While the ride in was peaceful and quiet, last night on the way home I had a minor accident–I, and the person I hit are OK, but here’s what happened: a pedestrian decided he was going to jaywalk through the cars on Canal street.  He cut from in front of an SUV and jumped right in front of your humble cyclist who was moving at a decent clip through traffic. I managed to scream "HEH, WATCHOUT!!!" and  I was able to slow down, but my shoulder slammed into his torso.  He said "sorry," and hobbled along.  Other than mashing my ankle into the crank, and a bruise, I’m none the worse for the wear.  Day one was fun, and I started to think that heh, I could be commuting by bike all through the winter, but the real reason I ride indoors is not the temperature–sure it’s cold, but I’m not outside that long and get pretty warm once moving–the reason not to ride is that it gets dark early and it’s harder to see and be seen.  I am having second thoughts about riding in today–both the pedestrian and I got pretty lucky.  I understand that folks get impatient but, we would all do well to allow a little extra time and slow down.  I am saying that for me as much as my fellow New Yorkers.  Be safe out there.

Rode my bike in this AM to avery the chaos of the NYC transit strike.  Wore extra layers and lobster claw gloves to cope with the cold.  Here are a few observations:

* Lots of traffic over Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges–especially pedestrian foot traffic.
* Lower manhattan was eerily quiet–like an early Sunday morning.
* Serious congestion around New York Penn Station. 
* Cabbies are picking up multiple fares–be careful of pedestrians!
* Bike lanes were well marked.
* There were lots of fellow cyclists out there, skateboarders, and folks on scooters.
* Serious traffic coming down broadway–seemed like gridlock. 

Commute photos