Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kickoff of bike season in New York City, and Saturday, May 23 is shaping up to be one of those rare NYC mornings where you can ride from the Brooklyn Bridge to the George Washington Bridge without ever leaving a protected lane. With the 7 train and J/Z out across the East River, a Citi Bike or your own ride is genuinely faster than the subway for plenty of Queens-to-Manhattan and Brooklyn-to-Lower-Manhattan trips this weekend. Here is your Saturday scenic-rides guide and the real news on what is changing in the bike network.
Three Memorial Day Weekend Rides Worth Doing
1. The Hudson River Greenway, Top to Bottom
The Hudson River Greenway remains the gold standard for car-free riding in Manhattan. The classic stretch from 12th Ave and W 40 St south to West St and Chambers St runs about 3.2 miles and takes 25 to 30 minutes on a Citi Bike classic. Push north and you can ride all the way to Dyckman in Inwood without a single intersection with cross traffic for long stretches. Saturday morning before 10 a.m. is the best window — light wind off the river and few tourists. Bring a windbreaker; the waterfront is always a few degrees cooler.
2. Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway
Eighteen miles of the Brooklyn waterfront greenway are now in place, and the Memorial Day weekend stretch from Brooklyn Bridge Park north through Greenpoint is one of the most pleasant rides in the city. Start at Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, head north through DUMBO, the Navy Yard cut-through, Williamsburg waterfront, and on to Greenpoint. You will get skyline views, multiple cold-drink stops, and zero hill.
3. Prospect Park Loop + Ocean Parkway
The 3.35-mile Prospect Park loop is closed to cars on weekends. Pair it with the Ocean Parkway protected lane south to Coney Island for a roughly 9-mile one-way ride that ends at the beach. The Q train back at the end means you do not have to ride home if your legs are done. With Coney Island N/Q/D/F service running every three minutes all weekend, the return trip is straightforward.
The Big News: Lafayette-Fourth Avenue Two-Way Lane
NYC DOT has confirmed it will deliver a continuous parking-protected two-way bike lane between Prince Street in SoHo and 15th Street in Union Square, running along Lafayette Street and Fourth Avenue. The current five-foot one-way northbound lane will be widened to 11 feet to handle two-way cycling. This finally closes the gap in Manhattan’s north-south protected network between the Brooklyn Bridge and Union Square — a route that already carries more than 26,000 Citi Bike riders per month on the East Village section alone.
The redesign is being timed ahead of the FIFA World Cup tournament this summer to handle the expected visitor surge. NYC DOT is also adding a two-way bike lane on Astor Place between Broadway and Lafayette, plus standard bike lanes on East Eighth Street. Later in the year, expect a hardened concrete curb on the 13th Street westbound protected lane between Broadway and Greenwich Avenue to stop chronic lane blocking.
East New York Gets 48 New Citi Bike Docks
The 48 new Citi Bike docking stations rolling out across East New York this spring are part of the broader outer-borough expansion that also brought stations to Norwood and Riverdale in the Bronx. Riverdale is getting 22 new stations around Community Board 8, including four on Broadway up along Van Cortlandt Park, with all expected to be installed and operational by the end of spring. If you live in these neighborhoods and have been waiting for closer dock access, now is the time to check the Citi Bike app — coverage is finally arriving.
Citi Bike Pricing and Pass Tips
A Citi Bike Day Pass runs $12 and a 3-Day Pass is $24, with unlimited 30-minute rides included while your pass is active. If you are doing more than two rides Saturday, the Day Pass pays for itself immediately. Lock in the pass before you start riding — buying mid-ride costs you the standard per-minute rate on that trip.
Commuter Tip: With the 7 train suspended between Queens and Manhattan, the Pulaski Bridge bike path from Long Island City into Greenpoint is your best Brooklyn-to-Queens alternative this weekend. From there, you can connect to the Brooklyn waterfront greenway or jump onto the G train, which is running normally. The bike route is often faster than the LIRR shuttle option for sub-three-mile trips.
Helmet Up, Eyes Up
Saturday weather looks ride-friendly but the city is hosting Memorial Day crowds, World Cup prep events, and Fleet Week activity around Lower Manhattan and the Intrepid. Expect more pedestrian traffic in the greenways than a typical Saturday, and remember that e-bikes still must follow the same speed and yield rules as classic bikes. NYC DOT’s reminder this season is simple: bells, lights, and helmets save lives.
Sources: NYC DOT Bike Network Upgrade Press Release | Popular Citi Bike Rides in NYC | Citi Bike Day Pass Pricing.
