getting around. It’s good for your health, the planet, and it gets you where you’re going faster.”

 

DOT officials said it is leading Bike-to-Work Day activities for its employees and those across the rest of city government with experienced DOT cyclists guiding city agency employees from meet-up locations across the City.

 

May is Bike Month and DOT has organized various events across New York City throughout May, including free helmet distributions, group rides, bike repair stations, learn-to-ride lessons, and additional activities. The first national Bike-to-Work Day was held in 1956.

 

DOT has also curated a list of self-guided rides through scenic and newly upgraded cycling routes. For more information, visit here.