nyc.

gov/bikes
Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor, New York City
F
R
E
E
!
The Ofcial Guide
to Cycling in NYC
Janette Sadik-Khan
Commissioner, NYC DOT
NYC BIKING LAWS
Yield to pedestrians
Ceda el paso a los peatones

Use a bell to signal presence

Utilice el timbre para indicar su presencia

Stop at all red lights and stop signs

Detngase en las luces rojas
del semforo y las seales de pare (STOP)
STOP ()

Ride in the direction of trafc

Circule en el sentido del trnsito

Stay off the sidewalk

unless you're under 13
No use las aceras a menos que tenga
menos de 13 aos de edad
13
Use a white headlight
and red taillight at night
Use una luz delantera blanca y una luz
trasera roja por la noche

Do not wear more than one

earphone while riding
Utilice nicamente un solo auricular
cuando ande en bicicleta

About This Guide

Its never been better to ride a bike in NYC!
With more than 800 miles of bike lanes city-wide, travel on
two wheels is safe, easy and fun. Bike Smart: The Ofcial
Guide to Cycling in New York City contains everything
you need to know to ride around town, ranging from basic
tips for locking your bike to how to use the latest bike
infrastructure. Get ready to ride!
Helmets in NYC
Helmets are required by New York State Law for
cyclists 13 years old or younger.
74% of cyclist fatalities result from head injuries.
Wear a helmet
whenever you ride.
Always buckle
the chin strap.
Replace your helmet after
any crash and whenever
you see signs of damage.
Common Helmet Mistakes
Did You Know?
NYC DOT has distributed and t
over 75,000 free helmets since
2007. Call 311 to schedule a
helmet tting!
Helmets only work if you wear them correctly.
Avoid these common mistakes to get the most
out of your helmet.
Tilted
Wear your helmet level on your head, about
two nger-widths above your eyebrows.
Loose Straps
Make sure the straps are snug. Only
about two ngers should t beneath
the chin strap.
Size
Your helmet should t snugly on your head
and not rock side-to-side. Use the foam
pads that came with the helmet or the
internal adjustor to ne-tune.
Backwards
The widest part of the helmet should rest
against the back of your head. Most helmets
have a sticker inside indicating the front.
NO YES
Locking Your Bike
Do not lock to trees or subway railings.
SUBWAY
Use a U-lock or heavy chain.
Look up! Make sure you cant lift your bike over
the object to which it is locked.
Bring Your Bike Inside
If you work in a commercial ofce
building with a freight elevator, the
Bikes in Buildings law provides a
way for your employer to request
indoor access for your bicycle.
For details and forms visit
www.nyc.gov/bikesinbuildings
How an employer can request indoor bike parking:
Employer assesses the number of
bikes it would like to accommodate.
Employer les a Tenant Request
for bike parking with the Building
Owner or Manager.
Within 30 days of recieving Tenant
Request, Building Owner must:
Implement and post a Bicycle Access Plan or
Request an exception for A) alternate bicycle
parking facilities or B) the absence of freight
elevators in the building within 15 days of
receipt of Tenant Request.
Lock your wheels
to your frame.
Lock to designated bike racks where available.
Lock all quick release
parts.
New York Citys more than 800 miles of bike
facilities are classied into three categories:
Bike Path
On-street bike paths are protected from
vehicular trafc by parked cars or a
physical barrier. Off-street bike paths
exist along much of the Citys waterfront
and in many parks.
Bike Lane
Bike lanes are painted onto the road,
usually next to the parking lane, and are
marked with bike symbols. Some lanes
have a painted buffer to further separate
cyclists from moving vehicles.
Shared Lane
Shared lanes are used by cyclists
and motorists. They are marked by
sharrows (bike symbols & chevrons)
and signs. Sharrows are placed just far
enough from the curb to help you avoid
opening car doors.
Know Your Lanes NYC Bike Map
Did You Know?
Cyclists must always travel with the
direction of trafc, even in a bike lane.
Two-way bike lanes are clearly indicated
by a dashed yellow center line and
directional arrows.
Request a free
NYC Bike Map
by calling 311.
Dont get Doored!
Do not hug the parking
lane. Leave room (at least 3)
between you and parked cars.
Ride on the Sharrows.
On shared lanes, the bike
symbol + chevron marking is
placed just far enough from the
curb to help you avoid opening
car doors.
Watch parked cars
carefully. Look inside
before you pass to see if
there are people inside.
Watch car tail lights and
taxi on/off duty lights to
anticipate driver actions
and exiting passengers.
You have the right to
ride in the center of
travel lanes when
necessary for your
safety.
Take the lane when
turning, in areas with low
visibility, and in places
where the street is too
narrow to allow a bicycle
and a vehicle to travel
safely side by side.
Look, signal and look
again before you
change lanes. If you
feel uncomfortable merg-
ing, stop and wait until the
cars have passed.
Do not hug the
parking lane.
Leave room (at least 3 ft.)
between you and parked cars.
Ride on the Sharrows.
On shared lanes, the bike
symbol and chevron markings
are placed just far enough
from the curb to help you avoid
opening car doors.
Watch parked cars
carefully.
Look inside before you pass to
see if there are people inside.
Watch car tail lights and taxi
on/off duty lights to anticipate
driver actions and exiting
passengers.
Don't Get "Doored"
Dont get Doored!
Do not hug the parking
lane. Leave room (at least 3)
between you and parked cars.
Ride on the Sharrows.
On shared lanes, the bike
symbol + chevron marking is
placed just far enough from the
curb to help you avoid opening
car doors.
Watch parked cars
carefully. Look inside
before you pass to see if
there are people inside.
Watch car tail lights and
taxi on/off duty lights to
anticipate driver actions
and exiting passengers.
You have the right to
ride in the center of
travel lanes when
necessary for your
safety.
Take the lane when
turning, in areas with low
visibility, and in places
where the street is too
narrow to allow a bicycle
and a vehicle to travel
safely side by side.
Look, signal and look
again before you
change lanes. If you
feel uncomfortable merg-
ing, stop and wait until the
cars have passed.
You have the right to ride
in the center of travel
lanes when necessary
for your safety.
Take the lane when preparing
to turn, in areas with low visibility,
and in places where the street is
too narrow to allow a bicycle and
a vehicle to travel safely side
by side.
Look, signal and look again
before you change lanes.
If you feel uncomfortable
merging, stop and wait until the
cars have passed.
Take the Lane
Buses
DO NOT pass a
bus on the right.
Buses frequently pull
to the curb.
Trucks
Leave extra room between
you and trucks.
Trucks have larger blind spots than cars.
Never assume truck drivers can see you.
Blind Spots Read the Road
A dashed bike lane line
indicates that cars may
enter the bike lane.
A mid-block dashed
line indicates an
active driveway.
At intersections,
the dashed line with
chevrons indicates
that cars may turn
across your path.
Truck blind spots
are alongside
the cab and body
and up to 10 feet
directly in front.
Keep your distance
when reaching an
intersection.
Wait for the truck to
make a turn before
advancing.
Parking
Lane
Motorists:
Park in the parking lane as in
any other parking space. Cars
may not park or drive in the
bike path.
Cyclists:
Merge in front of or behind
turning cars as appropriate.
Take the full lane. Do not hug
the curb.
Parking protected bike paths have
reduced cyclist, pedestrian and
vehicular injuries up to 60%.
Using Mixing Zones Parking Protected Paths
Motorists:
Yield to cyclists and look for
cyclists traveling straight
through the intersection.
Look over your shoulder for cars and
signal before making a turn or changing
lanes. Double check to make sure it is
safe to move.
Use hand signals to tell drivers where
you are going.
Dont change lanes abruptly.
Signal your intended route well in
advance of your turn.
If you feel uncomfortable merging or
turning, pull over to the side of the road
and wait until the cars have passed.
Shown from rear.
LEFT RIGHT STOP
Tips for Turns
Bike boxes are installed where two bike facilities
intersect to increase the visibility of cyclists
stopped at red lights. Only use a bike box when
you approach the intersection at a red light.
Only enter the
bike box on a
red light.
Position yourself
ahead of the cars.
Turn when the
light turns green.
Using a Bike Box
Look and double-check
for oncoming cars.
Signal with your hands.
When it is safe,
carefully move into
the left-hand lane.
Complete your turn
like any other vehicle.
"Vehicular Style" Turning
Pull over in front
the crosswalk and
out of through trafc.
Wait for the green
light to advance.
"Pedestrian Style" Turning
City of New York
NYC Dept. of Transportation Bicycle Program nyc.gov/bikes
NYC Dept. of City Planning nyc.gov/planning
NYC Dept. of Parks & Recreation nyc.gov/parks
Citi Bike citybikenyc.com
Cycling Education and Advocacy Organizations
Bike New York (Free Cycling Lessons) bikenewyork.org
Bike the Bronx (Bronx Advocacy) bikethebronx.com
Recycle-A-Bicycle (Youth Cycling Programming) recycleabicycle.org
Transportation Alternatives (Cycling/Ped Advocacy) transalt.org
VeloCity (Youth Cycling Planning Education) velocity-rides.org
Cycling Clubs
Century Road Club Association (Competitive) crca.net
Fast & Fabulous (LGBT) fastnfab.org
Five Borough Bicycle Club (Recreational)5bbc.org
Major Taylor Iron Riders (Recreational) majortaylorironriders.com
New York Cycle Club (Recreational) nycc.org
Staten Island Bicycling Association (Recreational) sibike.org
WE Bike (Women) webikenyc.org
Weekday Cyclists in NYC (Recreational) weekdaycyclists.org
National Cycling Groups
Bikes Belong www.bikesbelong.org
League of American Bicyclists www.bikeleague.org
National Center for Bicycling and Walking www.bikewalk.org
NYC Bike Resources
For a free NYC Bike Map
call 311 or visit nyc.gov/bikes
Last updated Spring 2013
NYCDOT
NYC DOT