Rode from Greenpoint to Court Square this morning for the fifth day in a row. The bike path itself is fine — no complaints about the surface, and I'll take it over McGuinness any morning. But the amount of joggers, strollers, and phone-walkers in the green lane is kind of wild. I ring my bell, half the time they don't hear me or they step left into the passing lane. Then there's a guy on a throttle bike coming the wrong way and I'm just coasting at 5 mph.

I don't want to be the guy yelling at a parent with a stroller. But if I'm on a bike path, I feel like keeping right shouldn't be a big ask. Is 8:15 just the worst time, or is there an easier way across? Do I need a louder bell? A different entrance? Or just accept it's a shared path in practice?

I just did this for the first time last Sunday on a Citi Bike. I saw the green path and the little walkway on the other side, but a couple with a stroller was walking straight at me, and I honestly thought I was in their spot. So I walked it over the bridge. Is the bike side separate or just suggested? And do people get mad if you ride slow?

Welcome, DykerNewbie. To your question: the bike side is separated, but the separation is only a low curb and a lot of paint, so it's legally separate in name more than enforcement. Pedestrians are supposed to use the east sidewalk, and people on bikes are supposed to use the west cycle track. The engineering problem is the entrances at both ends—especially on the Queens side, the ramp to the pedestrian sidewalk sort of merges with the bike path exit, so if you're not moving at jogging speed you'll end up in the wrong lane.

I've commuted over it for years. 8:15 is definitely peak bad. If you can shift to 7:45 or 9:15, you lose most of the jogging strollers but gain more delivery traffic, which I find easier to read.

Practical advice: get a bell with a sharp sound and ring once from far away, not when you're already six feet behind. Say 'passing on your left' in a calm voice. Don't pass a stroller if there's a runner coming the other way—just wait. Also, if you're walking a Citi Bike because you got spooked, please use the pedestrian side; a stopped bike in the bike lane becomes an obstacle.

I don't think it will be fully solved until the city separates the approaches. Until then, treat it as a low-speed mixed path and plan an extra two minutes.

I moved here from Ohio and I'm still learning. I walked my bike on the bridge the first time too. Which side is the pedestrian side? If I'm coming from Greenpoint and I get scared halfway, can I just hop off and walk on the bike path? I don't want people to yell at me. Also, do the Citi Bike e-bikes handle the ramp okay? I almost dropped one once.

People are gonna walk in the bike lane no matter what. I used to try to educate, now I just bell, say 'on your left,' and roll. If you're walking a Citi Bike, please just get to the pedestrian side—nobody's judging, but you're basically a parked car in the bike lane. For the wrong-way delivery guys, I hug the right and let them do their dumb pass. Beats getting doored on McGuinness any day.

Good intel. astoria_arch, the entrance thing makes sense—I was coming in from Ash St and noticed the Queens side ramp is a disaster zone. I already leave at 8:05 but maybe I'll chug coffee earlier and hit it by 7:40.

EastHarlem_E, yeah I'm close to giving up on education too. This morning I rang at a runner with headphones, got zero reaction, and just waited behind her for a block. Feels dumb but also not trying to buzz a person.

Long-time Pulaski rider here. I'll add a few things to astoria_arch's good summary. The afternoon westbound crossing is worse than the morning because the sun is in people's eyes and the Brooklyn-side ramp sends pedestrians down a diagonal chute that feels natural to walk, so they'll drift into the bike lane mid-step. I treat the last fifty feet before the Brooklyn exit as a full stop zone if there's any jogger or stroller around.

On bells: I use a loud bell plus a spoken 'bike left.' Not shouting, just enough to cut through podcasts. Don't rely on a bell from behind—people don't register direction well.

If you're on a Citi Bike, especially the e-bike, remember they're heavier. A slow wobble on the bridge at 8 a.m. isn't a crime, but take the pedestrian path if you're walking.

Last thing: I've never seen police or DOT out there giving warnings, so the sign is only as good as the next person's headphones. You're not going to fix it. Save your energy. I'd rather lose two minutes behind a stroller than try to thread a gap and clip a toddler.

For DykerNewbie and MovedFromOhio: yes, the e-bikes handle the ramp fine, but brake before the turns, not during.

Thanks soho_sarah and astoria_arch. I tried again this morning and stayed on the bike path. Rang early, said 'passing left,' and it actually worked. The Ash St entrance is confusing but I made it. Still walked the last little bit at the Brooklyn exit because there were like three joggers. Nobody yelled. Maybe next week I'll try the full thing.