Department of Transportation Reveals Family-Friendly Bike Routes
These bike routes are perfect for a family outing!
As the summer approaches, more families will be looking to spend time outdoors. While there are plenty of activities to do around the city, a great way to stay active and enjoy the weather is bike riding!
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According to the New York City Department of Transportation, 28% of adult New Yorkers (approximately 1.8 million people) ride bicycles, and more than 700,000 New Yorkers ride bicycles regularly. Bike riding has been proven to have multiple health benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, increased muscle strength and flexibility, reduced stress, and boosted mental clarity.
Ahead of the summer season, the Department of Transportation has published a guide to family-friendly bike routes across each of the five boroughs. Each of the five self-guided rides features family-friendly routes of two miles or less, either on protected on-street bike lanes or off-street paths in parks or greenways.
The campaign is returning for the second time in May for National Bike Month, amidst record-high bike ridership and an all-time high number of protected bike lane miles built in New York City under the Adams administration. The campaign builds on the agency’s holistic approach to promote safer cycling, including building a record 87.5 miles of protected bike lanes over the past three years, upgrading another 20 miles of bike lanes to better separate cyclists and other vehicles, free helmet giveaways, cycling educational events, Vision Zero educational and outreach events, new traffic signals for cyclists, and more.
NYC DOT’s recommended My Bike, My City Family Routes for 2025 include:
- Brooklyn (1.3 miles): Introduce riders to a protected on-street path (Parkside Ave) before riding through Prospect Park, past the Carousel (worth a stop!) to the Prospect Park Zoo.
- Bronx (1.3 miles): Enjoy sweeping views of the Harlem River from the Highbridge and a tree-lined ride through Highbridge Park, ending at the Highbridge Play Center (in the summer months, cool off at the pool!).
- Manhattan (1.9 miles): Ride North America’s most popular path, the Hudson River Greenway, and the Battery Park Esplanade from the Pier 25 Playground on the West Side south to the crowd-pleasing SeaGlass Carousel (along the way: Rockefeller and Teardrop Parks; Battery Playscape).
- Queens (1.2 miles): Explore Flushing Meadows Corona Park and its beloved cultural landmarks, from the New York Hall of Science to the Unisphere (not to mention the Playground for All Children and the Fantasy Forest Carousel Park!).
- Staten Island (1 mile): Ride around and through the South Shore’s Bloomingdale Park, starting at the playground and wrapping at the basketball courts for a post-ride game.
“Biking is a fun, healthy, and environmentally friendly way to get around New York City. We know more people – especially women, children, and families – choose to cycle when there are safer ways to do it – and that’s why we have built a record number of protected bike lanes over the past three years,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez.
The campaign comes as the city cracks down on speeding, with the recent passing of Sammy’s Law, which aims to lower speed limits across the four outer boroughs, and after a deadly car crash that killed a woman and two children. The city has over 1,550 lane miles of bicycle lanes, making it the largest bicycle network in North America.
As a reminder, the city does have requirements for children when it comes to bike riding.
Rules of the road for cycling families:
- Children under the age of one cannot be carried on a bicycle.
- Children must be carried in a properly affixed child carrier.
- Cyclists 13 or younger must wear an approved helmet.
- Children 12 or younger can ride on the sidewalk, while adults must ride on the street.
The city will also host events to giveaway free helmets and bike lights. Click here for the full list.
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