Bike

Free from cars and close to Columbia’s Manhattan campuses is the Hudson River Greenway trail, located on the western edge of Manhattan along the banks of the Hudson River. This bicycle and walking trail is part of the 2,900-mile long East Coast Greenway that stretches from the Canadian border in Maine to Key West, Florida.

See where bicyclists can access the Hudson River Greenway.

A dedicated bike route separated from cars crosses the George Washington Bridge, making it easy, fun, and convenient to commute to Columbia by bike from New Jersey. Biking between Fort Lee, NJ and Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) takes about 15 minutes. 

Select the bike map layer in Google Maps to find your way by bike.

Cycling to and from the train station is usually a faster way to travel. Bicycles are permitted on all NYC subways with the exception of folding bikes, which are not permitted on most NYC transit buses. The Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad have a one-time $5 permit that allows its riders to bring their bicycle onboard.

Learn more about traveling with your bicycle aboard MTA trains and buses.

Use the Google Maps website or app and select "bicycle" to navigate using designated bike routes. To receive a copy of the NYC bike map, visit Columbia Public Safety or view an online version.

Additionally, download the Columbia Bikes flyer which provides a quick overview of all the bicycle resources across our campuses.

• Attend a Rules of the Road education class with Bike NY or learn about safe bicycling practices that are specific to NYC from the New York City Department of Transportation. 
• View these educational videos to learn techniques for improving your ride, your rights as a bicyclist, and how to ride safely on the road.
• Become a safer rider through Traffic Skills 101, a free and convenient online course from the League of American Bicyclists.

On-campus events like Ride Your Bike to Campus Days and Velocity, Columbia’s annual ride to end cancer, happen each year. Join the Bicycle Interest Group or check out the Columbia Events calendar to learn more! 

A variety of large and small-scale bike ride events are also offered through Bike NY. Proceeds from Bike NY events fund their free bike education programs throughout the city year-round.

In order to maximize availability of bike parking and to maintain the upkeep of campus grounds, Columbia has developed the Bicycle Parking Protocol to manage bikes that are abandoned or illegally parked. Bikes that are illegally parked or stored at bike racks for extended periods of time will be subject to removal by Public Safety or Facilities personnel.

Columbia‘s Transportation Focus Group develops initiatives to enhance and grow bike culture at Columbia. The group is made up of representatives from various University departments, students, and faculty. The group supports the transportation goals outlined in Columbia’s Sustainability Plan.

Getting there by bike is usually faster, healthier, and way more fun than other commute modes. Estimated travel times for some useful routes are listed below. Click the links to view a route map.

• 10 New York City blocks: 4 minutes
• Battery Park ➞ Morningside Heights: 42 minutes
• Morningside Heights ➞ Medical Center: 21 minutes
• Upper East Side ➞ Morningside Heights: 15 minutes
• Fort Lee, NJ, ➞ Medical Center: 15 minutes
• Morningside Heights ➞ Manhattanville: 8 minutes