Transportation
In New York City, Bike Share Is Faster Than Cabs When It Matters
As the city strives to cut carbon emissions, backseat travelers should know when there’s a quicker, cleaner route.
Experienced cyclists know that short jaunts are often more quickly accomplished by pedal power than horsepower—especially in ultra dense, ultra congested New York City. But as the Big Apple strives to cut carbon emissions through reining in car traffic and ramping up expansion of its bike-share program, city leaders might do well to remind short-distance backseat travelers of that fact.
It’s already established that a huge share of taxi and bike-share trips cover comparable distances in New York City. In 2014, nearly 34,000 trips were taken using the Citi Bike system per day, while more than 400,000 trips were made by taxi. About 55 percent of the taxi rides spanned less than two miles; so did the average bike-share trip.