Northeast - Walking Bicycles Across Bridges

I've been looking at this year's (2009's) New York City bike map, and most bridges are marked as requiring bicyclists to "walk bikes across." I wonder, do bikers actually do this, or do they just ride across?

Not usually. For instance, I would ride over the GW Bridge when I lived near it. But some bridges have foot paths with stairs. You wouldn't want to ride on stairs on a bridge!

I was crossing the GW bridge's south path one morning on my FG which was new at the time so i was still getting used to things like foot retention. The climb up to the actual bridge isn't hard at all but I anticipated not being able to make the sharp turn so smoothly (esp. with other joggers/cyclists on the path) so I decided to dismount and walk up. Right before mounting, some dude in full spandex on a Madone says "well if you had gears you wouldn't be walking" before downshifting to drive his point home and passing.

So to answer your question, not only can you ride across the GW Bridge, you occasionally get berated by roadies if they pass you walking your bike up the path going up to the bridge!

You can ride your bike across all of the bridges just make sure to be aware that pedestrians share the path so only gun it when it's safe to do so. There are some bridges where you'll have to dismount to go down stairs like the GWB when the north side walkway is open as is the case now during the week until July.

The Willy B or QBB you can scoot across failry easily. Some are more difficult...The Pulaski is a good example - very narrow path, lots of peds. Many cyclists walk, but many also ride.

If you ride, go slowly, be respectful of peds, use your bell and your voice to alert people when you are behind them. And put a foot down or dismount as needed....

The Bayonne Bridge is officially "walk your bike." The path is quite narrow, but there are very few peds/other bikes up there. It's long, too - about a mile and a third. Never had a problem riding over.


I decided to dismount and walk up.

Well done. Much better to walk it up there, than get to the hairpin & have a "moment" - especially when the GWB is crowded. Try to keep your thick skin.

The Bayonne Bridge is officially "walk your bike." The path is quite narrow, but there are very few peds/other bikes up there. It's long, too - about a mile and a third. Never had a problem riding over.


As long as you know enough to stop before the stairway.

A few miles off topic, the Delaware River bridges are also "walk your bike." Early in April I crossed the one at Washington Crossing, PA. It was pouring rain. There were no pedestrians, no other bikes, no cars, and indeed not a soul visible for miles. My son and I were on a tandem, and he had on my rain pants that were way too long for him, so he really couldn't walk. So we rode across. At the NJ side we were greeted by a policeman who told me the Bridge Authority security had seen us on video and called him. Next time, he said, it's a $200 fine and they'll take the bike away from me.

Actually, I'm not sure he said $200 fine. My mind was boggled by the idea of them taking the bike away from me. It's a pretty distinctive bike, by the way, so I have no doubt they'll recognize it.

Anyway, my point is... be careful!

As long as you know enough to stop before the stairway.

True dat. There's that small sign about the stairs... but I'm surprised they don't have something a little more attention-getting there...

I think most of the bridges on the NYC Cycling Map where cyclists are advised to walk their bikes are bridges that involve narrow sidewalks. I was on the 3rd Street Bridge Sunday, crossing the Gowanus, when I noticed one of these signs. Of course most cyclists will just use the steel grate roadway on little bridges like that.

Also many of these smaller bridges open for boats either as draw bridges or some other method. I once took a nasty bump on the 30th Avenue Bridge, that connects LIC with Roosevelt Island, when my front wheel got into one of the gaps that hadn't closed all the way. Using the sidewalk wouldn't have been such a bad idea.

I'm wondering how I'll handle Broadway Bridge.

I used to ride the Broadway bridge. Not fun, but I did it, so I guess that means the roadway is better than the sidewalk on it. I don't remember clearly. I moved out of that neighborhood in 1987.

What was "not fun" about it?

I wish I could remember. I think it was that the surface was terrible and the lane was narrow. And it might have expansion joints. Plus it's noisy, because the traffic noise echos.

The walkway is "walk only". People do ride it however.

The roadway is steel grate with very rough pavement leading to and from the bridge. The thing to watch out for is the expansion joint on the Manhattan side in both the North and South roadway.

This will put you down if you manage to catch a tire in it. You're okay with a larger tire, but when running anything 35c and smaller in size; you should cross the joints at an angle.

Also, the car traffic is usually traveling WELL above the speed limit.

Traveling North is way more dangerous than traveling South as there is a non-car traffic lane on the South side: not an absolute safety zone but it helps.

It's pretty sketchy. I do it every day. Do not make crazy course corrections. Ride smooth. Do not use the roadway if it is wet. It is super slick. Run lots of lights at night or use the walkways.

HTH


I'm wondering how I'll handle Broadway Bridge.

A) 70% of the time I use the sidewalk, thats when I use my road bike with 23/25 tires.
B) 30% I use the roadway, thats when I have a 28/35 tire on (different bike)
c) 100% of the time the road is wet I use the sidewalk or during heavy traffic, ESPECIALLY Northbound.

Just says scusemee and thank you and becareful.

If you ride on the roadway, remebemr the roadway is all grates and there are expansion joints so take those on an angle not to catch your wheel.

Good Luck

Rob

I need to take it north-bound, yes, and I'm not very confident on my bicycle (I hope I'll grow to be). So, I think it'll be on the sidewalk, for now, for me. Thanks.

I ride on the steel grating every day i commute by bike. I usually stay on the narrow strip of concrete right below the grating on the right side of the bridge. Never had a problem. It's short and quick. no worries.