Okay I know this gets debated constantly but I have to ask: for anyone riding from Greenpoint to the LES/Canal area after work, do you take the Manhattan Bridge south side path? I used to always do the north side because I was told the south side is “pedestrian chaos,” but the last two times I tried it the surface felt smoother?? And the view is incredible!! But the tourists just STOP in the middle to take photos of the Manhattan skyline and I nearly clipped a kid in a stroller.

Is the south side actually two-way for bikes, or are we technically supposed to walk it? I don’t even know anymore!! Also the approach on the Brooklyn side off Sands/Jay is such a mess right now. Have you tried using the bike entrance by the Brooklyn-side staircase at Prospect St? I need someone to settle this!!

I ride this multiple times a week and the short answer is: the south side is pedestrian-only. It’s signed that way at the Brooklyn end, though the signage is easy to miss because the ramp is right there and looks like a multimodal path. Bikes are supposed to be on the north side, which is two-way and narrow, with blind corners around the bridge columns and some rough expansion joints. If you ride the south side and hit someone, even a pedestrian who stops dead for a photo, you’re going to have a hard time explaining it.

The north side entrance isn’t the Prospect St staircase—that’s the pedestrian ramp. For bikes coming from Greenpoint, the most reliable route is to work your way through DUMBO to Jay St and Sands, then use the ramp on the north side near the bus turnaround under the bridge. It’s ugly and not super well marked, but it puts you on the correct path.

Once on the north side, I treat it like a short but unpredictable stretch: moderate speed, bell at the columns, and no passing in the middle third. The downhill into Manhattan in the evening can be busy with reverse commuters, and people do drift into the center because the path feels like a shared sidewalk. Dusk is fine with lights, but I’d skip the south side even if Google suggests it. Google Maps specifically routes bikes up there sometimes, and it’s wrong.

For your Chinatown exit, stay off Canal as long as you can. The exit ramp drops you near Chrystie/Canal and it’s easy to get pushed into the bus lane. A calmer option is to use Division St to Madison, then pick up Allen. Not perfect, but less chaotic.

Wait, the south side really is pedestrian-only? I rode over it twice last month because Google kept putting me there and I just figured it was shared. It did feel wrong—everyone was walking and I got a few looks. I’m still new to bridge crossings. So if I’m coming from Bay Ridge and heading into Chinatown, I should go over the north side via Jay St? Is that ramp hard to find? I’d rather get lost a little than be that person on the wrong path again.

Omg the south side at sunset is a magnet for tripods and selfies!! But the real move is after the bridge, not on it—have you tried using the Division Street cut-through to avoid the Canal/Chrystie bus mess? It dumps you almost directly onto Madison and then you can pick up the buffered lane. I love the Manhattan Bridge at night, but only if you treat the columns like doorways—slow, bell, wait for someone to come around.

And for the expansion joints: if you ride to the right of the path right before the first two metal plates, you miss the worst of the wheel-eating gaps!! Have you tried that? It changed my commute completely!

@astoria_arch THANK YOU for confirming the south side is pedestrian-only. I swear the city needs a giant sign at Prospect St because I saw three other Citibikes go up that way the same evening!! @DykerNewbie don’t feel bad—Google absolutely does route bikes up there, it’s a known thing, and the first time I did it I also thought it was shared space.

@DumboSunset YES the Division Street cut-through is life-changing! I did it yesterday and avoided the whole Bowery/Canal scrum. Have you tried the Allen Street southbound lane right after the bridge? It feels sketchy for one block around Hester because of the parked cars, but then it smooths out. For the joints, I found if you shift your weight back and unweight the saddle right before the metal plate, the hit is way softer—maybe even better than hugging right!

One small correction to my earlier post: the north-side path is signed as two-way for bikes, but it isn’t divided except for paint in a few spots, so ride predictably and don’t assume the pedestrian-looking person at the railing won’t step backward into your line. I’ve also found that hugging the right works for the first expansion joint, but greenpoint_guy is right that unweighting the saddle matters. If you’re on a Citi Bike, the extra weight actually helps you stay planted, but the wider tires can catch the joint lips differently.

DykerNewbie, from Bay Ridge I’d come up 4th Ave to Atlantic or use the waterfront if you have time, then connect to Jay St. The bike ramp for the north side is near the bus turnaround on Sands—not the prettiest spot, but if you see stairs or an arched pedestrian gate you’re on the wrong side. Once you do it twice, it sticks.