I live in Brooklyn and commute to Manhattan. On the worst days I will still see other commuters, and I'm not usually one of them. I watch on the Manhattan bridge as I go over on the subway. When I'm riding I'm always far from alone, except hmm, no exceptions. Even in my quiet neighborhood there are others out there. As we approach the bridge the cycling crowd thickens. In Manhattan it thins outs again as we all go our own way, but 1st Avenue has a steady stream in the dedicated bike lane. Just 3 or 4 years ago I'd be by myself on 1st once beyond 23rd st, but now there are riders up to where I turn at 42nd. And then there's Citibike. They're all over the place.