Ok, First off respect goes out to this guys family in this time of mourning. With that said, The guy wasn't that bright if he was trying to "Squeeze" between a TRUCK, and a VAN!!! Again no disrespect to the family but that is one of the dumbest things I've heard in a good while now! Come on people, I know we live in a busy-busy, rush-rush, "Got to get there on time" world! You got to take the time to think about what your currently doing and what you will be doing (As far as a thought process is concerned)while riding your bike out on these mean streets of New York! You do not ride in bewteen a truck and a van or for that matter anything the size of a truck! I wouldn't ride along side a city bus for that matter a truck ! I hate to say this but that guy was foolish and didn't use his intellect. When will you cyclist learn not to ride along the through roads of the city especially in Manhattan. Manhattan is a veritable death trap for all cyclist. Use the side streets and you lessen the chance of some dickhead driver trying to get to where they need to be from running you over. This remindes me of another accident that occurred a couple of years ago in the city on [6]th Avenue and [28]Street. Long story short the guy was trying to make the turn onto [28]th and tried to "Slide" by the van that was also making the same turn and "BOOM" game over! He got knocked off the moped and ended-up with his head under the rear left tire of the van. Not very bright at all!

YOu guys are all pretty F@#@#! in the head. As a friend of the family, I find it absolutly disgusting, what most of you wrote.

How do you sleep at night? Don't you realize a life was lost. A brother, a son, a boyfriend, a best friend. Don't you realize the family and friends are grieving every second of every day.

Unfortunately no. Yall are ignorant, disrespectful, and utterly a human disgrace.

I believe people have a right to an opinion, but honestly check the facts before you open your mouths!

bk_ck:TO GWIN (and others): STOP DISRESPECTING MESSENGERS AND FOOD DELIVERY RIDERS! these guys are generally the most skilled riders on the street; notice that the majority of cyclists killed in the past few years have been commuters - messengers are doing something right.

Bullshit, as anonymass said. I've been riding in the city for 8 years and if I encounter another cyclist doing something wrong (riding the wrong way up the street, running red lights), 90% of the time the offender is either a bike messenger or a food delivery person. Sorry if you can't handle this, but it's just the plain truth.

I am comment 61!

Transportation Alternatives has put out a press release; according to witnesses, the accident was caused by dangerous and illegal conditions caused by the construction crew, just as I speculated above.

Regardless of your feelings about bike messengers, that makes this young man the second rider killed TODAY by the negligence of city workers, since the accident would probably not have occurred if the city properly enforced road-work permits; the other, a 56-year-old doctor who was struck by an NYPD tow truck while on the West Side bike path, died today in the hospital.

How long will New Yorkers, who live in the best city in the country for public transit, put up with being killed by cars and car culture? Only as long as we're distracted by arguments between pedestrians and cyclists, commuters and messengers, or messengers and delivery riders.

Look, if some of you would drop the fucking self-righteous 'tudes, you'd get a little more sympathy from people like me - pedestrians who are usually aware of their surroundings and have a modicum of street smarts.

Joh, yes, you're right.

Messengers and delivery guys have very different riding styles. The messengers I have encountered (the bulk of them anyway) take crazy chances, buzz pedestrians for kicks, and seem to (as I put it in another thread here on biking) look for trouble. The asshole with the baseball card in the spokes comment pretty much sums up that attitude [and for him I have a message: you might find something else in your spokes if you ride too close to me. You'll be popping a wheelie the hard way.]

Delivery guys on the other hand ride on the goddamned sidewalks looking for their delivery addresses, usually clueless of people around them.

When things like this happen, it rattles the entire cycling community, because no matter what your style, you've been close to death many, many times, and you KNOW that no matter how good you think you are, something like this could even happen to you. If you ride on these streets, you know you need to be careful. But we're looked down on. Forced to leave our bikes outside all day long at the whim of bike thieves. Made to pay extra to travel with our means of transportation. Harrassed by halfwits and police officers who don't know the laws of the streets their driving on and don't care. Everyone in this city has the right of way. I didn't know this kid, but I bet I know someone who did. Just today a speeding driver was thrown from his car in an accident and then run over by another driver. Safer driving and safer driving conditions are what is needed so people stop dying. Transportation Alternatives press release gives a more objective perspective on how this person may have died. You should all read it.

Messengers are usually the fastest guys that always stay on the road and run through lights and shit with their fixed bikes and terrorize pedestrians. Delivery guys take their sweet ass time cause riding a bike is like a huge fresh air break for them and they have 30 pound loads with huge steel baskets in front. Delivery guys are most likely to ride in opposite sides of the street, on the street and into traffic in the bike lane slowly. so bike messengers and food delivery guys have totally different riding styles.

I once was riding on houston during a thunderstorm and it was crazy!!!! I was going east near allen st and near the construction in pouring rain and a huge gale of wind blew some pylons knocking over some huge round pipes that fell behind me. So there I was, dodging rolling pipes, open manhole covers and crazy ass taxis. It was like that boulder scene in raiders of the Last ark. Fucking Scary. I've never ridden on Houston again. And people don't like their bikes quiet so I got me a dynamo generator that whirs like a motorcycle when I ride it and people hear that and get the fuck out. So all bikers should put a baseball card on their spokes to make bicycle riding as annoying as possible to pedestrians.

Messengers are generally pretty good riders, but the grease-stinking bottom feeders who deliver chinese food are a total menace

TO GWIN (and others): STOP DISRESPECTING MESSENGERS AND FOOD DELIVERY RIDERS! these guys are generally the most skilled riders on the street...

Oh bullshit. These guys are the most reckless and every pedestrian knows that. I can't tell you how many times I've been buzzed by some asshole burning through a red light. We have all seen it countless times and for you to deny it really proves your own bike bias.

"This may sound foolish, but I wouldn't be totally surprised if a bike helmet could withstand being run over by a car or truck (saving your life). "

Yes, it sounds foolish.

First let me offer my ccondolences and compassion to the victim's family and friends. It is always tragic when a senseless accident takes ta young life.

second, I'd like to say shame on the people who suggest that this cyclist was at fault or the inferred statement that he somehow deserved it.

riding in NY is dangerous but many of us face the fear to better our health, our lives, our city and our planet. to those of you in the *cyclists are arrogant* camp that will sound like hot air, but it is exactly what we are doing. And it is damn fun to cruise on 2 wheels with the wind in your face.

How about a nice link? This bike map is free and available at most bikeshops in NYC, or you can call 311 to request one.

The maps outline on-street routes, bicycle lanes, existing and planned off street greenways, bike shops...

Some of you are so ignorant it hurts - y'all need to get off your fat behinds, get out from behind your computers, and ride a bike! Riding certain streets and executing certain manuveurs are daily necessities for city cyclists - No matter how dangerous you, the armchair rider might think it is, sliding between large vehicles while mastering difficult pavement conditions is something that most cyclists do instinctively because we have to. Please don't assume that the rider is at fault for chosing to ride this city (especially if you are too chickensh!t to ride this city yourself).

Cyclist tend to be a bit of a fervent bunch exactly because your ignorance, which you find somewhat clever from your semi-anonymous position behind a computer, tends to threaten our lives in the real world. Wake up and stop being so snide. TWO PEOPLE DIED tragically today. Show some empathy for those of us who have "seen" ourselves time and again in the same place that these two gentlemen were unfortunate enough to end up.

TO GWIN (and others): STOP DISRESPECTING MESSENGERS AND FOOD DELIVERY RIDERS! these guys are generally the most skilled riders on the street; notice that the majority of cyclists killed in the past few years have been commuters - messengers are doing something right. Those you you complaining about being brushed by a messenger while crossing a street should try checking the traffic signal - you are porbably jaywalk by crossing en mass against traffic lights giving those riders the right of way.

BTW, in ten years of daily cycling throughout the five boroughs, my worst accident was the result of a collision with a jaywalking tourist on seventh avenue in midtown. As is often the case, this kid poked out between two cars, watched the cars pass and darted out directly in the path of the trailing cyclist (myself). I flipped over my handle bars and broke bones while he walked off without so much as an apology.

Good luck, Naw. Don't ride on the sidewalk or on the street

im glad everyone likes to talk over one another rather than actually answering/addressing each others responses.

congratulations on successful blog dialogue!

im off to work, on bike.... and will continue to ride as if my life is constantly in danger. wonderful.

Just needed to say I'm so tired of the arrogant pedestrians walking around, jaywalking, stopping to gawk at tall buildings, listening to their ipods . . . Don't they know they are inconveniencing me by not getting out of my way as soon as they see me coming?

Are you people for real? "some cyclists are arrogant . . ." Look around! Everyone in this town is a selfish ass no matter what mode of transportation they're using.

And that includes the horses. They stink.

There's no evidence at all that the cyclist did anything stupid or illegal. All we know is that he was making a right turn past one truck when he was crushed under a second truck. Given the enormous construction site at that intersection, it's quite possible that he was turning past a stopped contruction vehicle, using the rightmost open lane, when he was struck - and not cutting between moving vehicles at all.

DMo - right, if the bike has the right of way, then the ped should get the hell out of the way. I know that when cars go by, peds tend to cross like lemmings in front of bikes.

What I refer to is when the light is red and invariably a bike will come through it. Maybe its messengers or whatever, but I've had it happen with non-messengers too.

Duderinoo - you must be a pleasure to be around. Good luck with that whole anger thing.