Okay, this has been driving me insane!! I ride from Astoria to Midtown a few days a week and the Queensboro Bridge path is just... chaos by 5:30. You get a mix of e-Citibikes doing 20 on the uphill, tourists stopped taking photos, joggers with earbuds, and the merge at the Manhattan side spiral is a total pinch point. I’ve tried waiting until after 6:45 and it’s marginally better, but then 1st Ave is a whole other thing with the delivery guys and the double-parked cars. Has anyone figured out the right timing, or is the move just to take the road lane on the bridge and accept your fate? I refuse to believe everyone just white-knuckles it every day!!

Not for nothing, that merge is the worst part of my commute. I was just reading the earlier thread "Halal cart after midnight: who’s still piling the plate high around 14th Street?" here: Halal cart after midnight: who’s still piling the plate high around 14th Street? — that’s the post-ride move. For the bridge, I just take 48th Ave to the path and don’t try to pass until after the first expansion joint. The Manhattan-side spiral is a lost cause between 5:15 and 6:30. If you’re on a regular bike, take the second crosswalk at 60th and go with the pedestrian wave instead of racing the turn lane.

Wait, is the path on the Queensboro two-way the entire way? I rode it once on a Sunday from Queens and I was terrified I was on the wrong side because everyone was coming at me near the Manhattan side. Also do the e-Citibikes actually have to slow down on the path? I almost got clipped by one passing me on the inside. Sorry if these are dumb questions, I just started riding in from Sunnyside!

big_city_beth, it is two-way the whole way, but the signs are honestly terrible. The path is shared, not split by direction, so yes, you’ll have people coming at you. The Queens side entrance near Queens Plaza North is easy to miss; the Manhattan side puts you on 60th between 1st and 2nd, and the spiral ramp is where it bunches up because you have bikes trying to pass, pedestrians, and people walking Citibikes. On a regular bike, my advice is to not try to pass on the climb. Let the e-bikes go. On the descent into Manhattan, get over to the right and take the second light at 60th if you’re going south on 1st, because the first crosswalk is where cars make the turn onto 1st and they’re looking at the queued cars, not you. If you’re coming from Sunnyside, I’d try Skillman to 48th Ave and then the bridge, not Queens Blvd, especially at rush hour. And to BagelCrumb’s point, I wouldn’t take a lane on the bridge. There’s no bike lane on the roadway and the drivers are not expecting you. You’re better off timing the path to 6:30 or later if your job lets you flex, and using 59th St on the Manhattan side instead of 60th to get over to 2nd Ave.

astoria_arch THIS is the breakdown I needed!! Have you tried the 59th St cut over to 2nd Ave at around 6:15? I keep getting stuck behind people walking Citibikes at the base of the spiral. I need to try Skillman to 48th Ave though. I’ve been doing Queens Blvd and it’s like riding in a wind tunnel full of truck mirrors!!! Also, what do you do about the e-bike guys on the downhill who pass on the right while you’re trying to signal? It’s like they have zero awareness! Has anyone tried taking the 61st St exit? Is that even a thing or am I imagining it?

Lol 61st St exit is not a thing unless you’re on the FDR. Don’t do it. I just keep my head on a swivel and let the e-bikes buzz. The real killer is the light at 60th and 1st, I’ve seen three near T-bones this month. If you’re heading downtown, I’d actually turn left on 60th and then right on 2nd, but only if you’re confident taking the lane for half a block. Otherwise just wait out the crosswalk.

From Queens side, if the bridge is a total mess, I sometimes just loop through the Pulaski and take the Greenpoint Ave bridge, but that adds too much time for me. I’m with Flatbush_Fi, the 60th/1st intersection is the worst part. The city painted the bike box but nobody respects it. If you’re on a Citi e-bike, don’t be the person passing in the spiral. And no, jumping the light isn’t the move. I’ve just started walking my bike down that last section when it’s jammed.

New to this route. Does the path actually close at night? I’ve heard people say it’s locked after 10 p.m. but I don’t know if that’s real. Also what’s the deal with the green paint on 1st Ave, is that for bikes only or for the bus? Sorry if this is basic, still figuring it out. Big thanks for the 48th Ave tip!

bronx_newbie, the path isn’t locked at 10, but it gets real dark and the crowds thin out, so if you’re solo I’d carry lights and not take it too late. The green paint on 1st is a bike box and short bike lane through the intersection; the bus stop is on the other side, so when a bus is there you have to merge into the travel lane. That’s why the 60th St crossing feels so chaotic. My current routine if I can’t leave before 5:15: take 48th Ave to the bridge, keep right on the descent, walk the last 30 feet if the spiral is clogged, then use the second crosswalk and take the protected lane on 1st down to 56th before cutting over. It’s not fast, but it’s predictable. One caveat: check for construction on the path before you go. I’ve been detoured to the Pulaski twice this spring.