dynamho

I find some info getting to Queensboro Bridge after a work day but I couldn't find any info the other way. I commute in to SoHo from Bayside in Queens, which is around 11-12 miles east of Queensboro Bridge. I hit the NY Cycling Map's recommended 2nd Ave to go to Union Sq around 9AM. Anyone know less packed routes downtown at that hour, or do I have to wake up an hour earlier? Thanks for your help.

timmhaan

an hour earlier probably won't help all that much. there really isn't a significantly better route, as the only way to get north\south is by taking an avenue (or ride over to broadway, which has a bike lane - but it's very crowded too). you could possibly ride all the way over to the west side bike path, head south, and then ride back crosstown when you get to chelsea. but that would be pretty far out of your way.

ch0mb0

Pretty much what he said.

You could thread your way down from 59th, but that requires a bit of planning.
2nd is a pretty fast run downtown, just gotta follow the flow of traffic. Ride safe.

dynamho

I like the Hudson River idea. I'll try that tomorrow. Probably can make up lost time without the traffic lights. Now all I have to do is figure out a cross street going west that isn't packed. Hahaha. :-) Thanks for your help.

jyossarian

If you get off the Hudson River greenway at 14th, the area around there is bone jarring. I was gonna suggeest taking 2nd Ave. down and turning left at 34th to the bike path that starts at 34th under the FDR and goes south from there. It's not as smooth as the greenway, but there's no lights. You can cross back over the FDR further south by taking one of the foot bridges to get to SoHo.

You might also consider cutting east from 2nd Ave. towards Alphabet City at 14th to get to SoHo. I think traffic around there is a little less packed, but if you have to get to the west side of SoHo, taking the greenway may be your best bet.

oboeguy

It will take you forever to get cross-town. Even around 7:15AM when I go from the West to the East side it is very tough to be able to go two avenues at a time with light traffic, pothole-dodging and some generally smart caution.

dynamho

That's good to know regarding going crosstown at that hour. I guess 2nd ave is still the best bet then. It is packed around the area between Queens Midtown Tunnel and the Queensboro Bridge, but south of QMT is pretty clear. Since 2nd Ave is near extreme east of the island, I find more traffic turning right and westbound. They should have made the "bikepath" on the left.

brokenrobot

Remember that NYC DOT traffic rules allow you to ride on either side of any one-way that's 40 feet wide or more. You're also not required to use a provided bike lane if it's unasafe, and I've been know to read that leeway as "don't use the bike lane if another lane is safer"! So you may have the right to ride on the left on 2nd if you feel safer there...

Anyone know off-hand exactly where the bike lane on 2nd begins, and where it (apparently) switches from right to left side? I know it's on the left below 14th, but I rarely ride 2nd north of that intersection... I'm a park ave / bway guy!

jyossarian

I've ridden 2nd Ave. south from the UES and I haven't noticed any bike lane at all until 14th St. and then, like you said, it's on the LHS. And 2nd turns into a nightmare around the 59th St. bridge entrance. Smooths out a bit up to the QMT, then smooths out even more south of that.

dynamho

Found a better route from Queensboro Bridge to Union Square during morning rush hour. Instead taking my usual southbound 2nd ave run and turning west on 9th st, I crossed town at 60th st (pretty bad traffic but no worse than 2nd ave) and by the time I cross 5th av, traffic thins out significantly. Going down on 5th av is as bad as going down on 2nd, so I continue west on 59th st till 7th ave or Broadway and head down from there. Traffic at Times Square is pretty thin at that hour so it's a decent ride down.

boots

have you considered riding through brooklyn and queens to the williamsburg bridge?

wheezl

I don't know how anyone uses a bike lane in this town. I used to go up 6th Ave to work, but switched back to 8th Ave since there is no Please-Door-Me lane that self-righteous motorists expect me to use.

I have just learned to love the traffic, the heavier it is the better, since that means it is moving slowly (usually). Hudson river is much slower for me even though I work on 10th Ave. It's too hard to haul ass with all of the slowpokes on the path. (and in reality they deserve saftey and don't need me hauling ass down the trail).

I'd recomend sticking with traffic and trying to maintain about 20mph or so when possible. Or if the traffic is too heavy for that speed then you should be golden.

As soon as the traffic gets really dense I generally move fromt he left, into the middle of the street, where the spacing between vehicles is better.

Or more likely I am completely misunderstanding what the issue is with your current route.

dynamho

I'll try the Queens to Brooklyn to Williamsburg.

dynamho

Wheelz, thanks for the tips regarding negotiating traffic. The tip about moving into the the middle of traffic when it's dense seems to make sense to me, although I might not have the guts to do it comfortably yet.

The traffic I mentioned during morning rush hour at 2nd ave is bumper to bumper on all the lanes with buses and very little space between cars. So I don't know how you negotiate something like that except to ride with the traffic, find an alternate route, or be at work at 6:30AM in the morning.

wheezl

If it's so dense you can't get between the cars you are more or less screwed. I don't have to do 2nd Ave since I work on the West side and come over either the Manhattan or Williamsburg bridges. Lane splitting is not canonically accepted behavior by the preaching of Cycling Gods, so I can't specifically endorse it without getting my head torn off. I do it and it works great for me. That's about as far as it goes. If you are not comfortable with it then please don't do it I am sure others can (and probably will) chime in with thier opinions.