New York City Bike Route Safety Map

New York has more than 1,400 miles of bike lanes across the five boroughs, and under the 2019 NYC Streets Plan the city is adding at least 50 miles of protected lanes every year. Brakeaway scores every route across that network from 0 to 100 — based on protected infrastructure, intersection risk, traffic volume, door-zone exposure, and connectivity. Paste a Google Maps link, upload a GPX, or connect Strava. The score appears in about 10 seconds.

How Brakeaway scores an NYC route

Every route you submit is analyzed across five factors. The factor weights are calibrated to New York's specific conditions — extreme arterial density, bridge topology, the difference between Manhattan's grid and Queens' hybrid, and the outsized role that door-zone exposure and delivery-vehicle traffic play in NYC cyclist risk.

1. Protected infrastructure. What share of your route is on a curb-protected lane, a parking-protected lane, a greenway, or a car-free park drive? Hudson River Greenway, 9th Avenue, 1st and 2nd Avenues, Kent Avenue, and the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway all score near the top of this factor.
2. Intersection risk. Manhattan averages more than 20 signalized intersections per mile on most avenues — far higher than any other US city Brakeaway covers. Left-hook risk at unprotected signals and "mixing zones" on avenues with protected lanes both count against intersection factor.
3. Traffic volume. Average daily motor-vehicle count on any unprotected segments, with a delivery-vehicle multiplier for segments that overlap FreshDirect, Amazon, and USPS routing corridors. NYC is the only Brakeaway city that uses this multiplier by default.
4. Door-zone exposure. Standard painted bike lanes on streets with curbside parking get penalized unless they have a buffer stripe. Door-zone exposure is a bigger factor in NYC than anywhere else because of the combination of high parking utilization and high curbside turnover.
5. Connectivity. Does the route connect to the rest of the protected network without forcing a gap through unprotected traffic? A 95-score segment that dumps you onto unprotected Canal Street still drags the overall score.

Best-scored NYC bike routes

These are the routes that score highest across Brakeaway's five factors. Each one is a good first ride, a good repeat ride, or both.

Hudson River Greenway (end-to-end, 13 miles one-way)

The busiest bike path in the United States and the city's signature protected ride — from Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan up through Hudson Yards, the Upper West Side, and Inwood to the GW Bridge path. Fully separated from motor traffic for its entire length, routinely scores in the high 90s. The only meaningful risk is pedestrian congestion near Pier 40 and Chelsea on summer weekends. Good for commuters, beginners, and kids.

Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway (Greenpoint to Red Hook, 14 miles)

A mostly-protected ribbon through Brooklyn's entire western waterfront — Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Brooklyn Navy Yard, DUMBO, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Red Hook. Scores vary by segment: Brooklyn Bridge Park and the newer DUMBO connections score in the mid-90s; the Navy Yard and parts of Greenpoint where the protected lane thins out can drop into the 70s. Pre-score to see where the gaps are before a first-time ride.

Kent Avenue + Flushing Avenue corridor (North Brooklyn spine)

Kent Avenue is Brooklyn's busiest protected lane and connects to Flushing Avenue's new Navy-Yard-to-Bedford-Stuyvesant segment. The through-route from McCarren Park south to Fort Greene Park scores consistently in the high 80s. Door-zone exposure is minimal because most of Kent's length is parking-protected.

Central Park loop (6.1 miles, car-free)

Since 2018 the Central Park drives have been permanently car-free. The full 6.1-mile loop scores in the high 90s for infrastructure, with pedestrian-congestion risk as the only real downside on summer weekends. The inner reservoir loop (1.58 miles) and the 102nd Street transverse closures make for an excellent first-time NYC ride.

Queens Boulevard protected lanes (Sunnyside to Forest Hills, 7 miles)

The corridor formerly known as the "Boulevard of Death" is now one of the city's redesign success stories. Protected lanes on Queens Blvd from 50th Street through Woodside and Elmhurst to Kew Gardens score in the mid-to-high 80s. East of Forest Hills the protected treatment ends and scores drop; pre-score any route that needs to cross 108th Street.

East River Greenway — East Side lower and mid-Manhattan

The East Side is the weaker of Manhattan's two waterfronts for cycling. There's a persistent gap between East 38th and East 61st Street where cyclists are forced onto FDR service streets or the 1st/2nd Avenue protected lanes. South of 38th Street, the East River Greenway scores in the low 90s. NYC DOT has announced planning for the 38th-to-61st gap closure in 2026–2027; Brakeaway updates scores within 30 days of any new segment opening.

Summer Streets (August Saturdays, car-free Park Avenue)

Three Saturdays each August, Park Avenue closes to cars from the Brooklyn Bridge to 125th Street. The Summer Streets route scores 100 on the car-free days. Only relevant for a 3-day window each year, but every NYC cyclist should ride it at least once.

NYC boroughs — what to expect

Safety scores vary widely by borough. Here's what routes typically score where.

Manhattan

The densest protected network in the country, with a clear hierarchy: the Hudson River Greenway and the East River Greenway (south of 38th Street) score near the top; the avenue protected lanes (1st, 2nd, 6th, 8th, 9th, Columbus, Amsterdam) run in the mid-80s to mid-90s depending on mixing-zone count; cross-streets and Midtown score the weakest. Never take an unprotected cross-street in Midtown if a parallel protected avenue is within three blocks.

Brooklyn

The network is less uniform but includes some of the city's best rides. The waterfront (Kent, Flushing, Brooklyn Bridge Park, DUMBO, Red Hook) scores strongly. Prospect Park's interior loop is car-free. The Eastern Parkway protected lane, the Bergen Street corridor, and the Jay Street contraflow all score in the high 80s. Weak spots: Atlantic Avenue, Fourth Avenue south of Pacific, and most of the Bushwick/East New York arterials.

Queens

The most improved borough in the last five years. Queens Boulevard's redesign, the Pulaski Bridge bike lane, and the 34th Avenue open street (Jackson Heights) have pulled Queens' network-average score up substantially. The 31st Street bike lane proposal announced in 2026 will close one of the most persistent gaps in Astoria. Long Island City's waterfront route scores in the high 80s. Outer Queens (Southeast Queens, the Rockaways) still has very low protected coverage.

The Bronx

Historically the lowest-scoring borough, improving. The Bronx River Greenway is the strongest rider option — protected and scenic — and the Grand Concourse protected lanes, installed in phases through 2024–2025, score in the low-to-mid 80s for most of their length. Cross-Bronx arterials remain unsafe; route north-south whenever possible.

Staten Island

Brakeaway covers Staten Island but the network is thin. The North Shore waterfront greenway is the single best ride on the island. Ferry-first-then-bike works well for most cyclists who ride SI occasionally.

NYC's 50-miles-per-year protected-lane mandate

Under the 2019 NYC Streets Plan, the city is legally required to install at least 50 miles of protected bike lanes every year through 2026, for a cumulative total of 250 miles across the five-year window. 2024 and 2025 both hit the target; 2026 is on pace. For riders, the implication is simple: if your commute uses an avenue or corridor that was redesigned in the last 18 months, it's likely to score significantly higher than its older counterpart on a neighboring street. Re-score old commutes periodically to catch the upgrades.

The current highest-priority 2026 projects to watch include the 72nd Street Manhattan protected lane, the 31st Street Astoria expansion, and the Lafayette-to-4th Avenue corridor upgrade in advance of the FIFA World Cup.

First-time NYC cyclist — the things nobody tells you

Bridges that allow bikes. Only four Manhattan-Brooklyn-Queens East River bridges have bike access: the Brooklyn Bridge (dedicated protected lane since 2021), the Manhattan Bridge (north side, climb), the Williamsburg Bridge (both sides, flattest), and the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge (north side shared with pedestrians until the 2025 path-separation project finishes). The George Washington Bridge has a north and a south path; the north path is the cyclist default.

Citi Bike vs your own bike. Citi Bike is the right call for any trip under 45 minutes where you don't want to worry about theft. Your own bike is the right call for any commute you'll do more than three times a week. The city's e-Citi-Bike fleet is Class 1 (pedal-assist, capped below 18 mph) — Brakeaway treats it the same as an acoustic bike for scoring.

Helmet and lights. The 2026 spring cycling season included free helmet and light giveaways at locations across all five boroughs. Check the NYC Mayor's Office cycling page (linked below) for 2026 dates and locations.

Subway rules. Bikes are allowed on the subway 24/7 except during declared service emergencies. Fold-up bikes are always fine. Standard bikes are discouraged (not prohibited) on the most crowded Manhattan lines during rush hour. NJ Transit and LIRR allow bikes with different peak-hour restrictions.

Resources

• NYC DOT official Bike Maps
• Transportation Alternatives — Protected Bike Lane Tracker
• Streetsblog NYC — local cycling news and advocacy
• Citi Bike

Frequently asked questions

Is Brakeaway free to use for NYC routes?

Yes. Scoring routes — in NYC or any other city Brakeaway covers — is free. You can upload a GPX file, paste a Google Maps directions link, or connect Strava to import existing rides.

I've never biked in NYC before. Where should I start?

The Hudson River Greenway south of 59th Street is the single best introduction to NYC cycling — fully car-free, wide, and connects to Citi Bike stations at both ends. Start there, then add the Central Park loop and the Brooklyn Bridge. After those three, any protected avenue in Midtown will feel manageable.

Does Brakeaway work with Citi Bike?

Yes. Export your Citi Bike trip history as a GPX file from the Citi Bike app and upload it to Brakeaway. The score is the same whether you rode the route on a Citi Bike, a Class 1 e-Citi-Bike, or your own bike.

Why does Brakeaway penalize bike lanes on streets with parking more than in other cities?

NYC's combination of high parking utilization and high curbside turnover (deliveries, ride-hail drop-offs, double-parking for errands) makes door-zone exposure and sudden-stop risk a larger share of NYC cyclist injuries than in any other US city Brakeaway covers. A painted lane on a street with parking scores meaningfully lower here than the same design in a low-turnover city.

Which bridges can I bike across from Manhattan?

Four East River bridges have bike access: the Brooklyn Bridge (dedicated protected lane), the Manhattan Bridge (north side), the Williamsburg Bridge (both sides, flattest), and the Queensboro Bridge (north side, shared with pedestrians pending the path-separation project). The George Washington Bridge has a north and a south path to New Jersey.

Does Brakeaway score Class 3 e-bike routes differently in NYC?

Yes. Class 3 e-bikes assist up to 28 mph, which changes the risk profile on bike paths and at intersections. Class 3 e-bikes are legal on NYC bike lanes but not on most shared-use greenways. If you tell Brakeaway you're riding a Class 3, it adjusts intersection-risk weighting and flags greenway segments where Class 3 use is restricted.

How often is the NYC route data updated?

Infrastructure data is refreshed monthly from NYC DOT open datasets and Transportation Alternatives' tracker. Major new protected-lane openings — including the 72nd Street corridor when it opens — are reflected in scores within 30 days.

Last updated: April 20, 2026.