Some members of the Queens TA Committee (Photo courtesy of Queens TA Committee Google Group)The first Tour de Queens, a free bicycle ride through parts of the borough, will be held on Sunday.
About 700 riders are expected to participate in the event sponsored by Transportation Alternatives. The group sponsors similar events in the Bronx and Brooklyn and now has decided to add Queens.
“This will definitely be an annual event. It’s a great way to see the borough and a way to encourage people to ride a bike,” said Wiley Norvell, spokesman for Transportation Alternatives.
He hopes that in the future different areas of Queens will be highlighted during the yearly ride.
Although the online registration is completed, Norvell indicated that there would be plenty of spaces available for those who sign in on Sunday at 8 a.m. Starting and finishing point is the Queens Museum of Art in Flushing Meadows Park.
The 20-mile ride is expected to take three hours or more to complete and will go through East Elmhurst, Astoria, Queensbridge, Long Island City, Maspeth, Middle Village, Rego Park and Forest Hills.
“This is a leisurely ride with few hills,” Norvell said. “And we hope a lot of families will participate.”
Children 14 and under may ride as long as they are accompanied by an adult. Youngsters must also wear helmets.
A rest stop with snacks and refreshments will be provided in Queensbridge Park, overlooking the East River.
Mike Heffron, chairman of Transportation Alternatives’ Queens Committee, noted that the group is using bike-friendly streets. Motorists are not expected to be affected since it’s an early-morning Sunday ride and will not disrupt traffic.
Norvell added that intersections will only be closed three to four minutes at a time as groups of riders pass through.
Queens Borough President Helen Marshall is delighted the Tour de Queens is taking place. “We are always asking residents and visitors to ‘Discover Queens’ and biking is a wonderful way to do that,” she said.
Transportation Alternatives is still looking for volunteers to help on Sunday. Call (212) 629-8080.
The non-profit group was founded in 1973 to take back the city’s streets from the car and to advocate for bicycling, walking and using public transit to achieve that goal. The Queens Committee was founded in 2007.
