Let’s get this out of the way first:
New York is not Amsterdam.
Amsterdam is bike heaven.
Amsterdam is what bike dreams are made of.
NYC is not that — not even close.
But compared to Miami?
NYC might as well be the Netherlands.
After riding for years in both cities, the differences are huge.
And dangerous.
And honestly… unbelievable.
Here’s the truth from someone who has pedaled through it all.
NYC vs Miami: Which City Is Actually Safe for Bikers? Let’s find out!
NYC: Not Perfect, But Still a Real Bike City
New York is chaotic, crowded, and always under construction – but it somehow still manages to treat cyclists like legitimate participants in the city ecosystem.
1. Real bike lanes – not decorative paint or shared lanes
NYC has actual bike lanes:
- Protected routes
- Concrete dividers
- Barrier-separated avenues
- Clearly painted lanes
- Bike-only paths cars respect (mostly)
When a lane is for bikes, it’s for bikes.
Not for:
- cars
- delivery vans
- moving trucks
- someone unloading a couch
- or your Uber driver who “just needs one minute”
Someone may try to invade the lane – this is New York – but everyone knows they shouldn’t.
Casey Neistat even made an iconic video purposely crashing into obstacles to show how ridiculous it is when drivers block bike lanes.
The culture is: bikes belong here.
2. Traffic actually protects you
This is the part no one talks about:
NYC traffic is so horrible that cars can’t go fast enough to kill you.
It sounds dark, but it’s true.
Stop-and-go congestion = fewer high-speed collisions.
A car can hit you, but it’s not usually with lethal force.
3. The real NYC danger: the infamous “door zone”
If you’ve ever biked in Manhattan, you know.
Cars stuck in traffic, bored passengers, no awareness…
And suddenly:
A door swings open into the bike lane like a monster jump scare.
Left door, right door, front seat, back seat – it doesn’t matter.
Doors open randomly, from anywhere.
Every cyclist in NYC has either experienced it or almost experienced it.
It’s real.
It’s terrifying.
And it’s unavoidable. Maybe avoidable somehow?
4. You can bike the entire city
This is NYC’s superpower.
Harlem to downtown.
Brooklyn to Queens.
Manhattan loops.
Williamsburg bridges.
Hudson River Greenway.
If you want to bike from one end of the city to the other, you can.
Safely.
Confidently.
5. Downside: No space for bike racks
New York has infrastructure for riding… not parking.
There are bike lanes everywhere but racks are scarce.
Sidewalks are tiny.
Everything is full.
Spaces to lock your bike for hours?
Rare.
Ride safety: amazing.
Bike parking: nightmare.
Miami: Endless Space, Endless Speed, and Endless Danger
Miami looks like a biking paradise.
Weather, flat roads, palm trees, board walks… it should be perfect.
But it’s the opposite.
1. Miami has “shared lanes”… which mean absolutely nothing
A bike icon painted on the asphalt does not magically create safety.
Cars drift into it.
Sit in it.
Speed through it.
Ignore it entirely.
Miami’s “bike infrastructure” feels like someone said:
“Let’s just paint a picture of a bike and hope for the best.”
2. Miami drivers… need no substances to be dangerous
I say this with love and frustration:
Miami drivers are absolutely chaotic by default.
No alcohol needed.
No drugs needed.
Just pure, natural disaster energy.
Here’s what you’ll see daily:
- No signaling
- No mirror checking
- No lane discipline
- Sudden lane changes
- Right turns without looking
- Drifting into bike space
- Stopping wherever they want
- Treating cyclists as invisible
I’ve had friends drive and I literally had to teach them what signaling IS and why you do it.
Multiply that by the entire city.
Then add tourists.
Then add drunk drivers.
Then add people high or distracted.
Miami becomes a survival sport.
3. Too much open road = high-speed hit-and-run danger
Miami is spacious.
Which means long, wide, empty stretches.
Which means:
Cars go fast. Very fast.
High-speed roads + no protected bike lanes + distracted drivers = disaster.
Hit-and-runs are common.
Fatalities happen.
And still nothing changes.
4. Bridges are terrifying
No dedicated bike protection.
No dividers.
High speed.
Curves.
Blind spots.
If a car swerves slightly, you’re done.
5. Miami has infinite space… but almost no bike racks
This is the most confusing part.
Miami is HUGE.
There is space everywhere.
Yet:
- Very few racks
- Bad placement
- Unsafe locations
- Barely any thought put into cyclist infrastructure
Why does a city this large build nothing useful for cyclists?
6. The boardwalk: beautiful but dangerous
Miami Beach boardwalk sounds magical.
Sometimes it is.
But it’s not a place for real biking:
- Children running everywhere
- Dogs
- Strollers
- Tourists standing in the lane
- Runners weaving
You’re guaranteed a near-accident every 100 meters.
Fun? Yes.
Safe? No.
Practical? Not even close.
Final Verdict: Which City is Safer for Biking?
Let’s compare:
NYC:
- Real bike lanes
- Predictable chaos
- Traffic slows cars down
- Citywide connectivity
- Biggest danger: door openings
Miami:
- Fake bike lanes
- High-speed roads
- Wild drivers
- No protected infrastructure
- No racks
- Bridges + speed = lethal
- Biggest danger: everything
Winner: New York. Without question.
By miles. By galaxies.
NYC is not Amsterdam – but it’s a thousand times more serious about bike safety than Miami.
Miami has the weather to be a biking paradise.
But the reality?
It’s a dangerous, disconnected car city pretending to be laid-back and safe.
Final Though
I love biking.
It’s one of the purest forms of freedom.
NYC gives you that freedom.
Miami makes you fight for it.
I still ride here – but I ride defensively, alert, and with the assumption that every car is about to do something irresponsible… because in Miami, that’s the safest mindset to have.
P.S I know I sound bitter for Miami, I just expect more from this beautiful city. That’s all..