New York | Traffic Nightmare

The use of cargo bikes has been increasing over the last years. Even in countries so pro-car as the USA, this kind of bicycles remains a clear alternative to cars. Maddy Novich, Criminal Law teacher at Manhattan University, knows it in deep. This mother of three has five cargo bikes and uses them to carry couches or big wardrobe, and also her three children. The children enjoy the rides while playing, eating, or chatting in the box. Moreover, she is always open to answer questions in relation to bikes and particularly cargo bikes to others moms who want to gain independence and take care of their health and environment. Maddy advises about issues like what cargo bike model to choose or how to drive a cargo bike.

She has also visited several European countries and appreciates specially those who offer good, physically separated bike lines from car lines. Indeed, Maddy started using cargo bikes in Amsterdam back in 2019. Moreover, she highlights the difference mentality of European and American car drivers. She affirms that in general European car drives respect bikers more in the sense that they reduce speed and keep more safety distance when they see a bicycle.

The New York cyclist revolution started on 9^th August 2008 when 11 km of streets, in concrete Centre Street, Lafayette Street, the Fourth Avenue and Park Avenue were closed to road traffic from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. This attempt to give streets to people was repeated the next two Saturdays. Two were the responsible of it: the former mayor Michael Bloomberg and, specially, the former Commissioner for Transport Janette Sadik-Khan.

The test was a success. More than 300,000 people enjoyed it by walking, riding bikes, playing and dancing. The mark of Janette Sadik-Khan in New York is undeniable: She transformed road space into bicycle lines, pedestrianized squares such as Broadway, Times Square and Herald Square, and launched Citi Bike, the larger net of shared bikes in the USA. This visionary of the bicycle, as was defined by the New York Times, explains that there are thousands of reasons in order not to transform cities on a sustainable mobility and human view, but authorities and the citizens who serve them can not accept dysfunctional streets. They should fight for it and inaction is inexcusable.