New Yorkers have long been fighting a variety of elements (traffic, cops, lack of bike paths) in order to ride their bikes in the city. Well, as it turns out they seem to be winning the fight.  As guardian.co.uk points out:

“Cycling in New York is less like taking your life in your hands than it used to be. Casualties are falling and cycle “ridership” is way up — bicycle commuting in the heart of the city increased 35% between 2007 and 2008, according to the department of transportation (DOT).”

This may be due in part to bikers taking control and also the city’s efforts to make it easier to ride:

“New York City has recently made significant efforts to improve bike infrastructure . Last month, the DOT announced it had completed a three-year project that saw 200 miles of bike lanes and 6,100 racks installed around town. Traffic lights were re-timed and major intersections were reconfigured to better accommodate bicycles. More bike lanes separated from car traffic are scheduled to open in 2010. ‘Now that our country is taking its rightful place among the world’s developed nations,’ Mayor Michael Bloomberg said of the programme. ‘It is time for our greatest city to take its place among the world’s great cities.’”

I couldn’t agree more.  Although biking is still dangerous in NYC and bikers still have a lot to overcome, it is great to know that the city is doing something and that more people are taking it to the streets!

*photo by Seth W. (CC)