Gothamist: Houston Street: Boulevard of Bike Death?

cyclist_who_obeys_laws

Thu, 15 Sep 2005 09:11:01 -0500

Dave H. said earlier that a bicycle utopia would be nice but that utopias, by definition, are unattainable. Maybe so, but I direct you to Amsterdam for the next best thing, Dave H. They have figured it all out. It's crazy and it's a little dangerous, but bikes and trams come first, pedestrians second, and cars last. Some streets are closed to auto traffic. On a Friday night, you'll see groups of people out on the town - - on their bikes. In the United States, the mere sight of a cyclist sends roughly a quarter of all motorists into a seething, competitive rage. My favorites are the assholes who will intimidate me and nearly sideswipe me to get in front of me, only to slam on their brakes at the next light.

Willy Wonka

Thu, 15 Sep 2005 01:30:22 -0500

Screw bike riding. I'm a WALKER. Walking is better for the environment than biking, as the manufacture of the bike causes pollution. Biking is too expensive. You have to purchase a bike, then maintain tubes and tires, all which cost money. Also, you have to buy a new bike every few months when kids kick and bend your front wheel as a joke. Drunk driving is dangerous. Drunk biking is, too. Drunk walking--not very dangerous. Embarrassing, perhaps, but not very dangerous. You have more control walking than biking or driving. Biking and driving gives you basic forward and backward movement. Walking lets you move sideways, up, down, backwards, slantways and byways.

jon

Fri, 24 Jun 2005 15:30:30 -0500

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/06/24/ukraine.airshow/index.html yeah well look at these poor suckers on both sides..oi vey tranport havoc!

Guy

Fri, 24 Jun 2005 12:00:20 -0500

A mere sampling of the devastation wrought on our communities by out of control motorists (from Indymedia): A 45-year-old man riding his bicycle in Corona last evening was struck by a van and later died of his injuries, the police said. The man, whose identity was not released by the authorities, was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center after the 7:20 p.m. accident on 108th Street near 48th Avenue. He died shortly after 8 p.m. The driver of the van, a 1996 white GMC, fled. Michelle O'Donnell (NYT) Published: 10 - 18 - 2004 , Late Edition - Final , Section B , Column 5 , Page 4 Original publication: April 19, 2005)WHITE PLAINS — An 18-year-old White Plains bicyclist was in critical condition last night after he was struck by a hit-and-run driver earlier in the day, police said. The driver fled the scene of the accident, but returned a short while later, police said. The bicyclist, Kenny Diaz of Holland Avenue, was taken to Westchester Medical Center with head injuries. Police, fire and emergency medical service personnel responded to Church Street and Parkview Court at about 1:20 p.m. to find Diaz lying in the street after he was struck by a vehicle, said Charles Jennings, White Plains deputy commissioner of public safety. The driver, Diane Orlando of Rockledge Avenue in White Plains, returned to the scene 30 minutes after the accident occurred, Jennings said. Orlando was charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, a misdemeanor. A 26-year-old bicyclist was badly injured yesterday after being trapped between a city bus and a delivery truck on Madison Avenue just south of 40th Street, the police said. Witnesses said the man, whose name was not disclosed, was riding north on Madison Avenue at 10:50 a.m. when he attempted to maneuver through a narrow gap between the bus, which was in the right lane, and the truck. When the bus accelerated and moved to the left, it squeezed the man between the vehicles and rolled over his bike, witnesses said. The police said neither vehicle was at fault. The bicyclist was in critical condition in Bellevue Hospital Center. Thomas J. Lueck (NYT) Published: 04 - 22 - 2005 , Late Edition - Final , Section B , Column 1 , Page 6 April 27, 2005 -- A truck driver critically injured a man riding a bicycle along Hylan Boulevard on Staten Island last night, cops said. The accident occurred at 8 p.m. at the intersection of Lipsett Avenue and Hylan Boulevard in Annadale. The 40-year-old victim — whose name was withheld pending family notification — was fighting for his life at Staten Island University Hospital North. The driver, identified only as a 23-year-old man, did not leave the scene and faces no criminal charges. UPDATE: The cyclist died from his injuries. WEST ISLIP: GIRLS ON BICYCLE HIT BY CAR Two young girls riding a bicycle together were seriously injured yesterday when they rode into an intersection and were struck by a pizza deliveryman's car, the police said. The accident happened about 3:40 p.m. when the girls, Valerie McCarthy, 14, of West Islip, and Frances Jedlicka, 8, of Lindenhurst, rode into the intersection of Hunter Avenue and Toomey Road. Frances was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip, where she was in critical condition. Valerie was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she was in stable condition. The police issued a summons to the deliveryman, whom they identified as Stephen F. Carrasso, 20. They said that he had been driving with a suspended license and that his car had been impounded for a safety check. Michelle O'Donnell (NYT) Published: May 9, 2005 MANHATTAN: CYCLIST KILLED BY GARBAGE TRUCK A Brooklyn woman was killed on Sunday night when she was struck by a private sanitation truck while riding her bicycle in the East Village, the police said. The victim, Brandie Bailey, 21, was hit by the truck at Houston Street and Avenue A at 11:58 p.m., the police said. The police said the driver of the truck was not charged. Published: May 10, 2005(NYT) WEST ISLIP: GIRL HIT BY CAR DIES An 8-year-old Lindenhurst girl who was critically injured by a pizza delivery car on Sunday while bicycle riding died of her injuries yesterday, the Suffolk County police said. On Sunday the girl, Frances Jedlicka, and Valerie McCarthy, 14, riding the same bicycle in West Islip, rode into the intersection of Hunter Avenue and Toomey Road and were struck by the car, driven by Stephen F. Carrasso, 20. Francis was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center. Valerie was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital and was reported in stable condition that night. Mr. Carrasso was driving with a suspended license, the police said. Published: May 11, 2005Michelle O'Donnell (NYT) A 2-year-old boy died last night after being hit by a car in Brooklyn, the police said. The accident occurred at 1251 Brooklyn Avenue, near Holy Cross Cemetery. The boy, who was not identified by police pending notification of his family, was pronounced dead on arrival at Kings County Hospital Center, a police spokesman said. Corey Kilgannon (NYT) Published: 05 - 31 - 2005 , Late Edition - Final , Section B , Column 3 , Page 7 MANHATTAN: BODY FOUND NEAR GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE A man's body was found yesterday near the northbound side of the Henry Hudson Parkway, the police said. The man, identified as Robert Levy, 46, of Washington Heights, was found about 7:45 a.m. near the side of the highway north of the George Washington Bridge. The police said he had severe head trauma. An investigation into the cause of death continued yesterday. (NYT) Published: June 6, 2005 NEW JERSEY STUDY FAULTS NEW JERSEY DRIVERS A national test has found that New Jersey drivers tend to have a sketchy understanding of the rules of the road. In fact, drivers in only two other states are less knowledgeable than Garden State residents, according to a GMAC Insurance study. Only Massachusetts and Rhode Island residents tested worse than New Jersey drivers, the company found. Oregon drivers were regarded as the most knowledgeable. GMAC administered the test to nearly 5,000 people nationally. One out of three admitted speeding up to go through a yellow light even if there were pedestrians in a crosswalk, and more than one in six said they had driven without a side mirror or rearview mirror. (AP) Published: June 6, 2005 BROOKLYN: MAN ARRESTED IN FATAL HIT AND RUN A Brooklyn man yesterday was charged with running down and killing a 7-year-old boy in East New York on April 26. The suspect, Wilbert Rios, 32, of Fountain Avenue, was charged with criminally negligent homicide in the death of Charles Santiago, who was playing near his house on Milford Street when he was struck by a car. (NYT) Published: June 3, 2005 A firefighter from Ladder Company 30 in Harlem was struck by a hit-and-run driver as he climbed into his fire truck to return to the station yesterday, fire officials said. The firefighter, Sheldon George, was near 145th Street and Seventh Avenue when a driver in a gray Dodge Stratus hit him then drove away. A few hours later, the driver, whom the police identified as Katrina Samardzic, 27, of Elmhurst, Queens, turned herself in and was arrested. Charges against her were pending last night. Firefighter George was treated at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell hospital for injuries that fire officials said were not life threatening. Published: 05 - 26 - 2005 , Late Edition - Final , Section B , Column 4 , Page 8 Woman bicyclist crushed by ice cream truck DARYL KAHN STAFF WRITER June 10, 2005 A 28-year-old Brooklyn woman was killed Thursday after she tumbled off of her bike and beneath the wheels of an ice cream truck in Park Slope, police said. Elizabeth Padilla was riding north on Fifth Avenue at 8:53 a.m. yesterday in between parked vehicles when the driver of a parked tractor trailer opened his door to see if he was clear to pull out. When Padilla swerved out of the way of the door she lost control of the bike and spilled beneath the rear wheels, crushing her head, police said. Padilla had trouble pulling her feet out of the clips of her bicycle pedals as she was tipping over, police said. The driver of the ice cream truck, Jose Cruz, drove for about 15 feet after running over Padilla, but stopped when a passer-by alerted him to what happened, police said. "He didn't realize he had hit her," a police source said. Neither Cruz nor Ioseb Peikrishvili, 38, the driver of the tractor trailer, were charged or summonsed in the accident, police said. Barmaid critical after cab horror BY EDWARD B. COLBY and CARRIE MELAGO DAILY NEWS WRITERS A beautiful young bartender from Ireland was clinging to life yesterday after being hit by a cab as she walked to work in Hell's Kitchen. Bebhinn Markey, 23, of Queens, was run down at 11:10 a.m. when she tried to cross 11th Ave. near W. 51st St., her boss at Bull McCabe's pub said. Markey was just north of the crosswalk near W. 51st St. when she walked out from behind a bus and was hit by a taxi heading uptown, cops and witnesses said. Markey, who recently moved to New York from County Down in Ireland, was taken to St. Vincent's Hospital, where she was in critical condition. "She's a really wonderful person and very kind and giving of affection," said Vincent Dupuy, 38, a musician who regularly eats lunch at the bar. "I'd rather spend lunch with her than eat," said another patron, Scott Duncan, 40. A few months ago, Markey was interviewed by Home & Away, a local newspaper for immigrants. She spoke of missing her family. "I admire my mother, at home in Ireland, as she did a wonderful job with the four of us," she said, telling the magazine she moved to New York because of her "sense of adventure." The cabbie stayed at the scene and was not issued summonses or charged, cops said. "The taxi driver couldn't see her," said Daniel Fernandez, 25, a construction worker who saw the crash. "When he saw the lady, [it was] too late." Originally published on June 9, 2005 Again! Death by hit-run BY JONATHAN LEMIRE and CARRIE MELAGO DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS An elderly man walking home from a Bronx bar was struck and killed by a drunken driver - becoming at least the 18th victim to die in a hit-and-run accident in the city this year, police and neighbors said yesterday. Efrain Valentine, 76, was hit near E. 149th St. and Bergen Ave. around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday by a Nissan Pathfinder that sped off, only to be stopped by police several blocks away. The car's driver, Aristides Merino, 38, of Manhattan, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and driving while intoxicated. Valentine was described as a kind but down-on-his-luck man who shared a Spartan apartment with his boyhood friends from Puerto Rico. "Those two guys gave him a home. They're all from the same village in Puerto Rico," said Jacinto Torres, 27, the building's super. "They're old school friends who found each other again in the Bronx." Valentine's roommate, Etanisho Abrahande, 74, was stunned that his friend had been struck by an allegedly drunken driver - saying Valentine had been hit by a drunken driver in November. "Again?" he said. " I can't believe it happened again." When Valentine first moved to the U.S. several decades ago, he worked as a custodian at Hunter College, but in recent years he spent most of his time in bars. Abrahande said Valentine would sometimes disappear for days. "I feel sorry for him," Abrahande said. "He wasn't a bad man." Merino could face stiffer penalties under a law championed by the Daily News and signed by Gov. Pataki last week. Prosecutors are now able to bring more serious charges against drunken drivers who kill or seriously injure people. Neighbors were shocked to hear about the charges against Merino, who lives with several family members in an apartment building on W. 19th St. "He is a very nice person. Until today, I've had no complaints," said Carmen Luz, the super at Merino's building. With Marissa Widdiso Originally published on June 9, 2005 BIKING HORROR By DEVIN SMITH, SELIM ALGAR and ANDY GELLER June 22, 2005 -- A heroin addict who fatally mowed down two Long Island bicyclists drove an incredible 1,000 feet with one of them stuck in his windshield, authorities said yesterday. The victims — dancing teacher Arthur Ashe, 40, and girlfriend Veronique Archer, 21 — bought their bicycles just a day before Monday afternoon's tragedy. They were riding along a Sunrise Highway bike path in Oakdale when Edwin Jones, 42, of Coram — who claimed he fell asleep at the wheel — plowed into them in his 1989 GMC Jimmy. Meg Farrell, a Suffolk County prosecutor, said Jones didn't stop but drove 1,000 feet with Archer stuck in the windshield of the SUV. "This defendant hit two cyclists and drove 1,000 feet with the female victim embedded in his windshield," she said. Jones — who signed a statement admitting he is a heroin addict — pulled over only when another motorist cut him off, Farrell said. Ashe, who lived with Archer and her family in Central Islip, was hurled to the ground and killed instantly. Archer was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital but died eight hours later. "I was just so devastated when I heard of this," said her mother, Ginette. "It's so hard to lose a child. I can't tell you the pain that I'm feeling right now," she said, clutching her heart and weeping. "It's just unbelievable," said Veronique Archer's brother, Dominick, 25. "It's terrible to do something and try to leave." "I'm not somebody who gets angry. I'm just disappointed someone could do this." Jones, who lives in a men's shelter, was held on $105,000 bail after pleading not guilty to leaving the scene of a fatal accident and driving under the influence of drugs. Farrell said Jones had 14 convictions on his rap sheet, including criminal sale of a controlled substance in 2001. Archer and Ashe had been dating for three years. They met at one of his dance classes — he conducted them all around Long Island — and he moved in with her family 18 months ago. A week ago, they gave a recital of jazz and hip-hop dancing. Archer, who liked to write poetry, was studying forensic pathology at SUNY-Stony Brook and wanted to work in a criminal lab. Her mother said that before Archer and Ashe went out for their ride, she warned them that stretch of the bike path was dangerous. "Before she left the house, I told her to be careful. I told her it was dangerous there," the mom said. Archer's brother, Jean-Marc, 34, said even though Ashe was 19 years older than his sister, they got along very well. "He was just a very nice guy," the brother said. "He was very youthful." Jones' roommate said Jones had a clear drug problem. "He'd go out and when he came back, he'd be falling down all over himself," the roommate said. Top Stories Police Looking For Livery Cab Driver Who Stuck Boy On Bike June 22, 2005 A reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of a livery cab driver who struck a boy in Manhattan Tuesday. Joel Limones, 12, is now in intensive care at Harlem Hospital. He was hit by a Lincoln Town Car while riding his bike last night on 118th Street between Park and Lexington avenues. The New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers is offering a reward of $500 for any information leading to the driver's arrest. Limones’ family is thanking the organization and the police for their assistance. They also have a message for the driver. “Turn yourself in,” Grace Torres, Limones’ cousin, said at a news conference Wednesday. “Remember, you can run but you can’t hide because you will be found. And to the passengers that were in the cab at the time of the incident when it occurred, this could have been your child.” Anyone with any information about the caseis asked to call New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers at 718-589-3600. Final moment of horror Biker yells 'Stop!' as truck crushes him BY RIVKA BUKOWSKY and ROBERT F. MOORE DAILY NEWS WRITERS A terrified bicyclist, knocked to the ground by a delivery truck, screamed out in desperation seconds before being crushed to death yesterday on a Manhattan street. "Stop! Stop!" screamed the cyclist, Andrew Morgan, 25, of Brooklyn. But the driver inched forward, making a right turn from E. Houston St. onto Elizabeth St. about 10:25 a.m. The box truck, from Dockside Furniture Services in Bayonne, N.J., hit the cyclist and pinned him under the axle. "After that scream, he was silent," said witness Peter Martin, 54, of Manhattan. The blue bicycle lay twisted in the street, and Morgan was motionless. Onlookers used a forklift, possibly from a nearby construction site, in a desperate attempt to move the truck off Morgan. Paramedics arrived minutes later and rushed him to St. Vincent's Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Police issued the driver a summons for an expired inspection sticker but didn't charge him in Morgan's death. "It looked like an accident," a police source said. "The truck driver didn't see him." Morgan, who moved to the city about two years ago from Austin, Tex., worked at the Blue Ribbon Bakery Market in Greenwich Village. In his free time, he played the guitar, dabbled in photography and loved to paint. He wanted to travel the world and had quickly fallen for the city. "He loved it here," said Brian Schreck, 25, a close friend. "He loved the people. He thought the more time he spent here, New York became smaller."

Guy

Fri, 24 Jun 2005 11:57:25 -0500

Indymedia has a posting on honoring Andrew Morgan and other cyclists who have recently lost their lives: http://nyc.indymedia.org/feature/display/153553/index.php Previous post: http://nyc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/153470/index.php

jon

Fri, 24 Jun 2005 11:25:29 -0500

you lives by the bike you dies by the bike!

jammypup

Fri, 24 Jun 2005 09:35:21 -0500

No one is going to change the driving behaviour of truck drivers. As a cyclist you have to be more aware and maybe slow down or even stop (if you see a truck on your left as you get to the turn) at every right turn just in case someone makes a right into you. Sucks I know but surely your life is worth it, is it not?

jon

Fri, 24 Jun 2005 09:28:14 -0500

http://bicycleaustin.info/justice/ interesting..dude andy morgan was from there too... well everyone should be extra careful...i would say though here in nyc people do tend to drive like maniacs...everyone - cyclists drivers - should slow the fuck down...!

p

Fri, 24 Jun 2005 09:28:14 -0500

Dave H - I understand your "hang ups". If the cops would evenly apply pressure to cyclists AND cars, things would be better. I got a ticket for going through a red on my bike (and wasn't able to get away even though I tried at first - bad idea), and when I went to court to fight it, there were 30 other cyclists who had been caught the same week as me by the same cop. Where were the drivers?? I guess that week they decided to pick on bikes. The next week it would probably be people with missing taillights, or grandmothers jaywalking, etc. You can sit at any intersection for 15 minutes and see about 25 moving violations by cars, bikes and pedestrians AT LEAST! Why don't the cops do the same thing? I got off the Manhattan Bridge on my bike yesterday and saw two cops in the car eating donuts and reading the Post. No wonder so many people sign up to be traffic cops. Plus, I'm not saying they need to give out a ticket every time they stop someone, but maybe they can just start stopping people, checking their licenses and registrations (just id for cyclists), and let people know that they are paying attention, and you may get a ticket next time. As for me, I have to admit that since my red light ticket, I've been stopping at red lights, watching cars more carefully, being more respectful of pedestrians, etc. At the same time, I'm more aware of my rights as a cyclist, so on narrow streets, I take up the whole lane, so I won't get doored. Again, though, I don't want this to imply that I think this poor guy was violating the law; it sounds like he was observing the law, but got squeezed. I tell people to take up the whole right lane if possible; that'll make cars see you and go around and hopefully avoid horribly tragic sitauations like the ones we've been seeing recently.

Dave H.

Fri, 24 Jun 2005 08:24:14 -0500

No, I normally don't count moving violations of cars while I'm walking, but since this accident happened yesterday and I had posted earlier about it, then yes, I was noticing the behavior of cyclists on my way home last night. And the thought that "just b/c a biker didn't have a light, it doesn't mean that being hit by a car is their fault, same as a pedestrian" is pretty indicative of the behavior I was adovcating against. If one is jaywalking or crossing against a red light and gets hit by a car, yes, it's your fault! I'm 100% for more bike transportation alternatives and realize that many cyclists are victimized by overly-aggressive drivers in cars. I was just trying to point out that cyclists need to take responsibility for their own safety by adhering to traffic laws designed for their safety and the safety of pedestrians. Evan, as to my hang up, scroll up in the comments and you'll read that I actually have been threatened more frequently by errant cyclists than reckless drivers of cars or trucks, which contradicts your final two sentences.

evan

Fri, 24 Jun 2005 07:08:46 -0500

dave h - what's yr hang up? do u count "moving violations" that you notice being committed by cars on yr walk home? no - you just accept them as the way things are. my jaywalking analogy was not to say that all jaywalking is okay - but that some is. in other words, just b/c a biker didn't have light, it doesn't mean that being hit by a car is their fault. same with a pedestrian. the big difference is that when bikers take risks, it is themselves they put at risk. when cars do, they put us all at risk.

J

Fri, 24 Jun 2005 05:58:41 -0500

As a bicyclist and surgical resident who covers the trauma surgery service at a Manhattan hospital, I must say that this happens ALL of the time! Drivers must be careful, but riders need to be careful too. I see bicyclists riding dangerously all of the time, weaving in and out of traffic (sometimes without a helmet!) So please, ride carefully and wear a helmet!!!!

Dave H.

Fri, 24 Jun 2005 01:14:35 -0500

A previous commentor noted that responsible bike riders who don't obey traffic laws all the time are akin to jaywalkers. And guess what? jaywalkers--at dangerous avenues like Queens Blvd.--get killed all the time. It's a clear physical fact that pedestrians or cyclists are always going to come out on the worst side of a vehicle collision. I wasn't trying to fault cyclists for their misfortunes--especially these last two tragic people. I was just trying to point out that basic adherence to the rules of the road--even if it's aggressively in cyclists' favor--and a sense among the public that cyclists aren't rogue menaces would engender greater public support for bike safety. Bike city utopias sound great, but utopia by definition means an unattainable place. The so-called slacking NYPD who aren't issuing tickets certainly didn't issue any to the four blatant moving violations I witnessed this evening by cyclists on my way home from work. The truth of the matter is that cyclists get a great deal of leniency in violating traffic laws with the offsetting penalty of being physically vulnerable to motor vehicles. It's a cruel trade off certainly, but one that many seem ready to risk.

jon

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 22:21:30 -0500

bikers are fast and thrifty as bugs that hit yer windshield on the highway and not all drivers have reflexes like Mr. Miyagi - accidents will happen...think in accidents like these somebody is already a victim of jockeying manmade technologies on the tarmac speeding to their respective destinations - why penalize and ruin's somebody's life if A it was not intentional B and truly an accident - if drivers were penalized all the time there probably be no cars/trucks left in the big cities after awhile - maybe streets have be to widened or something to accomodate everybody i reckon..or a 3 strike bikers hit you get yer drivers licence revoked permanently or something!

thfs

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 19:16:15 -0500

I don't care if it's Bloomberg, NYPD, or the Police Union- bikers are people and vehicles! If I was in a car and stopped, and then the car from behind hit me, the car behind me would be charged with "failure to maintain a safe traveling distance." If I was killed in that accident, it is likely the car behind me would be additionally charged with "failure to maintain control of vehicle", "reckless driving", and "vehicular manslaughter". Now I'm a biker, and a car behind me hits me. It's an "accident". Let's say I'm killed. It's an "accident". I find it hard to believe that of all the biker deaths widely reported on this year, none of the drivers were charged with anything more serious than a summons. We don't let people charged with manslaughter off with summonses do we?

jon

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 16:33:26 -0500

bikers should just wear armor in nyc..sheeeat..they want to tone up their bodies anyways...sweat off more pounds under yer chainmail dammit! Signed, A law abiding NYC Sane Walker and Subway Rider

evan

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 16:27:40 -0500

being a responsible biker does not necessarily mean following all the traffic rules... in the same way that responsible pedestrians sometimes jaywalk. the traffic laws are not designed for bikes and don't work for bikes. when a city acknowledges bikes in its plan, bikers are much more likely to follow the rules. (see amsterdam). i have hit pedestrians twice, knocking both of us to the ground. neither time was it my fault - they walked out into the middle of the street w/o looking. if i was in a car, they would be dead. bikes aren't the problem. cars are. to the poster who says they have never been afraid of a car in nyc - i urge u to look at the number of pedestrian deaths in this city every year. another young person is dead. he wasn't killed by a bike - he was killed by a car. no one needs to go to jail - that won't help anything. what we need is to learn to respect each other.... but if you enlightened gothamist readers can't do it, i don't hold out much hope for the run of the mill asshole driver.

g

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 16:26:08 -0500

It seems as if in all three of the recent cyclist deaths (two on Houston and one in Brooklyn) the riders were observing all laws and riding predictably. Not one of the stories begins with a description of a rider going through a red light or riding the wrong way on a one way street or riding on the sidewalk. In fact, none of the behavior so frequently cited by bike critics on these pages seemed to be a factor in these tragedies. But rather than admit that a tragedy has occurred, the people who for whatever reason hate bicyclists come online and make across-the-board statements that it's the cyclists who are the problem, not double-parked trucks, not speeding livery drivers, and not the occasional careless driver. Why? Because it's a hell of a lot easier to step up to someone who's probably wearing a dorky looking helmet or bike shorts than someone sitting behind the wheel of a giant, two ton steel behemoth. I wonder if people would be so quick to criticize if it had been a walker who was crossing the street when a truck turned the corner and plowed into him. It happens all the time: a car comes around the corner and plows into someone walking across the street at a crosswalk. Such events spur outrage and evening news coverage. Of course, I'm not absolving bikers of all sins. I've seen my fair share of idiots, which include everyone from bike messengers and triathletes with tricked-out titanium bikes to kids on dirt bikes and slow-poke old ladies. There are a lot of idiots in life - some of them get behind the wheel of a car and others ride a bike. No form of transportation has a monopoly on idiocy. These most recent deaths are real tragedies for those who knew the victims and for those who share the streets. These deaths were caused not by law-flouting cyclists, but by law-abiding commuters, which should send a chill through everyone who rides on two wheels. It's very sad and we should all send our warmest thoughts and prayers of comfort to the friends and families of those who were killed.

Guy

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 16:25:15 -0500

One thing I find bizarre is that on the city's bike web site, they suggest riding 3 feet from parked cars and the curb. Have you tried this? That'll get you honked at and possibly hit. Also, hand signals for turning?? I know them and have used them, but I know that 99% of drivers have no idea that "left hand down" = "I'm stopping" or "left hand up" = "turning right". Plus, once you remove that left hand, you're going to get doored anyway.

Tim N.

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 16:05:22 -0500

Bill: wha???????

Bill

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 15:52:14 -0500

"damn you cars! yer day will come!" ...says the man with a sack of potatoes for the tail pipe and sugar for the gas tank...

jon

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 15:46:15 -0500

damn you cars! yer day will come!

tien

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 15:42:48 -0500

i'm curious, does anyone have some numbers as to how many cyclists were killed last year? is this year typical or have deaths actually increased.

fat stinking hog

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 15:11:56 -0500

I'm going to stop biking. that's it I've Had it. Riding a bike in new york city is exactly like how peter parker was driving his moped in spiderman 2. It'S CRAZY! I've bounced off at least 5 cars and been hit by at least 3 car doors and at least 90% of the time it was when I had the right of way, had signaled, and rung my bell during peak daylight hours. And now, to find out that 2 people have died on a route that I usually take every couple of days is truly alarming! The Killer Cars have won. I think cars are the biggest murderers of human life in the world. Guns have nothing on em.

smitty

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 14:34:03 -0500

so sad. the city needs to take action now to protect pedestrians and cyclists.

Sean

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 14:18:10 -0500

Unless there is some evidence that this man was riding recklessly, I don't think this is the appropriate time to mention that some cyclists flout the laws. Of course they do, and I too have almost been hit. But the difference is that if I had been hit, I would have ended up with a few scrapes, not in a body bag. The reason that negligent driving (especially with a truck) is a bigger problem than reckless biking is that vehicles are 1,000 times heavier and do 1,000 times more damage. What a shame we have lost another innocent person. The city has blood on its hands.

Jones

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 13:35:33 -0500

There ought to be a penalty for stupidity or carelessness...otherwise, people, like the driver, literally get away with killing someone without any sort of penalty (outside of a traffic ticket). So a life is worth a traffic ticket?

Guy

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 13:28:45 -0500

To Jack: I agree - as someone who rides alot, I think many cyclists are pains in the ass. They talk alot about cyclists' rights, but then flout traffic laws. Admittedly, I received a ticket for running a red light on my bike (I tried to get away but decided it wasn't worth the risk of a heftier fine). $100 and a lecture later, I realized I was being just as big of an asshole as many drivers. IN general, cops need to enforce the laws more. The speed limit in the city is 25 mph, yet people tear down Lexington at 50 mph, and cops sit there reading the Post and eating donuts. Or, people park on the bike lane, and cops ignore it. They should be enforcing these laws as well as stopping more cyclists from riding the wrong way, riding on the sidewalk, etc. I think if traffic enforcement was across the board stringent, cyclists and cars would become more respectful of each other.

Dave H.

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 13:27:26 -0500

The other week when that woman was run down by the garbage truck I was feeling very sympathetic towards cyclists in the city. Then later that day as I was returning from lunch a cyclist running a red light came so close to running me down as I crossed 3rd Ave. that he knocked a soda right out of my hand. Upon reflection, I came to realize that I've almost been killed by crazy cyclists multiple times, while I don't remember ever having a scare with a car or truck. Cyclists do have the same rights as other motor vehicles and they should take advantage of them. That means riding in the center of the lane and forcing cars to pass you as if they were passing another car. It also means not riding between lanes of traffic, ignoring traffic and stop signs, and going the wrong way down a street. I think cyclists would get a lot more support for improved traffic infrastructure and law enforcement if there weren't so many of their fellow riders that don't obey traffic laws themselves.

Cycle Dog

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 13:05:40 -0500

I ride my bike to work as many days as I can (depends partly on whether I need to wear a suit or not), and I have to say that the state of things is getting both better and worse at the same time. It seems that there are more drivers who are respectful of my rights to the road, but the drivers who are impatient have gotten worse. sadly, often times, these drivers have been off-duty cops, or cops in general. At the same time, many cyclists themselves are far worse than the bad drivers. Riding the wrong way, running lights, being way too aggressive with trucks, etc. As a rider who respects the potential force of a 2-ton truck, I'm amazed at how many riders ride like a-holes and then get pissed when the cops crack down on their "rights". Bad cyclists make the bad drivers and cops worse for the rest of us. In general, though, riding in New York is easy if you take your time, plan your route, and when things get scary, walk your bike for 2 blocks until it clears up!

Jack

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 13:04:38 -0500

I'm shocked that drivers are not penalized for driving the way they do. Said it before, and I'll say it again. Level heavy fines on reckless truck drivers and the cycling landscape of this city will really change. But that said, I was almost whacked by a cyclist while Iw as crossing 4th Avenue in Brooklyn who did not stop for the red light and ignored my right of way. As much as I have tremendous sympathy for cyclists in cases like this, I am sick and tired of cyclists who really do endanger pedestrians and engage in hypocritical behavior as far as traffic laws go. I think some kind of enforcable registration system for bikes would really make a difference as well. I'm sick of getting nearly whacked by bikes riding in streets and ignoring basic traffic laws themselves. It's all f--ed up, I tell you.

kas

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 12:49:54 -0500

Bicyclists of NY: You guys have balls. I have never ridden my bike in Manhattan for fear of being mowed down. However, I have to concur that cyclists often scare the crap out of me, as a pedestrian. I regularly see people riding on sidewalks, going against the flow of traffic, crossing intersections against both the flow of traffic and the light, etc. When cyclists do obey traffic laws, I always notice and appreciate it.

C

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 12:46:38 -0500

I was there yesterday about a second after the accident and saw the biker trapped under the truck (not the wheels, as the Post reported, but under the trailer part of the vehicle). I'm not totally sure how the truck hit him, though. His bike was completely undamaged, and some onlookers said they thought he fell off his bike, though of course none of us can say for sure. It was truly awful.

Tim N.

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 12:41:40 -0500

twooh: Re: The Brooklyn Bridge... you gotta ride on the lane they give you, amigo. And on both the bridge and the West Side,there are clearly marked lanes for pedestrians and bikers. More often than not I've had to ring/beep/yell at people in the bike lanes than yell at bikers in the ped lanes. I'll be the first to admit that bikers can be arrogant, but most of the ones I've seen, whether riding or walking, have followed the rules when there is a lane. Tom: You know, it's interesting. I've always thought of NYC as a pedestrian town at its heart, and it's surrounded by 'burbs, which are car central. I just don't think bikers are as hard-wired into our DNA here as they are other places. Now that may be changing, but the change will be slow, because (and okay, I'm way overgeneralizing here, but so be it) real city-dwellers walk everywhere and people who live outside the city drive everywhere. The bikes aren't quite in the equation... yet...

JoeM

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 12:35:05 -0500

When was the last time you saw a cop (traffic or otherwise) give a ticket for anything? The illegal turns, running of red lights, blocking the box, etc, has gotten worse and worse. And don't blame Bloomberg, blame the Police Union. They're upset because they don't have a contract, so rather than work hard to show that they're worth what they're asking, they get lazy. The American Way I guess...

twooh

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 12:18:36 -0500

"I recently moved to NYC from Chicago and I have been shocked and saddened at how little respect cyclists get from drivers and pedestrians in this city compared to Chicago." Wait a minute, have you ever been on the Brooklyn Bridge or the Park on the west side? Bikers act as if they have MORE rights than pedestrians. You don't ride at 35mph on the same piece of cement and wood (on the bridge) as pedestrians!

tommy

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 12:17:58 -0500

Tom

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 11:50:46 -0500

I recently moved to NYC from Chicago and I have been shocked and saddened at how little respect cyclists get from drivers and pedestrians in this city compared to Chicago. I commuted regularly via bicycle into downtown Chicago. I had my choice of a number of streets that had defined bike lanes. I rarely felt crowded and there were usually other cyclists riding right along with me to help provide presence. My experience after a month here is that drivers making right turns do not even consider the possibility that they may be cutting off a bicycle. Motorists do not yield an inch of the street. People exiting parked vehicles don't even check their mirrors. Pedestrians will cross against the light if the only oncoming traffic is bicycles; they expect the bike to stop where they would never expect the same from a car or truck. Yes, cyclists have to be defensive drivers and anticipate the worst -- simply because of the laws of physics and physiology -- but there doesn't seem to be a shred of consideration given to them by drivers here. (I know that this city is much bigger than Chicago, but many of the issues and solutions are common to both. I love NYC, but I wish I fely safer riding my bike here.)

P. Bobko

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 11:47:52 -0500

I guess maybe we should just keep a score card for these events since trucks in New York seem to be in constant battle with anything that slows down their progress. New York Trucks vs. Bicyclists. Let's see doesn't this make it 2-0 for Houston street alone this month. For some reason, I'm pretty sure the bicycle riders score will always be 0. Except of coarse, the parenthesis which will include such infuriating information like...(summons for an expired inspection sticker). Doesn't the small and slow street of Elizabeth feed onto Houston st, not the other way around?

N

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 11:34:02 -0500

Seriously, how many deaths is it going to take for law enforcement to take cyclists as legitimate vehicles or even just human beings?

Tim N.

Thu, 23 Jun 2005 11:15:19 -0500

Okay, here's a kick in the head (figuratively speaking)... if you look at the NYC Bike Map (the one you get when you call 311), Houston Street is listed as a RECOMMENDED ROUTE! Recommended by whom? Your spouse with their eye on your closet space? BTW, this is not to make light of what happened yesterday on Elizabeth Street. I cannot believe that the truck driver was not arrested after he knocked this guy down and didn't heed his STOP! STOP!! STOP!!! screaming. I guess whatever delivery he had to make couldn't wait. Has Transportation Alternatives done anything about this?