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We just got back from a week in Manhattan. The closest we came to getting run over was by bicyclist running through red lights. In Texas a bicyclist has to follow the same laws as a motor vehicle. Is this not the case in NY?
Dennis, Texas
Ask Gothamist rides our bike all over the city, from Brooklyn up to the George Washington Bridge, into New Jersey and back. And when we do we stop at all - well, most - traffic lights and stop signs, follow the direction of traffic on one-way streets, yield to pedestrians and rarely, if ever, ride on the sidewalk. Why? Because it's the law. (And also because we are paranoid about being pinned under a yellowcab or being sued by Paris Hilton wannabes who would be better off picking up their toy dogs when they cross the street.)
A complete list of New York City traffic rules and regulations that apply to bicycles, begins clearly:
The provisions of N.Y.C. Traffic Rules are applicable to bicycles. These provisions include all traffic controls for motor vehicles including pavement markings, signs and traffic signals.
So, just like in the heart of Texas, cyclists are supposed to behave like drivers. But then again, knowing how poorly many drivers behave it's not surprising that cyclists break the rules as well. Human nature cares not if you're on two wheels or four.
While the vast majority of cyclists that we know obey the rules, we are aware that the delivery guys who ride on the sidewalk, the messengers who come within inches of pedestrians and the recreational cyclists who ride cluelessly with headphones on (which is illegal, by the way) tend to give the rest of us a bad name.
For more on safe cycling and common-sense bike laws, visit Transportation Alternatives.
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Mr. Gordon may well obey all the rules, like stopping at lights--or at least looking for pedestrians before breezing through--and traveling in the right direction on one-way streets and not riding on the sidewalk, but it is a major source of irritation to me that the majority of bike riders in NYC do not. I have been almost been hit too many times, just crossing the street, to believe that most bike riders play by the rules. I agree that bikes are safer and much more efficient than cars vis-à-vis pedestrians, but it is imperative that bikers obey the law and be much, much more mindful of pedestrians.
It's always much easier to spot the bikers who aren't obeying the rules than the ones who are. I'd argue that there are plenty of bikers who go unnoticed because they don't run people over. That's not to say that there aren't A LOT of idiots out there who have no business on a bike or even walking near other people and I agree that more cyclists ought to obey the law.
Were you jaywalking or crossing against the light? After biking in the city for quite some time, I can't tell you how many pedestrians will fling themselves into a street without looking. If you're going to conduct yourself like you have very little regard for your own well being, why should I have concern for it either? I think, on the whole, most cyclists are considerate and law abiding, even under the high-pressure traffic situations they must endure. There's bad apples in every bunch, and that includes pedestrians too.