Victory for cyclists in New York

Cyclists got a boost in New York this week with the news that workplaces in the Big Apple are now required to allow cyclists to bring their bikes indoors, after city councillors passed the ‘bike access to buildings’ bill.

The legislation means cyclists who ride to the office can now bring their bikes indoors where they work provided there is a freight elevator to carry them beyond the first floor.

The passing of the bill follows years of campaigning and tackles one the primary obstacles to cycling in New York – a lack of parking facilities for commuters, although the law does not require commercial buildings to add bike parking spaces.

Transportation Alternatives, the city's leading bicycle and pedestrian advocacy group called it a “groundbreaking piece of legislation that will allow tens of thousands of cyclists to ride to work and bring their bikes inside."

According to the New York Times, "The new law contains exceptions for buildings without freight elevators, buildings in which transporting bikes in elevators would create a safety hazard and in buildings close to adequate 'covered off-street or secure indoor no-cost bicycle parking' nearby.”

Many see the bill as an important step to making the city more friendly, with the new law taking effect at the end of 2009. New York cycling was also boosted recently with the completion of 200 miles of bike-only cycle lanes.