Albany sees uptick in bike usage

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - The city of Albany held a bike to work day Wednesday morning, before the rain. Elected city officials, members of the Albany Police Department and bicyclists held a 2-mile Bike to Work Day Ride from the USS Slater, North along the Hudson River, over the Skyway.

Albany is expecting to see more bicycles out this summer. Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins talked safety first. "Just be careful and have this extra sense of caution while we're out there enjoying ourselves, being healthy and eco-friendly in our city."

In 2018, Albany was given more than $3M in state funding to turn an underused I-787 ramp into an elevated park. The Skyway gives pedestrians and bicyclists access from Downtown Albany to the Hudson River. Now city officials have their eyes on the Livingston Avenue Railroad Bridge project.

"We're really excited about another connection to the river. There are hearings [Wednesday night] about the new rail bridge that is going to go across the Hudson. There is going to be even more bike infrastructure," said Mayor Kathy Sheehan. "We're really building it out and it shows with more and more people taking to their bikes and taking advantage of it."

• In 2019, CDTA recorded 20,700 bike share rides in Albany
• In 2020, CDTA recorded 28,500 bike share rides in Albany
• In 2021, CDTA recorded 54,400 bike share rides in Albany

Over the past two years, the number of rides on CDPHP Cycle! bike shares has increased by 170%.

CDPHP Cycle! Bikes are stopped across the Capital Region. "It takes a couple of minutes to create a membership. It's affordable it's only 8 cents a minute. You can ride any bike, anywhere in the system and lock it up when you're done and continue on your day," said Lindsey Bradt, CDTA Emerging Mobility Manager.