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A City Council member is trying to push a bill that would require bike riders to have license plates ("registration plates" ) and fine those without registered bikes. Little kids with unregistered tricycles don't have to worry - the bill would apply to 16 year-olds and older. Bronx Democrat Madeline Provenzano says that bicyclists are "danger to the elderly" and others in traffic, with their "zig-zagging." Transportation Alternatives says the bill is misguided and that Provenzano doesn't like bike riding (Provenzano says her family is made up avid bike riders, except herself). Sure, bikes can be dangerous, but then why not go after the jay walkers? Where are our chips to be implanted into our heads so the police can easily ID us?
jpreardon has some more information about Provenzano's bike-related history and the bill. Gothamist wonders if bike license plating is a covert plan to crack down on bikers who participate in the Critical Mass rides, which are bigger than ever and more political. And we loved the response City Councilman John Liu, who chairs the transportation committee that will decide on the bill, gave, "When I was a kid, I had a license plate on my bike. I'm trying to remember which cereal box I got it from." Plus, the Department of Transportation's Bike Routes in NYC. And it is a good idea to your bike registered with the police, in case it gets stolen.
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thats all we need is more bureaucracy. i cant wait to stand in line for 4 hours at the dmv so i can ride my bike. while we're at it, why dont we start making jews wear little yellow triangles, and gays wear little pink one. would be awesome.
...
Yet Another Politician with too much free time.
Since it is only for people 16 years or older, the motivation is Obviously NOT safety as I know a few 15 year olds who ride a Full sized mountain bike at break neck speeds...
No one will need to wear or register anything when ID chips are implanted at birth. That'll make like so much more convenient -- you can automatically be scanned at all the checkpoints. Yes, I will feel very safe when we finally have everyone registered.
For now, if you oppose this bill, which you should, contact your councilperson and be sure to include your name so they know you are a constituent.
http://www.nyccouncil.info/constituent/index.cfm
I'm probably going to come off as being anti-bike (I'm not) but bike riders in NYC are totally irresponsible. Cyclists go the wrong way down one-way streets, they plow through crosswalks while pedestrians are crossing (my pet peeve,) and they ride all over the sidewalks. Cyclists should obey the same rules as motorists, and they should get fined if they don't.
But JKS, I don't see any sort of correlation between making people pay for plates and following traffic rules.
There are a lot more dangerous things in the city than bikes. Just ask the nun who had her head crushed in by a truck earlier this week.
Wouldn't it be better not to require all cyclists to get a license, but to license people who work for messenger services and delivery companies? Much in the same way taxi drivers, manicurists or barbers have to be licensed, why not require a license for anyone who is paid to bike the city streets?
Otherwise, it seems like an overreach to license enthusiasts and casual commuters.
I cycle my daughter to school, then cycle myself to work every day. I see cars and SUVs that make u-turns in the middle of the street, drift into bike lanes while talking on the phone, spew disgusting emissions and generally create hazards for cyclists and pedestrians alike.
Why don't we focus on cracking down on the real traffic problems in the city?
Haven't read about any kids or nuns getting killed or hurt by a bike in . . . well, ever.
My friend and I are bikers and participants in Critical Mass from time to time. My friend AIM-ed me this morning to tell me about this. Outside of the political issues that are surrounding bikes/bikers right now, I feel that requiring bikes to have licenses is like putting a band-aid on the wound instead of fixing the problem that gave the wound in the first place. Anyway, my friend actually called the council woman and she spoke with him! Below is our AIM conversation about it. I thought the Gothamist readers would enjoy...
S: i'm going to cal her office right now and yell at them
O: :-)
S: and tell them how i almost got really hurt
S: b/c of an "unlicensed" passenger
O: lol!
O: hilarious
S: i called that lady's office and said licensing bikes is fine but the real issue is insurance
S: i was hit by a cab & i have his license number but that doesn't get my hospital bills paid so the license in and of itself is not enough
S: furthermore
S: i told her if you want to license bikes it should be part of a broader agenda
S: going after jaywalkers
S: going after shady cab companies & their shady insurance that tries to dodge paying for you
S: b/c we feel threatened
S: and yet we're made out to be terrorizing the people when its the cabs that terrorize everyone
S: she agreed with me and took note of it
S: she defended the licensing saying like if a biker injures you then you can get their number
S: but i told her you need insurance for that
S: the license number itself doesn't do anything
O: good for u.. that is a very good point. what did she say to that?
S: she kind of agreed
O: hahaha you go!!
S: i told her its part of this myth that bikers are terrorizing people all over the place
S: its the cabs!
O: and pedestrians!!
S: yes! right
Do I have to read all about whinny bikers complain that they should have the same rights and respect as car & truck traffic? Except when it comes to red lights, sidewalks and pedestrian-filled crosswalks, then they conveniently forget those rules.
Choke on the fumes and watch out for that door.
55: no, you don't.
Disobeying traffic laws is already illegal, so there's no need for a new bike law to control crazy cyclists.
Registration for bikes is just another fascist clampdown on our rights. I personally don't have a bike or ride a bike, but I hate lawmakers wasting time and effort creating laws that are designed to monitor people's activities.
Bike riders tend to be activist hippies, and a bike registration would make it very simple to have all of their names and addresses.
The law is obviously not for safety reasons, because the law only applies to people over 16 (people younger than 16 are actually more likely to fall from their bikes).
anti-fascist: I agree with you, except for your casting of bike riders as "activist hippies". Maybe you should get out on a bike and actually meet some.
Bikers are already the rudest pieces of dribble on the planet, the way they treat pedestrians...Choke on the fumes and lookout for right turning cars you biatches!
"But JKS, I don't see any sort of correlation between making people pay for plates and following traffic rules."
As much as I like bikes, lets face the facts. New York CIty cyclists are quite irresponsible and bad. And I've lived in other cities and have never seen any place that has as rude cyclists.
As a kid, some loon slammed head on into my bike and twisted my ankle. My mom got knocked to the ground by some kids riding on the sidewalk.
The list goes on an on, but anyone who lives in this city knows that cyclists here really disobey the basic rules. And are oftentimes less couteous than even drivers.
What would registering do? Easy. The same thing it does for cars. If you car registered, and you pull some crap, the police can rightfully come down on you. Ditto with cyclists. You'd see less jackasses cutting people off and shouting "No brake! No brake!" at intersetions if they could be held accountable.
Regarding Critical Mass, as much as I admire what they do, they really don't make any real efforts to control their own crowds.
You have no idea what you're talking about. "The police can rightfully come down on you"? What a joke. The police can't do squat about all the bad drivers out there today. I've seen jerks do illegal U-turns at an offramp with a "No left turn" sign because they're too lazy to go around the block. One guy did it right in front of a police cruiser. The cop didn't even blink.
Actually Captain Midnight, the key to enforcement is YOU! If you see something happening, then jot down the the license plate and call it in.
Seriously, the cops can't be anywhere. And with regards to bikes, if there were registration numbers on bikes, I'm be sure to look out for them the next time some dumbass tries to run me over while riding on the sidewalk.
Cyclists in other cities are really great and respectful. Many NYC cyclists are asses and we all know it.
I agree with a former comment that registering bikes will not necessarily make bikers ride more responsibly. I also think we should be encouraging bikes as an alternative to energy-inefficient cars. However, there should be a way for society to enforce traffic laws on poor, unsafe, or risky bikers. These bikers are putting a cost on all others, by causing injuries directly when they hit a pedestrian or car, and indirectly by making cars swerve around those who are biking badly. Perhaps cops should simply ticket these bikes aggressively, and while the the biker may not necessarily pay the ticket, if he knows he may be stopped by a cop when he bikes recklessly, he will rationally stop his reckless behavior and bike more responsibly, assuming time = money, and lost time with a cop = lost money.
License plates on bikes will just get stolen. They get stolen off of motorcycles all the time.
Motor vehicles out numbered bicycles hands down. I don't remember the last time a cyclist killed someone.
Why are we paying people in office with these dumb ideas?
You can't finger all nyc cyclists as bad. I'm not, I always give pedestrians priority even when they walk at the "don't walk" sign. Go to the intersection by downtown Kmart and see for youself.
I ride a bike all over Brooklyn and Queens. But you know what? I get disgusted when crossing at the green as a pedestrian, I still have to look both ways for some idiot cyclist.
I must be the only cyclist in NYC that obeys lights and watches for pedestrians.
www.forgotten-ny.com
Well, at least this inspired me to write an e-mail to my city council rep.
I think this bill is a good idea. Bicyclists in this city think that traffic laws don't apply to them at all. Even a small measure to crack down on their recklessness is welcome. And ditch the hyperbole, please -- if we can handle license plates on cars, we can handle them on bikes without devolving into a Huxleyian nightmare state.
Go here to send a fax to Councilmember Provenzano and voice your concerns about this proposed bill:
http://www.transalt.org/press/askta/041116bikebill.html
"Bicyclists in this city think that traffic laws don't apply to them at all."
And the Intellecual Rigor Award for the most over-reaching, factually-unsubstantiated comment of the day goes to ...
"Actually Captain Midnight, the key to enforcement is YOU! If you see something happening, then jot down the the license plate and call it in."
You're not listening, are you? The drivers pull their crap RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE COPS and the cops don't do anything! What makes you think they're going to care if I call them with a license plate number? Do I have any proof like video? And even if I do, what do you really think will happen to the driver? A slap on the wrist, at most.
i'm the bicyclist referred to in the AIM conversation above & i find it quite amusing that not one of the comments after my friend's post even deals with what my conversation with councilwoman provenzano was - that licensing in & of itself does not recoup health care costs, injury damages, etc. INSURANCE does! remember, councilwoman provenzano has proposed this bill to give pedestrians a recourse of action against bicyclists who put them in danger, thereby providing them with more safety. so, when people like Captin Obvious say that licensing bicyles will do exactly what it does for cars, he is omitting a major fundamental part of car registration - INSURANCE.
i was hit head on by a taxi last year & luckily, i didn't die (as evidenced by some of the comments here, some probably wish i did). it was the cabbie's fault for jumping a red light & then speeding through it, but the police weren't there to see it, so they couldn't ticket him. all they could do was take his version of the story, his license number & insurance information while i lay bloody & bruised on the street. i had in my possession the cabbie's name, license & insurance information, but guess what? it took me over 7 months to get them to pay for my damages. why? b/c a little known fact in this city is that cab companies employ some of the shadiest insurance companies around. i mean companies that don't use voicemail so you can't get in touch with them & a host of other things. they fought tooth & nail against me for a mere $500 until i had a lawyer call them & tell them they were being referred to the state insurance department. they paid within a week. so much for having a license number.
just yesterday, i was following all rules of traffic whilst biking to work (yes, bicyclists have jobs too, we're not all "activist hippies"). all traffic was stopped due to a red light. as i passed through b/w parked cars & stopped cars in traffic, a passenger of a cab without looking opens his door & i was unable to stop before getting doored by him (until yesterday, my reflexes have prevented me from getting doored). i now have a fractured pinky finger & injured knee & the guy who did this to me just walked away.
so forgive me 55 if i'm whining, but i don't find it amusing when you say "choke on the fumes and watch out for that door." as evidenced by your post, you're no better than all the rude bicyclists you write about. i am not here to say that bicyclists don't violate traffic rules. in fact, a lot of them anger me when they bike in the wrong direction, bike on sidewalks & put pedestrians in danger. i also get pissed off when pedestrians fill crosswalks when the lights are still green for traffic & when people in cars don't check for bikers when they open their doors into bike lanes & on narrow streets. so it's all relative. it's not all cyclists & cabbies who are violating traffic laws & it's not all pedestrians who are jaywalking. as KeithS explained, it's an over-reaching, factually-unsubstantiated comment. perhaps you mean messengers or delivery people, but to say matter of factly that NY bicyclists are the rudest in the world, etc. is just plain ignorant. guess what, everyone else says that NYers are the rudest people on earth too!!!