Bicycle Routes in Northern Manhattan

Legend:    Bike Path / Greenway   Bike Path with special hours    Bike Lane   Bike Route   On-Street 
Map courtesy of NYC Bike Maps

NYC DOT is really gearing up for some serious bicycle traffic in Northern Manhattan.  We reported on June 16, 2015 that DOT has started construction of the Bike Lanes to support more bicycle traffic near Highbridge Park with the anticipation that access to The High Bridge and its bicycle traffic will create more need for bicycle only lanes in the immediate area around the park.  More specifically, Bike Lanes will be added to sections of 158 and 159th Streets and on 170th Street to facilitate traversing Manhattan from East to West or visa versa (as shown in the DOT map below).

Stephen Miller reported in Streets Blog NYC that NYC DOT has also now started construction of a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the Henry Hudson Parkway and the Metro North Train tracks at 151st Street at a cost of some $24.4 Million allowing pedestrians and  bicyclists to connect with Riverside Park and its Bike Path.  It is anticipated that this new bridge project will be completed by the end of 2016.

Artist Rendition of the New Pedestrian Bridge over the Henry Hudson Parkway

At Dyckman Street, when exiting the Bike Path from Highbridge Park bicyclists already have an opportunity to take the Bike Lane on Dyckman Street toward the Hudson River.  For now there is an On-Street bicycle connection to the Bike Path at Fort Tryon Park on the West side near the Hudson River (see illustration above)

With the completion of all these construction projects it will allow bicyclists to make a circuit of Washington Heights, mostly on Bike Paths and with some Bike Lanes. This will feature wonderful uninterrupted stretches without vehicular traffic in both Highbridge Park along the Harlem River and in Riverside Park along the Hudson River and somewhat protected lanes to traverse the island to get back and forth from one Bike Path to the other.

We have also reported that there are efforts afoot to make the Manhattan side of The High Bridge in Washington Heights easier to access for both bicyclists and pedestrians by constructing a ramp and new stairway to go more directly from Amsterdam Ave. at 173rd Street down to The High Bridge.   NYC Parks & Recreation Department Commissioner Silver has not commented on this proposal at this time.

And, of course, not to discriminate against our one-wheeled cyclists, unicycles will also be allowed to use the bicycle paths as well.  For more information on unicycling click here.

last modified 9/26/1015

The Great Parks of Manhattan

Belvedere Castle, Central Park by Stig Nygaard

Manhattan has about 70 Parks.  Most of the parks are relatively small.  We are all fortunate to have the number and great variety of parks that are owned and maintained by the City.  There are about a handful of these parks that are really great parks. Parks that make New York a really great city to live in.

Certainly, the gem of the collection is Central Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. It is a man made park and it opened in 1857. It encompasses 843 acres in the center of Manhattan. It is one of the most famous parks in the world and boasts 25 million visitors each year.

There are other truly important large parks on the island.  Here are 7 more:

Riverside Park, along the Hudson River on the West Side, also designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.
Hudson River Park, 550 acres. It extends from Battery Park up to 58th Street along the Hudson River.
High Bridge Park, which extends from 155th St. up to Dyckman St. along the Harlem River. It is approximately 120 acres. It is the site of the arrival of the Old Croton Aqueduct on the High Bridge onto the island.
East River Esplanade, about two miles long along the East River.
East River Park, from the Esplanade to about 12th St.  It is about 57 acres.
Inwood Hill Park, in the northern part of the island is about 196 acres.
Fort Tryon Park, in northern Manhattan, home of The Cloisters, is about 67 acres.



last modified 7/27/13