Cycling is ane of the truly keen ways to travel around New York City — biking is efficient, affordable, equitable, salubrious and environmentally friendly.

Reminders for Cyclists During COVID-xix

  • Do social distancing.

    Whenever possible, go along at least i bicycle length betwixt you lot and others.

  • Consider wearing a face covering while bicycling.

    Information technology is not possible to socially distance at intersections and in some bike lanes.

  • Always exercise good manus hygiene.

    Wash your hands with warm water and soap or apply paw sanitizer. Ever wash easily after existence exterior and think to wipe the handlebars before and after you ride.

  • Stay home if you are feeling unwell.

  • Have fun.

    The mental and concrete benefits of riding are actress important during this stressful time.

    Bike Smart: The Official Guide to Cycling in NYC
    Helmet Fittings and Giveaways
    Become There Campaign
    NYC Biking Laws
    Prophylactic Tips
    Children on Bicycles
    NYCycles Newsletter

Bikesmart Cover page for the Official Guide to Cycling in NYC

Bike Smart:
The Official Guide to Cycling in NYC

Wheel Smart: The Official Guide to Cycling in New York City is a helpful handbook with data on making your cycling trip safer and easier, including tips on using newer wheel facilities such as protected lanes and wheel boxes, and bones tips for locking your bicycle. NYC DOT distributes up to 325,000 copies per year of the New York City Bicycle Map, which contains the nigh important rules of the road highlighted in the Bike Smart Guide.

Download Bike Smart in English, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Italian, Korean , Smooth, Russian or Castilian

A child wearing a Vision Zero helmet smiles at the camera as someone's hands adjust her helmet's straps.

Helmet Fittings and Giveaways

NYC has provided over 260,000 free bicycle helmets to New Yorkers.

NYC DOT'due south Part of Safety Education and Outreach partners with organizations and council members to host free helmet fitting events across the city.

Helmet fittings and giveaways follow special protocols:

  • All events will exist socially distanced
  • Waivers must be completed on-site
  • The person receiving the helmet volition demand to exist present at the event
  • Participants will view a grooming video to learn how to properly fit a helmet
  • Participants will exist given dispensable record measurers to measure out their head's circumference to select a helmet that is right for them

Half dozen Steps to Properly Fit a Bike Helmet (pdf)

Sound described version of this video in English Consejos para medir cascos de bicicleta (Spanish) 腳踏車安全帽佩戴須知 (Chinese)

Free Contactless Helmet Fitting Events Calendar

This agenda is updated monthly. Please check with your local quango member to run into if they will be hosting a helmet fitting. You may also visit NYC DOT's Facebook Events page, or contact NYC 311 to check for an result near yous.

Date

Time

Civic

Location

Sponsor
six/iv/2022 11:00am to 2:30pm Bronx Yolanda Garcia Park (Melrose & E 159th Street) Quango Member Rafael Salamanca Jr.
6/11/2022 eleven:00am to 2:30pm Bronx Walter Gladwin Park (East 175th Street & Tremont Avenue) Council Member Oswald Feliz
6/eighteen/2022 eleven:00am to 2:30pm Brooklyn Thomas Greene Park (225 Nevins Street) Council Member Lincoln Restler
half-dozen/25/2022 11:00am to 2:30pm Queens Crocheron Park (214-41 34th Artery) Quango Fellow member Vickie Paladino
vii/9/2022 11:00am to 2:30pm Queens Archie Spigner Park (175-18 Merrick Boulevard) Council Member Nantasha Williams

Get There Flatiron to SOHO

Get In that location

NYC DOT'due south Get In that location bike encouragement campaign features real New Yorkers enjoying bike lanes beyond the City. The ads include a mix of familiar neighborhoods and landmarks, along with average cycling time, highlighting how quick a trip by bicycle can be. The entrada includes a drove of postcards, each focusing on an important cycling topic. NYC DOT's Bicycles and Greenways Unit and Safety Didactics and Outreach Unit distribute the campaign postcards, bike lights, and bike bells at public outreach events.

We know y'all're enjoying the ride, only there's more than than just getting in that location past wheel! Check out some mutual myths and facts nearly biking: Biking Myths vs Facts Postcard, Spanish & Chinese (pdfs)

Get There - Biking Myths vs Facts

NYC Biking Laws

Cyclists take all the rights and are subject to all of the duties and regulations applicative to drivers of motor vehicles. Download a complete listing of New York City wheel rules

  • Ride in the street, not on the sidewalks (unless passenger is age 12 or younger and the bike'due south wheels are less than 26 inches in diameter).
  • Ride with traffic, not against it.
  • Cease at scarlet lights and stop signs. Obey all traffic signals, signs and pavement markings, and exercise due care to avert colliding with pedestrians, motor vehicles or other cyclists. At ruby-red lights, wait for the green low-cal and/or the wheel or pedestrian signal.
  • Go with the walk, unless at that place's a bike point or sign, cross the intersection when the pedestrian signal shows the "walk".
  • Use marked cycle lanes or paths when available, except when making turns or when it is dangerous to practice so. If the road is too narrow for a bicycle and a automobile to travel safely side by side, y'all have the right to ride in the eye of the travel lane. Bicycling is permitted on all chief and local streets throughout the Metropolis, even when no designated route exists.
  • Use a white headlight and a cerise taillight, too equally a bell or horn and reflectors.

Wheel Laws Postcard, Spanish & Chinese (pdfs) Go with the Walk Postcard, Castilian & Chinese (pdfs)

Get There - Bike Laws

Safety Tips

For a Safer Ride

  • Ride in a straight line, obey traffic signs and signals, and exercise not weave in and out of traffic. Riding predictably reduces your chances of a crash with a motor vehicle.
  • Expect, signal and look over again before irresolute lanes or making a plough. Establish heart contact with drivers. Seeing a commuter is often not enough. Make sure drivers see you before executing a plough or riding in front of a turning car.
  • Lookout man out for automobile doors. Be prepared for the possibility that a car door may be opened in your path. When possible, go out room betwixt yourself and parked cars (three feet is generally recommended) and so that you tin can avoid a door that opens unexpectedly.
  • Stay visible. Clothing brightly colored clothing for daytime riding. At dark, utilize cogitating materials and lights.
  • Use your bell. Your bell alerts drivers, pedestrians and other cyclists to your presence, it is required by law.
  • Don't vesture earphones. By police force you may wear one earbud, but keeping your ears clear is a much safer pick.
  • Wear a helmet. Helmets are required by law for children age thirteen or younger and working cyclists, helmets are a good idea for cyclists of all ages.

Get At that place Safely Postcard, Castilian & Chinese (pdfs)

Get There - Get There Safely

Look Out for Others

  • Watch: Await out for people with long white and red canes or traveling with guide dogs. Remember, people with disabilities cannot e'er run across or hear yous, or tell how far away you lot are.
  • Wait: Always let people walking go first and proceed the crosswalk clear. Call back, pedestrians accept the right of mode on shared paths and Greenways. Exercise not ride upward behind or effectually a guide dog and owners.
  • Warn: Slow downwards nearly people walking, and band your bell or call to let them know y'all're coming close.

Slow Your Curlicue Postcard, Spanish & Chinese (pdfs)

Slow Your Roll postcard with icons and text reminding cyclists to: Watch: Look out for people with long white and red canes or traveling with guide dogs. Remember people with disabilities can't always see or hear you, or tell how far away you are. Wait: Always let people walking go first and keep the crosswalk clear. Remember pedestrians have the right of way on shared paths and Greenways. Don't ride up behind or around a guide dog and owner. Warn: Slow down near people walking, and ring your bell or call to let them know you're coming close.

While we go along to promote cycling as a ways of transportation, we also desire to help you lot identify our 175,000+ low vision or blind pedestrians.

Watch an audio described version of the Wheel Optics video

For Children on Bicycles

  • Children under historic period one cannot be carried on a bicycle.
  • Children must exist carried in a properly affixed kid carrier.
  • Cyclists 13 or younger must habiliment an approved helmet.
  • Children 12 or younger should ride on the sidewalk, while adults must ride on the street.

NYCycles Newsletter Archive

The official newsletter of NYC DOT's Cycle Program is NYCycles, an email newsletter providing updates on new bike lanes, bicycle-friendly events, and tips for new and experienced riders.

Subscribe to NYCycles monthly cycling email newsletter

  • Biketober 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • Jan 2021
  • Biketober 2020 Part 2
  • Biketober 2020
  • September 2020
  • July 2020
  • May 2020
  • Apr 2020: Citi Bike Virtual Town Halls
  • April 2020
  • Feb 2020
  • Biketober 2019
  • September 2019
  • May 2019 (Bike Month Mid-Month Update)
  • May 2019 (Bike Month)
  • 2018 NYC Bike Map Release
  • Biketober 2018 (Role Iii)
  • Biketober 2018 (Part 2)
  • Biketober 2018