As Michael Oliva of the East Coast Greenway Alliance (ECGA) staff recalled, the ECGA got involved in local bike-ped advocacy efforts years ago to complete the region’s section of a 3,000 mile long greenway route from Key West to Canada. The ECG brought attention and awareness to making all areas surrounding the ECG a safer place to bike and walk. From their work sprang the Westchester-Putnam Biking and Walking Alliance — a group dedicated to making cycling and walking safer in the County.

Their recent accomplishment was the passage of a law that requires all new developments to provide bicycle racks. For every 10 car parking spaces, one bicycle parking space must be provided. Mayor Noam Bramson celebrated the measure as one of many to help lower greenhouse gas emissions and promote public health in his New Rochelle community. Other initiatives include bike parking in public spaces and a growing bike lane infrastructure to increase the safety of riders.

It will take much more work to help a majority of New Rochelle’s ~70,000 residents embrace bicycling and walking as a legitimate means of transportation. But the effort of local citizens (the Biking and Walking Alliance) in collaboration with regional organizations (such as the East Coast Greenway Alliance) is already making great progress and is a model for bike-ped advocacy in other communities.

Here’s to much more progress in New Rochelle that breeds progress here in NYC during the months and years ahead!

We have one of the best public transit systems, with a new subway line on the East Side being built to alleviate some of the current rush hour crowds. A strong transit system is one of the biggest pillars of Bloomberg’s PlaNYC goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30% by 2030. And under the leadership of Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, we have made great strides in our bicycling infrastructure. In the last three years, the on-street bike network (bike lanes and greenways) has grown more than 50%, from ~400 miles to over 600. Further expansion is needed to connect current greenways and bike lanes. For instance, those of us in the Upper East Side need a way to safely bike to and from downtown through a bike lane on 2nd Avenue and an expansion of the 1st Avenue bike lane below 72nd Street. These infrastructure improvement projects will provide much-needed green jobs for New Yorkers and would help NYC get on the top 10 list in 2010 and beyond.

Renewable Energy Deployment

Another area where New York City needs improvement to lead its peers is renewable energy deployment. While Governor Patterson has strong goals such as 100 MW solar by 2015 (with a significant portion serving NYC potentially), solar currently supplies less than .1% of our city’s electricity demand. New York’s solar market size is less than a third of New Jersey’s (the #2 state), so we will need to more than triple our efforts to rank as a solar energy leader. Luckily for us, prices for solar panels are falling more than 30% in 2009, helping to make deployment economical once the recession subsides.

There is also great potential for NYC to get more electricity from wind power. Earlier this year, New York became the eighth state to join the 1 GW wind club, but this only translates into 2-2.5% of the state’s electricity demand. Onshore and offshore wind potential could provide more than 15% of the state and city’s power needs within a few short years if we prepare ourselves to take advantage of lower wind turbine prices in 2010 and beyond. To compete with the renewable energy leadership of San Francisco and Austin, we’ll need aggressive deployment in the months and years ahead.

Recycling, Efficient Buildings & Green Space

Other steps we can take to get into the top 10 list include improving our recycling efforts and mobilizing building construction and renovation to achieve efficient LEED standards. On top of that, the Mayor’s efforts to plant more trees throughout the City should help as well – adding value to every neighborhood, especially those out of easy walking distance to our green treasures like Central Park and Prospect Park.

Bottom Line: New York City is making progress toward environmental and climate leadership. But we have a ways to go if we want to ensure a place in top 10 green American cities lists. If we accelerate the improvement of our bicycling infrastructure and the deployment of renewable energy throughout our boroughs, New York City can proudly establish itself as the Big Green Apple so many of us hope it will be.

Photo by David Tulloch

Yesterday was such a lovely experience – thanks to the Hudson River Greenway. People have worked hard over the decades to establish safe paths for pedestrians and other non-motorized transportation. And they succeeded in fostering for an amazing experience for bicyclists to enjoy the Hudson River and its cool breeze – not having to worry about dangerous vehicles that fill the streets of New York. I explored most of Manhattan yesterday without having to pay a taxi fee, buy gasoline, or even purchase a subway ticket.

Low Cost Travel That You Can Enjoy

My cost of a roundtrip bike ride is ~$1. I paid $500 for my bike back in 2006 and estimate a maintenance cost of $250 per year (including new batteries for lights, patched tires, etc.). If I keep my bike for ten years, then I estimate an annual cost of using my bike at ~$300 per year. Since I ride about 300 days per year, each roundtrip is ~$1. Compare that to $15+ by cab, $4-$5 by subway or bus, and $12+ if I owned a car (including storage, insurance, and fuel costs).

But not only is riding a bicycle economical, the ~10 miles per hour speed allows me to enjoy my surroundings as I pass by. When I ride on a greenway I can enjoy the sound of the gentle waves on the Hudson River, the smell of flowers and other plant life along the path (believe me, this is cherished when you live in the City), and the beautiful views – from wise trees on the hillside to the sunset-lit skyline of Jersey City.

From Uptown to the Downtown Tip And Back

Yesterday’s ride started by going crosstown in the 91st Street bike lane from my Upper East Side apartment. After winding through lovely Central Park, I rode down the hill to the Hudson River Greenway. I followed the Greenway south, passing by nice little patches of forest and lawn, old piers, and park amenities from basketball to baseball to tennis. I met some friends for lunch at a Brazilian buffet in Tribeca – so I had plenty of fuel for the rest of the day. I then rode down to Battery Park to enjoy a view of the Statue of Liberty and digest before a marathon of basketball.

The Hudson River Greenway took me north, just west of Greenwich Village where there was a great basketball court to enjoy a few hours of hoops. After the sun set, I hopped back on my bike to ride the Greenway back home uptown.

Giving Thanks to Greenways and Hoping for More

My day wouldn’t have been the same without the Greenway. Thanks to all of the visionary activists who worked hard to make them a reality, many thousands of us were able to ride safely around the City.

But we have work to do to develop the network of bike lanes so that every New Yorker has access to the riverside Greenways. And there is no need for greenways to only connect locales. I learned of a brilliant group recently called the East Coast Greenway Alliance. This organization, which started in the early 1990s, is working to establish a greenway from Calais, Maine, all the way down to Key West, Florida – an urban counterpart to the Appalachian Trail. Around 750 of the 3,000 miles envisioned have been built – so we can all play a role to complete the project in the years ahead. I can’t imagine a better way to travel to visit family in Rhode Island, DC, and North Carolina!

I’ve enjoyed greenways in New York, DC, and North Carolina – and I see this economical transport option as a crucial element of the Sustainable Energy Transition ahead.

Let’s make it happen-