New York Bicycling Coalition is pedaling towards safer, more connected streets and trails all around New York! 

From local victories like Ulster County’s new Safe Passing Law and New Paltz’s adoption of a 25 mph speed limit, to strong advocacy on Long Island, to engaging with local leaders at regional and statewide conferences, and honoring those lost through World Day of Remembrance, NYBC continues to champion cycling, active transportation and recreation, and road safety across the state.

In this Issue:

• Ulster adopts 3’/Defined Safe Passing
• New Paltz Adopts 25 mph Speed Limit
• Join Anne at the GTC Safety Summit next week!
• Bike Nassau gets Newsday's attention
• NYBC at the 2025 Empire State Greenways Conference
• Register for January 13 NYS Safe Streets Day of Action
• World Day of Remembrance – Nov. 16, 2025

Ulster County is the third New York county to adopt 3’ defined safe passing! Local Law No. 3 of 2025 was adopted unanimously in October, and requires motorists to maintain at least three feet of clearance when passing vulnerable road users. In Ulster County, “Vulnerable road users” include pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders, construction and emergency services workers, and individuals who may lack access to safe transportation due to racial or economic disparities. This measure brings Ulster County in line with national best practices that promote safer streets for everyone.

Suffolk and Monroe Counties led the way in adopting similar measures NYS, and NYBC is advocating for a statewide Defined Safe Passing law. Forty-one states and the District of Columbia already have such laws - New Yorkers deserve nothing less!

Meanwhile, we commend local leaders who have stepped forward to protect vulnerable road users in their communities. 

Find out more about NYBC’s work on this critical lifesaving issue at the state level at https://nybc.net/advocacy/defined-safe-passing and please let us know at nybc@nybc.net if your county is considering a 3’ - or 4’ law locally!

The Village of New Paltz is the latest community to adopt a 25 mph speed limit, making local streets safer for everyone. The new law sets 25 miles per hour as the maximum speed on all village roads, New Paltz and other municipalities understand that lower speeds reduce crashes and protect people walking, biking, and driving.

Strive for 25 is a project of the NYBC and the New York State Safe Streets Coalition, helping communities across the state make safer streets a reality. Cities, Villages, and certain towns can make this change, and we can help - see our resources at https://nybc.net/advocacy/strive-for-25 or reach out to us at strivefor25@nybc.net 

NYBC Executive Director Anne Savage will be leading a discussion about the opportuntiies local communities to opt in to a 25 mph for street safety at the Genesee Transportation Council (GTC) Regional Transportation Safety Summit: Putting the Safe Systems Approach into Practice on Wednesday, November 12.

This one-day event brings together municipal leaders, transportation professionals, advocates, and community partners from across the nine-county Genesee-Finger Lakes Region.  Participants will share best practices rooted in the Safe System Approach, highlight progress on local initiatives, and explore strategies to make regional roadways safer for everyone. Please join us! Registration and more information here

Cycling advocates Sean Cirillo and Hal Tarry are working to make Long Beach Road safer for cyclists. Their efforts were recently featured in Newsday. While the article is behind a paywall, you can watch Sean’s video and learn more about the project at Bike Nassau.

The article reports that Long Beach Road is marked as a county bike route, although it currently has no bike lanes or other protections for cyclists and pedestrians, and it's high-speed traffic makes it dangerous to anyone not in a car. Bike Nassau is advocating for a protected bike lane on a small section to improve safety, encourage active tranporation, and support local businesses. Hal, a retired NYSDOT engineer, and Michael Shenoda, a traffic engineering professor at Farmingdale State College, say the project is feasible - but Nassau County doesn't agree - at least not yet!

If you’d like to work with Sean on this and other initiatives, contact him through Bike Nassau, or reach out to us at nybc@nybc.net and we’ll connect you.

The conference also featured guided rides hosted by the Wallkill Valley Land Trust along the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail and by the Woodstock Land Conservancy along the Ashokan Rail Trail, showcasing two of the Hudson Valley’s premier trail corridors. 

We had a great conversation with Ulster County Executive Jenn Metzger about the importance of trails for recreation, conservation, and connection. Her insights highlighted how trails truly enrich our communities in a myriad of meaningful ways. Thank you for your leadership County Executive Metzger!

It was great to see our NYBC Share the Road Jersey out on the ride - If you want to remind drivers how to keep us safer together on every ride, these jerseys are available for a $75 donation at https://nybc.net/get-involved/share-the-road-jersey

January is a crucial time in Albany. New legislators are seated, staff are reviewing bills, and priorities for the year are being set for the April budget adoption. 

Join NYBC and the NYS Safe Streets Coalition in Albany on January 13th to encourage your legislators to support key cycling safety bills this session.

This free event includes advance training and pairs first timers with a more experienced advocates. We provide lunch and free bus transportation from NYC and the Kingston area, and facilitate carpools for travel from the rest of the state.

On November 16 communities across the world honor those killed and seriously injured in traffic crashes on World Day of Remembrance (WDoR).

This year, join events across New York State to remember loved ones and call for safer streets to protect us all.  Find events near you by searching for “world day of remembrance for road traffic victims near me”.

NYBC invites you to share your photos, stories, and local WDoR events with us at nybc@nybc.net so we can help bring your stories of love and action to others in the NYBC community. 

nybc@nybc.net | www.nybc.net

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