LarryS

Does anyone know if the shore parkway bike path currently goes from Flatbush Avenue to Canarsie and Howard Beach. I rode it from Sheepshead Bay a few weeks ago and could not see where it continued from Flatbush Ave. I wound taking the streets to Canarsie but I was just curious. The other thread on this subject is a bit old considering all the construction that seems to be going on there.

PS: I'm an expatriated Brooklynite, otherwise I would try it again with a bit more patience.

Thanks

Steve B.

LarryS

Thanks for your answer.

Google maps showed the best bicycle route from Emmons Ave. to Canarsie was on the Streets and not on the bicycle path. Another search showed that the best route from Plumb beach to Canarsie was the bike path to Flatbush Ave and the streets to Canarsie. This didn't stop me from taking the Shore Parkway Bike since Google Maps does not always show the best route, but it might explain why I didn't try harder at Flatbush Ave. Coming back from Canarsie Pier I must have taken the Canarsie Park path to Paerdegat Ave. instead the Shore Parkway path.

Thanks Again!
Larry

zacster

It is a continuous path from Emmons Ave all the way to Howard Beach. At Flatbush Ave you cross Flatbush (and maybe the traffic light is working again) and just follow along back down to alongside the parkway as you can see in the satellite view above. Most of the construction is complete and they kept it open through the construction in any case. You have to watch out for some things though, snakes, turtles and broken shells. I hit a snake once, and not a small one either, and not more than 5 minutes later almost hit a turtle. The shells are the real problem though as they are sharp and could potentially slice a tire.

LarryS

I didn't even notice a traffic light at Flatbush when I was there, which might have been my 66 year old eyes. Had I noticed the light I probably would have crossed Flatbush to see if I could find it. At least I accomplished my primary purpose of riding around my old stomping grounds of Canarsie and Sheepshead Bay. Hopefully I'll get to try again. The North And South County trails in Westchester are great (if they ever get repaved) , but I do miss the flatness and distinct neighborhoods of Brooklyn.

Thanks

zacster

I've done the ride from Brewster down to the city on the N/S County trails and they are pretty flat too. The thing is that I always do the ride going south because I'm coming back from the Berkshires and my wife just drops me at the trail. And when you are going south, there are a few minor uphills at the start, then it is a steady slight downhill. You feel like you're having a great day of riding and you are super strong but the reality is different.

As for that traffic light, you need to follow the trail and stay off the old sidewalk to get to it. I know that it is a bit confusing right there. At the bottom of the pic you can see the trail split, you go to the right and it leads to the light.

LarryS

Thanks for the information.
I don't know if I'll make it back to Brooklyn soon but if I do I'll have additional information to use.
Friday Dec. 21st or even Thursday would have been good days, but they look like wash outs.

Thanks All
Larry

zacster

I went by there today on my bike and the light is working. The guy riding in front of me got to Flatbush Ave and instead of crossing at the light he went across at the sidewalk. It looked dangerous to me. I myself was going north on Flatbush and not continuing out along the Belt, nor going south towards Rockaway so I didn't go to the light.

Steve B.

Possibly the other rider didn't know there's a "safe" crossing at the light ?.

On occasion, I will do my commute down the "sidewalk" on the west side of Flatbush from Hendrickson Place (across from Kings Plaza) down to the Belt. I find it dangerous to ride Flatbush, north or south, from the Belt to Kings Plaza, though I see riders do it occasionally. I wish they would do some traffic calming and make the right lanes as bike lanes, but the Belt/Flatbush merge area is a dangerous location to be on a bike, as I'd doubt cars would be yielding to bikes. Maybe best on the sidewalk.

zacster

I took the sidewalk, I wasn't about to go into that traffic. For the NYC Century most riders take the street as it is early Sunday and there is some safety in numbers.

LarryS

Finally made it back to Brooklyn, five months later than I intended.
This time I took Metronorth, rode to 14th Street and took the Canarsie Line to Rockaway Parkway instead of driving to Plumb Beach. I started many a day intending to do this trip but wound up doing something else. Who doesn't like a 2-1/2 hour commute?
After a little riding in Canarsie I rode through Canarsie Park from Paerdegat Street to Canarsie Pier. As mentioned elsewhere this allows you to avoid Rockaway Parkway. I then rode to Howard Beach back to Sheepshead Bay, Coney Island to Bay Parkway where I rode to the Pier and took the ferry to Wall Street. I intended to take a ferry to 34th Street but the lines were so big I rode up to 34th Street and Grand Central Station.
As mentioned on other threads, NYC did do a great job on the S/B to H/B section. This 8 mile section had only 2 road crossings. The crossing at Flatbush had a light which made it easy and the one at Canarsie was also easy and could be totally avoided by riding around the pier. The pavement was new so it was obviously in great condition.
The pavement on the Bay Parkway - Bay Ridge Pier section seemed to be a lot better than it was almost 2 years ago. It didn't seem to have the cracks and small pot holes it had back then. Unfortunately this section is only 5 miles but I found it much more enjoyable than the West Side Greenway. Its just as beautiful but far easier to ride. In fairness to the West Side Greenway, the North End isn't nearly as crowded as the South End.
The East section isn't as interesting but you have the option of taking one of the bridges to Reis Park or to the Rockaways which makes it easy to get to Long Island.

arbee

Comparison to the West Side pedpath is timely but partly flawed.

Timely: After a few years of dithering, in Manhattan's Riverside Park, between approximately 72nd St and 83rd Streets, NYC's Parks Dept is forcing people riding bikes east from flat wide path adjacent to the river upland to a narrow hilly ill-maintained unlighted goat track. The bone-headed rational: conflicts between people riding bikes and people on foot. Bone-headed: both groups will still cross each others' paths despite the new bone-headed (there's that word again) arrangement. And this new bone-headed arrangement has already led to accidents.

Partly flawed: The Bay Ridge pedpath has two segments. Unlike Manhattan's R'side Park, between Owl's Head Park and the VZB, there are only two potential conflict zones (80th St & 92nd St) between people riding bikes and people on foot. Landings of both 80th St & 92nd St bridges / ramps are in line with the benches, minimizing conflict. Contrast / compare: between the VZB and Bensonhurst Park, the Shore Pkwy pedpath (like Manhattan's West Side pedpath) is a continuous conflict zone. Actually, between the VZB and Bensonhurst Park, the Bkln pedpath ia far worse. In addition to pedestrians and people riding bicycles, Brooklyn's path has motor bikes. And zero enforcement.

Worth adding because it might avoid additional deaths (There's been one of which I'm aware): riding a bicycle at night on the pedpath between Owl's Head Park and the VZB is delightful. Continuing to Bensonhurst Park has its challenges, but it's still enjoyable. Riding this route in the other direction at night is perilous. Where the path narrows approaching the VZB, headlights from adjacent oncoming motor traffic will blind you.

zacster

The biggest problem with the new west side detour is the grade of the hills. Your ordinary rider just can't go up a 7.5% grade with ease. On my way back from the GWB, a couple on citibikes were wobbling up and then the woman fell over. I was clipped in and had a hard time avoiding her and almost fell over myself. And then at the road it is not clear at all where the bikes should be and someone is going to get hit head on by a car coming around the blind circle.

arbee

I'm cudgeling my memory, searching for a word to describe this; searching... searching...

Ah! Bone-headed!

Specific to Citibikes on this segment of Manhattan's Westside pedpath, when Citibike expanded its initial footprint to include the Upper Left Side, I frequently visited an elderly relative near the northernmost Citibike station on R'side Drive. This meant that northbound, by choice, I frequently biked the steep segment approaching the 79th St Rotunda. Knowing what was in front of me, it was never a challenge, but the key phrase is "knowing what was in front of me".

Contrasting / comparing, if exiting or re-entering the Westside pedpath at 79th St wasn't my itinerary — if I were a daily commuter riding a bicycle through this segment — I'd see this new bone-headed policy as explicitly and intentionally discouraging bicycle commuting.

LarryS

My comments were strictly an off the remark about my own personal experience and was not intended as a real comparison. I lived in Brooklyn for 50 years, but have been away for 17 which puts me in the "tourist" category.

If the above rerouting is on the Greenway itself, then whoever made that decision should be elected to The Bonehead Hall of Shame. A 7 1/2% grade is pretty serious for many of us, including me. Other than the hill at the north end The Greenway was pancake flat.

WOW: I just had a great idea, RUMBLE STICKS to slow everything down.