Bicycles beat subway in New York

New York: Two wheels, four wheels or dozens - which offer the fastest mode of travel in the largest and most congested US metropolis? The winner of the New York City contest: The bicycle, followed by a train and a car.

No great surprise there, especially since the annual race was the idea of Transportation Alternatives, a nonprofit group that advocates biking and walking.

The starting line at a Brooklyn cafe had the cyclist off and pedalling the moment the race began. The subway rider had to use his two feet first to get to the station; the car contestant wasted precious minutes waiting for a cab.

While not scientific, all three participants initially swore by their choices, which took them to the finish on East 26th Street and First Avenue in Manhattan. Luci Olewinski clocked the 6.65-km trip in 15 minutes on her bicycle. Phillip Pond arrived four minutes later on the subway. And James Vincente on the car trailed Pond by four minutes.