Northeast - Yonkers to Manhattan: Safe route?

A buddy of mine lives in Yonkers and wants to start commuting, but can't find a safe route down to Manhattan. Ridethecity.com apparently doesn't understand his request, and I don't know anything above 181st Street.

Any suggestions?

Start: Bronx River Road and Yonkers Ave.
End: 118th and 3rd Ave.

Thanks in advance.

you can check out NYCC's cue sheet library, they have more than a couple that go from NYC to Westchester and vice-versa. You should be able to pick out relatively safe routes from them -
http://www.nycc.org/rl_db/region.aspx?id=3

I'll do that, thanks.

I'm having some luck cobbling together a route from this (http://www.nycbikemaps.com/maps/bronx-bike-map/) and this (http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Westchester-to-Manhattan-Westside). The NYCC stuff can only help.

You could try heading down Yonkers ave to Broadway, head towards the Hudson River Greenway and once in Manhattan, head east to 118th.

or. Bx river path at e233rd) to forham,east to 3rd ave and south on 3rd to the 3rd ave bridge.

or, look at the NYC Transportation Alternatives site for routes.

or get the free bike maps from any bike shop

ed

Thanks. I'll pass those on, too.

That one is a little tough. Keep me posted I'd love to ride from Pleasantville to the city.

Here is what I'm thinking:

the Broadway Bridge at 218th in Manhattan/Bronx (where your coming from in Yonkers makes a huge difference how you get to the Broadway Bridge)

to 218th turn right to Seaman Ave to Dyckman Street - turn left.

Between Dyckman and Washington Heights there is huge hill - you might be able to get aroun the hill if you travel on a sidewalk along the Harlem River Drive (I'm not sure if it goes the whole way to 145th or not). Your choices for the hill are few. I would take my beating by going up underneath the 1 train - you can't miss the elevated line just on the other side of the Dyckman Street shopping area.

That will take you to something like 188 and Amsterdam.

From there its on towards Edgecomb, and start working your way east.

At Dykeman there is also a bike path, I haven't been on it yet up there. The bike path will take you to 98th street, go across to Central Park, head north to 110 and CPN come out near Fifth Ave and 110 Street and work your way across to Third Ave.

You know that bike path might be your best, least direct, route.

Good Luck!

You could head towards the Grand Concourse and down it towards the Willis Ave bridge into Manhattan. There is a bike path along the East River Drive
There is no really "safe" way

Ed

Thanks, both of you. I've passed the info on to him.

I see you've had many suggestions with details. I was going to suggest Broadway but I doubt that's enough info. How long a commute is it? That's a lot of city riding with tons of obstacles. He'd better use strobes, bright shirts, maybe even a flag.

You could try heading down Yonkers ave to Broadway, head towards the Hudson River Greenway and once in Manhattan, head east to 118th.


This really sounds like the safest and easiest route. He can catch the Greenway at Dyckman. There's a stairway just west of the overpass near the entrance to the Henry Hudson. Once he reaches Fairway, around 125th Street, he can just use local streets or catch the bikelane on St Nicholas and then 120st Street to make his way East.

Here's the route with cue sheet on RideTheCity.com
http://www.ridethecity.com/index.php?rid=50168

Broadway Bridge - left onto 10th Ave around (MTA Depot) 216th - to the Eastside Bike Path (speedway) at Dyckman - to St Nicks - to Frederick Douglass - left on 118th.

Once they are on the bike path, they will just have to follow the bike lane to the right when they get off the speedway (@ 150something) which will lead them to St Nicks and from there down onto Frederick Douglass (CPW).

Frederick Douglass is four lanes. Relatively safe.

If they make the left instead of the right to St. Nicks off of the walkway at the end of the speedway it will put them on the service road off the HRD. This dumps out onto Macombs/Frederick Douglass. You have to watch for cars exiting from the HRD as you go down to Macombs. There is a sidewalk nobody uses if the service road is too freaky - lots of glass though.

This also happens to be the flattest/fastest route.

In case no one has explicitly mentioned it, AFAIK the ped / bike part of the Henry Hudson bridge is still closed for repairs. Broadway is the only way over from the Bronx.

Otherwise, most of the routes should be safe. Riverdale is hardly a seething hotbed of crime these days. ;)

The problem safety-wise, besides riding in traffic generally, arises mostly on Broadway getting to and from the Bridge. It's just not a very safe riding experience: lots of cars going very fast, lots of lane changing going on. Much better to use the residential streets West of Broadway which you can get to just South of Van Cortlandt Park, at Gaelic Park and the rail yards, down to 230th and then go back over to Broadway to cross the bridge.

This really sounds like the safest and easiest route. He can catch the Greenway at Dyckman. There's a stairway just west of the overpass near the entrance to the Henry Hudson. Once he reaches Fairway, around 125th Street, he can just use local streets or catch the bikelane on St Nicholas and then 120st Street to make his way East.

Here's the route with cue sheet on RideTheCity.com
http://www.ridethecity.com/index.php?rid=50168

I did exactly this in June heh: (from scarsdale to hunter college though)
The broadway bridge was the worst part, and it wasn't that bad. I only rode this route twice, but if I were to do it again I'd take the path that goes through van cortland park (http://www.nycbikemaps.com/maps/north-and-south-county-trailways-bike-map/) because yonkers ave gets pretty traffic heavy.

I wrote a blog post (http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/thehum/2008/06/28/biking-into-manhattan/) about it. and here's (http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ny/new-york/183597855352) the mapmyride.

you can check out NYCC's cue sheet library, they have more than a couple that go from NYC to Westchester and vice-versa. You should be able to pick out relatively safe routes from them -
http://www.nycc.org/rl_db/region.aspx?id=3


Webster Avenue (which I believe becomes Bronx River Road) should give you a straight shot from Yonkers to Riverdale...or something like that. (edit: Actually, it turns out I was thinking of Warburton Avenue...which has already become Riverdale Avenue by the time you're as far south as Yonkers.)

Check the NYCC Ride Library for a Tarrytown Ride, you can get a lot of good ideas from those.

When I lived in the Moshulu Pkway area, I use to take the Grand Concourse, Its a pretty quick ride. Take the concourse down to 138th street and make a left. Cross the bridge and that will put you on Madison and 135th. Take 135th 1 block and make a left on 5th ave. Take 5th ave straight down. At 110th st. You can jump into Central Park or say on 5th

Webster Avenue (which I believe becomes Bronx River Road) should give you a straight shot from Yonkers to Riverdale...or something like that.

Actually, it turns out I was thinking of Warburton Avenue...which has already become Riverdale Avenue by the time you're as far south as Yonkers.

Use extreme caution on South Broadway in Yonkers. It's a free for all and drivers do not see you (and would not care if they did). Once you are in Riverdale, you're fine, but be careful until you hit the city line.

Use extreme caution on South Broadway in Yonkers. It's a free for all and drivers do not see you (and would not care if they did). Once you are in Riverdale, you're fine, but be careful until you hit the city line.

yeah it really is a free for all, which is why I only used it very early in the morning and took the lane all the way down. Got honked at a lot, but didn't get hit once.