2025 Theses Master's

Breaking the Gridlock-NYC: Cycling and Transit Lessons From Amsterdam

Chen, Hui

This thesis investigates how integrated cycling infrastructure can address transit access disparities in New York City, with a focus on neighborhoods identified as “subway deserts.” Through spatial analysis of subway coverage, demographic indicators, and cycling infrastructure—using tools such as the Subway Gap Index and Local Moran’s I clustering—this research identifies Throgs Neck and Harding Park in the Bronx as high-need areas where limited subway proximity, low bike network coverage, and socio-demographic vulnerability intersect.

Combining Geographic Information Systems (GIS), multivariate regression, and qualitative insights from interviews and surveys, the study explores how bike lanes, bike parking density, and population characteristics influence subway accessibility. It also evaluates how cycling can complement the subway system by extending first- and last-mile connectivity. Drawing on international case studies—particularly Amsterdam’s experience in reversing car-dominant planning since the 1970s, the study explores transferable strategies for linking cycling and transit in equitable and context-sensitive ways. Field observations and site documentation of the Buhre Avenue and Tremont Avenue subway stations reveal key barriers to multimodal access, including disconnected bike routes, underused infrastructure, and limited cultural familiarity with cycling.

In response, this thesis proposes a set of targeted planning initiatives grounded in low-cost, high-impact interventions to address transit gaps in underserved neighborhoods. These include the development of protected connector bike routes, the strategic expansion of secure bicycle parking near transit stations, pilot programs for cycling education in public schools, and localized community cycling initiatives informed by Dutch precedents. These proposals build upon existing equity-focused planning tools, such as the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT)’s Priority Investment Area designations, to ensure that resource allocation addresses long-standing disparities in transportation access. This thesis argues that equitable bike-transit integration must go beyond infrastructure to include behavioral, cultural, and institutional change.