Cycling is one of the truly great ways to travel around New York City — biking is efficient, affordable, equitable, healthy and environmentally friendly.

Reminders for Cyclists During COVID-19

  • Practise social distancing.

    Whenever possible, keep at to the lowest degree one bicycle length between you and others.

  • Consider wearing a face covering while bicycling.

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

  • Ever practice good paw hygiene.

    Launder your easily with warm water and soap or use hand sanitizer. Always wash hands after existence exterior and remember to wipe the handlebars earlier and later on y'all ride.

  • Stay home if you are feeling unwell.

  • Have fun.

    The mental and physical benefits of riding are extra important during this stressful time.

    Bike Smart: The Official Guide to Cycling in NYC
    Helmet Fittings and Giveaways
    Get There Entrada
    NYC Biking Laws
    Safe Tips
    Children on Bicycles
    NYCycles Newsletter

Bikesmart Cover page for the Official Guide to Cycling in NYC

Wheel Smart:
The Official Guide to Cycling in NYC

Bike Smart: The Official Guide to Cycling in New York Urban center is a helpful handbook with information on making your cycling trip safer and easier, including tips on using newer bike facilities such as protected lanes and bike boxes, and basic tips for locking your bicycle. NYC DOT distributes upwardly to 325,000 copies per year of the New York Urban center Bike Map, which contains the about of import rules of the road highlighted in the Bicycle Smart Guide.

Download Bike Smart in English, Standard arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Italian, Korean , Smooth, Russian or Spanish

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 gratuitous wheel helmets to New Yorkers.

NYC DOT'south Office of Safety Education and Outreach partners with organizations and council members to host free helmet plumbing equipment events beyond the urban center.

Helmet giveaways were postponed in 2022 due to COVID-19, only resumed in 2022.

Please check with your local council member to come across if they will be hosting a helmet fitting. Yous may as well visit NYC DOT'south Facebook Events page, or contact NYC 311 to cheque for an event near you.

Free Contactless Helmet Plumbing fixtures Events

Helmet fittings and giveaways in 2022 follow special protocols:

  • All events will exist socially distanced
  • All participants will be required to clothing masks that cover their mouth and olfactory organ
  • Waivers will be filled out online instead of in-person
  • The person receiving the helmet will need to be present at the outcome
  • Participants will view a training video to learn how to properly fit a helmet
  • Participants will exist given disposable tape measurers to measure their caput'due south circumference to select a helmet that is right for them

Six Steps to Properly Fit a Bike Helmet (pdf)

Audio 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)

Get There Flatiron to SOHO

Get There

NYC DOT's Go In that location bike encouragement campaign features real New Yorkers enjoying bike lanes across the Urban center. The ads include a mix of familiar neighborhoods and landmarks, along with boilerplate cycling time, highlighting how quick a trip by cycle can exist. The campaign includes a drove of postcards, each focusing on an important cycling topic. NYC DOT's Bicycles and Greenways Unit and Prophylactic Education and Outreach Unit distribute the campaign postcards, bike lights, and wheel bells at public outreach events.

We know you're enjoying the ride, simply there'southward more than just getting there by bike! Cheque out some common 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 discipline to all of the duties and regulations applicative to drivers of motor vehicles. Download a consummate list of New York City bike rules

  • Ride in the street, non on the sidewalks (unless rider is age 12 or younger and the bicycle'due south wheels are less than 26 inches in bore).
  • Ride with traffic, not against information technology.
  • Finish at red lights and stop signs. Obey all traffic signals, signs and pavement markings, and exercise due care to avoid colliding with pedestrians, motor vehicles or other cyclists. At red lights, wait for the green lite and/or the bike or pedestrian betoken.
  • Go with the walk, unless there'due south a bike point or sign, cross the intersection when the pedestrian signal shows the "walk".
  • Use marked bike lanes or paths when available, except when making turns or when it is unsafe to practise and then. If the road is too narrow for a bike and a machine to travel safely side by side, you have the right to ride in the middle of the travel lane. Bicycling is permitted on all main and local streets throughout the City, even when no designated route exists.
  • Employ a white headlight and a red taillight, besides as a bell or horn and reflectors.

Bicycle Laws Postcard, Spanish & Chinese (pdfs) Get with the Walk Postcard, Castilian & Chinese (pdfs)

Get There - Bike Laws

Safe Tips

For a Safer Ride

  • Ride in a directly line, obey traffic signs and signals, and do non weave in and out of traffic. Riding predictably reduces your chances of a crash with a motor vehicle.
  • Look, signal and wait over again earlier changing lanes or making a turn. Institute eye contact with drivers. Seeing a commuter is oft not enough. Make certain drivers run into yous before executing a plow or riding in front of a turning car.
  • Picket out for car doors. Be prepared for the possibility that a auto door may exist opened in your path. When possible, leave room between yourself and parked cars (iii feet is more often than not recommended) so that y'all can avoid a door that opens unexpectedly.
  • Stay visible. Clothing brightly colored clothing for daytime riding. At night, use reflective materials and lights.
  • Apply your bell. Your bell alerts drivers, pedestrians and other cyclists to your presence, information technology is required by law.
  • Don't habiliment earphones. By law you may wear one earbud, but keeping your ears clear is a much safer selection.
  • Article of clothing a helmet. Helmets are required by law for children age xiii or younger and working cyclists, helmets are a skillful thought for cyclists of all ages.

Get In that location Safely Postcard, Spanish & Chinese (pdfs)

Get There - Get There Safely

Look Out for Others

  • Sentinel: Look out for people with long white and red canes or traveling with guide dogs. Retrieve, people with disabilities cannot always see or hear you lot, or tell how far away y'all are.
  • Wait: Always let people walking go first and go on the crosswalk clear. Remember, pedestrians accept the right of way on shared paths and Greenways. Practise not ride upwardly behind or effectually a guide domestic dog and owners.
  • Warn: Slow downwards near people walking, and ring your bell or call to let them know you're coming shut.

Dull Your Curlicue Postcard, Castilian & 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 nosotros keep to promote cycling as a means of transportation, we likewise want to assistance you lot place our 175,000+ depression vision or bullheaded pedestrians.

Picket an audio described version of the Cycle Eyes video

For Children on Bicycles

  • Children under age ane cannot be carried on a cycle.
  • Children must be carried in a properly affixed child carrier.
  • Cyclists 13 or younger must clothing 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 Bicycle Program is NYCycles, an email newsletter providing updates on new cycle lanes, wheel-friendly events, and tips for new and experienced riders.

Subscribe to NYCycles monthly cycling electronic mail newsletter

  • Biketober 2022
  • Apr 2022
  • March 2022
  • January 2022
  • Biketober 2022 Part 2
  • Biketober 2022
  • September 2022
  • July 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022: Citi Bike Virtual Town Halls
  • Apr 2022
  • February 2022
  • Biketober 2022
  • September 2022
  • May 2022 (Bicycle Month Mid-Month Update)
  • May 2022 (Bike Month)
  • 2018 NYC Bike Map Release
  • Biketober 2022 (Part Three)
  • Biketober 2022 (Office II)
  • Biketober 2022