A man riding a bike eclipsed the time it took to commute to work via subway this morning — and that’s something one group hopes gets you on two wheels Friday.
Today, Transportation Alternatives sponsored a race from Williamsburg to SoHo, to see if it was quicker to arrive by train, four wheels or two wheels.
Three employees of culture guide Flavorpill volunteered to race each other by bike, subway and car from Brooklyn to Flavorpill’s Manhattan offices.
Starting on North 12th Street in Williamsburg, they traveled to Broadway and Houston Street during morning rush hour.
Nate Hageman, riding the bike across the Williamsburg Bridge, won by a landslide – arriving in just 15 minutes.
The subway rider arrived in 26 minutes, and the driver in 41 minutes – and only after shelling out $37.17 for gas and an all-day parking slot.
“If you want to get where you need to go with the least amount of frustration, bicycling is for you,” Transportation Alternatives director Paul Steely White said. “Today’s results highlight why more and more New Yorkers are choosing to get to work on two wheels – it’s fun and efficient.”
Daniel Hayman, 27, said his commute from Brooklyn into his Lower Manhattan office is roughly 25 minutes, whether by subway or bike.
But, he noted, “The bike is always there when I want it, though — the train, not so much.”
The race highlighted National Bike to Work Day, which is Friday.
If you’d like to try a two-wheeled commute, Transportation Alternatives will have iced coffee and Clif bars Friday for bikers entering Manhattan at the following spots: East River bridge crossings, the Staten Island Ferry, near Yankees Stadium on the Bronx’s Grand Concourse and along the West Side Greenway.
