Editorial

For everyone’s sake, Nassau needs more bike trails

Posted

Nassau County should take note of what neighboring Suffolk County is doing. The Suffolk County Legislature voted to approve the borrowing of $8.82 million to build a 14-mile-long “rails to trails” bike and jogging path from Port Jefferson to Wading River at its July 17 meeting.

According to the most recent numbers, Suffolk has 370 miles of bike lanes (excluding trails confined to parks), while Nassau has just 11. A 2017 New York Times article stated that daily bike trips in New York City, where there are 425 miles of bike lanes, had increased to 450,000, up from 170,000 in 2005. Similar numbers for Nassau County weren’t available, however.

The absence of bike lanes along most of the county’s major roads makes it evident that the cycling revolution has skipped Nassau, which clearly needs more trails.

To paraphrase “Field of Dreams”: If you build them, they will come. With summer in full swing, many residents are looking for every opportunity to get outside, which can be difficult for those who work 9-to-5 jobs. Bicycling to work or while doing errands presents an opportunity to make the most of the warm weather.

Beyond that, the health benefits of cycling have been well documented. According to Harvard Medical School, not only does riding a bike promote a healthy heart and brain through aerobic exercise, and build muscle in the legs, shoulders and core, but it can also increase bone density and is easier on lower-leg joints than walking.

In fact, bicycling more could save American lives. A 2015 study by the American Journal of Public Health found that in the Netherlands, where about 27 percent of all trips are made by bike, cycling prevents about 6,500 deaths a year — a total economic health benefit of about 19 billion euros, or $22.1 billion.

Transform Scotland, a group that campaigns for more sustainable transportation options, found that in 2012, bicycle tours contributed over 2 billion pounds, or about $1.3 billion, to the economy of the United Kingdom. Nassau County is home to some of the most popular beaches in the world, where there is no shortage of bike racks. Investing in infrastructure that supports bicyclists headed to and from the ocean — and elsewhere across the county — could pay for itself, should the cycling scene take off here.

In October 2017, the New York State Department of Transportation announced its intent to build a bike lane along Ocean Parkway on the barrier island. It would pick up where the Ellen Farrant Memorial Bikeway ends, at Jones Beach, on the Wantagh State Parkway, and extend for 10 miles to Tobay Beach. Some cycling advocates have argued that that still isn’t enough, and the lane should continue to the Robert Moses Causeway. It could then either turn south, to Robert Moses State Park, or north, to Montauk Highway, where it could connect Nassau County to Suffolk’s many paths.

A whole new world of bicycle paths and trails could be opened to Nassau riders — a world that’s much safer, too. According to the state Department of Health, from 2012 through 2014, the most recent years from which data is available, an average of three bicyclists were killed in traffic accidents each year. Giving cyclists their own spot on the road would protect them, and ease the commute for motorists as well.

Creating safer situations for bicyclists would surely encourage more people to use two wheels, diminishing their dependence on their cars. Even if the prospect of riding to and from work is untenable, think of all the small trips that could be made without polluting the planet by burning fossil fuels.

A ride to the gym, a ride to the store, a ride to the beach. They all add up. According to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, a typical passenger vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. Reducing that number could be instrumental in slowing down climate change.

Nassau County should embrace the power of pedaling. A more welcoming environment for cyclists could create a healthier environment for all.