New Zealand drivers are terrible. I obey the road rules, but I’ve been cut up, sworn at (for just being on a road in Christchurch) and had too many near misses to mention. Unfortunately, most rate payers see more value in building a multi-million dollar sports stadium that will be used on occasion, than bike lanes that will revolutionise many people’s day to day commutes, cut carbon and attract families back into the saddle.
New York City shows you what can happen when you retrofit decent cycling infrastructure. There was practically none when I lived in the area in the early 90s. Now it is everywhere and so are cyclists. Which means drivers are more aware of them and it is safer to ride there. I used the Citi Bike share scheme (the pushbikes, though you can hire electric ones) and it was a delight.
My AirBnB
Racks of CitiBikes are everywhere
It was delightful to bike along streets like this in Brooklyn
And busy areas had better bike lanes
Though the ghost cycles remind you that there are accidents as with all modes of transport
Biking was the best way to get to meet my new cartooning buddy, Dean Haspiel, over in Red Hook (also the name of his ace comic)
I’d never seen these in New Zealand. It doesn’t get that cold
You notice more on a bike. Like these covered outdoor areas for restaurants, which are a Covid legacy.
Biking over the Brooklyn Bridge is the best way to go.
Sometimes the hardest thing about hiring a Citibike is finding a park. There was just one spot near the ferry terminal at DUMBO
I never felt unsafe, even in the busiest parts of the city.
Nearly as popular as bikes: dogs (pictured) and dope (smelt)
Gorgeous bike lanes everywhere!
Cycling along the Hudson River was a dream
My final destination before I took the subway to JFK: King Features at Hearst Tower
Not cheap, but worth it.
