Cycling in New York City - History

History

The bicycle boom of the late 19th century had a strong impact on New York area, and the City of Brooklyn was especially responsive, providing accommodation in Eastern Parkway, Ocean Parkway, and elsewhere. New York didn't produce as many bicycles as other cities, so imported many from elsewhere, including Freehold Township, New Jersey. As a spectator sport, six-day racing was popular and spurred the building of velodromes in suburbs including Washington Heights, Manhattan, and Jersey City, New Jersey. Weekly races were held in suburban roads, including Pelham Parkway, Bronx. The biggest races were in inner city locations, notably at the original Madison Square Garden which had been designed for cycle racing and at the time was located adjacent to Madison Square. The Olympic sport, Madison Racing, is named after cycle races that became popular at Madison Square Gardens.

Several of the middle 20th century parkway projects of Robert Moses included bike paths. However, when more people could afford cars, bicycling declined and the bikeways fell into disrepair. New bridges connecting Queens to The Bronx, or Brooklyn to Staten Island, did not provide for bicycles or pedestrians.

Late in the century, bicycling resurged. A narrow, physically separated bike lane in Sixth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan had little success and was eliminated but bike lanes on major bridges were created, refurbished, or improved, and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and other agencies created the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway and other land bikeways.