# Bicycle access on NY state highways **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 11, 2009, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bicycle-access-on-ny-state-highways/480767 "2009-01-11T05:17:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![copperwindow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@copperwindow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/copperwindow)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bicycle-access-on-ny-state-highways/480767/1 "2009-01-11T05:17:54Z")
Am I allowed to ride a bicycle on the Bear Mountain State Parkway on route 35 in New York? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bicycle-access-on-ny-state-highways/480767/2 "2009-01-11T05:37:02Z")
Edited title to indicate question. **Copperwindow** , please try to make your thread titles a bit clearer. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![copperwindow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@copperwindow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/copperwindow)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bicycle-access-on-ny-state-highways/480767/3 "2009-01-11T05:43:35Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Edited title to indicate question. > > **Copperwindow** , please try to make your thread titles a bit clearer. > > Colibri > General Questions Moderator Well, there are several places that I want to know if I can bike on. I asked how to phrase the question in ATMB and Ed suggested I have all of the places I want to know in one thread. How do you suppose I phrase it? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bicycle-access-on-ny-state-highways/480767/4 "2009-01-11T05:53:00Z")
See [https://www.nysdot.gov/transportation-partners/nys-transportation-federation/permits/ny-permits/repository/tour\_route.pdf](https://www.nysdot.gov/transportation-partners/nys-transportation-federation/permits/ny-permits/repository/tour_route.pdf) (caveat doc is from 1994) Pages 65 and 69 seem to indicate some portions have a bikeway. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bicycle-access-on-ny-state-highways/480767/5 "2009-01-11T05:54:11Z")
> [@copperwindow](#): > > Well, there are several places that I want to know if I can bike on. I asked how to phrase the question in ATMB and Ed suggested I have all of the places I want to know in one thread. How do you suppose I phrase it? Your original title was “Am I allowed to ride a bicycle on…”, which is much too vague, and in any case you only asked about one locality in this thread. Ed suggested you ask something like “Best cycling routes in Michigan” or something along those lines, so you are not really following his suggestion. Here I would suggest something like “Cycling routes in New York,” if that’s where your main location is. However, if what you are seeking is general advice about good cycling routes, I think you might be better off starting a thread in IMHO than in GQ. ---
**Author:** ![copperwindow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@copperwindow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/copperwindow)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bicycle-access-on-ny-state-highways/480767/6 "2009-01-11T06:23:11Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Your original title was “Am I allowed to ride a bicycle on…”, which is much too vague, and in any case you only asked about one locality in this thread. Ed suggested you ask something like “Best cycling routes in Michigan” or something along those lines, so you are not really following his suggestion. > > Here I would suggest something like “Cycling routes in New York,” if that’s where your main location is. However, if what you are seeking is general advice about good cycling routes, I think you might be better off starting a thread in IMHO than in GQ. I’m not interested in dopers opinion on what’s a good cycling route, I want to know if I’m permitted by law. New York seems to be my main location, so how do I change the title? ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bicycle-access-on-ny-state-highways/480767/7 "2009-01-11T12:57:22Z")
> [@copperwindow](#): > > New York seems to be my main location, so how do I change the title? How 'bout something like: “New York highway bicycle access rules” ? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bicycle-access-on-ny-state-highways/480767/8 "2009-01-11T16:56:17Z")
> [@copperwindow](#): > > I’m not interested in dopers opinion on what’s a good cycling route, I want to know if I’m permitted by law. New York seems to be my main location, so how do I change the title? I’ll edit it for you. However, your OP still only asks about one route. I would suggest that in your next post you provide at least a short list of other routes you might be interested in order for this thread to be a bit more productive. It would help if you gave us some idea of how many routes you are thinking of asking about, and over what time period. If you know of a dozen you are interested in right now, ask in this thread. If on the other hand you are only likely to want to know about one specific route per month, it might be better to start a specific thread on each one rather than bumping this one whenever a new route occurs to you. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bicycle-access-on-ny-state-highways/480767/9 "2009-01-11T17:10:10Z")
As a general rule, one is allowed to operate a bicycle in New York State on any public right-of-way that is not either signed for prohibition of bicyclists or specified in state law as being, individually or as a member of a defined class of roadway, as closed to bicycling. I believe the limited-access interstate highways are so defined, and there are toll bridges that mandate walking a bicycle across (as opposed to riding it). There may be congested parkways and such downstate that are signed and/or specified in law. But in general you can bike on any roadway not prohibited to bicyclists. (This is spelled out in the Vehicle and Traffic Law somehwere.) ---
**Author:** ![copperwindow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@copperwindow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/copperwindow)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bicycle-access-on-ny-state-highways/480767/10 "2009-02-22T08:40:07Z")
What about route 9 north of Ossning where it turns into highway? Also, my friend claims that when he hike on the Appalation Trail, he must cross the Taconic. Is this true, or did he go the wrong way? ---
**Author:** ![CWN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc79bd/32.png) [@CWN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CWN)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bicycle-access-on-ny-state-highways/480767/11 "2009-02-22T15:38:07Z")
> [@copperwindow](#): > > What about route 9 north of Ossning where it turns into highway? Also, my friend claims that when he hike on the Appalation Trail, he must cross the Taconic. Is this true, or did he go the wrong way? I would say no, in that portion of the road take 9a (it runs parallel to 9) ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bicycle-access-on-ny-state-highways/480767/12 "2009-02-22T16:03:59Z")
> [@copperwindow](#): > > Am I allowed to ride a bicycle on the Bear Mountain State Parkway on route 35 in New York? I can’t tell exactly what the rule is. From the NYDOT website: > [@](#): > > Bicyclists have the legal right to share the road on most public highways, but it is prohibited on interstate highways and expressways (Sec. 1229-a of the Vehicle and Traffic Law and Sec. 316 of the Highway Law). In addition, authorities with jurisdiction over other controlled-access highways may prohibit bicycles (Sec. 109, and Sec. 1621(a)(2), 1641(1) and 1660(12)). Localities often prohibit bicycling on sidewalks. However, some local ordinances do permit children to bicycle on sidewalks. For your safety and that of pedestrians, however, you should avoid busy city sidewalks whether or not restricted by law. I’m somewhat familiare with that stretch of road, though, and it doesn’t look very bicycle-friendly. There are long stretches with no shoulder at all (or at least no paved shoulder). There are few exit points. ---
**Author:** ![copperwindow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@copperwindow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/copperwindow)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bicycle-access-on-ny-state-highways/480767/13 "2009-02-27T17:15:00Z")
Do people hiking on the Appalation Trail have to run across the Taconic Parkway in Duchess county to get past it? ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bicycle-access-on-ny-state-highways/480767/14 "2009-02-27T19:58:32Z")
> [@copperwindow](#): > > Do people hiking on the Appalation Trail have to run across the Taconic Parkway in Duchess county to get past it? No. [QUOTE=[http://www.nynjtc.org/trails/AT/index.html](http://www.nynjtc.org/trails/AT/index.html)] The trail crosses under the Taconic on Miller Hill Road. [/QUOTE]