About The Oldest Bike Path In America
The Ocean Parkway pedestrian path was split to create the first bike path in the U.S.
A bike path (also known as a bicycle path or cycle path) is defined as a bikeway separated from motorized traffic and dedicated to cycling or shared with pedestrians or other non-motorized users.
On June 15, 1894, Ocean Parkway became the first street in the U.S. to have a designated bike lane. This first bike path in America was created by splitting the pedestrian way of Brooklyn's Ocean Parkway. The parkway became New York City’s first dedicated bicycle path, and the very first in the United States.
Today, Ocean Parkway Bike Path is still recognized as the oldest bike path in America. In fact, it is described as the oldest bike path in the world by Guinness World Records. The NYC Parks Department describes Ocean Parkway as the country's first bike path.
The history of Ocean Parkway goes back to the 1860’s when Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, who were also responsible for Central Park and Prospect Park, designed and proposed Ocean Parkway to the Brooklyn Park Commissioners. In 1868 land for Ocean Parkway was acquired by the City of Brooklyn.
In 1874 construction of Ocean Parkway began and completed by 1880. Finally in 1894 the pedestrian path was split to create the first bike path in the United States. The 210-foot-wide parkway was divided into: a central roadway 70 feet wide, two malls 20 feet wide, two side roads both 25 feet wide, and two sidewalks each 15 feet wide.
On the official opening day of the bike path, nearly 10,000 cyclists reportedly came to ride. More than 60 “wheelman clubs” from the New York and New Jersey area, as well as bicycle police, were on hand for the opening ceremony. To keep up with demand, the path was widened in 1896.
Back in the 1890s to 1920s a rustic wood pavilion located at the intersection of Surf Avenue and Ocean Parkway served as an end-of-ride meeting place, and nearby bicycle storage facilities provided parking for riders heading to the beach.
Many cyclists had photos taken with their bicycles as a souvenir of their journey to Coney Island. In 1950 the northernmost half-mile of Ocean Parkway was demolished and replaced by the Prospect Expressway. In 1975 Ocean Parkway was designated a historic landmark.
Inspired by the grand boulevards of Europe and designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, it stretches from the southwest entrance of Prospect Park to the ocean shore of Coney Island. Ocean Parkway spans only about 5.5 miles from start to finish across the borough of Brooklyn.
There’s a section for pedestrians and one for bikes, all with a median divider between the road and the path. This oldest bike path in America is on the West side of Ocean Parkway. The path on the East side is reserved for pedestrians The Ocean Parkway Bike Path went under much needed renovations in 2022.
The "preferred" parking is at 1113 Neptune Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11224 - the parking rates change throughout the year. However, you can grab the path in a number of places from Coney Island onward.
Today, Ocean Parkway remains the magnificent thoroughfare that Olmsted and Vaux envisioned. Its construction marked a significant milestone in the development of cycling infrastructure in America, paving the way for the creation of bike paths and lanes in cities across the country.