NYC DOT to Host Events Accross the Five Boroughs to Promote Cycling in Celebration of Biketober

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IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1, 2024
Contact: (212) 839-4850, [email protected]

NYC DOT to Host Events Accross the Five Boroughs to Promote Cycling in Celebration of Biketober

City Kicks Off Biketober by Hosting Bike the Block Programming, Bike Light Giveaways, Helmet Fittings, Group Bike Rides, Delivery Cyclist Outreach, and Other Events as Part of Annual October Celebration of Cycling

Photo from previous Biketober event. Credit: NYC DOT

NEW YORK - New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today announced more than 15 events happening this October to encourage the continued growth of cycling in the city and promote the mode as a fun, fast, and healthy way to get around.

"Biketober is a reminder that cycling is a sustainable, healthy, and fun way to get around-and it can also be the fastest!" said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "These events help promote safe riding and build support for cycling in underserved communities. We encourage all New Yorkers to join us at these events, where you can learn about the work we are doing every day to support safe, sustainable, and efficient transportation options."

NYC DOT is celebrating Biketober with a series of events to encourage safe cycling. Bike the Block programming features a series of open-street events focused on bicycle programming, education, rides, and resources. The agency is organizing street closures within underserved communities and offering programming that promotes fun, sustainable, healthy activities. The events will feature tips for safe riding, bike repair, rules of the road, group bike rides, giveaways, and cultural programming. Group bike rides will be led by experienced cyclists and will take place in the neighborhoods surrounding Bike the Block events. Specific rides will be conducted by partners like I Challenge Myself and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH).

Delivery worker outreach events are scheduled where delivery workers will be provided with free information and safety equipment including helmets and vests. 'Learn-to-ride' events will provide a safe, easy, and effective method taught by experienced Bike NY instructors. As part of the trainings, young people will learn how to balance, pedal, start, stop, and steer a bicycle. At Bike Bonanza events, NYC DOT will swap out older bikes for children that have outgrown their current bike. At the end of the day any bike left over will be raffled off. Additionally, the agency is hosting bike light giveaways, where free bike lights will be distributed to cyclists while supplies last along with bike repair opportunities and other safety resources.

The goal with these events is to expand NYC DOT's outreach and engagement around its Street Improvement Projects, empower communities to reimagine their streets, create a platform for local cycling advocacy, and address barriers to biking. NYC DOT's Safety Education team will provide free helmet fittings in cooperation with several local council members and will staff pop-up light and bell giveaways throughout the monthlong celebrations.

Planned Events

Bike the Block

• 10/05: Woodside Avenue, QN from 11 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
• 10/12: Blake Avenue, BK from 11 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
• 10/26: Audubon Avenue, MN from 11 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
• Group Rides at Bike the Block
• • 10/05: Woodside Neighborhood with I Challenge Myself
  • 10/12: East New York, Brownsville with DOHMH
  • 10/26: Upper Manhattan with I Challenge Myself

Helmet Fittings

• 10/05: CM Marte (Seward Park - Canal Street and Essex Street) MN from 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
• 10/06: 30th Anniversary Tour De Bronx (164th Street & Grand Concourse) BX from 8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
• 10/20 CM Restler (Montague Open Street) BK from 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
• 10/26 Helmet Fitting/Bike the Block Washington Heights, Audubon Avenue from 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Bike Light Giveaways

• 10/01: 125 Street and Riverside Drive Greenway, MN from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• 10/03: 1 Avenue at 35 Street, MN from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• 10/08: Brooklyn Avenue and Park Place, BK (Brower Park corner) from 4:00 p.m. -7:00 p.m.
• 10/11: Grand Army Plaza, BK from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• 10/15: 31 Avenue and Crescent Street, QN from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• 10/22: The Highbridge (University Avenue), BX from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• 10/29: South Beach, SI from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Delivery Cyclist Events

• 10/07: Bedford Avenue & Fulton Street from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• 10/18: 236 E 161st Street (Across from Bronx Courthouse) from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• 10/25: 28th Street & 2nd Avenue from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• 10/29: 125th Street and 1st Avenue from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Learn to Ride/Bike Bonanza

• 10/05: CM Marte (Seward Park - Canal Street and Essex Street) from 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
• 10/20: CM Restler (Montague Open Street) BK from 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

For more information visit nyc.gov/biketober.

In addition to the planned events, NYC DOT will display its my bike, my city campaign at additional bus shelters and LinkNYC kiosks. The agency is also publishing a new self-guided bike ride that highlights different greenway routes in celebration of the newly awarded federal funding for the Inwood Greenway. This work builds upon NYC DOT installing a record 32 miles of protected bike lane miles last year, more than every other major city in America combined. In addition to street safety improvements to better protect pedestrians and all road users, over the past two years NYC DOT pedestrianized over one million square feet of space, a record high.

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