Jeff Greenberg

Getting Around Town

New York Goes Greener

Amsterdam and Copenhagen are known for providing bike riders with lanes that are physically separated from traffic. But only messengers and daredevils dare to pedal on the streets of Manhattan. That may soon change. New York City Transportation Dept. planners have been consulting with Danish urban designer Jan Gehl on a plan for the city's first-ever physically separated bike lane. The new bike path will run southbound on Ninth Avenue from W. 23rd to W. 16th Streets in Manhattan. Unlike the typical on-street bike lane in which cyclists can mix with motor vehicle traffic, this new design will create an exclusive path for bicycles. Manufacturers of electric bikes, such as Britain's Ultra Motor, hope to cash in on this new urban trend.