Northeast - Staten Island Bridge Access

I have been thinking of cycling from NYC to Philadelphia and the most logical route to me is through STaen Island, but much to my chagrin I've found that bike and pedestrian access to the bridges is nearly non-existent. Only the Bayonne Bridge can be crossed, but who wants to go there unless you have to? :( It's also necessary to go North again--nearly to GWB before one can go South again. It looks like I'll have to go with the PATH train to Newark and ride from there. Going through the GWB is so far out of the way!

You can take your bike on the Staten Island ferry into Manhattan. I don't quite understand where you are coming from. If you are coming from New Jersey than yes you have a problem if you don't want to take the Bayonne Bridge. You can also take a ferry from Sandy Hook, NJ to Manhattan, or other ferries from New Jersey. There is one ferry from Jersey City and several others. You might want to skip Staten Island and take one of these commuter ferries instead. Please check first if they accept bikes. I know the Sandy Hook ferry and Staten Island ferry accept bikes.

You can take your bike on the Staten Island ferry into Manhattan. I don't quite understand where you are coming from. If you are coming from New Jersey than yes you have a problem if you don't want to take the Bayonne Bridge. You can also take a ferry from Sandy Hook, NJ to Manhattan, or other ferries from New Jersey. There is one ferry from Jersey City and several others. You might want to skip Staten Island and take one of these commuter ferries instead. Please check first if they accept bikes. I know the Sandy Hook ferry and Staten Island ferry accept bikes.

I was exploring a route from Queens, NY to Philadelphia, PA. I was just expressing surprise at poorly served cyclists and pedestrians are in Staten Island--there really is no way to escape the tolls outside the ferry. The ferry you mentioned to Sandy Hook is a possibility.

Where are you starting from? Even if you get to Bayyone you still have to deal with Newark Bay. and it looks like your first oppertunity is the Lincoln Highway. Your other options are either taking PATH to Newark, NYWaterway ferry to Belford, or Seastreak ferry to Atlantic Highlands.

If you are starting in Queens you should look into ferry service between Rockaway and Sandy Hook.

Where are you starting from? Even if you get to Bayyone you still have to deal with Newark Bay. and it looks like your first oppertunity is the Lincoln Highway. Your other options are either taking PATH to Newark, NYWaterway ferry to Belford, or Seastreak ferry to Atlantic Highlands.

I agree about Newark Bay, which is why the Bayonne Bridge really isn't an option, as well as an example of how isolated Staten Island is. Even if they like a degree of isolation that kind of thing is no good. I am considering the PATH to Newark. I was hoping for a free, mostly land/bridge route, but if public transportation assistance is necessary, then the PATH is the most logical way. I live in Western Queens and getting to the Rockaways is a good ride in and of itself. Unless one is going to Gateway National Park it isn't much of a destination either.

Just rode from New Hope, PA to Brooklyn via Manhattan on Sunday. This was my 10th time. About 8 of the group rode from Philadelphia. We end up going through Jersey City and Hoboken where we catch the ferry to Midtown, then ride down the bike path to Chambers and then over the Brooklyn Bridge. Excellent route if you don't mind a stint on U.S. 1 & 9 Truck and riding through the Port of Elizabeth & Newark. But it was Sunday, so traffic was light.

Heading in the opposite direction, between Kenilworth, NJ and New Hope,. PA, the route varies between suburban to semi-rural other than the part through Raritan. After that, it's suburban to semi-rural, changing to suburban and then urban as you approach Philadelphia.

From 85 Smith St. in Brooklyn Heights it's about 94 miles to New Hope and 135 to Philadelphia.

THE NEW Gothals bridge SHOULD have Pedestrian and bike PATHS in 2015 if you can wait that long!

I can't figure why you would consider going through S.I. . If you are in western Queens take the 59th st bridge and head for the GW.

THE NEW Gothals bridge SHOULD have Pedestrian and bike PATHS in 2015 if you can wait that long!

A new Gothals bridge by 2015!!! Let us pray!

I've been sending an email each week to the Port Authority on opening the bike path to no avail. Nascar was going to build the bridge but when that idea when up in flames, so did the new bridge. There is no money for that Gothals bridge and did you know they want to tear down the Bayonne bridge! It turns out the boats will no longer be able to go under the Bayonne bridge so they want to tear it down! Incredible.

Excellent route if you don't mind a stint on U.S. 1 & 9 Truck and riding through the Port of Elizabeth & Newark. But it was Sunday, so traffic was light.



Holy Cow! You are brave to ride on U.S. 1/9 Truck! Oh my god, I repeat, you are very brave! I could never do that in a million years. To think that route used to be called the Lincoln Highway and was bike friendly at one time.

I have been thinking of cycling from NYC to Philadelphia and the most logical route to me is through STaen Island, but much to my chagrin I've found that bike and pedestrian access to the bridges is nearly non-existent.

Here's an alternative.

1. Folding bike - Fold bike and apply cover. Take MTA 53 bus over Varazano Bridge into Staten Island. Ride over to Gothals Bridge and call a cab to take you across. Cost about $45.00 dollars.

Holy Cow! You are brave to ride on U.S. 1/9 Truck! Oh my god, I repeat, you are very brave! I could never do that in a million years. To think that route used to be called the Lincoln Highway and was bike friendly at one time.


It's always the Sunday before Labor Day, so the traffic is light. And there is 0 traffic in the port, except for maybe the bus that serves the prison on Doremus Ave.

You should try the ride next year. it's a blast. Had a great time again this year.

The East Coast Greenway New Jersey maps show connections with the PATH in Newark as well as the route from the GWB. There's also an alternate route shown which may be the one that indyfabz used. You can get to the Greenway maps for Jersey here (http://www.greenway.org/nj.aspx). You have to scroll a little more than halfway down the page to find the maps.

But, yeah, doesn't seem like there's much of a way to get to or from Staten Island by bike.