I applaud these efforts even though it'll mean an increase in the already prodigious number of bikers who run red lights, drive on sidewalks, and generally disobey traffic laws.

I am curious though how long it'll take until someone gets hit and killed on a city bike, though, and what the reaction will be. This city is still quite dangerous for bikers, as the number of ghost bikes around town shows.

Paris has already done it, and it works great. But that isn't saying much, Europeans are light years ahead of of us in all matters, except for being fat and lazy and anti-progress. We rule at that.

Anyone know if you can take you bike on the ferry to Govenors Island? I know you can take it on the SI Ferry.

Bikes are allowed on the ferry; there are even bike racks.

Nice idea - but as twakum above is saying, bicycling in New York won't take off big-time till the streets are safer, more accommodating to cyclists, and auto traffic laws are strictly enforced. The city still operates as if the auto is king - even though the auto is responsible for destroying most of the fabric of city life.

Every evening from the window of my gym, I see an ice cream truck parked directly in (and over) the bicycle lane on Prince Street where it crosses Broadway. I'm sure the cops have seen this truck there - while the cops were ordering their snacks.

"New York is a world-class city for biking" - obviously this dude's never biked in NYC. The only good paths are the westside highway and the ocean parkway. I wouldn't say that NY is terrible just not world-class.

"Put Cops on Bikes, make them enforce rules for proper bike behavior. Also make them stop, ticket and confiscate AUTOS that violate rules, or drive too aggressively near bikers. Also give them power to enforce these rules agsint all drivers of buses."

Amen. It's a brilliant idea, since cops would finally get to see the city from a bicycle perspective, instead of from the "windshield perspective". It'd also put them a lot closer to the people, working a bike beat.

As far as I know, the only place in Manhattan where there are any bicycle cops are in Central Park. Anyone know of it elsewhere?

Plus, a lot of these cops could use the exercise anyways.

http://www.mta.info/lirr/pubs/bikerulelirr.htm

not friendly at all, and worthless to commuters. 4 biccycles per train? Stupid

Metro North is much more tolerant, I have seen LIRR conductors harass cyclists.

Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy commuting to work by bike. But a world class city for biking NYC is NOT.

#15, you're lucky they didn't haul your ass into jail or run you into a parked truck.

#20 - I'm not an anti-bike nut. I wish more people in the city cycled. I'm just frustratedby how few bicyclists understand that they're subject to traffic laws, also. VERY few bicyclists understand that when they do things like stopping at a red light, looking both ways, and then moving onward, they're breaking the law.

I complain far more often about New York drivers than bikers, however. I support congestion pricing, and any other measure that would reduce the number of cars on the street, making it safer for bicyclists and pedestrians to move around the city. It doesn't have to be a one-or-the-other thing. As a person who walks, I want BOTH groups to pay more attention to the law.

Oh and all the bike cops I've seen are utterly useless. Clunky overburdened mountain bikes that are poorly maintained being ridden by cops whose physical fitness is even more poorly maintained than the bikes!

The cops who were riding along with the Tour de Brooklyn were huffing and puffing riding up slight inclines on smoothly paved roads. For a couple of them it seemed like they hadn't ridden a bike in 20 years. One of them didn't recognize the sound of a bike bell and most of them ride with the gears grinding all the time.

I always wait for a green lights at clear intersections if a cop is waiting for the light or if there is a child in eye sight and don't want to set a bad example.

As a cyclist in NYC my biggest fear is being hit by a car/cab as it pulls over to park in a bike lane.

As a pedestrian in NYC my biggest fear is being hit by a cyclist going the wrong way down a one way street.

cwbuecheler, I agree with you. Eliz & #20, it's really a matter of logic. The streets in NYC aren't wide enough to accompany bicycles and two lanes of cars without one or the other needing to veer into the other's path. Common sense stipulates that it's not the fault of the bicyclist or the driver of the vehicle 98% of the time - it's really just a matter of not having enough space.

With that said, bicyclists that break the law (by running red lights, or riding on the sidewalks or down the wrong way of a one way street), should be ticketed the same way a car would be ticketed. Why should it be any different? If some kid on a fixie thinks it's ok to go shooting through red-lights, before he goes out and buys another pair of converse, he can pay a ticket for making it worse for the rest of us riding responsibly.

There seems to be an annoying batch of NYC bicyclists that like to blame traffic, claim they have no rights, etc. Meanwhile, your right is basically the decision to ride in a city without provided bicycle infrastructure. It sucks for all of us, but money talks in this town. We need some serious funding people. That's all I can say about it.

Hey, more responsible riders, the better. But how is this bike share program not going to be a money pit?
We (the tax paying public) are going to provide the service, and storage of the bikes, and also the staff to process the rentals. How is this program going to fund itself? Oh yea- it won't even come close.

Cyclists will obey traffic laws if there were dedicated bikes lanes on every avenue with a separated median, and dedicated cyclist traffic lights beside every single regular traffic light, like in Amsterdam:
http://z.about.com/d/goamsterdam/1/7/K/0/-/-/bike_signal_red.JPG

Psychologically, a circular red light means "cars must stop" but not necessarily pedestrians or cyclists (even though that's what you should do, legally and for safety). That's why there are separate pedestrian signals. There should also be dedicated cyclist signals.

Only about 1% of commuter trips in New York City are made by bicycle, so as part of its strategic plan, Sustainable Streets, DOT intends to double that number by 2015 and triple it by 2020.

At least the city is being realistic in it's aspirations. The auto-phobic crowd could learn something by this.