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United States | Midwest | Ohio >> Infrastructure growth has made New York cycling safer

Infastructure growth has made New York cycling safer 

Cycling in the Big Apple is safer than ever before, thanks to new research

New research just released, has found that the increase in the number of cyclists on New York streets has helped improve safety.

A 20-year study by the The New York Department of Transport found that areas covered by the city’s bike-share scheme, had seen a drop in the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured, also known as KSI.

The study found that the number of cycling trips in the Big Apple rose from 51 million to over 134 million from 2000 to 2015.

The study revealed that there were on average 12.8 cyclist fatalities per 100 million bicycle trips compare to 44.2 cyclist fatalities per 100 million trips in the period before the year 2000.

The launch of bike-share scheme Citi Bike also indicated in The New York Department of Transport's study, also coincided with a drop in cyclist KSI number.

Overall, the KSI for cycling has dropped around 17 percent in the bike share zone after only one year of operation, with over 8.2 million trips being made by bike.

New York has seen increased investment in cycle infrastructure since 2006. The city has added 308 lane miles of bicycle lanes and 74 lane miles of protected facilities.

The number of trips by bicycle rose by 150 per cent, while the average number of cycliing fatalities fell from 23.2 to 12.8 per 100 million trips from 2011-2015.

The study found that the vast majority of cyclist fatalities occurred on streets without cycle infrastructure and around 89 per cent occurred at busy junctions.

Research looking into the city’s cycle infrastructure found that that bike lanes offered an excellent return on investment - by addressing multiple public health problems.

The research indicated that there is safety in numbers, due to change in culture by those who regularly travel by bicycle and a wider acceptance of of cycling in the big city.

Cycling in New York is seen as safe, fun and popular, with many benefits to those who cycle and the environment too.

Growth has made New York cycling safer