5 ms·

NYC's problem is also distance. Depending on where you're coming from biking could take 1.5-2hrs each way. I enjoy it but the problem is with extreme rising hou

NYC's problem is also distance. Depending on where you're coming from biking could take 1.5-2hrs each way. I enjoy it but the problem is with extreme rising housing costs people are pushed further and further. Though to be honest, a SAFE biking lane system would be a much welcome gift in NYC. Currently in certain areas I have to work doubly hard to not get killed daily.

awjr 10y ago
Yup and without protected bike lanes you only get those people 'brave enough' to venture out. To get people on situp and beg bikes (or ebikes) riding in normal clothes, you have to have visible end-to-end safe lanes. Look at London. They removed two traffic lanes, installed wide cycle lanes and now move 5% more people through the space. 70% of traffci through Blackfriars is people cycling, mostly in day to day clothing.
- 1_2__3 10y ago
  And in a dense urban core in a mild climate that makes perfect sense. Which greater Manhattan is not.
  - emj 10y ago
    What? NYC is perfect for biking.
    - pavel_lishin 10y ago
      I wouldn't say that NYC is uniformly perfect for biking throughout the year. The summer is very hot and humid, effectively requiring you to shower before going to work. The winter is cold, and the roads and frequently covered in snow and/or ice. Both of these problems can be worked around, but they are daunting for anyone who's not already fairly dedicated; a newbie isn't going to ride to his law office in 95 degree weather, or through slush. (And that's just the weather; I'm not taking into account the crappy car traffic through most of Manhattan, or the huge valley around 125th street, or the fact that going across the Brooklyn Bridge is incredibly annoying whenever pedestrians are present, etc.)
      - InitialLastName 10y ago
        Digging through [0] (and matching my experience), NYC appears to average summer highs of mid-80s and winter lows in the 20's There are plenty of days outside of those ranges in Feb and August, but there are a solid 6 months/year of reliably comfortable cycling weather. As to your footnote, both of your geographic problems are avoidable by knowing the city better. Both the Hudson River Greenway (low) and Riverside Drive (high) provide very convenient ways to avoid the 125th St Valley on the west side, and St Nicholas Ave does the same on the east. Further, what self-respecting (and sane) cyclist would take the Brooklyn Bridge when the Manhattan bridge is __right__ there and in every way nicer to ride on? [0]: https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KJFK/1972/1/2/PlannerHistory.html https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KJFK/1972/1/2/P...
Retric 10y ago
Which is really a function of rent control. NYC heavily subsidizes a retired population while discouraging ultra high density development. Further, after changing jobs it's often better not to move. So, you sacrifice density on people who don't have a economic incentive for living in the city, discourage short commutes, and discourages increasing density. ED: Yes, that includes Rent Stabilized.
- bogomipz 10y ago
  Huh? Rent Control apartments only represent 1.2% of the total rental stock in the New York City. That is as of 2014 and so its likely less now as that number only ticks down. How is that heavily subsidizing a retired population? http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/hpd/downloads/pdf/2014-HVS-initial-Findings.pdf http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/hpd/downloads/pdf/2014-HVS-initia... Also the idea of people paying peanuts for a rent controlled apartment is largely a myth. It is discussed in detail in this article: http://citylimits.org/2015/03/09/nycs-endangered-species-a-rent-controlled-apartment/ http://citylimits.org/2015/03/09/nycs-endangered-species-a-r... From the above article: "Olive Freud, a retired schoolteacher, and her husband, Edgar, a retired engineer, also pay more than $2,000 a month in rent for their rent-controlled, two-bedroom unit on West 72nd Street"
  - Retric 10y ago
    To qualify for "Rent Control" the apartments must be occupied since July 1, 1971 so that 1.2% is effectively 100% retired people. Further 1,030,000 units are "Rent Stabilized". However, "Rent Stabilized" is really just another type of Rent Controlled with different rules. PS: From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rent_control_in_New_York https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rent_control_in_New_York Non-regulated 2011: 39.1%.
    - bogomipz 10y ago
      That 1.2% figure for the number of rent controlled apartments in 2014 equates to 27K apartments. I was responding to the OP's claim was that New York City was "heavily subsidizing" retired people. Lets say that those 27K apartments have two occupants - the reality is probably less. so that is 54K people out of population of 8.1 million. The percentage of people that rent in NYC is ~ 70%(see link below) or 5.6 million? Would you consider that 54K a heavy subsidy burden on the majority of renters even if they were only paying peanuts which they are not see my second link above. https://www.nakedapartments.com/guides/nyc/renting-in-new-york-city/high-demand-low-supply https://www.nakedapartments.com/guides/nyc/renting-in-new-yo...
akgerber 10y ago
In most cycling-oriented countries, those kinds of distances would be dealt with by better bike parking at the train stations. "2-fare zones" in NYC are still generally within a quick bike ride of a sub-1-hour subway ride to all of Manhattan.

awjr 10y ago

Yup and without protected bike lanes you only get those people 'brave enough' to venture out. To get people on situp and beg bikes (or ebikes) riding in normal clothes, you have to have visible end-to-end safe lanes. Look at London. They removed two traffic lanes, installed wide cycle lanes and now move 5% more people through the space. 70% of traffci through Blackfriars is people cycling, mostly in day to day clothing.

1_2__3 10y ago
And in a dense urban core in a mild climate that makes perfect sense. Which greater Manhattan is not.
- emj 10y ago
  What? NYC is perfect for biking.
  - pavel_lishin 10y ago
    I wouldn't say that NYC is uniformly perfect for biking throughout the year. The summer is very hot and humid, effectively requiring you to shower before going to work. The winter is cold, and the roads and frequently covered in snow and/or ice. Both of these problems can be worked around, but they are daunting for anyone who's not already fairly dedicated; a newbie isn't going to ride to his law office in 95 degree weather, or through slush. (And that's just the weather; I'm not taking into account the crappy car traffic through most of Manhattan, or the huge valley around 125th street, or the fact that going across the Brooklyn Bridge is incredibly annoying whenever pedestrians are present, etc.)
    - InitialLastName 10y ago
      Digging through [0] (and matching my experience), NYC appears to average summer highs of mid-80s and winter lows in the 20's There are plenty of days outside of those ranges in Feb and August, but there are a solid 6 months/year of reliably comfortable cycling weather. As to your footnote, both of your geographic problems are avoidable by knowing the city better. Both the Hudson River Greenway (low) and Riverside Drive (high) provide very convenient ways to avoid the 125th St Valley on the west side, and St Nicholas Ave does the same on the east. Further, what self-respecting (and sane) cyclist would take the Brooklyn Bridge when the Manhattan bridge is __right__ there and in every way nicer to ride on? [0]: https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KJFK/1972/1/2/PlannerHistory.html https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KJFK/1972/1/2/P...

Retric 10y ago

Which is really a function of rent control. NYC heavily subsidizes a retired population while discouraging ultra high density development. Further, after changing jobs it's often better not to move. So, you sacrifice density on people who don't have a economic incentive for living in the city, discourage short commutes, and discourages increasing density. ED: Yes, that includes Rent Stabilized.

bogomipz 10y ago
Huh? Rent Control apartments only represent 1.2% of the total rental stock in the New York City. That is as of 2014 and so its likely less now as that number only ticks down. How is that heavily subsidizing a retired population? http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/hpd/downloads/pdf/2014-HVS-initial-Findings.pdf http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/hpd/downloads/pdf/2014-HVS-initia... Also the idea of people paying peanuts for a rent controlled apartment is largely a myth. It is discussed in detail in this article: http://citylimits.org/2015/03/09/nycs-endangered-species-a-rent-controlled-apartment/ http://citylimits.org/2015/03/09/nycs-endangered-species-a-r... From the above article: "Olive Freud, a retired schoolteacher, and her husband, Edgar, a retired engineer, also pay more than $2,000 a month in rent for their rent-controlled, two-bedroom unit on West 72nd Street"
- Retric 10y ago
  To qualify for "Rent Control" the apartments must be occupied since July 1, 1971 so that 1.2% is effectively 100% retired people. Further 1,030,000 units are "Rent Stabilized". However, "Rent Stabilized" is really just another type of Rent Controlled with different rules. PS: From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rent_control_in_New_York https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rent_control_in_New_York Non-regulated 2011: 39.1%.
  - bogomipz 10y ago
    That 1.2% figure for the number of rent controlled apartments in 2014 equates to 27K apartments. I was responding to the OP's claim was that New York City was "heavily subsidizing" retired people. Lets say that those 27K apartments have two occupants - the reality is probably less. so that is 54K people out of population of 8.1 million. The percentage of people that rent in NYC is ~ 70%(see link below) or 5.6 million? Would you consider that 54K a heavy subsidy burden on the majority of renters even if they were only paying peanuts which they are not see my second link above. https://www.nakedapartments.com/guides/nyc/renting-in-new-york-city/high-demand-low-supply https://www.nakedapartments.com/guides/nyc/renting-in-new-yo...

akgerber 10y ago

In most cycling-oriented countries, those kinds of distances would be dealt with by better bike parking at the train stations. "2-fare zones" in NYC are still generally within a quick bike ride of a sub-1-hour subway ride to all of Manhattan.