The 2011 Tour de Queens is Sunday July 10th - Tour de Queens Trailer

The 2011 Tour de Queens is Sunday July 10th
For more info: www.tourdequeens.org




Footage courtesy of Streetfilms.org from the 2009 Tour de Queens.

Worksman Cycles - Queens Bike Maker Seeks Big Leg Up by Hilary Potkewitz- Crain's New York Business

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Ever since the city's Department of Transportation started asking for proposals for a citywide bike-share program in November, a small bike factory in Queens has been trying to get noticed.

“It's a grassroots effort at this point, but we're trying to create as much awareness as we can with local businesses, the Department of Transportation and the Mayor's Office,” says Wayne Sosin, president of Worksman Cycles. In fact, the company has been quietly wheeling out heavy-duty bicycles and tricycles in Ozone Park since the 1890s.

“No other city has the opportunity to source their bicycles from their own local bike manufacturer,” Mr. Sosin adds, noting that Worksman bikes are already used in several smaller U.S. cities' bike-share programs. “If that didn't happen in New York, it would be tragic.”

A contract for 10,000 or more bikes for New York City's program would be a huge boost for the small company, and would mean hiring more welders, painters, assemblers and packers for the Queens plant. That's a fact not lost on local politicians. Nearly all of Worksman's employees live in the five boroughs.

CITY SUPPORT

“Those jobs are important not just for that one business, but for the local economy,” said City Councilman Eric Ulrich, whose district includes Ozone Park. “If the city is serious about keeping and creating local jobs throughout the boroughs, then it's going to do everything it can to support small businesses currently operating here.”

The DOT is accepting bids until Feb. 16 for the bike program, which would involve setting up more than 600 bike stations around the city, equipped with high-tech locks, and more than 10,000 GPS-equipped bikes. The request for proposals dictates that a private company will bear all costs of the program, slated for a 2012 launch, and share any profits with the city.

Modeled on similar bike programs in Europe, the New York bike-share system will be the largest in the U.S. Naturally, the companies that run programs in other cities are eyeing the New York contract—but none manufacture their bikes in the U.S.

Mr. Sosin's challenge is to be considered as a possible supplier. It's proving an uphill climb.

NOT CHOOSING SIDES

“We love Worksman, and it's super cool to have the oldest bike manufacturer in the country right here in Queens,” said Caroline Samponaro, director of bicycle advocacy for Transportation Alternatives, a transportation policy think tank. “I've mentioned them to all the [bike-share program] operators I've spoken to, but my role is advocating for better mobility options at less cost, not in picking sides.”

For nearly a century, Worksman bikes were primarily used in auto and other heavy industries to help employees get around in sprawling factories. When those plants began closing up, Worksman was hit hard.

The company has shifted its emphasis to recreational bikes for everything from old-age communities to urban bike-share programs. Its new line of commuter bikes costs $300 to $600, slightly more than foreign-made rivals. Last year, sales were up 10% over 2009 levels. The company's largest single order in recent years was 1,700 bikes for a Central American postal service.

The problem for Worksman's attempt to get in on the big New York contract is that the bike-share industry is dominated by BIXI, a Canadian outfit that runs such programs in Montreal, London, Boston and elsewhere. Its bikes are manufactured in Quebec by Cycles Devinci, which last year received a sizable grant from the Canadian government to expand its assembly line. Denver, Chicago and Louisville, Ky., use Asian-made Trek bikes.

DOT declined to give details on proposals that have been submitted, but it's safe to assume that major players like BIXI are aggressively bidding for the contract, said Transportation Alternatives.

That prospect concerned Mr. Ulrich. “I think that preferential treatment absolutely should be given to local businesses like this bike manufacturer,” he said. “Why should we be giving money to a Canadian company when we can create more jobs right here?”

Bid for a Boulevard of Life by Paul H.B. Shin - NY Daily News

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THE BOULEVARD of Death could get a major face-lift to make it safer and greener, thanks to a group of volunteer planners with a vision.

A sweeping redesign proposal for Queens Blvd., notorious for its pedestrian and cyclist casualties, is to be unveiled to members of the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives this week, Queens News has learned.

After the proposal is refined by year's end, the group plans to use it as the cornerstone of a major lobbying effort next year of all 29 elected officials whose districts intersect the boulevard, said Caroline Samponaro, the group's director of bicycle advocacy.

"It creates an opportunity for there to be broad support on Queens Blvd.," Samponaro said, noting it takes the burden off any one individual to shoulder the lead on the issue.

The proposal includes features such as bike lanes and bus-only lanes to create a "complete street," similar to the changes recently made on First and Second Aves. in Manhattan.

"We have this enormous opportunity with a canvas this wide," Samponaro said of Queens Blvd., which is 12 lanes wide in some spots.

The city has so far been reluctant to consider bike lanes on the boulevard. In a letter to elected officials in 2009, Queens Transportation Commissioner Maura McCarthy said the roadway is not part of the city's bicycle master plan for various reasons, "and we do not envision including it in the near future."

However, advocates noted that if the city wants to promote cycling, as it has been doing, then Queens Blvd. must be an essential part of a bike lane network.

"It's actually one of the few east-west through routes in Queens," said Shin-pei Tsay, an urban planner and a former Transportation Alternatives deputy director who is spearheading the volunteer redesign. "It goes through so many neighborhoods."

"There's definitely some problems in that it also serves as an arterial for vehicular traffic," Tsay added. "But in a vision for the boulevard, there has to be some kind of balance."

The proposal has the wholehearted support of Ken Coughlin, a close friend of James Langergaard, 38, who was killed in August 2009 at Queens Blvd. and 69th St. in Woodside.

If a bike lane "had been in place a year ago when he was crossing Queens Blvd., then his life could have been saved," said Coughlin, a legal editor.

"It should not only be a major artery for cars, but it should also be a major artery for other road users," he added. "It only makes sense to carve out some space for those who choose not to drive."

Samponaro conceded there will be resistance and a "huge learning curve" if Queens Blvd. is redesigned. But similar projects in other parts of the city have shown that locals soon acknowledge the benefits, she said.

Coughlin said he has become an avid cyclist himself, mostly due to the growth of bike lanes.

"There's an incredible latent demand for cycling among thousands who would bike, except for the perception that it's unsafe," he said.

Lynn Nunes Pushes Sen. Shirley Huntley To Debate -- And Then Doesn't Show by Celeste Katz - The Daily Politics - NY Daily News

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Our Clare Trapasso reports from Queens:

"Democratic state senate hopeful Lynn Nunes abruptly pulled out of a Richmond Hill debate that he had been brazenly pushing his opponent, incumbent state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica), to participate in.

His decision not to attend tonight's event, hosted by Transportation Alternatives and the Richmond Hill Economic Development Council, fueled speculation that he may be mulling a run for the late Thomas White, Jr.’s city council seat.

Nunes had challenged White for his seat last fall and lost the Democratic primary by four votes.

White (D-Jamaica) passed away on Friday. His wake is to be held tonight.

Nunes pulled out of the Transportation Alternatives debate on Monday, said organizer Moriah Kinberg. No explanation was given and the candidate could not be reached for comment.

“We’re very disappointed that Nunes confirmed and cancelled his participation at very short notice,” she said.

(Clare, incidentally, was the moderator of the debate - CK.)

Nunes is scheduled to attend a NAACP candidates forum tomorrow"

A Tour de Queens on Two Wheels by Holly Tsang - Queens Examiner

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When you live in a busy city like New York, it's not easy to be an urban cyclist. Even though bikers technically have the right of way, cyclists are often at the mercy of aggressive drivers.

This past Sunday, however, 1,500 bike riders took the roads back as, escorted by police officers, they stopped vehicular traffic and breezed through red lights.

Sponsored by Transportation Alternatives, the third annual Tour de Queens commenced at the Queens Museum of Art. It attracted riders from all over the city and took them through 18 miles of residential and commercial neighborhoods including Flushing, Bayside, Oakland Gardens, Little Neck, Queens Village and Fresh Meadows. The midway point was marked by a rest stop at the Queens County Farm Museum.

"The Tour de Queens is all about celebrating the strides we're making towards a more bike-friendly borough," says David Dubovsky, chair of Transportation Alternatives' Queens Committee. "Where else in New York City can you bike from a two-time World's Fair ground to a working urban farm - all in one morning?"

Richard Lau, a small business owner from Flushing, signed up for the tour to spend some quality time with his cousins. He enjoyed going down roads that the police had blocked off for riders, but the ride was an eye-opener as well.

“You really get to experience your neighborhood,” he said. “I didn't realize until I started biking how many hills there are, or how many ways there are to get to your house.”

Chris Kay, a nurse from the Bronx, recently joined a bicycling group that rides from the Bronx to Battery Park. He enjoys participating in bike tours because they allow him to see all the aspects of a neighborhood or borough he would otherwise miss.

“I often drive through Queens, but you don't get to stop and see the neighborhoods when you're driving on a highway,” he said. “Now you get to see it up close. I've never been this close to the Unisphere.”

Jim Henderson, a retired telephone switchman from Manhattan, grew up on Long Island, but as an avid cyclist who rides everywhere, he probably knows the city better than most born-and-bred city dwellers.

“I'm just amazed that people don't know their area and geography,” he said. “You get a wonderful opportunity to see what people are doing, how the city's laid out, the economy...there are rich people places, poor people places, commercial places. You can learn all these things simply by biking.”

Though he could easily ride on his own, Henderson enjoys the bike tours because they allow him to fly down the street without worry of being killed by drivers. It also means that he has to be careful around the less experienced riders, who are much slower; a handful of children completed the ride from start to finish. However, he encourages everyone to take up bike riding, which is an efficient form of travel as well as a fun hobby.

“The best way to start is to go down your street and keep going,” he said. “Keep going and don't stop.”

Seized Bikes Are Waiting For You at 7th Precinct by John Del Signore- Gothamist

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An NYPD truck delicately carts away an explosive arsenal of bombs sinisterly disguised as bicycles; photograph by Martha Cooper

With the NYPD press office continuing to stonewall us on the matter of the bikes confiscated along Obama's motorcade route yesterday, we made some calls to the local precincts. A cop at the 9th Precinct told us that all the seized bikes were taken to the 7th Precinct. When we called over there, an unidentified officer told us to call the 9th Precinct, ha ha. But after putting us on hold, we were able to confirm that all the seized bikes were in fact taken to the 7th Precinct.

If your bike was one of those confiscated, you can go retrieve it on Monday before 12 p.m. at the 7th Precinct. We were told that bike owners can appear as early as 4 a.m., and that there is "a special way" of determining that each bike is returned to its lawful owner. Cyclists will be asked to describe their bikes, but the cop who spoke with us said you should also bring a photo of you with the bike.

When asked if any signs were put up in advance to notify bike owners, the officer said, "No, they just did this because the president was coming and they didn't want anything on the sidewalks. You're not supposed to lock you bike to signposts anyway, they have those new bike racks you're supposed to use." Of course, in many parts of NYC, the number of bike racks can't meet demand, and cyclists have no choice but to lock to signposts.

On a related note, next month is Bike Month in NYC, and Transportation Alternatives will be kicking things off with a party at Brooklyn Bridge Park on Saturday, May 1st from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. During the festivities, the NYPD will be on hand to etch ID codes on your bike, making it easier to reclaim it next time they steal it from you.

Related articles and information:

http://gothamist.com/2010/04/23/seized_bikes_are_waiting_for_you_at.php

http://www.freewilliamsburg.com/archives/2010/04/happy_earth_day_1.html

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/23/bike-stolen-check-the-police-station/

Tour Galore for 1,000-Plus Bicyclists by John Lauinger - NY Daily News

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WHEN ONLINE registration opened for 1,000 free slots in this year's Tour de Queens bike ride, cyclists gobbled them all up in less than 12 hours.

The registration rush for the second annual event, to be held Sunday, blew away the numbers for last year's inaugural spin, in which 600 cyclists rode and 500 people booked slots online.

"It's the hottest ticket in town," said Wiley Norvell of the tour's promoter, Transportation Alternatives. The nonprofit group encourages cycling, walking and mass transit as a more healthy and environmentally friendly way to get around the city.

An additional 500 spots will be available for walk-ins on the morning of the tour, which will start and end at the Queens Museum of Art in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.

The event is intended to help accelerate the growth of the borough's biking community, so the jump in demand was welcome news for organizers.

"That's a great sign," said Eddie Hernandez, 35, a graduate student from Astoria, who chairs the Queens committee for Transportation Alternatives.

He noted the increase validates other stats that show bicycling is on the rise in Queens.

Between 2000 and 2007, the number of bicyclists crossing the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan each day more than doubled, from 546 to 1,292, city figures show.

The tour will begin at 9:30 a.m., with same-day registration starting at 8 a.m.

The inaugural ride focused on western Queens. This year's 19-mile course will explore eastern Queens.

The ride will pass through Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Jamaica, St. Albans, Hollis and Fresh Meadows before turning back for the park. A pit stop will be provided at York College in Jamaica.

Riders on the tour - who will be given green T-shirts - will also cruise down Queens Blvd., the eastbound service lanes of which will be temporarily closed to traffic between 108th St. and Hillside Ave.

Cycling advocates have argued that installing a protected bike lane on Queens Blvd. - a treacherous but convenient east-west thoroughfare - is key to increasing bicycling in Queens.

Having a green wave of cyclists pedaling down Queens Blvd. - the so-called Boulevard of Death - is intended to make a symbolic statement, organizers said.

"It highlights a change that we think needs to take place on Queens' most iconic street - greening it, making it safer to bike and walk on - and bringing it into the 21st century," Norvell said.

City Guide Highlights Bike Routes Thru Nabes by Lisa L. Colangelo - NY Daily News

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IT JUST got a little easier to bike, sightsee and eat your way through Queens.

The city published a biking map last week dubbed "Queens Around the World," with several routes that allow cyclists to soak in notable sites and local cuisine.

City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden called it an ultimate insider's guide.

"The rich diversity of our neighborhoods make the city different from other cities in the world," Burden said. "This gives people destinations and shows them how to get there."

Funded by federal grant dollars, the map is part of a larger campaign to get more New Yorkers to use bicycles as a means of transportation. Burden said plans for a Bronx map are in the works and hopes to create similar ones for the other boroughs.

The Queens map includes four routes with highlights from nine different neighborhoods in the borough.

"Our staff went out on bikes and documented everything they thought was interesting and pared it down," she said. "So when you bike through Astoria you can also stop and get some of the best grilled fish and baklava."

One 6-mile route takes bikers though Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and some of the surrounding neighborhoods.

A shorter 2-mile jaunt weaves through Long Island City and Hunter's Point.

Another 7-mile route includes Corona, Jackson Heights, Woodside and Sunnyside.

Along the way are stops at the Public School 1 MoMA Contemporary Art Center, Astoria Park and even the Lemon Ice King of Corona.

The map lists more than 50 destinations with photos and a list of nearby bicycle shops.

The map can also be used as a walking guide, Burden said. And in certain areas, such as the bustling "Little India" section of Jackson Heights under the 7 train, cyclists should probably take a break and walk their bike for a few blocks.

Advocates, who are lobbying the city to increase the number of bike lanes, said they were happy to see the city create a borough-specific map.

"Whether it's free bike parking provided at movies in Socrates Sculpture Park, or the Queens Museum of Art's penchant for all things bike, I think bicycling is becoming a big part of the borough's landscape," said Wiley Norvell of Transportation Alternatives.

"What better way to show that transformation than linking places best seen by bike and the streets that are increasingly safe to ride on?" he added.

lcolangelo@nydailynews.com

Bicycle Still Beats Subway & Taxi in Queens-to-Midtown Rush-Hour Race by Chloe Rosenberg and Sarah Armaghan - NY Daily News

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And they're off! Competitors take off for the Transportation Alternatives' annual commuter race. DelMundo for News

When it comes to getting around the city, two wheels are still better than four.

For the fifth year in a row, cycling ruled the road in Transportation Alternatives' annual commuter race Thursday, with a biker beating a straphanger and a cabbie.

It took librarian Rachel Myers 20 minutes and 15 seconds to pedal 4.2 miles from Sunnyside, Queens, to Columbus Circle during the morning rush.

"Woo hoo!" the 29-year-old Brooklynite shouted, pumping her fist in the air. "Just goes to show that bikes rule this city!"

Subway rider Dan Hendrick - who hopped the No. 7 in Sunnyside and transferred to the No. 1 at Times Square - arrived 15 minutes later.

Hendrick, 38, usually rides the rails to work at the New York League of Conservation Voters, but he may be switching to pedal power.

"Twenty minutes saved is a lot in the morning," he said. "I could really use that time to get a latte or something."

A yellow cab rolled up to the finish line 27 minutes after Myers, costing passenger Willie Thompson $30 and precious commuting time.

"I always thought [cabs] were the fastest," said Thompson, 30, a nonprofit e-marketer from Flatbush, Brooklyn.

"But it was so slow, it was brutal. I'm exhausted from sitting so long!"

The bike, of course, is also the most environmentally friendly option with no carbon emissions, compared with 2pounds for the subway and 6pounds for the cab.

Wiley Norvell of Transportation Alternatives reminded commuters that with more than 600 miles of bike paths in the city, cycling is more efficient than ever.

"I think there's no commodity more important to New Yorkers than their time," said Norvell. "And clearly, if you've got somewhere to be in a hurry, riding a bike is the way to go."

Nonprofit Plans Bicycle Lane for Queens Boulevard by Alex Christodoulides - YourNabe.com

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Queens Boulevard may be getting a couple of new lanes for traffic — the kind on two wheels — if an idea to put a bike lane along the thoroughfare comes to pass.

Transportation Alternatives, a nonprofit that advocates bicycling, walking and public transportation, has been discussing the preliminary ideas for making Queens Boulevard safer for cyclists after Briarwood resident Asif Rahman, 22, was killed Feb. 28 on the thoroughfare at 55th Road as he rode home from work. His mother, Lizi Rahman, is working with the group to make the boulevard safer for cyclists and create a bike lane in her son's memory.

Along the entire stretch of Queens Boulevard, from Sunnyside to Kew Gardens, there have been two cyclist fatalities since 1990, and during the last five years there has been an average of 20 cyclist injuries a year, the city Department of Transportation said.

"We're in the very, very beginning stages" of planning the lane, said Transportation Alternatives Queens Committee Chairman Mike Heffron. "We're aiming for all of Queens Boulevard to have a lane."

To make the idea a reality, the group and the city Department of Transportation must meet to work out the logistics and implementation so that cyclists can ride safely and drivers are not overly inconvenienced, but so far scheduling conflicts have prevented this happening.

"In creating an integrated bike network we look to place new bike lanes where they will make connections to either existing bike facilities or to popular destinations such as bridges, commercial corridors, schools and parks," DOT spokesman Ted Timbers wrote in an e-mail.

Community outreach, planning, design and implementation of a new bike lane can take a minimum of six months depending on the complexity of the location.

Even for experienced cyclists, Queens Boulevard is a daunting thoroughfare on which to ride.

"I took it upon myself one time to ride all of Queens Boulevard and almost got hit three times, and not dinged — hit hard," said Ed Hernandez, a lifelong Queens resident and fellow Transportation Alternatives Queens Committee member.

Each street presents unique challenges, Timbers wrote.

"Queens Boulevard combines intense vehicular traffic with a high volume of pedestrians," he said. "Visibility is an issue for the portion that also serves the elevated No. 7 subway line."

Heffron said the hope is to have a Class I lane, which is separated from the flow of vehicular traffic by a physical barrier. The promenades along Eastern and Ocean parkways in Brooklyn are an example of what a protected lane could look like.

"My vision of what I'd like to see Queens Boulevard have is a protected bike lane that children could use to get to and from school safely," Hernandez said.

Over the last 12 months DOT has installed more than 70 miles of bike lanes citywide, including 24 miles in Queens, Timbers wrote. In the next 12 months there are plans for a bike lane along Skillman Avenue, which runs parallel to Queens Boulevard, he added.