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Transportation Alternatives, which advocates for "bicycling, walking and public transit as the best transportation alternatives," has this interesting graph in the new issue of Street Beat. It shows how more bicyclists have led to better safety:
New data now reveals that there are 185,000 daily cyclists in New York City, an increase of more than one third from just four years ago. This staggering surge is not only a testament to the infrastructure improvements that have been implemented in the last couple of years, but also a contributing factor to the increased safety of cyclists throughout the city.Via Streetsblog, which has more interesting links about US rates vs. the world. Also, more on "Safety in Numbers" at Livable Streets.It's a well established fact that for bikers there is safety in numbers. With more cyclists out and about, more drivers are accustomed to sharing the road. In fact, cycling in New York City is safer now than it has been at any time in recent memory, so spread the word and hit the streets.
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I walked across the Queensboro Bridge today in both directions. I was amazed at the number of bicyclists who used the pedestrian side of the roadway. I would put the percentage at over 90%. On the other hand, very few pedestrians used the bicycle side of the roadway. The ones that did must have been completely stupid or selfish.
I saw one runner who did not deviate from the bicycle side of the road. The roads are clearly marked. One wonders what went through his mind.
As for the bicyclists, their arrogance and indifference to pedestrians in such numbers certainly made most pedestrians very cautious lest they get hit by a bicycle. I'm sure that made for fewer accidents.
Until bicyclists gain some respect for the law, I'm afraid that I will have little respect for them, most of them anyway.
I say all this as one who spent years bicycle commuting to work. I saw the same thing back then. Sure, there are decent cyclists, but they are in the minority. Most bicyclists have little respect for the rules of the road. How many bicycle on the sidewalk? I could go on, but I won't.
I just think that the statistics presented by TA are amazing considering the conditions. Those conditions include drivers who run stop signs, speed, and run red lights. In my neighborhood, that's more the rule than the exception.
In Midtown Manhattan, due to the excessive crowding on the sidewalks, pedestrians are impossible. They step into the street without even looking. They block bike paths. They're more of a problem than parked cars. They stand in the bike lane at corners while waiting to cross. This makes bike lanes unusable.
This isn't an anti-bicycle rant. It's a pro-civility rant. It's a pro-responsibility rant. It's a pro-common sense rant. There's just too little of those qualities among New Yorkers.
It's just as crazy and reckless on the Bklyn Bridge.
There are hundreds of tourists at any one time on a narrow pedestrian path, but only a couple of cyclists using the underutilized bike lane.
As a result, some tourist or walker might be forced into the bike path to get pass the photo-takers or those viewing the beautiful vista who mass and prevent passing.
Cyclists, instead of slowing down and being civil, instead speed up, narrowly missing strollers, screaming "Get the F*ck out of my way"
Indeed their arrogance and hypocrisy is legendary.
I commute by bike every day. Last week I saw a woman on a bike riding the wrong way up the street. Unfortunately, a man was crossing at the same time. She knocked him over. He crossed on a red light, so she blamed him. He was an asshole, but probably didn't deserve to get knocked on his ass by a total very rude stranger. As she took off in the wrong direction up the same one way street I saw her almost hit another pedestrian.
I've been in a couple of accidents in the past, one with a bus. I like the fact that the streets are safer for cyclists but I'm also starting to believe that bikes need to be licensed. Pedestrians need to be educated and understand that it's hard for bikes to stop.
Lastly, standard bike lanes, the ones with the white lines give an illusion of safety. I was nearly killed in Brooklyn on 3rd avenue last year. Some of the lanes are on very narrow streets like those around Grammercy Park and are nearly impossible to use. The best lanes are the ones that are cut off from traffic. Pedestrians tend to stay out of those lanes. The green lanes are also good and drivers tend to stay out of them.
I find bikers to be the biggest hypocrites. Constantly bitching about cars not respecting them and making it dangerous to ride in the city, but when it comes to stopping at a red light, or not plowing through a crosswalk against the light they're completely clueless.
Cars plow through crosswalks, bikes slip through. Both can be dangerous.
It's because we are self righteous for not using gas and spewing carbon, duh. lol.
Nothing like maneuvering around people riding their bike on the Hudson Park pedestrian path in between the gigantic yellow "Cyclists Dismount and Walk" signs.
Totally agree with the statement about cyclists being amongst the biggest hypocrites regarding traffic laws.
While this bad cyclist behavior wouldn't surprise me, let's be fair and tell the whole story here: TONS of pedestrians routinely walk in the bike lanes on the Hudson River Path too! It's one of the reasons I gave up on the path a long time ago.
gothamist comments that single out cyclists as the biggest violators of traffic laws – always good for a laugh.
visit midtown sometime. (hint: leave your self righteousness at home)
You mean behavior of cyclists in Midtown? Clearly they all follow the rules.
*sigh* pedestrians' behavior in Midtown -- particularly around Penn Station, where they walk down 7th Avenue in the street as if they were cars to make their 6:45 to Long Branch -- is absolutely deplorable.
true, I saw some pictures of these peds on flkr, linked from here, I think. the block bet 32 and 33rd had commuters just crossing anywhere on the block. I thought Penn sta had other entrances/tunnels than the main one at MSG?
to me, if your not in a car. the best way to stay injury free is to flow to your own rules.
no one else is following any rules. so you just have to flow. nobody out there is in the right. i would rather get hit by a cyclist then a car any day of the week, and i'd rather hit a person then a car. following the rules on the streets of ny is just going to get you hurnt or killed.
I prefer hang gliding to work-inconsiderate pigeons are the biggest hazard
Easy, Birdman, I'd hate to have to start painting 'Ghost Pigeons' all over rooftops.
Isn't prejudice great? We can spew stuff like "all cyclists are the same because they all run people over." "90% of them."