It’s a Saturday in May, the weather is finally cooperating, and the city’s bike network is in the middle of one of its biggest expansion years on record. Here’s how to make the most of the weekend on two wheels — and what’s coming down the pipe that will change how you ride for the rest of 2026.
Three Weekend Greenway Rides Worth the Effort
1. Hudson River Greenway — Battery Park to the GWB
The flagship route. About 13 miles one way, almost entirely separated from car traffic, with water views the whole way. Start at Battery Park, ride north past the Intrepid, Riverside Park, and the Little Red Lighthouse, and finish at the George Washington Bridge. If 13 miles is too much, bail at 79th St Boat Basin or 125th St — both have subway connections back downtown.
2. Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway — Greenpoint to Sunset Park
Roughly 14 miles end to end, hugging the East River and New York Harbor. WNYC Transmitter Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Red Hook, and the Sunset Park waterfront are all on the route. The Red Hook segment still requires some on-street riding through industrial blocks — go slow, take the lane, and watch for trucks.
3. Queens — Vernon Boulevard to Astoria Park
Shorter and underrated. Start at the Queensboro Bridge bike path, ride north on Vernon Boulevard with the Manhattan skyline on your left, and finish under the Hell Gate Bridge at Astoria Park. About 4 miles each way. The new Astoria bike lane network is steadily filling in around this corridor — including the recently approved 2.5-mile project that survived a contentious community board vote.
What’s Changing on the Streets
50 Miles of New Protected Lanes Promised in 2026
NYC DOT has committed to 50 miles of new physically protected bike lanes this year, with a target of 100 miles annually going forward. The agency is also planning 500 secure bike parking locations citywide and accelerated charging infrastructure for e-bikes — a direct response to the e-bike battery fire problem that’s plagued apartment buildings.
SoHo to Union Square Network Upgrade
One of this spring’s most visible projects: DOT is rebuilding the bike network from SoHo and the East Village up to Union Square. The plan includes wider sidewalks near Union Square and continuous, north-south protected bike connections from the Brooklyn Bridge through Astor Place to Union Square. If you ride downtown regularly, this corridor is going to feel meaningfully different by summer.
Lime Wants Citywide E-Scooters
Lime is publicly pushing to expand its e-scooter operation beyond the current pilot zones in Eastern Queens and the Northeast Bronx. Ridership in the Queens pilot nearly doubled to about 648,000 rides between 2024 and 2025, with many trips connecting to subway and bus stops. The company is using those numbers to argue Citi Bike’s effective monopoly on shared micromobility should end. No citywide approval yet, but the conversation has clearly heated up.
The Infrastructure Gap Is Still the Story
A new micromobility coalition launched in NYC earlier this year specifically to push back on the slow pace of infrastructure. Their argument: the lack of a connected lane network, secure parking, and legal charging is what’s actually holding back adoption — not rider demand. Expect more advocacy noise on this through the rest of the year.
If You’re New to Riding in NYC
Three rules that will save you grief: ride with traffic (never against it), don’t ride on sidewalks outside of designated paths, and assume every car door is about to open. The 15 mph speed limit on Class 2 e-bikes is now actively enforced in some corridors — if you’re on a rental or a class-3 e-bike, know your category.
For weekend rides specifically, the greenways are the move. They’re separated from cars, generally well-signed, and you can string several together for a 25-30 mile day if you want it. The Hudson, the Brooklyn Waterfront, and the Vernon Boulevard corridor in Queens all connect to subway stations, so if your legs give out you have a way home.
