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Anyone who rides a bike regularly in NYC quickly realizes that the NYPD is pretty lax when it comes to keeping drivers from parking in bike lanes—hell, even the NYPD's own patrol cars are often seen blocking bike lanes. But according to the city's Department of Finance, some 70,000 tickets were issued for stopping in a bike lane last year, out of 10 million tickets issued citywide. One's inclined to dismiss that statistic as utter BS, but NY1 actually found a driver who claims he was issued a $115 ticket for blocking a bike lane on the Lower East Side. It sounds crazy, which is why it made the news! Shocked motorist Ernest Marshall says it all happened when he was picking up his wife:
As my wife was leaving the sidewalk to get into the car, a traffic officer pulled in front of me, blocked me in and then proceeded to give me a traffic ticket. There's parking, a bike lane and traffic on both sides of the street. It's impossible to load or unload passengers from a car without blocking a bike lane or traffic itself. It's unfair.
You know what's also unfair? When a cyclist has to risk his or her life to pull out in front of drivers who aren't expecting to see a bike outside of the bike lane. According to the city's traffic rules, nobody is allowed to block the bike lane; not even vehicles dropping off children, seniors and the disabled. (In some cases, special signage may indicate an exception.)
Wiley Norvell at Transportation Alternatives tells us, "When a bike lane is blocked that means cyclists are pushed into moving traffic, so it's illegal for a reason. Moving violations are woefully unenforced as it is, so it's refreshing to see NYPD keeping a bike lane clear. As for loading and unloading passengers, that can best be tackled by smarter parking policy." Marshall paid the ticket but is appealing the decision, even though he concedes: "If the city is looking to make money, this is a cash cow."
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You know what else is a cash cow? Bikers running red lights. On Wycoff in park slope the other day I watched 4 run the light. I dont think Ive ever seen a biker not run a red light.
Who cares. I signal and let the cars know where I am. I'm still going to run a red light here and there.
I see cars run red lights all the time, no one complains about that.
also, I don't think its possible to get all vehicles to stop idling the the bike lane. Everyone uses the bike lane, fed-ex drivers with their packages, dhl, many hand-trucks, and people who just simply don't want to walk on the sidewalk. Rouge pedestrians.
With that in mind, maybe we should just get rid of the bike lane? The far left or right side of every street should be a " be careful there might be a cyclist in this lane" lane. Everyone can use it!
Honestly, I really don't care if people park in the lane, I expect it. Its NYC.
so if pulling over to the side to allow car traffic to pass but blocking the bike lane is illegal....so nypd is saying its legal to stop my car in the middle of the road to unload my car?
No, smart-ass. If you can't pull over to the side, you keep driving until you can.
No matter where you are, double-parking is illegal. Doesn't matter who or what you stopped for. I get tired of hearing the bitch-ready-to-drop, amputee grandpa excuses for double-parking. Block a traffic lane and it's the same offense. Marshall can suck it with his whining -- consider it a cost of living fine.
Hey rolltide, don't hate cause you're stuck six back and gridlocked in your SUV watching that light change green to red again and again. Not my fault I'm on a smaller, more nimble machine -- why should I sit on your fender and suck in your exhaust when I can get home that much faster? Just take another sip of warm Diet Coke from the Big Gulp in your cup holder and complain to talk radio.
so you're saying it's ok for bikers to break traffic laws (which they are supposed to follow, like any other vehicle), but it's not ok for automobile drivers to do so.
nice double standard. typical.
Double standard would imply that we're equals, me on a bike and you in a car. But you weigh at least 4000lbs, can accelerate with little warning, have trouble stopping yourself, and as a result kill thousands of people, inside and outside of yourself, a year. Simply put, I don't.
Red lights, lane markings, bollards and everything else littering the pavement don't exist because bikes make streets claustrophobic, anarchic and hazardous. Cars do.
So pardon me while I flip you the bird and scoot away between two lanes idling helplessly at rush hour.
you're a bright one.
perhaps physically we're not equals, no (and for the record, i never said i drove a car).
i'm talking about the law. vehicles on the road are required to follow the same laws (with some differences between types of vehicles, of course). cars have to stop at red lights. so do bikes, for the very reason that if they don't, they can cause accidents as well, regardless of their size. are you really that unintelligent? if so, wear a helmet - you need to preserve what few brain cells you have.
I hope you get run over while running a red light :)
stopping to discharge passengers isn't double-parking. i always stop on the opposite side of a bike lane. it makes cars drive into the bike lane, but it's safer because they're aware of the bikes, and the bikes don't have to skirt out into traffic,
i live on seaman ave in inwood. my entire street has a bike lane. where am i supposed to get out if a taxi is dropping me off? is he supposed to just stop in the middle of the lane of traffic to avoid blocking the bike lane? what if i have bags in the trunk? it could take 2 minutes for me to pay and collect all my stuff. or does he have to pull around the corner at 207th so i have to walk a BLOCK AND A HALF to get back to my building (it's a very long block bounded by 204 and 207th street).
i am a cyclist and i wholeheartedly approve of making the city more cyclist-friendly, but these bike lanes on major thoroughfares are incredibly poorly thought out.
Well, on my street there is no bike lane, but cars are parked on both sides all the time. It's a narrow street, and so, yes, cabs stop in the middle and stop traffic while the customers are paying and getting out. Yes, this causes back-ups, but no one ever complains. It's a part of life in the city: driving stinks, and that's that.
You can get out on the bike lane. The cabbie gets the ticket, not you.
Huh huh huh huh, you said "seaman."
Hold up guys. Let me put on my sweats and pop up some popcorn. I gotta watch this cyclist vs. automobile vs. pedestrians vs. the world debate go absolutely nowhere on gothamist for the zillionth time.
best comment of the day
Seems like Dejavu or something...right? Can't we all just get along without breaking out our bike chains?
moooooooo
ve outta the bike lane please!
What is frustrating is that I have seen cop cars harass cabs FOR NOT PULLING OUT OF TRAFFIC AND INTO THE BIKE LANE when unloading their passengers.
In other words, the cabbies are screwed either way. There needs to be a policy that is consistently enforced, safe, and encourages people to use their bikes.
Cash cow? Such as Gothamist tossing up another post about bikes, since every one turns into a 100-comment flamewar?
I think there should be two types of bike lines...there should be one type on less transited street where cars would be able to stop for a couple of minutes (i.e. to drop someone off) and others on highly transited streets where cars could only stop before 5 AM and after 11 PM (i.e. to make deliveries).
Ernest Marshall : You are a dumbass for complaining about getting a legitimate traffic ticket. Enjoy the 115 dollar fine.
shameless gothamist commentator baiting.
bait taken!
so true. No doubt Gothamist has a list of topics to generate comments.
1. cyclists
2. rent control
3. the MTA
4. graffiti as art
5. people who abuse animals
6. hipsters
7. cops
Don't forget
strollers
parents who don't keep thier spawn under control
...and,
racial strife,
pedestrian malls,
and obesity.
You also forgot minorities behaving (sorta and not so sorta) badly. Add that one to the list too.
the solution is segregated bike lanes with barriers that are too small for cars to fit into
other cities have figured it out, why is nyc so far behind
Like many of you, I live on a street with a bike lane between the parked cars and the car lane, and am at a bit of a loss as to how to go about loading/unloading a car or taxi packed with luggage or children in a manner that's safe for cyclists, drivers and the occupants of the car. On these streets it seems there is no good place to stop:
- If you stop in the bike lane, you obstruct bike traffic and risk a ticket.
- If you stop in the car lane, cars will just zoom into the bike lane to get around you, putting your own safety as well as bikers' safety in jeopardy.
- During the day you can pull up to the nearest fire hydrant, but at night (between sundown and sunrise) that's illegal and also risks a ticket.
Perhaps the solution is to create a one-car-length loading/unloading zone on every block with a bike lane so that cars can safely pull out of traffic without blocking the bike lane or a fire hydrant.Parking is too cheap on your street and is therefore over-used. If parking was actually priced appropriately for the prime NYC real estate that it was, there would be a space open for you to quickly load/unload.
"am at a bit of a loss as to how to go about loading/unloading a car or taxi packed with luggage or children in a manner that's safe for cyclists,"
How about: go half a block to the next intersection, turn and stop on the side street that doesn't have bike lane. And then the hard part: walk half a block.
Walk in the city?! Nooooooo I want to treat a highly congested urban environment like my personal suburban cul-de-sac!
How about: go half a block to the next intersection, turn and stop on the side street that doesn't have bike lane. And then the hard part: walk half a block.
Maybe that works in your neighborhood, but all four streets surrounding my block are two-way streets with bike lanes and street parking on both sides. With the exception of open parking spaces (rare), fire hydrants (where you can't legally stop after dark) and bus stops (where you can only stop if you don't interfere with buses), I can't think of anywhere within a 3-4 block radius of my apartment where you can stop a car without blocking either a bike lane or an active car lane.
I don't own a car and don't take taxis all that often. But every so often I need to unload a child or an old person or a bunch of luggage from a rental car or taxi, and I need a safe and legal way to do that. There is more than enough space on the streets where I live--they've just laid out the bikelanes in a way that makes it impossible.
When a bike lane is blocked that means cyclists are pushed into moving traffic, so it's illegal for a reason.
I'm pro-bikelane and pro-cycling but I'm calling BS on that one. From what I understood from traffic school oh so many years ago was that "on the road a bicycle is just another vehicle and bears all the rights and responsibilities accorded thereof." Meaning yes, bikes must stop at traffic lights and stop signs, and signal turns, but it also means you can cycle right in center of the lane just like a car, and if cars are stuck behind you well that's just too friggin' bad for them. Cyclists ride on the side of the road as a courtesy to motor vehicles, not because they're legally required to.
So I'm coming down on the sides of -
NO to parking in the bike lanes
OK with using them for the quick motor-running drop off or pick up (but there should be some sort of time limit.)
And if you're using the bike lane, remember to plan a few steps ahead. Car in the lane 100 feet ahead? Slow down, signal, wait for the gap, pull into traffic, then swing back when you can. And wear a hemlet dammit!
Amen. I'm a cyclist and a driver in this city. Courtesy is required on both sides of the aisle to make transit work.
Brooklyn -- God Bless, but you're acting like you're some kind of king on that bike of yours. Stop at lights, signal, and try to work with the folks around you.
Agreed. If it's a taxi, an ambulance or a Fedex truck, I have no problem with them stopping in the bike lane. If it's some asshole who's run to the local pizzeria to grab a slice, I spit on his windshield and keep on biking. :)
I saw a person standing on the inside white line of the bike lane(closest to the sidewalk) get a ticket.
The I walked one block to the Farmers Market at Tompkins Square Park and saw ALL of the trucks parked in the bike lanes.
The trucks posed the biggest threat to the bikers and am not sure why they were/are allowed to stay.
DollinNYC :
Those trucks are a safety issue, but they have been using that spot, every Sunday, every week, for years. And they are generally courteous and safe when they do take up ped/bike areas to run the market.
Making the bike lane two solid white lanes in that spot as more of a design oversight on the DOT's part, so traffic cops probably understand this and let it slide.
Oh boo, hoo, hoo
what's this thing called traffic school? I'm a nyc public school grad.
and yes, you park in the bike lane it will force the biker to go around you and into traffic where it may or may not be more dangerous.
The city would also make a bundle by issuing tickets to bikers. For example, on Bleecker Street between 6th and 7th Avenue, there is a pedestrian crossing. Bikers act like they have the right of way over pedestrians. The city would make a bundle ticketing bikers that play chicken with pedestrians.
You know what's especially baffling, I've noticed in SoHo, especially on Prince Street, people just walk in the bike lane like it's an extension of the sidewalk... and as a bonus they usually don't move out of the way back onto the sidewalk even when a bike is in the lane and they're right in its way.
I noticed this too and have been guilty (not about not moving for a bike though) this is typically because the sidewalks in soho are narrow and packed with confused tourists and their shopping bags. If you actually have somewhere to go it's hard to maneuver. When the tourists start oozing out onto the street/bike lane though that's bad.
fuck bike lanes. we rode bikes in this city without them for years. Now they put them in and all of a sudden cyclists are a bunch of self righteous dicks. Be happy u got them in the first place and stop whining cuz someone blocked ur lane. It's called double parking it sucks for everyone. Half the cyclists I see don't use the lanes anyway and still get mad at cars. I rode a bike for years in this town and now that I have to drive to work I can tell you what a bunch of bullshit this bicycle rights shit is.
There's a shortage of pigs and what do the pigs concentrate on? ticketing. not arresting.
Cops = pigs = terrorists