Five Boro Tour returns, promising cyclists and spectators

Tour path takes over highways for 32,000 bikers of all ages

May 21, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

Eagle file photo by Lore Croghan

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With Broadway lighting up its marquees and concert venues opening their doors, the latest sign of recovery is that the TD Five Boro Bike Tour will once again welcome bike riders and spectators along its route in western Brooklyn, as well as the other four boroughs, on its new date of Sunday, Aug. 22.

“Preparations are underway for the 43rd edition of the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, and we couldn’t be more excited,” said Ken Podziba, president and CEO of Bike New York, the non-profit organization that organizes and promotes the yearly bike tour.

In the past, the Brooklyn route has begun at the Pulaski Bridge, where cyclists ride south from Queens; proceeds on local streets in Greenpoint, Williamsburg and the Navy Yard area; goes into Downtown Brooklyn, the Cadman Plaza area and the Brooklyn Bridge Park area. The route finally enters and proceeds down the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and onto the Verrazzano Bridge, on which cyclists proceed to Staten Island.

The event typically has drawn up to 32,000 riders annually and opens 40 miles of NYC’s busiest roadways for recreation, at least for a day

“New York City is proud to celebrate the cycling boom—and the return of iconic events that highlight great neighborhoods in all five boroughs—by welcoming the TD Five Boro Bike Tour this summer,” said New York City Senior Advisor for Recovery Lorraine Grillo. “We look forward to welcoming locals and tourists alike to enjoy a safe, exciting event this year.”

“Given the pivotal role that bikes have played in protecting the health, wellness, and safety of New Yorkers through the pandemic — especially for essential workers commuting to their jobs — it feels right that bikes will also play a part in powering New York City’s economic revitalization,” Podziba said.

The TD Five Boro Bike Tour is a fundraising event for Bike New York, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to provide free bike education opportunities to New Yorkers. Proceeds from the ride fund public classes that reach over 25,000 children and adults each year, with special focus given to improving cycling access and resources to residents of neighborhoods historically overlooked in infrastructure improvements.