if it’s a bike lane why isn’t it green?
hey MO: I ride a bike and walk a lot. I also drive a car. The other day I pulled out of the Dollar Tree parking lot on Hamilton Ave and found myself in the middle of what seemed to be a bike lane as I waited for traffic to clear. I didn’t see any signs and the lanes on the sidewalk aren’t green. Are these bike lanes? I was always told not to ride my bike on the sidewalk. Are we allowed to ride on sidewalks now?
hey you: there are northbound and southbound bike paths on the sidewalk outside the Dollar Tree parking lot. These paths are separated from car traffic and run though a shared space for people walking and biking, rather than in the street. Green paint is mainly used to signal conflict points where bikes and cars interact, which is why it is less common in these separated corridors. The paths outside the Dollar Tree parking lot extend from Smith Street and Hamilton Avenue to 3rd Avenue and 29th Street and are part of the larger NYC Greenway network. While bike paths do have markings, those markings may not be visible to drivers or clearly understood by the general public as places where people can ride bikes.
The short answer to your second question is yes, people can ride bicycles on sidewalks! However, like many bike-related rules, sidewalk riding is conditional. It’s permitted if there’s a sidewalk-level bike path, if a posted sign allows it, or if the rider is under 13 and using wheels less than 26 inches in diameter.
In Sunset Park, there are additional Greenway segments where sidewalk riding is allowed, including two along 2nd Avenue: one between 35th Street and 39th Street, and another between 58th Street and 65th Street. These segments are considered “shared paths” and therefore are not painted green.
This is a confusing topic, thank you for bringing it to our attention!
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Thank you for sharing your question! The more organizations, city agencies, and elected officials hear directly from the public, the more likely conditions will improve.
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