NEW YORK (AP) -- Call it proving the mettle in the pedal. Organizers say a New York City bicyclist has bested a driver and a transit rider in a rush-hour race.
The cyclist made 4.5-mile commute Thursday morning from Brooklyn's Fort Greene neighborhood to Manhattan's Union Square in less than 17 minutes.
Race sponsor Transportation Alternatives says the driver took 22 minutes, and the transit rider 29. The group promotes cycling, walking and transit.
WCBS spoke with Wiley Norvell, spokesman for Transportation Alternatives.
'This is the first year we also measured the carbon footprint of each of our commuter choices. Our bicyclist had the smallest carbon footprint - it was zero. Right behind was our transit commuter with one pound of carbon dioxide for that bus to subway commute here. And, lastly came our driver with a whopping six pounds of CO2 for that four-and-a-half mile drive,' said Norvell.
Another cyclist won the annual competition last year.
Transportation Alternatives says more than 130,000 people hop on bikes every day in New York City, which is working to become more cycle-friendly. Efforts include installing 400 to 500 bike racks a year and planning to create more than 400 miles of bike lanes and paths by 2009.
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