Descrição

I'm a Roosevelt Island resident. I'm also an avid bicyclist -- and I have a suggestion. It's great that a lane is set aside for cyclists crossing the bridge into Queens. But it would be helpful if the bridge's metal grill were covered by some sort of mat. You may not be aware of this, but -- when it rains -- metal-grill bridges are like sheets of ice if you're a cyclist, especially if you're on a road bike with thin tires. I was reminded of this two Sundays ago: My son and I were crossing the bridge on our bicycles early on Sunday morning, after the rain had stopped, and as soon as we hit the metal grill, we both started sliding. We immediately got off our bikes and walked them across.

All this could have been far worse if we were going faster. But I knew enough to be careful -- thanks to an accident earlier this year. On March 6, while riding in New Jersey during the rain, I hit a similar metal-grill bridge. My bike slipped out from under me and I ended up with a broken shoulder blade, a dislocated finger and a hand that had to be surgically repaired.

My suggestion: If you can't cover the metal grill on the bike lanes with mats, you might post a sign for cyclists warning them to walk their bicycles across the bridge when it's wet.