As of late and because of the unruly bicyclists, when there is overnight construction on the Queensboro Bridge bicycle/Pedestrian path - the path will now be closed. There were two incidents - one on July 18th 09 after a bicyclist refused to dismount through the construction zone, fell and was injued and taken to Cornell hospital. In another incident a few days later as I was riding my bicycle across the bridge I witnessed another bicyclist refusing to dismount and using his bicycle as a battering ram to push one of the construction contractors out of the way. Now PD is at the foot of the bridge to stop anyone from going on the the path at all when there is construction. Maybe a bus will be there to take them across, I don't know. It is what it is now thanks to some bicyclists who had to have it their way.

Put half the police force on bikes and watch these idiots change their tune. Cops don't care about anyone or anything from their protective bubble. Get them some vulnerability and suddenly they become human beings again.

I left out an important point:

I think 95% of cyclists are courteous and respectful, but that other 5% pose a serious risk. I guess you could call this group punishment, but is it really that bad to dismount and walk a bit? It's not like they are rerouting cyclists to a different bridge.

So what if the bikers have to dismount and walk a few feet?

I regularly walk to work over various bridges, always keeping to the pedestrian side, yet I've nearly been hit by speeding bikes many times.

And those of you saying the workers shouldn't be there, or are some sort of inconvenience... these guys are just making a living. Slow down.

That guy who had to go back and start over... too bad they didn't make him wear a dunce cap.

What the hell is the point of having a bike lane when you can't use it? Motorists would bitch and moan if they closed the bridge as well. The cops don't improve anything by acting like self righteous bullies with badges and guns. If you dare to question what they say their egos get bruised. They get defensive. Do as I say or you go to jail. That is pure bullshit...

Amazing how some folks scream for equality without doing the same for others.

I guess it's only cool to express your opinions when it's in line with theirs.

All the bad stuff that automobile drivers do in the whole world doesn't make the bad stuff that bikers GENERALLY do any better. If ten people a day are killed by cars that doesn't make it any less bad that people are still put in danger by bikers who GENERALLY disobey traffic laws.

You people complain about everything..geez. Go back to where the hell you came from. Maybe the cops have to babysit you idiots because you can't seem to follow posted instructions of walking the bike and dismounting.

Trust me, if the cops did not force you to dismount then some other whiner would be saying the cops are not doing anything about cyclists NOT dismounting...

cops can't win...cyclists complain and then on the other side pedestrians complain. Stop being a baby and depending on cops to run your lives.

Is there anything the NYPD isn't really, really sh*t at?

#23 Logical? Ha, what a poor choice of words. But arrogance can do that to someone.

Think: In a pedestrian crosswalk, with the light in my favor, I was struck by a cyclist, but fortunately not hurt, like my friend an errant cyclist put in hospital for 2 weeks.

Repeat, since you seem slow: in a crosswalk on a green light.

Of course, bikes don't run red lights, ever.

They ALWAYS stop for red lights and wait till it turns green.

When NYC cyclists behave like Dutch cyclists and obey the law, they will get respect. Until then, they get disdain from most pedestrians, and whatever motorists and the copos mete out to them.

[29] Yup. Apparently, "thefacts" conveniently forgets that he's still around to complain about being hit by bikes, which was probably his fault as well. I'm willing to bet he has a "I've got the effing right of way and I'm standing my ground" attitude, so he got hit. Many people who get hit by cars don't get to complain about it. Death seems to have a way of shutting people up.

"I was twice hit by a bike, never a car. I know more people hit by bikes than by cars."

The Facts

I do wonder if he chose his handle in irony.

Has there every been followup on the deaths-by-automobiles of those two young women last weekend on 14th St?

http://gothamist.com/2008/10/05/more_details_emerge_from_fatal_taxi.php

It was never made clear if the drivers were at fault. Apparently automobile-associated deaths in this city are so routine, these stories are quickly forgotten - if they ever even makes the news.

But let's continue to whine about cyclists.

now you know why I dance my jig..

My mother taught me to look both ways before crossing the street. Not because cars may legally drive the wrong way down the street, but because I would be safer if I did so.

Bikes shouldn't hit people who are legally in the cross walk. At the same time, pedestrians who are looking down/talking on the cell phone/ignoring their surroundings are definitely more at risk of being hit by cars/bikes/etc.

BOO HOO! I had to stop and get off and walk my bike on a bridge while a major music festival was taking place. BOO HOO!

Walking home through Central Park Monday evening I was crossing the northbound park road with the light in the crosswalk. All the cars are stopped like they should be but when I get to the bike path on the inside of the road I am very nearly clipped by a biker who without any exaggeration was going at least 25 MPH. The guy never slowed down, never yielded to anyone, broke several traffic laws and endangered my life much more than any car I've seen do in the last month or so.

GENERALLY this is how most bikers behave. GENERALLY that's why people don't want to hear them whine any longer.

I'd also like to point out that it seems silly to monitor and impede the flow of bicycle traffic so rigorously when the workers are equally close to the roadway on which cars and trucks (you know, heavy, metal things that weight several dozen tons) regularly travel in excess of 60 miles per hour.

I was among the cyclists forced to walk back to the foot of the bridge and repeat my trip at half speed, despite the total absence of workers on or around the bike path. It was infuriating. I've had several run-ins with that scooter cop and he's been nothing but stubborn, arbitrary and abusive. On one occasion, with all of the tact that one can expect from a man who likely passed his GED exam by a fraction of a point, he suggested that I need a beating.

And yet, when I was attacked outside of Metropolitan avenue station this week, DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM A POLICE STATION, IN PLAIN VIEW OF SEVERAL OFFICERS, nobody came to my aid until after a drunk had groped my friend, shoved me into a pile of trash and thrown her to the ground.

The NYPD needs to take a good look at its priorities. They should put aside cyclist harassment and the enforcement of non-existent laws regarding proper bike path usage until they've got the whole "protecting the welfare of your citizens" thing down.

This is not to say that all cops are bad- I know some good, dedicated, intelligent cops, but the lion's share of NYPD officers that I've had the displeasure of meeting have been slow-witted and abusive.

@ thefacts

hits by two bikes!? i guess after the first time you still didn't learn. it would seem logical to met aht most people hit by bikes are people who don't look where they are walking (ie no cars coming so i assume it is safe to walk without looking out for a bike). i ride a bike daily and the only times i have ever come close to hitting someone has been when they jump out in the street without looking while holding a blackberry to their ear and a blind eye to the world.

granted there are jerk bikers who will get close to pedestrians on purpose. but these are the minority.

what was your excuse?

@Ethan, why are the police harassing bicyclists when there is hardly any police at the subways. I had my iphone and my wallet robbed in 2 separate incidents and not one cop around. Yet I seen 5 cops in front of one small synagogue in the upper west side. wtf???