Tens of thousands of cyclists will stream through 40 miles of city streets this Sunday, May 5, for the 42nd Annual TD Five Boro Bike Tour.
The car-free tour kicks off in Lower Manhattan, then heads north through Central Park and Harlem into the Bronx. From there it goes south along the FDR Drive, into Queens, then Brooklyn — and finally over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Staten Island.
The expansive ride will cause street closures throughout the city. Here in Brooklyn, most of the mileage happens on the BQE from Columbia Street to the Verrazzano, but there will be closures between Columbia Street and the Brooklyn Bridge ramp. That means traffic around Kent Avenue, Franklin Street and Flushing Avenue, and clogged streets in DUMBO and Downtown Brooklyn.
A portion of the mostly useless route map distributed by the 5 Boro Bike Tour’s organizers.
Though the ride kicks off at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m., streets are closed at the NYPD’s discretion. So once riders sweep through an area, the asphalt is open again to non-participants. For Brooklyn, that will mean closures in north Brooklyn beginning in the late morning, and the Verrazzano in the afternoon.
Here’s the full list of closures across the city:
Brooklyn:
McGuiness Boulevard between Pulaski Bridge and Greenpoint Avenue
Java Street between McGuiness Boulevard and Franklin Street
Greenpoint Avenue between McGuiness Boulevard and Franklin Street
Franklin Street between Java Street and Kent Avenue
Kent Avenue between Java Street and Williamsburg Street West
Williamsburg Street West between Kent Avenue and Flushing Avenue
Flushing Avenue between Williamsburg Street West and Navy Street North
Elliot Place between Flushing Avenue and Park Avenue
Navy Street between Flushing Avenue and York Street
York Street between Navy Street and Gold Street
Gold Street between York Street and Front Street
Front Street between Gold Street and Old Fulton Street
Old Fulton Street between Furman Street and Prospect Street
Cadman Plaza West between Prospect Street and Tillary Street
Tillary Street between Cadman Plaza West and Adams Street
Brooklyn Bridge Promenade between Tillary Street and Centre Street
Furman Street between Old Fulton Street and Atlantic Avenue
Joralemon Street between Furman Street and Atlantic Avenue
Atlantic Avenue between Furman Street and Columbia Street
Columbia Street between Atlantic Avenue and BQE West Entrance
Columbia Street BQE/Gowanus Expy between BQE West Entrance
SUNSET PARK — “As a resident of Marine Park, one of the great surprises I found biking around Industry City and visiting Japan Village was to discover Bush Terminal Park. I continue to be amazed at the serene hideaways that the city offers in some of the busiest places — and, still, with an iconic view.”
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — ‘A miracle that no one was killed …’ That’s what neighbors are saying about the collapse of the Hotel St. George marquee. Shown in this photograph are workmen beginning the removal and repair of the historic, old neon sign at the corner, referencing a relic of Brooklyn Heights’ past: the St. George Hotel.
ATLANTIC AVENUE — Exhausted shopper with cluster of bags and goods from mall at Boerum Place stops to look at huge construction site across the street. “Is that REALLY going to be a jail??” Her male companion is reassuring, “Nothing like Rikers … this is 21st Century.”
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — Overheard in line at one of most popular pastry outlets on Montague Street: “Hope I can get them into a camp …” A mother with two pre-schoolers in tow was showing a friend the Dodge Y flyer for Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, April 18.
