June 29, 2006
Bikers to Bloomberg: Take Control of the Streets
After three biker deaths in three weeks, New York City cyclists are mad as hell-- and they're not going to take it anymore. At least, that's what they said to Mayor Bloomberg at their protest on the city hall steps this morning. Streetsblog has a good report from the scene:
This morning, in what is almost becoming a sad early summer ritual, one hundred cyclists, gathered on the steps of City Hall after the deaths of three cyclists in just the last three weeks. Led by Transportation Alternatives, the group is demanding that Mayor Bloomberg make the city safer for cycling by developing a plan to modernize New York City's bicycle commuting infrastructure.Calling directly on Mayor Bloomberg, Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives said, "You took control of the city budget. You took control of the city's schools. Today, our streets our out of control. We need you to take control of our streets."
In the past three weeks there have been four serious bike crashes in New York City, three of them resulting in the deaths of cyclists Donna Goodson, Dr. Carl Nacht, and Derek Lake.
In memory of the bikers who have been killed, Visual Resistance and their cohort groups have been setting up Ghost Bike memorials all over the city. Here's a picture of one of the bikes and a map of the locations of the others:
Related: Off the Old Block has a timely list of tips for keeping bikers alive.
All photos in this post by DMo-- thanks, buddy!
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While biker deaths are tragic, before they go running to City Hall perhaps they need to learn the rules of the road and try not to ignore every traffic law in their mission to get from A to B faster.
I'll feel more sympathy for bicyclists when I don't see them running red lights, weaving in and out of traffic, going the wrong way (sorry, I don't expect wheeled traffic going SOUTH on 6th Ave), and giving dirty looks to pedestrians crossing WITH the light as they zoom through the intersection.
Ugh, let's not rehash the same tired arguments against the bad apples on both sides (drivers and cyclists) who make the city unsafe.
How about constructive suggestions that go beyond sweeping generalizations? Derek Lake wasn't running a red light when his head was crushed under the wheel of a truck.
There was a good suggestion on other threads:
If you see unsafe road conditions, like the metal plates that Derek Lake fell on, potholes, cracked pavement, etc. call 311.
The city rewrote the noise code as a result of 311 calls that were made shortly after Bloomberg introuced the call center. They track the subjects of the calls and issues with the most calls tend to get the most attention.
It's a great way to make the city safer for all and since everyone carries a cellphone, it's easy to do!
Let the games begin!
"Bikers to Bloomberg: Take Control of the Streets"?
Of Course the Mayor will say he's trying (CM Arrests...)
jake, this was a good post. until you mashed that google map in. you just couldnt leave it alone could you?
enough with the google maps love affair already. your readership is sick of it.
Crossing Broadway at Houston (FYI it's one way down there) I was hit and knocked down by a bike in the crosswalk when the walk sign was lit. The cyclist got up and said, "what the fuck do you think you're doing?" At this point, I was still confused as to what happened, as I thought the street was clear. I realized that he had been heading north on a southbound street against the lights at rush hour, putting us both in danger. "Was I supposed to look that way - you're going the wrong way," I said. "Whatever, asshole," and he rode off, not even bothering to help me get up (luckily, I got out of the way as the traffic started to flow again).
We all, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists, have a lot to learn about sharing the city and, right now, cyclists are paying the hefty price that walkers usually pay. That does not mean, however, that the cyclists are always right or have the right of way. No matter how great the idea of 3 million cyclists in NYC might be for the environment, many cyclists do cast themselves as kings of the road when not appropriate (blowing lights, riding on sidewalks - we've all seen it). Demonstrations like today's are good - but only tempered with respect for everyone - something often lacking at the Critical Mass events (have you ever walked alongside one? Those guys can be really nasty to people trying to cross the street).
Mutal respect to and from cyclists - that's what's going to save lives and, eventually, make this a predominately pedal-powered city.
Good post Gabe. Well said.
Stupid protest. Move.
The current situation will continue to perpetuate friction between motorist, cyclists and pedestrian. A car is big, fast and very dangerous. A pedestrian is small and slow. A bike is in between - moderate speed and relatively small. Each has it's own needs and deserves some of it's own space on our streets. Roadway, sidewalk and bike lane. However, NYC has given disproportionate space to personal automobiles at the expense of pedestrians and cyclists, who are pushed to the sidelines of the road, fighting over the scraps the city DOT has left them.
It's time to re-prioritize our roads to reflect our values - first streets should service pedestrians, then cyclists, then mass transit vehicles, then necessary delivery trucks and lastly there should be some room for the personal automobile - perhaps a lane or two.
For instance Second Ave has 4 lanes of active automobile traffic and two lanes for parked cars (which during the morning rush is occupied by a often violated bus lane on the right side). Ideally there would be wider sidewalks, a bike lane, Bus Rapid Transit, dedicated space for necessary truck deliveries (to prevent double parking), and then perhaps two lanes for automobiles.
I agree; Good post Gabe.
As a cyclist, I appluad this protest, but the problem isn't just that cars suck or that pedestrians suck or bikes suck. It's mainly that enforcement of the laws that actually matter sucks. Also, the infrastructure as it is now does not adequately accomodate all modes of transportation.
The city needs a real plan that allows cars, pedestrians, cyclists and public transportation to coexist in a functional manner. Right now, there are so many intersections with blind spots for everybody with unclear signage, etc.
Also, nobody loves more tickets, but the city needs to begin ticketing bad behavior. Yesterday, I saw some pedestrians, cars and cyclists do stupid and illegal things several times.
I'm sorry that Gabe got knocked down, but I've been clotheslined on my bike when riding on the bike side of the Brooklyn Bridge (someone turned to point at the Chrysler Building), I've been hit by cars making illegal turns, run off the road by bus drivers who didn't see and yield at by jaywalkers. As a pedestrian, I've also been hit by a car making an illegal turn, bumped by cyclists, etc. As an owner of a car, I've had to swerve or slam on my brakes as a pedestrian jumps between two cars while wearing head phones or dodge a cyclist riding the wrong way.
For some reason everyone seems to be currently disrespecting everyone's right-of-ways. It may be just that 10% of all groups are the culprits, but 10% begins to look like evryone after a while.
It's apparent that there is a lack of an adequate infrastructure to handle everyone's needs as well as a lack of enforcement to discourage bad behavior. Neither of these things can be fixed overnight, but a viable plan needs to be drawn up, and plans are constructed by leaders.
Right now the leadership is lagging, which is why I applaud these cyclists for calling on the mayor to step up and be a leader for building and enacting a plan.
deally there would be wider sidewalks, a bike lane, Bus Rapid Transit, dedicated space for necessary truck deliveries (to prevent double parking), and then perhaps two lanes for automobiles.
Yes!!
I’m a daily rider in this great city and my heart goes out to the accident victims who in recent weeks, months and years have lost their lives cycling.
1.Adhere to the laws of the road and wear a helmet.
2. Getting cars to slow down and not kill bicyclists is not realistic. The bicyclist is responsible for him/herself, not the driver of a car or truck; they too have their own set of responsibilities.
3. Read the laws that govern bicycles in NYC: take responsibility of your own life and stop blaming city hall for every little thing:
http://www.dot.state.ny.us/pubtrans/share.html
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bikeped/bike-nyc.html
http://www.transalt.org/info/laws.html
http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/dmvfaqs.htm
Cycling advocacy organizations (including Transalt) have said it time and time again: vehicular segregation is NOT the solution. The moment you start making dedicated bikepaths, the ignorant masses will begin insisting that bikes be confined to those bikepaths and off the streets. They start saying, "We spent all this money on bikepaths, so why do they need to ride on our streets and mess up traffic?" So unless you're willing to put a bikepath on every single street in the city, cyclists will end up having most roads denied to them and bicycling changes from a mode of transportation to recreation on a few paths, likely cluttered with oblivious pedestrians. The only way to reduce fatalities is to enforce the laws consistently -- ticket all serious violations from drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, keep the existing bike lanes clear of double-parked cars and jaywalking pedestrians.
BTW, has anyone noticed that Transportation Alternatives uses the term "cyclist" exclusively (just like every other bicycling advocacy group, national magazine, the United States Cycling Federation, etc.)? The only time you'll find "biker" on their website is in quotes from the mass media, who don't know any better. Think they're onto something there? Or maybe the folks at Transalt are just not "real New Yorkers" who indiscriminately swap terms.
As someone who walks, bikes, and occasionally drives, I completely agree with Dunderinoo.
Streets Blog has some great shots of what some well designed, safe, city streets look like.http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/06/27/this-is-what-bike-safety-looks-like/#comments
I'm a huge fan of Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn as well — it has a seperate bike/pedestrian path, and it's a pleasure to bike and ride on. Lots of kids and seniors too, no kamikaze bikers mowing down cars and pedestrians. Getting there, on the other hand, from North Brooklyn, is another story.
Brightliner - I've noticed that about cyclist vs. biker. I think sometimes it's to keep people from getting confused about bicycles vs. motorcycles. Who knows? I've always referred to myself as bike-riding, but I refer to the act in general as cycling... have I been conditioned?
Anyway, I agree with you about ticketing major violations. Unfortunately, the worst violators tend to be all of the cars in the city with free parking cards (NYPD, FDNY, DOE, DOS, City Hall, etc. - the list goes on). Supposedly there's no parking allowed anywhere on Broadway, but if you walk from 14th Street to Canal, the avenue is filled, mostly with deliveries and NYPD personal vehicles. So, we know those will never get ticketed unless the perk is taken away, which will never happen.
As a biker/cyclist, I just wish there were more bike paths. For example, Lafayette is awesome: huge path with a separation barrier, very little double parking, etc. But, have you ever noticed how many cyclists ride the wrong way on Lafayette? The reason is simple: no viable choice for returning downtown. Broadway is as much of a death trap as Houston, as is the Bowery. Or, you could find wome way to get west to the riverside, but how? Houston Street?
For me, to get downtown or to the Brooklyn Bridge, I ride down Mercer street because it's narrow and cobble-stoned, so cars have to go slow, but you need a mountain bike. Then, you can slip onto Canal for half a block, onto Broadway for a block and over to Center Street for a straight shot at the bridge.
Another example is the Manhattan Bridge, which has an often bike path now, but once you get into Manhattan, where are you supposed to go? Even the city discourages riding on Canal or the Bowery. Typically, I get out and walk my bike a few blocks up the Bowery to take a side street to Center->Lafayette and up.
One I haven't figured out is a good , safe way to get to the Upper East Side. The East River path starts and ends abruptly several times, and Park Avenue is too dangerous.
Anyway, my whole point is that most of us just want a few safe routes for going in common directions. The Hudson park is great, but only if you're already on the west side... there needs to be more alternatives. Maybe they should just make Broadway car free and give it over to a cycling path, bus lane and pedestrians?
Yes, segregation - as in almost all things - won't help. The West Side development is an acceptable "cyclist highway" and there are others in the works - but, yes, this is all about information and enforcement, not new paths.
I hate to bring it up, but London's heavy restriction and taxation of personal-use cars has improved that city overall. It couldn't work here - London's system would not only cripple the commute (their geography is quite different from ours), but it would mean the end for many smaller, local businesses and run contrary to our constitional freedoms. Nonetheless, the car ban during the transit strike months ago made the city a nicer place for many. Something to think about.
Why do I keep reading all this about cyclists riding on the sidewalk? Seriously, the only people I ever seen riding on the sidewalk are kids, and food delivery guys. I hate it as much as anyone. You make it sound as if Lance Armstrong is blazing down the sidewalks of midtown. Sorry, but I've lived in the city almost 20 years and I just don't see it. Think about it too. Why would a cyclist want to ride the sidewalk, if his objective is to ride as far as possible from pedestrians and to go fast?
Sorry for all of the grammar and spelling mistakes by the way... very tired today.
I only ever see food delivery guys and kids riding their bikes on the sidewalk. I doubt anyone who's commuting to work or training for a triathlon would want to ride on the sidewalk.
Sure 10% of motorists disrespect other people's right of way and sure 10% of pedestrians do the same. Unfortunately almost 100% of cyclists in this city are jackasses. I've never seen a single cyclist stop at a red light or care that the pedestrians have the walk signal. As long as they get where they are going 10 seconds sooner they don't mind if they've run you over.
a guy riding a bike was hit by a car and seen lying in the street at the intersection of 5th Ave and 8th st in Park Slope about 15 minutes ago. this is happening way too much.
Yeah right Chris, you are absolutely correct, 100% of cyclists in this city are jackasses. Your blatant overgeneralization was not just warranted, but obsolutely appropriate, especially given that 3 of these "jackasses" have been recently killed (by the dangerous and illegal behavior of others).
You speak like someone who has clearly never hopped on a bike in NYC. You might not even know how to ride a bike. I dunno.
Even if you were right, the fact is that cyclists are not out there killing pedestrians, cars and trucks are. Might does not make right, cyclists need to yield to pedestrians, and cars need to yield to everyone.
As everyone keeps mentioning, sometimes cyclists "buzz" pedestrians. Sometimes cyclists are complete assholes (see Gabe's comment). But, most bike/pedestrian encounters are due to illegal behavior from pedestrians, poor street design, construction obstacles, poor visibility conditions (from large trucks, construction, etc...), being forced off their intended route by motor vehicles, and not the "fault" of the cyclist. Most cyclists are keenly aware of their surroundings (including pedestrians). If not, they get hit by cars, or get thrown off their bikes by pedestrians jumping in front of them (and yes, this has happened to me a few times). Again, stop blaming the cyclists, it's not going to help anything. Only increased law enforcement, increased education (like an anti-dooring campaign), new street/bike lane design, and a reduction in traffic (which congestion pricing would help) will reduce these tragedies. I applaud TA for promoting all of these things and bringing constructive criticism to the issue.
And Gabe, check out the TA traffic stats. Most of the traffic that would be cut by congestion pricing is personal driving, and not business related. In fact, reducing traffic would also reduce congestion which should help businesses, not hurt them. As far as constitutional protections, what about my right to breath clean air?
I think too many people are basing their assumptions solely on what they themselves have seen, and not the sum total of life in the city. "100% of cyclists in this city are jackasses." Are you sure? Have you seen every last cyclist? I stop at every red light, slow down to let pedestrians pass, never ride against traffic, and obey the law. But I've never met Chris.
It should be repeated. Derek Lake was not running a red light when a truck wheel crushed his skull. And the truck that hit Dr. Nacht made an illegal turn.
fellow bikers I have the SOLUTION! I've thought this through and realized how we can take back the streets.
1. Hit the pedestrians. Don't swerve out of the way when some cellphone or hailing cabbie fucknut gets into the bikelane. Just fucking hit them! Hit enough and people will learn not to get into bike lanes.
2. We need super sticky stickers that say "Asshole parked in Bike Lane" that bikers can stick onto cars that are guess what? parked in the bike lane. Somebody needs to print these out and distribute them and we can all just stick them onto the tail ends of cars when there isn't anyone around and when the owners come back they'll be like "I'm an asshole".
If you follow my instructions we will have taken back the streets.
There are lots of idiotic cyclists and drivers. We have all seen them.
However, Derek Lake was not a militant cyclist, not a fanatic, not a law breaker, not a reckless idiot. He was a really good person who had a horrible accident. He didn't do anything wrong. He was trying to get to work and he fell.
Duderinoo,
My final paragraph was meant to be sarcastic. Gothamist has done this many times before and, when told about the proper term, said, "Here in New York, we call 'em any damn thing we want, so 'bikers' and 'cyclists' both work." Of course, like you, if anybody (New Yorkers included) walked up to a Harley rider and complained about the other "bikers," he'd laugh at them.
Brightliner - I knew you were being sarcastic, but I guess my response came across as serious. The cycling vs biking terminology debate is something I've only come across in New York, or maybe it just seems like people are defensive about their bicycles being called bikes. Who knows.
I'm going to start putting cards on my spokes and calling my Trek a chopper, so the issue will be solved. I'll refer to cycling as "riding my hog".
By the way, as sarcastic as Hotnog's comments are, I actually like the bumper sticker idea. Of course, most of the cars parked in bike lanes belong to cops, so if you get caught putting a sticker on a cop's personal vehicle, I'm sure you'll end up with a nightstick up your ass.
There are lots of idiotic cyclists and drivers. We have all seen them.
However, Derek Lake was not a militant cyclist, not a fanatic, not a law breaker, not a reckless idiot. He was a really good person who had a horrible accident. He didn't do anything wrong. He was trying to get to work and he fell.
yes.
Hello i've only ridden my bike a few times in manhattan so far not so many problems although i was coming down Allen st after i got lost and had to head back around i was comming down Delancey when i was halfway across the Last lane of traffic the light turned green and some idiot Went flying outta the light nearly hitting me i pulled hard on my breaks as the jerk just kept going till this day i'd love to find that jackass and hurt him badly that and i live in Staten island not very ideal for riding a bike as there are streets with no sides at all or potholes or even roadkill on the side of the road then you get your rude drivers who usually yell at me like Get off the road,Im an Ahole,I'm an idiot etc.! Personally i think all Aholes should have there rides taken from them whether it's a car of bike If yOur rude You walk !!!!
There's no evidence that any of the people who died on their bikes were breaking the law... why bring it up? Either way these people feel unsafe and want better conditions.
If you'd like to say that people should die for running a red ligt, just go ahead and say it, don't tiptoe around the point.
Pedestrians break more laws re: red lights and illegal crossings by several orders of magnitude. If you think that you can get mad at me for running a red when no one is coming while you jaywalk, walk on the street, crowd the street when you don't have the light, etc, then you need to do some thinking about things, no? I'm sure that you've never, ever crossed the street against the light, and act which is a blatent disregard for the law and dangerous.
Here are some ideas for improving bike safety. I commute to work on my bike from Fort Greene, Brooklyn to Penn Station most days, and there are a few things I've noticed.
1. Signs that say "Share The Road" would increase drivers' awareness of bicycles. Cars always honk when I'm in a lane because they don't know the law. If the road is unsafe, I can take up a lane. This happens all the time when navigating around double parked cars. Simple signs posted around the city might remind drivers that bicycles have a right to be on the road.
2. "Watch For Bicycles" signs at heavy bicycle crossings. At the exit of the Manhattan bridge bike path on the Manhattan side, the bike path leads to a pedestrian-heavy intersection at the end of the greenmarket throroughfare. Cyclists are flying downhill, and peds can't see around the wall. While I haven't seen it happen, I would imagine that there are collisions and near-misses here all the time. A simple sign that says "Watch for Bicycles" on the Greenmarket side and a sign that says, "Slow Down: Pedestrian Crossing" on the bike side would help. This is an easy solution for may dangerous intersections throughout the city.
3. Bike lane buffer. I would just like to say that I LOVE the 8th avenue bike lane. Until this was painted, I was taking 6th avenue and hating life. Now I ride up Hudson to 8th avenue and enjoy my cruise to work. The best part about the lane is the buffer zone of about 8 feet between the bike lane and the far left lane of traffic. No matter how much we bitch, cars will double park. Parking is so limited that it's inevitable. The buffer zone give cyclists some room to maneuver around double parked cars. This isn't feasible on narrow streets, but on big avenues it makes a big difference. I think there is something similar on 2nd avenue, and I definitely feel much safer biking on these streets.
4. Any cyclist who rides at night without lights is a moron. Buy some blinky lights you fools! They are not just for ravers any more.
5. Any cyclist who complains about pedestrian traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge is a moron. TAKE THE MANHATTAN BRIDGE YOU JACKASS. The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the biggest tourist attractions around, and tourists by definition are unaware buffoons. The Manhattan bridge bike path is empty at all hours - much safer, much easier.
Does anyone else have anything productive to add???
Christian -
I like most of your ideas; they're simple and mostly effective. A couple of things to add, though:
I agree with you on taking the Manhattan Bridge, but the exit off of the Brooklyn is so much less stressful. When you get off of the Manhattan, you can walk your bike that half block up to the Bowery or ride around to Canal, both of which are just as scary to ride on as Houston. The city and DOT spent a lot of money renovating the Manhattan pedestrian and bike pathways but didn't think at all about what happens when you exit (same on the pedestrian side where there's a scary yield sign for cars that is barely effective).
Also, I would like to see a more complete East River bike path. The one now is in pieces and hard to navigate at times. Or it goes through parking lots, which is often dangerous.
But, I agree, any cyclist who doesn't have lights (front and back), a helmet and a bell/horn (buy an air horn if need be!) is an idiot. It's not guaranteed that those things will save your life, but they might.
Before you biker nuts go bitching to cityhall. Think about this, If you push to hard you will get an undesired reaction to this problem! In other words, The city might decide to enforce ALL the traffic laws on the books ! Especially the ones pertaining to CYCLISTS that you all are so craving for ! Think about this before you go to cityhall with your beef! I ride my bike too & understand where you are comming from . The drivers are a real problem and something needs to be done about it ! I would suggest the police enforcing the rules that they "Selectivly enforce" already. Hit these drivers who doublepark in the bike lanes with tickets. Make them take a day off work and go down to the hearing and stand their half the day waiting on the judge to say guilty ! Hit the delivery trucks with severe fines for blocking the bike and bus lanes. This will have a trickle-down effect on the businesses they serve. Because we all know that the cost incurred by the drivers gets passed on to the stores. I know it's painful because they will just pass that on to the consumer,Just think if you cyclists go through with all this rallying you could end-up hurting all cyclists in the process!!!!
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