2023 TD Five Boro Bike Tour Official Program and Ride Guide

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 06 Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams 08 Bike New York's President & CEO, Ken Podziba 10 NYC Transportation Commissioner, Ydanis Rodriguez 13 TD Bank Regional President, Andrew Bregenzer 15 Bike New York’s Education Programs 18

Tour History Article

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Tour Timeline

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Tour Tales

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Ride Guide

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#MedalMonday

38 Start Schedule & Map

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Tour Photos Over the Years

39 Getting to the Start

60 Charity Partners

41 Getting to the Ferry

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Thank You

42 Rider Tips

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Recycle-A-Bicycle

43 Services Along the Route 45 Finish Festival & Rider Identification Kit

Follow the Tour: @BikeNewYork #TDFBBT

46 Tips & FAQ 48 Route Map

BIKE NEW YORK STAFF Ken Podziba President & CEO

Augustus Carpenter Mechanic

Justin Gonzalez Instructor

Emily Lazar Instructor

Joe Polizzi Route Assist

Kenan Vanderstoop Senior Mechanic

Dolly Winter Instructor

Andy Gould COO

Cecelia Casey Instructor

Steven Velardo Controller

Jesse Wolmart Mechanic

Leah Cassar Instructor

Jeremy Lockett Community Outreach Manager

Cody Rahn Mechanic

Madeline Abreu Instructor

Ben Goodman Recycle-A-Bicycle Operations and Education Manager

Andy Ramirez Mechanic

Rollin Walther Mechanic

Suzette Abreu Education Operations Manager

Zoe Cheswick Instructor

Dahlia Ramsay Instructor

Latroya Williams Mechanic

JT Woods Warehouse Operations

Susan Rodetis Instructor

Sirocco Wilson Instructor

Justine Rodriguez Instructor

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Leonard Diamond Chairman

Steve Bauman

Henry Chin Treasurer

Leo Cairo

Cristian Aponte Instructor Jacob Arnold Instructor Karen Ash Instructor Aldo Barahona Associate Director of Events Julie Blackburn Instructor Nick Boice Mechanic Mia Borrelli Route & Warehouse Lead Christine Bosco Finish Lead Emily Bottie Volunteer Manager Susan Brenner Instructor Eric Burghoffer Finish Assist Isabella Bustamente Instructor

Karen Chin Instructor Yancy Coby Instructor Rich Conroy Director of Education Jamie De Four Director of Human Resources Devon DeLucia Director of Events Jim Fagan Instructor Adrienne Fishe Instructor Ross French Instructor Thomas Frobisher Instructor Emil Gomez Instructor

Olivia Gregorius Instructor Mohammad Gulfam Mechanic Chantal Hardy Associate Director of Education Brandon Harrington Instructor Rosinell Holguin Instructor Ralph Jean Director of RecyleA-Bicycle and Membership Axel Kaban Instructor David Kellman Mechanic Tae Yun Kim Sales and Marketing Manager, Recycle-ABicycle

Douglas Gonzalez Instructor

Bev Lacy Chief Development Officer

Lina Gonzalez Instructor

Ashley Lanza Service Advisor

Jayden Gonzalez Instructor

John LaPolla Instructor

Elizagrace Madrone Instructor Vanessa Marquez Communications and Marketing Specialist Savannah May Mechanic Tony Mayes Start Assist Gail Mercuri Instructor Tarah Monn Instructor Claire Mordas Instructor Peter Mossel Instructor Ben Nader-Sadoff Instructor Mohammad Nayeem Service Advisor Christina Ng Instructor Nathan Oliver Mechanic Jon Orcutt Director of Advocacy Juan Peralta Instructor Viviana Petreanu Instructor

Irasema Rivera Instructor Lawrence Rotundo Instructor Thomas Rooney Inventory Coordinator Anne Shaw Associate Director of Customer Service True Sims Instructor Emma Soler Instructor Brian Soliwoda Start Lead Benjamin Strong Instructor Sam Tarlow Instructor Gloria Tate Instructor Aliya Tyus-Barnwell Instructor

Stuart Krohnengold Secretary

Kyle Yonhorn Mechanic

Yuri Boguslavsky Patricia Chew Lee Fischman

Mustapha Ndanusa Board Member

David Greenberg

William D. Pettit Board Member

Andrea Mercado

Jennifer Powell Board Member Howard Robbins Board Member

Dan Lewis Bob O’Connell John Patterson Jennifer Powell Wentworth Price

Matthew Rogers Board Member

Susan Rodetis

Hilena Tibebe Board Member

Ed Sobin

Steve Vaccaro Board Member

Richard Vazquez

Steve Sakson John Sutter

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A LETTER FROM

ERIC ADAMS MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY Dear Friends:

It gives me great pleasure to welcome everyone to the 2023 TD Five Boro Bike Tour.

The future of New York City is on two wheels. Cycling is the fastest-growing transit option in our city, and my Administration is dedicated to making sure that our cyclists feel safe in every neighborhood. In our efforts to give city space back to the people, we are committed to creating an additional 300 miles of protected bike lanes across the five boroughs. Through community outreach, education, and virtual events, Bike New York is an invaluable ally in our united mission to promote cycling, protect and empower bike riders in our city, and encourage forms of movement and transportation that reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. This year’s Five Boro Bike Tour offers an excellent opportunity for New Yorkers of all backgrounds to get around, stay healthy, and take care of our environment.

I look forward to the many ways that Bike New York will continue to build a brighter, safer, and more active future for all.

On behalf of the 8.8 million people of New York City, I extend my best wishes for a safe, enjoyable ride and continued success.

Sincerely,

Eric Adams Mayor of New York City

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A LETTER FROM

KEN PODZIBA

PRESIDENT & CEO OF BIKE NEW YORK Dear Riders, Welcome to the 45th Anniversary of the TD Five Boro Bike Tour Presented by Manhattan Portage!

Get ready for a pure adrenaline rush as you experience the thrill of riding 40 miles car-free on the streets of the most exciting city on Earth! The Tour, which has become America’s most popular bike ride, will take you on a unique journey through the five boroughs as you take in some of the city’s most famous landmarks and breathtaking views.

Above all, this iconic ride is about 32,000 people of all ethnicities, abilities, ages, and walks of life from every state in the nation and dozens of countries coming together to create the most diverse and exciting celebration of cycling on the world’s biggest stage.

By participating in the Tour, you’re helping make New York City a better place.

Proceeds from the Tour fund Bike New York’s many programs, which transform the lives of New Yorkers and their communities through bicycling. Our Bike Path program trains formerly incarcerated New Yorkers to become certified bike mechanics, who obtain full-time employment at Motivate to maintain Citi Bikes.

We’ve partnered with the City of New York to encourage New Yorkers to donate their old bikes so we can refurbish them for asylum seekers who are in need of bicycles for transportation. The Tour also funds our bike education classes in New York City public schools and parks, enabling tens of thousands of New Yorkers each year to learn how to ride a bike and learn proper safety and handling skills.

And we’re working with the City of New York to create safer and more equitable streets with more miles of protected bike lanes.

We’re grateful to Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez and his team at the Department of Transportation for co-producing the Tour, as well as all our government partners, including NYPD, CECM, FDNY, DSNY, NYC Parks, National Parks Service, Port Authority, DEP, MTA Bridges and Tunnels, OEM, US Coast Guard, US Army Reserve, US Parks Police, NYC Transit, Long Island Railroad, Metro-North, and NYC Tourism + Conventions.

Thank you to our longtime title sponsor, TD Bank, presenting sponsor Manhattan Portage, and other partners, including Bloomberg, Trek, NYU Langone Health, Thule, Unlimited Biking, Kryptonite, Dole, Primal Wear, Flanzig & Flanzig, Rockefeller Group, New Belgium, Jamaica Hospital, MarathoFoto, and Con Edison. And we owe tremendous gratitude to our more than 2,000 volunteers, without whom we couldn’t produce this spectacular event. Please be sure to thank them as you ride by them along the course.

Be safe, and enjoy the ride!

Sincerely

Ken Podziba President & Chief Executive Officer of Bike New York

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A LETTER FROM

YDANIS RODRIGUEZ

Advancing other major Adams Administration initiatives that advance cycling and the public realm. The Mayor has appointed the incredible Ya-Ting Liu as the City’s first Public Realm Officer, and she has already begun her work with the DOT on a great array of projects. For example, in Midtown Manhattan, through which you will bike today, the Administration is actively at work on ways to make both Broadway and Fifth Avenue more welcoming to both cyclists and pedestrians.

NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONER

Welcome to Bike New York’s TD Five Boro Bike Tour!

I am so excited to again join Bike NY in hosting this year’s ride, my second as New York City’s Transportation Commissioner. Whether you are joining us for the first time or are returning to savor 40 miles of car-free New York City streets at the height of spring, you will today get to enjoy the unique experience of cycling in New York City.

We have much to celebrate today, including the fact that after a successful pilot last year, cyclists will once again have more time to complete the ride than they ever had before. Many of the roads on which you will find yourself riding today provide a special treat: the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, FDR Drive and Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge offer tremendous waterfront views that cyclists don’t often get to take in.

I am proud to say that New York City strongly supports cycling on our streets all of the remaining days of the year. Under Mayor Eric Adams, who himself cycles throughout our City’s streets, cycling is continuing to expand dramatically, aided by the pace of growth that grew even more exponentially during COVID as hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers sought a healthy and socially-distant way to get around and enjoy their city.

In just the last year, and with the strong support and effective advocacy of groups like Bike New York, we have made enormous progress in expanding access and making streets safer for cycling, including by: Delivering on our commitments, creating nearly 30 miles of new protected bike lanes across New York City. New lanes in 2022 could be found on Emmons Avenue and Schermerhorn Street in Brooklyn, 44th Drive in Queens, University Avenue in the Bronx and East Houston Street in Manhattan. We are also fortifying our existing protected lanes across the city, making it harder for other vehicles to obstruct those lanes; we have already installed concrete Jersey barriers and other “better barriers” along ten miles of those lanes, with another ten miles planned for this year.

Keeping an eye on equity in everything we do. In addition to our commitment to building out new on-street protected bike lanes, I biked with Mayor Adams earlier this year to the High Bridge between Manhattan and the Bronx to announce that DOT would begin community engagement for an exciting plan to bring a new 7.5-mile greenway along the Harlem River waterfront in the Bronx, bringing cycling access to communities that have been too often overlooked. In addition to expanding greenways Citywide, DOT is also committed to expanding New York City’s network of Open Streets to many of those same communities, spurring and supporting community groups as they create and program their own activities along car-free streets.

Finally, I want to offer my personal thanks to Ken Podziba and the entire Bike New York team for their commitment to cycling. Each year, the Five Boro Bike Tour organizers work closely with DOT, NYPD, and other City agencies to coordinate a logistically challenging event that touches each of the five boroughs.

I wish everyone a safe and enjoyable ride and hope that you will see firsthand why more and more New Yorkers are selecting cycling as their preferred way to get around this great city!

Ydanis Rodriguez Commissioner

The expansion of bike share. Over the last several years, Citi Bike – the continent’s largest bike-share program – powered through the pandemic as it kept up an ambitious pace to double its service area and triple the number of blue bikes on the City’s streets. Citi Bike stations can now be found across all of Manhattan, and this year will arrive in new neighborhoods across the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens.

By the end of this year, more than half the City’s population will have easy access to Citi Bike, with further expansion being discussed.

Continued on next page

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A LETTER FROM

ANDREW BREGENZER REGIONAL PRESIDENT OF METRO NY, TD BANK

TD Bank, and its more than 2,000 colleagues throughout New York City, would like to welcome and thank you for participating in the 2023 TD Five Boro Bike Tour! We look forward to riding alongside you in celebration of the 45th anniversary of the amazing NYC event!

Since 2007, TD has been a proud sponsor of the Tour and our main reason in supporting this great event is Bike New York and their bike education mission. Funds generated from the Tour allow Bike New York to offer free bike education across New York’s five boroughs and to enhance sustainability and quality of life for all our New York City neighbors.

For more than two decades, TD has been one of these neighbors and will continue to be ingrained in the fabric and footprint of New York City. Through sponsorships like the Tour, TD continues to invest in all communities in this wonderful city to further support its great citizens.

We look forward to hopping on our bikes with the thousands of cyclists as we all take on the 40-miles of car-free streets together in one of the greatest cities in the world, New York City.

Let’s “get out and own these streets” by having a fantastic ride while also continuing to support and celebrate the amazing people of NYC!

Andrew Bregenzer Regional President of Metro NY, TD Bank

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BIKE NEW YORK’S EDUCATION PROGRAMS They say you never forget how to ride a bike, but many people never had the chance to learn. We offer free classes and programs for adults and children throughout the year at more than a dozen Community Bike Education Centers and bike shops across the five boroughs. Learn more and sign up at www.bike.nyc/education.

Road Map: Our Adult Class Curriculum

Youth Classes Kids’ Learn to Ride Class This free group class is for children who are ready to ditch their training wheels and ride a two-wheeler for the first time. With our safe, easy, effective method and experienced instructors, kids will learn how to balance, pedal, start, stop, and steer a bicycle. Most students get the hang of it in one session!

Bicycle Field Trips Schools can bring groups of youth ages 10 and up on a 2-hour field trip to one of our Bicycle Education Centers, where they can learn how to ride a bike for the first time, learn safety and basic bike handling skills, and take a group ride using our fleet of bikes.

After School Programs and Summer Programs We teach kids the mechanics of riding a bike, the rules of the road, best practices for riding in a group and on the streets, and the joy and freedom of biking. Sessions are one day per week for several weeks.

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WHERE HISTORY MEETS THE ROAD:

45 YEARS OF FAMILIAR ROUTES

homes in neighboring countries, the birth of Beth’s daughter, a ginger like her mom, just a few months before Beth died.

by Sam Slaton, Former Communications & Marketing Director Many cyclists are creatures of what appears, from a certain vantage point, to be habit—they ride the same route to and from home, office, café, or park. They clip in first on the same side every time, keep their tires pumped to a familiar PSI, drink from a well-loved water bottle (likely in need of a serious wash), eat the same snacks, and dismount at ride’s-end with a form as predictable as an automaton. But these habits belie these cyclists’ true nature. Keeping so much the same, they become connoisseurs of change, as keenly attuned as a meteorologist to subtle shifts in the weather, sensitive as an Old Dutch Master to the fine gradations of angles of light in different seasons, intimately familiar as a naturalist with the countless trees along their route in various stages of leaf and flower, discerning as an epicure when savoring half a leftover Clif Bar discovered on the precipice of bonking, and celebratory as Shakespeare of the world’s stage, thronged by countless passers-by and fellow riders, all to the soundtrack of the never-not-new thrum of one’s own heart when the going gets tough. Who among this class of riders, when cycling through a thriving city, has not thought something similar to Miranda near the end of The Tempest: “How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world / that has such people in’t!” Her father, Prospero, replies, perhaps a bit condescendingly, “‘Tis new to thee.” But anyone who’s ridden the same route more than once can understand

And of course, there have been the bike rides—you rode in the snow and rain with a headwind, in the sun with a tailwind. You rode uphill both ways. You screamed with exhilaration as the terror of a steep descent melted into euphoria when you realized at the bottom, I made it! You rode to wake up and to wind down. You rode because you were happy and you rode to get happy. You rode to remember and you rode to forget. You rode old routes and new ones that would one day become as familiar as if they were traced on your skin. You rode with old friends and made new ones along the way. You rode alone, but of course you’re never really alone on a bike: a ride has a way of putting you into conversation with your selves— past, present, and future. And now you’re here, ready to ride again. Maybe it’s your first time to ride the Tour.

Maybe it’s your 45th. Regardless, this 45th Tour is the only one like it—with the weather we’ll all remember as unique to May 7th, 2023 in New York City, with the diegetic soundtrack you’ll hear spilling out of a bodega as you round a corner in the Bronx (probably something by Ice Spice), the smiles you’ll see in passing and the ones that will spread across your face time and time again over 40 miles…

Miranda’s enthusiasm. There is something about being on a bike that remakes the world—and oneself—anew.

2,500 years ago, the Greek philosopher Heraclitus said that you can’t step in the same river twice. Likewise, you can’t go on the same bike ride twice. Though the route and a million other variables may stay the same, everything else has changed: light, weather, the ache in your knee, the ache in your heart, the friend by your side, the friend who couldn’t come this time…

It’s in the same spirit that I re-enter the history of the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, about which I’ve written several times—first in 2013 when we launched the new bike. nyc website, again in 2017 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Tour, and last year for a profile about Steve Bauman, the father of the Tour. Since that first time a decade ago, it can feel like everything really has changed, and not always for the better: the closing of famed punk venue CBGB in Manhattan’s East Village, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian war on Ukraine, the untimely passing of our dear friend and former Bike New York events manager Beth Heyde. But amidst these tragedies, there has been extraordinary beauty: reconnecting with loved ones over Zoom for quarantinis and long-distance board games, countless stories of Ukrainian refugees welcomed with open arms and

These moments and many more will become a part of your history. And when you ride this year, you will also be participating in the history of New York City since the Tour was founded in 1977—all the life, strife, construction,

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destruction, and flow of humanity that makes this the greatest city on earth. In a way, this history is yours, even if you didn’t live it. Hell, I’m from Arkansas and only lived in the city for five short years. But that’s one of the remarkable things about this place: even if the city isn’t yours by birthright, it gives itself to you, and you feel, if only for a moment, a year, a decade, or more, part of something bigger. And on the first Sunday in May 2023, you will be a part of something extraordinarily big and beautiful: the TD Five Boro Bike Tour—with 32,000 people on bikes, it’s the largest recreational ride in the world.

But even this Tour is just a small part of what Bike New York does. Proceeds from this and other Bike New York rides fund our free bike education classes, whereby we’ve taught skills to more than 212,000 kids and adults since 2005. Steve Bauman, the aforementioned father of the Tour, once said that “the bicycle represents freedom more than anything else.” These classes—in addition to newer programs that provide job training for bike mechanics and pair asylum seekers with bicycles—plant seeds of freedom that will flower in ways that enrich countless lives and, by extension, the story of New York City itself.

What follows is just a taste of the history that will be riding next to you, with you, under above and in you.

And with each pedal stroke, you’ll be adding something utterly new to the history of this city and this ride, even though so much has stayed the same: you’ll be adding your story.

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The music critic Daniel Felsenthal recently wrote on Pitchfork.com that “New York is always dying,” an obviously click-baity declamation that nevertheless contains some serious truth that is less pessimistic than it first seems when considered both more closely and more broadly (and in mind of the great truths imparted to us by The Lion King). Without dwelling too long on the corporatization of the economy—something that is certainly not unique to New York City—, there is, of course, some hole-in-the-wall restaurant, shop, or venue that is always closing. But these closings make way for openings, perhaps for some future legendary or at the very least beloved hole-in-the-wall restaurant, shop, or venue whose eventual closing will be lamented by future generations, and so on. “It’s the circle of life / and it moves us all.” (Was Elton John really singing about a bike ride?)

Now, there are certainly dyings and closings whose significance cannot be recuperated by this intentionally optimistic outlook. On the one most obvious and most tragic hand, there is the World Trade Center, which opened four years before the first Tour and in whose twin shadows thousands of Tour riders shivered for 24 years as they waited to take off from the tip of Manhattan, as they waited to get their legs spinning and their blood pumping and to warm up in the early morning May sunshine as they reclaimed the streets on all five boroughs, those towers whose shimmering striated heights would welcome riders back, happy and sore and sated and already ready for more, as they made their way to the Battery via the Staten Island Ferry, “feeling the wind and watching Manhattan approaching,” to quote Leonard Diamond, recalling his experience at the end of the very first Tour. Few will forget the unwelcome sun that fell on riders on the morning of May 5, 2002, the scar of 9/11 just a few blocks south of where they fiddled with helmets, pedals, and their individual management of the collective grief that eclipsed them in the absence of the Towers’ shadows. Now, the Freedom Tower stands close to where the Twin Towers once stood, standing sentinel over today’s Tour start lines.

On the other hand, there are the cultural institutions that have come and gone, like the punk music venue CBGB in Manhattan’s East Village, which opened the same year as the World Trade Center and hosted some of the most important musicians of the past half-century, whose sounds have become synonymous with a certain version of New York City: the Ramones, Patti Smith, the Talking Heads. Due to rising rents, the club closed in 2006.

During Game 2 of the 1977 World Series, which pitted the Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers, coverage shifted to a helicopter shot of Yankee Stadium and the surrounding area in the Bronx. Famed broadcaster Howard Cosell drew viewers’ attention to a raging fire consuming an abandoned building mere blocks away

in the neighborhood of Bensonhurst in Brooklyn, Lenny’s Pizza reached an international audience in 1977 when, in the opening scene of Saturday Night Fever, John Travolta ordered two slices (“Two, two—gimme two.

That’s good.”), layered one on top of the other, and ate them like that while strutting his stuff down the street to the sound of the Bee Gee’s “Stayin’ Alive.” After 70 years, Lenny’s closed in February of this year. And in the last of the five boroughs on your Tour, Staten Island, another pizza joint—Nunzio’s, in Midland Beach, just south of the Verrazzano Bridge (which only recently won back its missing second “z”)—shut its doors after 80s years in business. Who knows what new culinary institutions will replace Lenny’s and Nunzio’s? Who knows what new New York City icon will take root in the holes left behind by yesterday’s icons? Perhaps some dream of one of the asylum seekers, helped along by a bike…

from the stadium. Though solitary, that blaze, broadcast to the world, came to represent the conflagrations that would plague the Bronx for years, fires understood all too well by those who called the borough home to be the cause and consequence of cyclical disinvestment in the area. But out of those ashes rose hip-hop, a cultural force born and raised in the South Bronx, built on shared communal experiences, economic mobility, joy, resilience, speaking truth to power, and hope. In Queens, the 5 Pointz building was a landmark regarded as the center of the graffiti universe for decades until it was destroyed in 2014, leaving a gaping hole in the borough’s landscape that is nevertheless filled and protected in perpetuity in the cultural memory of an artform that has transformed the globe. On 86th Street

In all of these places, new life has emerged. And in the place of past Tour riders, you are here. Next year, in your place, there will be others finding their spot in that oncein-a-lifetime river of riders—always the same and always different. Which means, to say that “New York is always dying” is to simultaneously say precisely that New York is always alive and living: in life, as in New York, Elton John was right: “There’s more to see than can ever be seen / More to do than can ever be done / There’s far too much to take in here / More to find than can ever be found.”

Immediately following the very first Tour, Ellen Farrant scribbled down her memories of the ride, lest she lose them to the river of time:

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“In Manhattan, we passed the South Street Seaport with its four-mast schooners in port, the Fulton Fish Market with its unforgettable aromas, Chinatown, some Bowery personalities, the beautiful brownstones, and of course, always in the background, the tall buildings.

We were traveling along First Avenue. At first, there were many apartment houses and then we went into older sections with lots of stores selling everything you could think of. There were apartments over these stores and people were looking at us. It was the attitude of these people which made the ride a delight to me. If the boroughs were different, the people were the same. They were hanging out of windows, coming out of stores to line the streets. Some were cheering, some were staring. The kids were dancing up and down and running alongside us. Those who had bikes rode with us for a while. To see people smiling and cheering really made us feel fantastic. We knew we were doing something special.”

So are you. Aside from the Fulton Fish Market, all of the above and so much more persists—New York City is the same, just different. As you ride the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, how much nuance will you notice? How deeply will you drink of this river? What angles of light, bursts of sound, sudden smiles, riotous scents, bone-deep thrills will you hold onto? What stories of your own will you add to the story of the Tour? (Share yours with #TourTales.)

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HISTORY OF THE TOUR

3,000 CYCLISTS, 0 CARS With official city support, the ride grew from 250 to 3,000 participants! We also had support from Emergency Medical Services and the New York City Fire Department to make the ride safer. For the first time ever, we worked with the Department of Transportation and NYPD to create a traffic-free route. The new route took riders on highways for the first time in New York’s history, making it an unforgettable spectacle.

JANUARY 1978:

HISTORIC MAYORAL SUPPORT

FEBRUARY 1977:

THE TOUR IS BORN Two Board of Education members organized the first Five Boro Challenge: Eric Prager, who had been commissioned to develop a bike safety program, and Sal Cirami, a leader of the American Youth Hostel’s Bicycle Committee. They developed a bike safety and repair program culminating in a five boro day trip for students to practice what they learned.

When Ed Koch became mayor, his administration sought ways to promote bicycling. Charlie McCorkle of Bicycle Habitat and Transportation Alternatives, along with the group and leaders of other New York cycling organizations, took the Five Boro Challenge idea to City Hall. To make the ride more accessible and family-friendly, they adjusted the route to 40 miles and renamed the Challenge the Five Boro Bike Tour.

RIDE CAPPED AT 32,000 Families and bike enthusiasts of all levels signed up for the ride. So many, in fact, that we had to cap the registration at 32,000, which we still follow to this day.

APRIL 1980:

A SUBWAY STRIKE TURNED NYC INTO A CITY OF CYCLISTS When subway workers went on strike in the spring, New Yorkers were in need of new ways to get around the city.

Cycling was a clear solution. American Youth Hostel and Transportation Alternatives worked together to set up cones and bike route signs on NYC streets. Mayor Ed Koch held a press conference supporting cycling during the strike, and bike sales soared! That year, 12,000 signed up for the Tour.

JUNE 10, 1977:

1979:

About 50 high school students from five schools and 200 members of bike clubs participated. The 50-mile ride would begin and end in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, and wind south through Brooklyn, over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge into Staten Island, and then, after a quick ferry trip, up through Manhattan, into the Bronx, and over the Throgs Neck Bridge back into Queens.

The vice president of community services for Citibank turned out to watch the spectacle of the 1978 Tour and resolved right then and there that Citibank needed to be involved. That Monday, he met with his colleagues, and Citibank became the title sponsor of the Tour.

OUR FIRST SPONSOR

OUR FIRST ROUTE

There was no entry fee, and only one sponsor: Nathan’s. They gave out hot dogs and soda in the Bronx at the ride’s one and only rest stop. Unlike today, the route was not closed to traffic. We relied on police escorts in the front and back to get us through the streets safely.

1999:

SUMMER OF 1978:

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1991:

TOUR CANCELLED

1982:

THE WORLD’S BIGGEST BIKE TOUR With a bike boom in NYC that sustained much longer than the subway strike in 1980, the Five Boro Bike Tour ballooned to 32,000 riders. The Five Boro Bike Tour earned the title of “World’s Biggest Bike Tour.”

With the loss of our title sponsor, we unfortunately had to cancel the Tour. We made a triumphant return in the following year!

2000:

BIKE NEW YORK IS BORN American Youth Hostel concluded that the Tour needed more attention and spun itself off as two independent non-profit entities: Bike New York, to run the Tour, and the Five Borough Bike Club, which provides volunteers and technical expertise. Bike New York has since developed other rides and a robust, free bike education program.

2021:

A TRIUMPHANT RETURN, AGAINST ALL ODDS!

2007:

TD BANK SPONSORS THE TOUR

The following year, with vaccines and more information about how to keep riders safe during the pandemic, we reopened the Tour! After all that NYC had endured, we owed it to this city and to each other to bring the cycling community together again. Despite operating at limited capacity with space for only 20,000 riders, and Hurricane Henri postponing the Tour’s return by one week, we were determined to get out and ride!

In 2007 we kicked off our relationship with TD Bank as the title sponsor, who has supported the Tour for 16 years!

2014:

THE TOUR IS RECOGNIZED FOR ITS SUSTAINABILITY

2022:

MORE TIME TO RIDE

The TD Five Boro Bike Tour became the first event in New York City to be certified sustainable by the Council for Responsible Sport by earning the silverlevel certification. In 2016, we secured the Council’s Gold Level and have maintained it in subsequent years.

2005:

BIKE NEW YORK STARTED ITS FREE BIKE EDUCATION PROGRAM Bike New York operates the largest free bicycle education program of its kind in the world, and it all started in 2005. Since its inception, Bike New York has taught cycling skills to over 212,000 kids and adults. Your ride in the Tour today helps us continue this important work.

In 2022 the Tour went back to operating at full, pre-pandemic capacity. With approval from the city, we even added an extra hour to the Tour in 2022, marking the Tour’s first significant change in decades.

2020:

A HISTORIC PAUSE The spring of 2020 was very turbulent as NYC became the first domestic epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. With no treatments or vaccines yet available, for the second time in the Tour’s history, we made the call to cancel the ride to prioritize rider safety.

2023:

45TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY, 1 MILLION RIDERS! You are riding in Tour history today! This year marks our 45th year of the Tour, and our historic milestone of reaching a total of 1 million riders registered since our inception. Thank you for riding with us and supporting Bike New York, the city’s biggest cycling champion. We hope to see you with us next year!

THERE’S NO NEW YORKER LIKE A BIKE NEW YORKER. Cyclists of all stripes are welcome in the Bike New York Membership Program; it doesn’t matter if you can’t tell a crankset from a derailleur or if spandex is your second skin. The thing is, if you are a New Yorker—even if it’s only in your heart or mind—and you ride bikes, you are a part of a community.

Let’s make it official. bike.nyc/membership

MEMBER PERKS Early Registration for the 2024 TD Five Boro Bike Tour Bike New York Member T-shirt Bike New York reflective bike sticker Bike New York membership card Members-only Meet & Greet Members-only Social Rides Free or discounted Local Rides 10% off your first Sports Performance Service at NYU Langone Discounts at local bike shops

50% Discount on Unlimited Biking bike rentals and guided bike tours (excluding TD Five Boro Bike Tour rentals) 25% Discount on Primal merchandise (exclusions may apply, contact membership@bike.nyc for details) 10% Discount on Bike New York merchandise 40% first-time 5BBC Membership 15% Discount on Twin Lights & Discover Hudson Valley regional rides (2023) 10% Discount on new parts & accessories at Recycle-A-Bicycle and 15% discount on bike tune-ups 20% off a basic or premium subscription on Ride With GPS

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A RIDE FOR TONY SAVED BERNARD’S LIFE “The TD Five Boro Bike Tour saved my life in my fight against depression.”

- Bernard Hernandez, Civil Servant and City Plumber from Staten Island When Bernard got on a bike in 2014, his life was forever changed. After losing his father Tony to heart disease in November of 2014, Bernard fell into a severe depression. His friend and co-worker Alex noticed he needed help and invited Bernard to start cycling with a spare bike Alex had on hand. During their first ride, Bernard felt like a kid again and made cycling a big part of his life.

When Alex suggested that they should train together for the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, Bernard got a bike of his own and decided to dedicate the ride to his late father. To prepare for the Tour, Bernard started with 10-mile rides on the weekend and worked his way up to 20 and 40 to build up his endurance and strength. Because the Tour is not a race, he could go at his own pace and enjoy the city in a new way.

INSPIRING STORIES FROM FELLOW CYCLISTS

On the day of the Tour, Bernard found himself struggling when he got to the infamous incline on the Verrazzano Bridge. The support of the cyclists around him, and a sign from his late father, helped him persevere: “I was wiped out and far behind Alex. As I was struggling in agony, I looked to my right, and a stranger looked at me and said, “Come on, man, you got this!” I immediately thought of my Dad and got off my seat, and started pedaling as hard as I could.

On the way up the bridge, there were sayings stenciled on the floor. As I looked down at the road, I saw a stenciled eye.

Around the eye were the words the Eye of the Tiger! My father’s nickname growing up was Tony the Tiger, and I started crying and pedaling faster. Finally, I made it to the top!

Upon arriving at the top of the bridge, there was a DJ playing “Don’t Stop Believing” and as I met with my friend in the middle of the bridge, we were both in tears!”

Bernard and Alex continue to ride in the Tour every year.

There are many famous NYC landmarks along the route where cyclists like to pause to take it all in.

However, Bernard’s favorite part of the Tour route is passing by the BQE on Third Avenue, where he can see his own house. It might not be the most majestic or postcard-worthy stop, but for him, it’s everything.

It reminds him of his family, all he has overcome, and why he rides the Tour in the first place.

Whether you’re a new cyclist like Bernard or a veteran rider like Alex, the Tour is more than just a long bike ride. It’s an experience that brings the NYC community together, uplifts spirits, and gives every rider unexpected new perspectives.

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ELISA IS PEDALING TOWARD A BRIGHTER FUTURE

FIVE YEARS, ONE CAUSE: HOW MATHEW HONORED HIS MOTHER’S MEMORY Mathew Baxt, a television development executive from Long Island, first signed up for the TD Five Boro Bike Tour as a new way to explore NYC after moving back from LA. For Mat, the Tour has been a chance to honor his mother, who passed away from Multiple Myeloma, by raising money for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF).

On his first ride, he reached his goal of raising $10,000. He was so inspired and uplifted by the experience that he has made it an annual tradition for the last five years.

Elisa DiGregorio’s story is one of resilience, perseverance, and hope. After struggling with opioid addiction for over a decade, Elisa found her way back to a healthy and fulfilling life through cycling.

Mat’s advice to first-time participants is: Take your time and enjoy the ride. He emphasizes that the Tour is not a race; it’s a leisurely activity that allows riders to experience the city in a unique way with no cars in sight! Mat loves to take his time, talk to people along the route, take pictures, and soak in the atmosphere.

At 22 years old, Elisa entered a long-term treatment center. It was her third time seeking help for her addiction, but it was the last time. She spent 14 months living at the center in upstate New York and, when she returned to Brooklyn for the outpatient phase of her recovery, she had a renewed sense of motivation and purpose.

The Tour has also allowed Mat to see the city in a new light. His favorite moments are riding past Radio City Music Hall and down the FDR with no cars around. Each year, he looks forward to the event and the chance to create new memories and support a good cause.

With her passion for biking, she signed up for the TD Five Boro Bike Tour to raise money for suicide prevention. The 40-mile ride was a physical challenge she was excited to take on but, more importantly, she wanted to ride in honor of her uncle, who struggled with mental health and substance use.

Mat’s story serves as an inspiring reminder that participating in an event for a good cause can have a profound impact on one’s life. The TD Five Boro Bike Tour provides a unique opportunity to experience New York City in a fun and safe way, all while supporting a charity of your choice. So grab your bike and join the ride!

The Tour marked the start of her re-entry into life without drugs or substances.

Today, Elisa has been clean from drugs for 12 years. She went back to school to complete her degree in Dental Hygiene at NYU, became president of her class, and now works at one of the top cosmetic dentistry practices in New York. She attributes much of her success to her participation in the Tour, which motivated her to believe she could do anything, especially the things that were meaningful to her.

The TD Five Boro Bike Tour played a significant role in Elisa’s journey, but it is also a symbol of something larger; it’s a celebration of community, of coming together for a cause, and of the joy of cycling.

DONNA’S MISSION TO FIGHT MS

Through his efforts, he has raised nearly $100,000 for MMRF, contributing to advances in treatments and improvements in the lives of Myeloma patients.

“I ended up riding in the Tour for the MMRF five years in a row and helped raise nearly $100,000 for the organization in the process. Best of all, on my final ride, I was joined by eight friends and family members, including my 13-year-old twin sons, who made it their mission to finish the 40-mile ride and raise money in memory of their grandmother. Seven years later, I still get goosebumps thinking about the look of joy and satisfaction on both of their faces when they crossed the finish line - and I’m sure if you asked them about their experience, they’d be equally as moved.”

“Although I hadn’t trained in a while, and at some points, I wanted to give up, I kept riding and riding. Finishing the TD Five Boro Bike Tour was a feeling I could not explain, it was the first time in as long as I could remember feeling absolutely exhilarated.”

Donna Lewiz is a woman on a mission. As the spouse of an MS Warrior, she has been biking for more than 15 years to raise money in the fight against Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

In 2017, she was presented with an opportunity to participate in the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, and despite the challenges she faced, she was determined to take part. At 51 years old and in need of a new knee, Donna was uncertain whether she would be able to complete the Tour. However, Bike New York’s mission and focus on making cycling more accessible for all inspired her to join.

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As she crossed the finish line in Staten Island, Donna was overcome with emotion and shed tears of joy. She had accomplished an incredible feat that was both physically and emotionally demanding.

Donna’s story is an inspiration to everyone who wants to push their limits and make a difference.

Her dedication to biking for charity, particularly for MS, shows how much impact one person can have.

The TD Five Boro Bike Tour provided Donna with the opportunity to be part of a community that shares her passion for biking and to be part of something bigger than herself.

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TWO DECADES OF 5 BORO BIKING Some of his friends call it a fabulous social outing.

Others say it is a joyous reunion, delightful chaos, a highlight of the year, or a truly dynamic, healthy, communal celebration of New York City. But for Kenneth Levy, Brooklyn-born and bicoastal legend of Silicon Valley’s semi-conductor industry, the annual Five Boro Bike Tour is simply good oldfashioned fun and always a trip down memory lane.

For more than fifteen years, Ken and Gloria Levy have invited their friends and family to come to New York for a weekend of festivities built around this amazing Tour. The invitees range in age from 16 to 85 and travel thousands of miles from as far away as Israel, California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas for a carefully planned, action-packed two-day weekend that includes Broadway Shows, dinner and cocktails for the Kentucky Derby at a Manhattan sports bar, shopping, museum visits, biking through all five boroughs with friends, family and 35,000 others and then celebrating with their guests with a “Victory Party” at an upscale Greek restaurant.

HOW THE GODZILLA RACING TEAM FOUND HEALING AFTER CANCER Despite facing life-threatening illnesses, brothers Brian and Evan Mastro refused to let cancer define their lives—Brian is a two-time Hodgkin’s Lymphoma survivor, and his brother Evan, who rides with him every year, has survived leukemia.

Brian and Evan first rode the TD Five Boro Bike Tour eight years ago when Evan started seeing advertisements for it, and thought it seemed like a cool experience to “rule the streets for the day” and see New York from a different perspective.

Growing up on Long Island, they had always enjoyed riding bikes and had taken up road biking a few years earlier.

For years, Brian and Evan have ridden with their family as team “Godzilla Racing” in honor of their late Uncle Lenny (affectionately called Godzilla), who instilled in them a deep love of cycling. Lenny initially adopted the middle name Godzilla as a joke to entertain his young nephews, and ended up adding it as his legal name. He was a wonderful spirit and a huge influence in fostering the love of

This story for Ken goes back more than 20 years when he first joined the Five Boro Bike Tour with one of his semi-conductor colleagues and good friend, Gary Hillman, a fellow engineer from New Jersey (see attached image) and they promised each other that they would both ride the Tour until one of them could not. Ken, now 80 years young, keeps on biking, and likes to tease that:

all things BMX, cycling, and racing in Brian’s and Evan’s lives.

Brian likes the bike Tour because it’s not a race.

“You can set your own pace and it isn’t too strenuous, so you’re not over-exerting yourself.

Anyone in any walk of life can do it, not just avid cyclists,” he says. He has even seen people on unicycles, so he encourages people to “just do it” and not hesitate since “there are plenty of places to exit or rest and refuel, and you don’t need the best equipment or to be in the best shape because it’s an inclusive event.”

“The Tour claims that the distance is the same every year but I’ve been riding this for at least 20 years or so and I know that the distance has changed. The forty miles must be at least 60 or 70 miles now based on how long it takes me to finish.”

Ken is too modest to see what he does as heroic.

But his enthusiasm, good humor, unbridled generosity, commitment to friends and successful management of a remarkable two day agenda is worthy of a gold medal not only for Ken, but for Gloria Levy, his high school sweetheart and wife of 60 years.

The Godzilla Racing crew has gotten larger and larger over the years, with people floating in and out. Brian and Evan’s story is a reminder that when we ride together, we can heal and find joy together. The TD Five Boro Bike Tour brings much joy to Brian and Evan every year. Brian and his wife Alison currently reside in Tampa, FL, where they raise two sons, who also love their bikes.

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EVENT DAY RIDE GUIDE

Title Sponsor

Presenting Sponsor SINCE 1983

Benefiting

START SCHEDULE & MAP

GETTING TO THE START

The Start wave corridor (shown in white on the map below) runs along Greenwich/Trinity/Church. Start waves correspond to the color of your bib and bike plate. See below to find out when and where to go. Course Marshals in safety vests will be on site to direct riders to appropriate entry streets.

The route closes to vehicular traffic at 7:15AM; be sure to take this into account when planning your arrival. We do not recommend driving to the Start Area.

In the event that members of your group are assigned to different Start waves, please ride together in the latest Start wave for your group. Riders assigned to later Start waves cannot move to an earlier time. VIP and Charity riders should consult their credentials for access points. Riders heading southbound to the Start Line must enter their wave via Broadway. Riders heading northbound to the Start Line must enter their wave via the Hudson River Greenway.

Bike

WAVE 1 (7:30AM) VIP, CHARITY PARTNER, PREFERRED START, MEMBER Recommended arrival time: 6AM-7AM. Charity Riders enter the VIP and Charity breakfast from Broadway & Worth Street, and VIP riders enter from Canal & Church Street. If Southbound, Preferred Start & Members should enter from Chambers to Duane or from Thomas.

If Northbound, Preferred Start & Members should enter from Chambers to Bogardus Plaza then Duane.

Obviously, we’re quite partial to this option.

From anywhere in Manhattan or downtown Brooklyn, the best way to get to the Start Area is by bike. The Hudson River Greenway and Broadway both lead directly to Bowling Green.

For detailed directions, we recommend using Google Maps to plan your route (be sure to click the bicycle icon).

Car

If you are planning to drive, we suggest parking in Staten Island. Please see page 25 for Ferry directions.

WAVE 2 (8:05AM) Recommended arrival time: 7:05AM-7:35AM. If Southbound, enter from Murray. If Northbound, enter from Warren.

Subway Riders bringing their bicycles should use:

WAVE 3 (8:40AM) Recommended arrival time: 7:40AM-8:10AM. If Southbound, enter from Fulton. If Northbound, enter from Vesey.

World Trade Center Chambers St. Cortlandt St. South Ferry Brooklyn Bridge Bowling Green (n/b exit only) Broad St.

WAVE 4 (9:15AM) Recommended arrival time: 8:15AM-8:45AM. If Southbound, enter from Cedar. If Northbound, enter from Albany to Greenwich to Thames.

These train stations do not accomodate bikes:

WAVE 5 (9:50AM) Recommended arrival time: 8:50AM-9:20AM. If Southbound, enter from Morris. If Northbound, enter from Albany to Greenwich to Rector.

WAVE 6 (10:25AM)

Fulton St. Wall St. Rector St. Whitehall St. Bowling Green (s/b exit)

Bike Rental Pick-up

Recommended arrival time: 9:25AM-9:55AM. If Southbound or Northbound, enter from Battery Pl.

Please be aware of subway service changes affecting Lower Manhattan on Sunday, May 7, 2023.

The A and C lines will run on the F track between W 4 St and Jay St-Metrotech in both directions. The E line will serve Spring St, Canal St, and World Trade Center. Additionally, the A, C, and E lines will run locally on 8th Ave., serving local platforms at 34 St-Penn Station. Please plan accordingly and allow extra time for your commute.

Please note that there will be no 5 train service between Bowling Green and E 180 St from 07:45 am to 10:00 am.

Bronx-bound 5 train departures from Bowling Green will begin at 11:00 am.

The 2 line will run approximately every 15 minutes from 07:30 am to 10:00 am.

In addition to the service changes affecting Lower Manhattan, there are other service changes for Sunday, May 7th, 2023: The N line will be unavailable between Astoria-Ditmars Blvd and Queensboro Plaza, and the G line will be unavailable between Hoyt-Schermerhorn and Church Av. Southbound DNR lines will skip Union St, 4 Av-9 St, Prospect Ave., and 25 St. Furthermore, there will be no F line service between Church Ave. and Coney Island-Stillwell Ave. Please plan your subway travel accordingly, and visit https://new.mta. info/ for more information.

After a Start wave is released, the line moves up.

Please refer to access points for earlier waves.

Finish Festival (10:00AM – 6:00PM) Ft. Wadsworth

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GETTING TO THE FERRY

Train PATH Trains (from New Jersey)

Long Island Railroad (LIRR)

Metro-North Railroad

From Hoboken, take the PATH train toward 33rd St. and get off at the Christopher St. stop. From Newark, Harrison, Journal Square, Grove St., and Exchange Pl., take the WTC train and get off at the World Trade Center stop. The fare is $2.75, payable by MetroCard. Bikes are not permitted on the first car of the train.

Note that you will need to use stairs to get to street level, so be prepared to carry your bike. For up-to-date information, system map, station locations, and parking information visit www.panynj.gov or dial 1-800-234-PATH.

Cyclists can take the MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to Penn Station or Grand Central - Madison and then transfer to downtown subway service or cycle downtown. Cyclists should distribute themselves evenly throughout the train to facilitate the flow of people boarding and disembarking at stations. Cyclists are asked to bring a bungee cord to secure their bikes to the train. For more information on departure times and station locations, including weekend timetables, visit www.mta.info/lirr.

On Tour Day, bikes are allowed on all trains on the Harlem, Hudson, and New Haven Lines. Off-peak fares apply. Bike permit rules are suspended and there will be no restrictions on the number of bikes per train. Go to mta.info/bike to find out more. Check schedules for local service on all lines. To get to the Start Area via subway from Grand Central Terminal, take the 4, 5, or 6 to the Brooklyn BridgeCity Hall station. For more information on departure times and locations, visit www. mta.info/mnr.

Car

MTA Staten Island Railway

Staten Island Ferry Parking

We recommend that participants driving to the TD Five Boro Bike Tour carpool and park in Staten Island in the morning.

Parking will be easier and you’ll avoid waiting for the ferry at the end of the day. We suggest parking in lots near the ferry (see parking information to the right).

Park on local streets or in a Staten Island Railway Park-and-Ride at Dongan Hills, Great Kills, Annadale, Prince’s Bay, or Huguenot stations, then hop on a train to the ferry. Bicycles will be allowed on the trains, and you can board at any Staten Island Railway station. MetroCard fares are collected as you enter and exit at the St. George and Tompkinsville stations. Visit www.mta.info or dial 511 for more information.

Due to ongoing construction, there will be no parking at the Staten Island Ferry municipal lots. Alternatively, use street parking or the following nearby private and municipal lots.

(There is limited parking on Ferry terminal property; if unavailable, please use local garages.)

If you park on the street, please observe all posted parking restrictions. Cars parked along the Tour Route will be towed. Visit www.bike.nyc for detailed driving directions.

Empire Outlets 55B Richmond Terrace Staten Island, NY 10301 Open 24/7. $25 for the day. Pre-book your parking at empireoutletsparking.com.

St. George Courthouse Garage 54 Central Ave Staten Island, NY 10301 Open 8 AM-8 PM. $12 for the day. Pay with cash or credit card (no debit card).

25 Wall Street 25 Wall St Staten Island, NY 10301 $15 for the day. Pay with cash, credit, or debit. Please note: Cars that park without checking in with an attendant are subject to being booted.

Ferry Staten Island Ferry Ferry service for the Tour begins at 6 AM and will run every half hour until 11 AM. Starting at 11 AM, Ferries will run every 15 minutes until 6 PM, and then every half hour.

South Beach Field #4 446 Father Capodanno Boulevard Staten Island, NY 10305 Parking is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.

Following the Tour, ferry lines may be long.

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RIDER TIPS We work hard to ensure that you have a great time on the Tour. But just in case you aren’t able to complete the ride, or if you need assistance for any reason, here’s what to do, who to contact, and where to go.

Please note that once the Tour starts, the front of the pack will travel at approximately 15 mph, the tail at about 6 mph. Cyclists who fall behind will be given the option of boarding SAG (Support and Gear) vehicles traveling at the tail of the Tour, or leaving the Tour as the route permits.

Hitching a Ride with SAG SAG vehicles follow the back of the pack and they can assist you if you are running out of steam or fall too far behind. They will be stationed at each Rest Area, or you can signal and then pull off to the side of the road. They will take you and your bike to the Finish Festival.

SERVICES ALONG THE ROUTE

Leaving the Tour

Medical Concerns

If you need to leave the Tour for any reason, we recommend doing so at the following locations. If you leave the Tour, you will be riding with motorized traffic and will have to watch for cars and road hazards.

If you feel that you need medical attention, speak to a Tour Marshal or NYPD officer immediately, or visit a medical station located at each of the Rest Areas along the course. Do not wait for SAG. If you have an emergency, and there are no Tour Marshals or NYPD officers nearby, call 911 and say that you are with the TD Five Boro Bike Tour.

Mile 14: York Ave. and 63rd St. (Manhattan) This is your last chance to exit the Tour in Manhattan. If you don’t want to continue, travel straight on 63rd St. after the Tour exits the FDR Drive. Do not take the left-hand turn onto the ramp of the Queensboro (59th St.) Bridge.

Mile 27: Brooklyn Bridge Before the Tour enters the BQE, you can leave the Tour at Old Fulton St. and Cadman Plaza West and take the Brooklyn Bridge bike path into downtown Manhattan. Marshals on the Brooklyn side will direct you. (This exit point is recommended for those traveling with children who want to exit the Tour.)

Subway The Tour passes near many subway stations. Bikes are allowed on the subway, but some unstaffed subway stations have turnstiles that do not accommodate bikes. Marshals and Information Tents at Rest Areas can provide more details on which stations to use. Visit www.mta.info for up-todate info.

Marshals and Police Volunteer Marshals and NYPD officers will be riding with you and are stationed along the route to provide assistance and keep the Tour rolling safely and smoothly.

Rest Areas

Water Stations

Medical Help

All Rest Areas include snacks, water stations, toilets, bike repair courtesy of Trek, first aid, and information.

Complimentary refreshments include New York City water provided by NYC Department of Environmental Protection, Dole bananas, pretzels, and electrolyte beverages, provided by Bike New York and select sponsors. Signs and Marshals along the route will direct you to bypass lanes.

We recommend bringing two water bottles so you can stay hydrated while you ride. All water stations include water, toilets, bike repair, and information.

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Brooklyn Bridge Park

Mile

Location

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Gowanus BQE

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and paramedics from the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center Bike Unit are available to attend to medical needs, as are ambulances from the NYC Fire Department Emergency Medical Service. Ask any Marshal or NYPD officer for medical assistance if you need it.

There are also EMTs at each Rest Area and at the Finish Festival. If you have an emergency, and none of these are available, dial 911 and say you are with the TD Five Boro Bike Tour.

FDR Drive at 116th St. (Manhattan)

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Bay Street

11

Here’s who to look for:

Mile

Location

9

The Bronx Dedicated to David Schlichting

17.5

Astoria Park (Queens)* 20

Rider Assist Marshals will be riding alongside you in safety vests to help keep the Tour moving. They can also help out with flat tires and minor repairs.

Course Marshals will be stationed along the route in safety vests. They can give route directions and alert you to road conditions ahead.

Con Ed Learning Center (Queens) 27

Commodore Barry (Brooklyn)

* All cyclists near the front of the pack will be held here for about 20 minutes while the NYPD closes down portions of the route to traffic. Cyclists near the tail of the Tour will be directed to a mandatory shortcut that bypasses this stop and leads to the next one.

Toilets Toilets are available at all Rest Areas, Water Stations, the Finish Festival, and at the following locations throughout the Tour:

Mile

Location

0

Start Area – Battery Place, Bowling Green, and along Church St.*

3

Sixth Ave., at approximately 56th St., before entering Central Park**

7

Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. and 115th St.

NYPD officers will be on the route to manage car traffic.

Please follow all instructions given

by Marshals and NYPD.

** Please note: Toilets located in Central Park will not be available during the Tour.

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Information Tents

Tour Photos

Information Tents at the Start Area (in Battery Park), Rest Areas, Water Stations, and the Finish Festival are your go-to resources for all questions and concerns; they also make for great rendezvous spots in the event that you get separated from family and friends. (Do not stop in Central Park, on any of the bridges, or in the middle of the road to wait for friends.

If you must stop, please signal and pull off to the side of the road.)

Photographers will be stationed along the route to take your photo as you ride. For identification purposes, make sure your bike plate and bib number are clearly visible. After the Tour, MarathonFoto will contact you via email so you can view and purchase your photos.

Entertainment TD Bank Entertainment Zones and Cheer Zones are located along the Tour route to keep the party rolling from start to finish. Visit www.bike.nyc for more details, including Entertainment Zone locations and artist websites.

SAG Vehicles (Support and Gear) SAG vehicles provide transport to the Finish Festival for cyclists (and their bikes) who require assistance. SAG buses and trucks will be stationed at each Rest Area and will follow the end of the Tour. If you are running out of steam or falling too far behind, signal and then pull off to the right side of the road to wait for SAG. Make sure your bike plate is attached to your handlebars so that we can reunite you with your bike at the Finish Festival; your bib will serve as your bike retrieval ticket.

• •

• •

Lost and Found Check at Information Tents at Rest Areas and at the Finish Festival for items lost along the way. No luck? After the Tour, email info@bike.nyc to see if your lost item has been returned to our office.

•

• • • •

Repair Services If your bike needs attention, flag a Rider Assist Marshal or stop at a Repair Tent.

Labor for basic repairs is free, but there is a charge for parts. Flat tires are very common, and our Marshals will be able to get you back on the road faster if you pack a spare tube. Many of our bike repair partners will have tubes for sale (cash only).

Free bike repair labor is generously provided by: Trek Bill’s Cyclery Chelsea Bicycles Cruz Bike Shop Hilltop Cycles NYC Velo Propel Bikes Recycle-A-Bicycle Ride Brooklyn Tread Bike Shop

RIDER ID KIT

Repair services can be found at these locations:

• •

•

•

• • •

Battery Park (Broadway & Battery Pl.) Bike repair zone (North-West corner of Canal St. & 6th Ave. / In front of Duarte Park) Bike repair zone (South-East corner of 52nd St. & 6th Ave.) Bike repair zone (East side of East Dr. & E 72nd St.) Bike repair zone (South-East corner of 110th St. & Adam Clayton Powell Blvd.)

Bronx Water Station (South-West corner of E 138th St. & 3rd Ave.) FDR Rest Area (North-West corner of Pleasant Ave. & 114th St.) Astoria Park Rest Area (Astoria Park South between 14th St. & 21st St.) Con Ed Learning Center Rest Area (Con Ed Learning Center Parking Lot on Vernon Blvd. between 43rd Ave. & 44th Ave.) Bike repair zone (South-East corner of Kent Ave. & N 14th St.) Bike repair zone (South side of Flushing Ave. between Clermont Ave. & Vanderbilt Ave. / In front of Propel Bikes Shop) Commodore Barry Rest Area (Flushing Ave. between N. Elliott Pl. & Navy St.) Brooklyn Bridge Park Water Station (On Furman St. between Old Fulton St. & Atlantic Ave.) Gowanus Water Station (Service Road between 81st St. & 82nd St.) Finish Line (Fort Wadsworth, Artillery Road Parking Lot) Bay Street Water Station (East side of Bay St. between Hyatt St. & Slosson Terrace / In front of USPS office)

The Rider Identification Kit (RIK) comprises a helmet cover, a bib, and a bike plate made from an environmentally friendly material called Ultra Green. In order to ride in the Tour, your bib must be pinned visibly on your torso and your bike plate must be attached to your handlebars.

Please do not discard your bib or bike plate at the Finish Festival.

FINISH FESTIVAL After conquering five boroughs and as many bridges, you will finish your day at Ft. Wadsworth. Once you arrive, pick up your TD Five Boro Bike Tour finisher medal, then kick back and relax before you head to the Staten Island Ferry.

Entertainment

Official Merchandise

Check out the live entertainment on the main stage and stop by exhibitors’ booths for great giveaways.

Get decked out in official Bike New York and TD Five Boro Bike Tour gear— we’ll have shirts, jerseys, water bottles, and much, much more. All proceeds go directly to funding our free bike education programs, so shop away!

First Aid Courtesy of Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and the New York City Fire Department Emergency Medical Service.

Photo Ops Get on stage and take a victory photo at the Finisher Photo Op presented by TD Bank.

Food & Drinks for Purchase We’re bringing in some of the best local food vendors to the Festival. After putting in that many miles, you’re gonna be hungry!

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Bike Repair Courtesy of Trek. Labor for basic repairs is free, but there’s a charge for parts (cash only). Be sure to bring some spare tubes with you.

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TIPS & FAQS

TIPS & FAQS

Bag Restrictions

Rules of the Road

What to Bring

Riding with Youths

• No bags with shoulder straps (including backpacks, messenger bags, hydration packs, and drawstring bags) • No panniers or bags that hang on the side of your bike

Wear your helmet. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Also:

• Your Rider Identification Kit

• A youth is anyone under the age of 18 on the day of the Tour.

• Have your RIK visible at all times: attach the bike plate to your handlebars and affix the bib to your outermost layer. You will be asked to leave the Tour if any element of your RIK is missing.

• Photo identification—you may be asked to show it

• No covered baskets • No bags over 420 cubic in. (6.9 L.)

• Respect other cyclists.

• Only human-powered bikes and pedalassist e-bikes are allowed in the Tour.

• A helmet—no ifs, ands, or buts about it!

• Cell phone* • Water bottles (you can refill them at Rest Areas and Water Stations along the route)** • Weather-appropriate clothing (be sure to check the forecast)

• Ride in a straight line. If changing lanes or pulling over, look first and then signal to show which way you’re planning to go. Use hand signals to indicate that you are slowing down, stopping, turning, or changing lanes.

• Sunscreen • Sunglasses • An extra bike tube; make sure it’s the same size as your current tubes, with the right valve—either Presta or Schrader

• Keep to the right; pass left.

(Call out “On your left” when passing another cyclist.)

• Patch kit in case of a flat • A smile!

• Move completely to the side of the road if stopping for any reason.

• Do not ride against the flow of the Tour.

• Do not use your cell phone while riding.

* If you are riding with a child who does not have a phone, please make sure to write your rider number, cell phone number and name on the back of your child’s bib.

• Maintain adequate distance between yourself and other cyclists—especially on downhills.

**Water bottles will not be provided.

• Control your speed and be prepared to slow down for congestion or road hazards.

• Make sure you and others in your team have stored important numbers and contact info on your phones, including that of someone not riding in the Tour, your hotel, your team members’ home and cell numbers, etc.

• Keep at least one hand on the handlebars at all times.

• Do not wear earbuds or headphones.

• Slow down when approaching a security checkpoint and make sure your complete RIK is visible.

• No photos on bridges or their access points. Your camera may be confiscated.

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Riding in a Team

• Each youth must be registered on the same team as a parent or guardian riding in the Tour.

• Adult to youth ratio must be 1:1.

No exceptions.

• Children under the age of 3 are not allowed on the Tour.

• Youths ages 3 to 9 must ride with an adult on a tandem bike, in a child’s seat, on a tag-along bike, or in a bike trailer. If you are towing a bike trailer, please keep to the right when going uphill.

• Youths ages 10 to 17 may ride their own bikes, but must remain in close proximity to the adult with whom they are registered.

• Plan ahead in case your group gets separated. Instruct youth riders to seek out a Marshal wearing either an orange or yellow vest, or a member of the NYPD, who will guide them to the nearest Information Tent where staff can communicate with Tour Command to reunite you.

• If you get separated from your team, continue to the next Rest Area and look for them there. Do not pull over to the side of the road to wait for them.

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ROUTE MAP Madison Ave. Bridge

125th St.

10

Legend

3rd Ave. Bridge

FDR Drive & 116th St.

Astoria Park

Bike Route

Astoria Blvd.

84th St.

5

Ferry Route

20

Mile Marker

Queensboro Bridge

36th Ave.

15

Con Ed Learning Center

Rest Area 34th St.

23rd St.

First Aid

14th St. N. 7th St.

Toilets

E. Houston St.

Canal St.

Entertainment Zone

East River

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LEGEND

Hudson River Franklin St.

Mile Marker Commodore Barry Park

Bike Repair

Atlantic Ave.

Volunteer Check-in

Brooklyn-Queens Expressway Governors Island

Ferry Route

First Aid Toilets

30

Water Station

Route

Cheer Zone Bike Repair Volunteer Check-in

Food

Gowanus Expressway

Fluid Station Food

Rest Area

Rest Area = 86th St.

= 40 35 Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge

Fort Wadsworth

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You conquered 40 miles of car-free streets alongside 32K riders from all corners of the world. Now it’s time to show off your hard-earned medal!

Share a celebratory pic of yourself and your medal on social media, and remember to tag it with #MedalMonday and #TDFBBT. We want to see your creativity shine! Extra points will be given for unique, humorous, or adorable medal photos. Need some inspiration? Check out our favorite shots from 2022!

SUNDAY, JUNE 25, 2023

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2023

bike.nyc/events

bike.nyc/events

Join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @BIKENEWYORK to keep up with our latest updates and announcements. And if you want to be featured in our feeds, tag your Tour weekend social media posts with #TDFBBT. Remember, capturing photos while you’re riding is not allowed, but there are plenty of opportunities to snap some awesome shots of your Tour experience off the saddle. Get snapping!

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2023 CHARITY PARTNERS

Bike New York thanks the following agencies, officials, organizations, bike shops, and sponsors for their support of the TD Five Boro Bike Tour.

The cyclists riding on behalf of these inspirational charities prove that the bicycle is a powerful tool to effect change.

Welcome, charity riders!

ALS Association Greater New York Chapter

Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (Team FARA)

American Cancer Society

Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research

American Liver Foundation Bike & Build The Blue Card, Inc. Boomer Esiason Foundation Bowery Residents’ Committee (BRC) Brielle Grace Breast Cancer Foundation Broadway Green Alliance BronxWorks CaringKind, the Heart of Alzheimer’s Caregiving Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation Children’s Tumor Foundation Clothes To Kids of Fairfield County, Inc Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Girls in Gear Good Shepherd Services HeartShare Human Services of New York Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation Hudson River Park Friends Inner City Handball Association Inc. Israel Cancer Research Fund Lighthouse Guild Literacy Partners The Livestrong Foundation LoveYourBrain Foundation Lung Cancer Research Foundation Lymphoma Research Foundation

debra of America

Make-A-Wish Metro New York and Western New York

DogsTrust USA

The Marty Lyons Foundation

The Foley Hoag Foundation

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation

City Government Officials

National Blood Clot Alliance National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (Team NOCC)

Federal Agencies

New York Cares

United State Coast Guard US Park Police

NYC Health + Hospitals

NYC Department of Transportation Ydanis Rodriguez, Commissioner

NYU Langone Health

NYC Police Department Keechant Sewell, Commissioner

Bill’s Cyclery

New York Legal Assistance Group

NYC Citywide Events Coordination & Management Dawn Tolson, Executive Director

One Fact Foundation Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy Partnership to End Addiction Planned Parenthood of Greater New York Red Door Community

Sanctuary for Families, Inc.

Sun River Health

Hilltop Bicycles

Ride Brooklyn

Tuesday’s Children Worldwide Orphans Foundation

NYC Department of Sanitation Jessica Tisch, Commissioner NYC Department of Emergency Management Zachary Iscol, Commissioner NYC Department of Environmental Protection Rohit Aggarwala, Commissioner

Bike New York is 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to transform lives and communities through bicycling. In 2018, we taught bike skills to more than 30,000 kids and adults. Funding for these programs comes from numerous annual events, including the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, Bike Expo New York, and regional events.

Cruz Bike Shop

NYC Department of Parks and Recreation Susan M. Donoghue, Commissioner

NYC Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit Fred Kreizman, Commissioner

YMCA of Greater New York

Chelsea Bicycles

NYC Velo

New York City Tourism + Conventions Fred Dixon, President & CEO

Sharsheret

Participating Bike Shops

NYC Fire Department Laura Kavanagh, Commissioner

NYC Citywide Events Coordination & Management Dawn Tolson, Executive Director

Ronald McDonald House New York

Central Park Conservancy Elizabeth W. Smith, President & CEO

Design by

Bloomberg National Park Service

The City of New York Eric Adams, Mayor

Supporting Sponsors

Propel Bikes Tread Bike Shop Trek

Con Edison Dole Flanzig & Flanzig

Title Sponsor

FulGaz Jamaica Hospital Medical Center Kryptonite MarathonFoto New Belgium

Presenting Sponsor SINCE 1983

NYU Langone Health Primal Wear Rockefeller Group

Benefiting

Trek Thule Unlimited Biking

Transportation Agencies NYC Department of Transportation Metropolitan Transportation Authority MTA New York City Transit MTA Bridges and Tunnels Metro-North Railroad NY State Department of Transportation Long Island Railroad PATH New Jersey Transit Port Authority of New York and New Jersey NY Waterway

Metropolitan Transportation Authority Janno Lieber, CEO

Visit www.bike.nyc for more information.

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@BikeNewYork #TDFBBT 61

Clean Energy.

Strong Communities.

Clean Path NY is investing in you, New York. With thousands of good-paying jobs and funding for workforce development and education, we’re working together toward a clean energy future.

Learn more at cleanpathny.com

GET RETRO LIMITED EDITION 45TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION

Recycle-A-Bicycle by the Numbers

1659

94

64

work orders

bikes donated to schools or other organizations

people trained through the Bike Path program

414

649

440

bikes sold

donations

bikes built for sale

OFFICIAL MERCHANDISE AVAILABLE AT PACKET PICKUP AND FINISH FESTIVAL

SHOP.BIKE.NYC

Learn more at www.recycleabicycle.nyc.

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2022 Environmental Impact Report for Recycle-A-Bicycle MATERIALS REUSED*

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT**

14,593

29.70

512

511.97

pounds of materials

total items

metric tons of CO2E

million BTUs

THIS EMISSIONS REDUCTION IS EQUIVALENT TO...

This data was prepared by donateNYC and fully funded by NYC Department of Sanitation. * Not all materials are currently classified in the Reuse Impact Calculator, so this may not be a complete representation of the total weight reused by the organization. ** Greenhouse gas emissions and energy savings were estimated using US EPA’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM) and US EPA’s Gas Equivalencies Calculator.

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