Driving out, bicycling to work is in (From the NY Dailynews)

The NY Dailynews

BY DANIEL WILCOX
DAILY NEWS WRITER

Tuesday, June 17th 2008, 10:18 AM

As driving becomes more expensive, commuters are going from being stuck in traffic to dodging traffic.

Gas prices have made pedaling bicycles to work an attractive alternative to driving. John Swoffard, of New Brighton, Staten Island, said he has noticed a lot more two-wheel commuters on the ferry.

"It's definitely the high gas prices," said Swoffard, 52, who has been biking to his information technology job in midtown since 2001. "We saw the same thing with the subway strike, all these people riding their kid's bikes."

The ranks of bikers has increased 75% citywide since 2000, with 110,000 daily commuters at the beginning of this year, according to Transportation Alternatives.

"The annual costs of a car in New York City are $5,500, versus $263 for a bicycle," noted group spokesman Wiley Norvell, adding that the figure doesn't include gas.

Bicycle shops said business is rolling.

"We've seen much more stuff selling that would fall into the commuter category," said Charlie McCorkell, owner of Bicycle Habitat in Soho.

Bicycle sales are up 5% this year, compared with an 11% drop in car sales, according to a report by Merrill Lynch.

If fear of $5-a-gallon gas is pushing commuters to pedal, the city is doing its part to facilitate the trend. The Department of Transportation plans to add another 200 miles of bike lanes in the city before 2009, including a Ninth Ave. bike lane with barriers.

The easier the city makes it to bike, the more people will do it, Norvell said. "If you build it, they will come," he insisted.