On my biking tour of the East Coast last fall I much anticipated visiting the Big Apple. By the time I got to Harlem it was smooth sailing as Central Park was nearby, and although it was crowded, it was easy enough to negotiate my way through on “Cool Roadster Too.”1
However, after touring around Central Park, I decided to take it to the streets. First I headed down 5th Avenue to the famous Trump Tower. After touring around that area also passing by Grand Central Station, I headed back north and again through parts of Central Park finally going west to pick up the Greenway.
Even the Greenway along the Hudson was too crowded as I headed for lower Manhattan to visit the 911 monument and attempting to see the Statue of Liberty. There was a lot of traffic and construction that kept me from getting a view of lady liberty.
With all the confusion it was difficult to get out of lower Manhattan, even on the bike. I got pigeonholed by roadblocks and detours and had to backtrack just to leave.
The streets everywhere had been almost gridlocked, and in some places it was gridlock. It was so bad in lower Manhattan that it took me two hours longer than expected to get to the designated subway station in order to cross over into New Jersey and continue my adventure on the 3000 mile East Coast Greenway.
I’m telling you what, that place is a mess and something needs to be done. Trump and whoever can argue the traffic would be better after the construction and detours go away. But I don’t really think in a hustling and bustling place like NYC that it will ever happen. There’s always gonna be something making the congestion as bad as it can be.
Ten bucks a day seems a little steep so I hope there are appropriate levels for different circumstances. Owners and residents probably shouldn’t have to pay. The best bet for everybody visiting New York is to ride a bike anyway – weather permitting. But, I really think Trump is going to be Trumped on this one and the congestion tax will have to continue.
• On a related side note: Installing a basic skeleton infrastructure to recharge electric vehicles needs to continue. Therefore, regulations encouraging EV’s need to continue. Manufacturers probably would agree because the rollout has to be synchronized on different levels for it to be efficient and successful.
©2025 – Jim Porter Casey
• About The Grand Slam Plan! adventure: “Cool Roadster Too” is the name I dubed the new 27″ Schwinn Discover hybrid bike awaiting me in Millinocket, Maine after leaving the Appalachian Trail. I rode it from there to Calais/St. Stephen, Canada and then to Key West via New York.
• More About The GSP!a: If you’re interested in learning more about Jim Porter Casey and The Grand Slam Plan! adventure, follow these links:
There is a sad note to add, however, because upon returning home I found my home burglarized and vandalized with more than $10,000 worth of damage. If you’d like to help me get back on track – you can help by following this link and making a contribution, and that’d be awesome.
