New York City Sports Commissioner Kenneth J. Podziba and Matthew Sapolin, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, today announced the creation of a unique program that will enable people with a variety of disabilities to team up with an able-bodied partner on a tandem bicycle for BIKE NEW YORK: The Great Five Boro Bike Tour. On Sunday, May 2nd, tandem riders will join 30,000 cyclists as they ride through the five boroughs in the 42-mile tour. The Great Five Borough Bike Tour is in its 27th year and has grown into the nation’s largest recreational cycling event.

“We are proud to introduce this program that encourages people with disabilities to participate in one of our city’s most exciting annual events,” said Commissioner Podziba. "BIKE NEW YORK is a celebration of the spirit of our city and one of the best ways to see the spectacular landscapes and unique neighborhoods that make our city so special."

The tour begins in Battery Park and travels through Central Park towards Upper Manhattan. After traveling through the streets of Harlem, the tour passes over the East River, through a portion of the Bronx and back into Manhattan, where riders will have the privilege of biking down the FDR, where bicycles are usually prohibited. After exiting the FDR, riders will cross the Queensborough Bridge, travel through Astoria Park and into Brooklyn. The tour ends after riders cross the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and concludes in Staten Island’s Fort Wadsworth for an afternoon of relaxation.

"New York City is committed to providing greater opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in sports and recreation, and I am proud to partner with the Sports Commission to pilot what we hope becomes an ongoing and growing tradition in BIKE NEW YORK," said Matthew Sapolin, Executive Director of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities.

Department of Transportation Commissioner Iris Weinshall added, "the spirit of cycling transcends physical limitations and we're excited to be able to include all New Yorkers in this year's bike month."

Wal-Mart, Green Bus Line, Equality Staffing, Diversity Partners, Mutual of America, YAI – National Institute for People with Disabilities and New York Road Runners are sponsoring the tandem bicycle program.

The Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities in conjunction with the New York City Sports Commission will make these tandem bikes available to the Achilles Track Club, a non-profit organization that will provide ongoing recreational opportunities throughout the year for people with disabilities. If you would like to learn more about this program, please contact Inat German at (212) 788-2830.

BIKE NEW YORK is produced by a not-for-profit organization of the same name, and the New York City Department of Transportation.

The New York City Sports Commission ensures the continuation and growth of a healthy environment for professional, amateur and scholastic sports activities in New York City. In recent years, the Sports Commission has played a role in attracting or creating many new sporting events, including the NFL Kickoff Live from Times Square, the BMC Software NYC Cycling Championships, Senior Men's Tennis Championship, Let Freedom Run and The Wild Onion Urban Adventure Race. The agency is also working with NYC2012 to bring the Olympic Games to The World's Second Home™.

The Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities serves as a liaison between City government and disabled individuals and organizations representing or serving New Yorkers with disabilities. The Office works with City agencies to make sure that the particular needs of People with Disabilities are considered in the development of City policies, programs, and services. For more Information visit www.nyc.gov/html/mopd.

Contacts:

Jeff Mohl (NYC Sports Commission) (212) 487-6627
Inat German (Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities) (212) 788-2830