Killer Bikes Terrorize NY! Pedestrians, Drivers Under Siege!

Jamie NYC's Flickr

Everybody knows bicycle riders have turned our city's streets and sidewalks into utter death traps, but most New Yorkers have meekly submitted to the two-wheeled tyranny of cyclists and their leader, DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan. Most, but not all—The New York Post has mounted a courageous counterattack against bike riders and their precious lanes, which have taken over 200 miles of street space (and counting) that used to be the exclusive property of motorists. In an editorial entitled "Attack of the Killer Bikes!," Post columnist Matt Harvey rants thus:

The rise of bikes is almost always framed by the pollution impact of cars. But New York already has an environmentally friendly commuter system: the subway. The city is a great place to walk, made less so by bicycles that threaten to take you out every time you step outside...
Kate Sullivan, a 28-year-old book editor who lives in the East Village, used to bike through Brooklyn all the time. Repeating a variation on an all too familiar story, she explains that one night, "passing too closely to a car," the driver accidentally opened his door on her. A broken collarbone and "many months of physical therapy" resulted.

"New York won’t ever be a great bike city like Amsterdam or Portland," she says. "It’s going to be a dangerous city to bike in no matter how many bike lanes we put in."

But contrary to the Post's "expert"-on-the-street, cyclist fatalities, on average, have remained flat in the past few years, despite a massive increase in bike riders. And we can safely assume that the increase in cyclists is at least in part attributable to the DOT's bike lane infrastructure improvements. Earlier this year a city report revealed that traffic fatalities in 2009 were down to the lowest they've been in a century, and 50 percent fewer cyclists were killed last year than in 2008—12 died last year, down from 26 in '08, according to the DOT. After getting bike lanes, road injuries were down roughly 30% on Grand Street, down 56% on Ninth Avenue, and down 50% on the new Broadway Boulevard between 42nd to 35th Streets.

Wiley Norvell at Transportation Alternatives tells us, "NYC streets are hardly a walk in the park, but they’re getting safer and bike lanes have a lot to do with it. Where protected bike lanes have been installed here in NYC, they’ve cut down on road injuries to all street users—cyclists, drivers and pedestrians—by roughly half." For their part, Transportation Alternatives has been working to encourage cyclists to always give pedestrians the right of way and obey other "Biking Rules."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on July 19, 2010 4:59 PM

Comments [rss]

ckl

If someone could convince delivery guys to just ride on the right side of the goddamn road, or not go the wrong way down one-way streets or bike lanes, everyone would be a lot safer.

I don't see that ever happening, though, as they seem to much prefer it.

Art Vandelay

Basically the road user with the greatest potential to kill and maim should be subject to the greatest regulation.

- Speeding in a car is incredibly reckless in a crowded urban environment and speeders should be prosecuted vigorously. Drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians should face fines and points off their license. Trucks are dangerous to everyone and should be watched even more closely.

- Cyclists who ride recklessly and endanger pedestrians should be ticketed, no question (looking at you here, messengers and delivery guys). If it's a messenger or delivery guy, his employer should be fined too. It's illegal to ride at night without lights, and for good reason. Can't count the number of times I've dodged some dickhead who's basically invisible. Bikes get shit on by cars but that doesn't mean they should in turn shit on pedestrians. Be cool and remember that even if you're not riding at top speed you're still making good time compared to everyone else.

- Pedestrians are generally endangering nobody but themselves and to some extent cyclists. But don't zombie out with your fucking iPhone in traffic (hell, don't even do it on the sidewalk or I'll run straight into you, I promise). Remember that the more bikes you see, the fewer cars you see -- and you can bet you'd rather tangle with a bike doing 15 mph than a two-ton car doing 45.

woodendesigner

Well said. I can't believe that more people don't understand this way of thinking.

blink

It's more like: "Stupid cell phone using pedestrians who disregard the lights and jam the bike lanes terrorize cyclists"

SatelliteTimes

I agree about bikers not following the rules of the road. ESPECIALLY delivery guys. Holy f*#@, I have seen SO many delivery guys coming down the bike lanes in the wrong direction. I yell at them, because they're GOING to cause an accident.

Abbott

The real problem with bikers in this city is that they refuse to follow traffic signals. I'm all for people riding bikes instead of driving, but I am tired of the constant near misses as bikers blow through red lights and ignore cross walks. Maybe the real solution here are protected bike lanes and an enforcement of traffic rules by the NYPD on cyclists.

grizzzly

The girl quoted acts like no one gets doored in Amsterdam or Portland.

grizzzly

I agree. I bike to work a lot, and I simply don't understand how people can blow through a red light without even slowing down or checking. It'd be safer to smoke 4 packs of unfiltered luckies a day.

Phil

Time to make some laws about bike riding including proper gear such as helmets, proper reflectors and so on. If they're seen crossing against red lights when there is pedestrian or auto traffic against them they should be issued tickets. And if there are designated bike lanes on a street, no one should be riding a bike outside the bike lane. I've seen that too many times. . .

grizzzly

Done:

http://home2.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/bicyclerules_fy08_english.pdf

Abbott

Haha, funny. I just wrote the same thing.

MT

If the city was looking to cut down on pollution and have a more environmentally friendly way of commuting, why didn't they create separated bus lanes first instead of separated bike lanes? I think the bike lanes are a great idea if for no other reason than pedestrians have a better idea of where to be a little more cautious (I always make a point to look both ways a couple of times before crossing any bike lanes), but I think more people would benefit if buses were given the priority.

neutral observer

I'm sure the DMV is the source for tracking these statistics of bike fatalities/injuries because they most likely involve a motor vehicle. Who or how is tracking ped vs bike injuries and fatalities? Bike are not registered and therefore not tracked by DMV or insurance industry like auto insurance, hhhmmmmm? Peds are ending up in the ER every day with serious injuries due to reckless bikers (and yes some are thier because they are zoned out listening to thier IPods too). Just asking....

mistermarkdavis

the insurance industry keeps accident data for actuarial reasons. the NYPD does indeed keep bicycle accident data.

"Peds are ending up in the ER every day with serious injuries due to reckless bikers"

If this were true (which it's not) there would be data from the NYPD. Hundreds of new yorkers are hit by automobiles and die every year.

pedestrians don't need ipods to be zoned out. I can be trying to gio through an intersection with the light ringing my bell over and over for 30 feet and YELLING and they won't even look or adjust what they are doing. they will also have a sense of indignation when I cut close to them not hitting them.

People here are talking about how they don't want to ride a bike because all the automobiles driving recklessly. if someone is able to avoid all these lethal hazards they can probably also avoid hitting people. This and a lack of evidence of people being hospitalized on a daily basis for getting hit by bikes is why your assertions are wrong.

LeonSpinks

Is a biker more points than a walker?

El Izzy

You can't even stroll in Riverside park anymore without one of these bicyclists speeding by you and causing bodily harm. And the worse thing is that they think they have the right since they're "environmentally friendly". What B.S.! These people are D-bags.

grizzzly

Putting a d-bag on any form of transportation will have similar results.

nicemarmot

I want to bike, I really do. But I live in midtown, full of crazy drivers 24/7, and I have just seen too many accidents here to ever feel safe enough to try to ride a bike on the streets. There are multiple ghost bikes within a dozen blocks of my apartment. I don't need to be another one of them. I don't think increasing the number of bike lanes would do much to change my mind.

Hell, I don't really feel safe walking on the sidewalk either. Not since last winter, when I saw a guy coming off the FDR doing 50 or so run up onto the sidewalk across the street from me and take a good 50-100 feet to come to a stop. On the sidewalk. I would never normally use the phrase "by the grace of god" but seriously, there usually would have been at least one or two people standing where that car landed.

I guess my point is...too many crazy-ass car drivers in this town. For any of us who aren't safely surrounded by huge hunks of metal.

mistermarkdavis

hundreds of thousands of our fellow new yorkers are biking. the more people that bike the lower the accident and fatality rates go.

If what you are saying is that automobiles are so irresponsible that they make the street too dangerous for anything else then that is a HUGE problem that should be dealt with.

glennQNYC

We are devoting parts of our roadways strictly to bikes... This is serious. It is time to start registering bike riders.

mistermarkdavis

Because cars frequently do serious damage. the benefit of registering bikes is outweighed by the extra bureaucratic that would have to be created.

Please explain the benefit as you see it of a registration process.

bklynbagel

Wait.. the subway works on the weekend?

fuboy

"But New York already has an environmentally friendly commuter system: the subway"

Sure, if you want to be the MTA's piggy-bank bitch.

ckl

I took the train to work for the first time in a few months the other day and discovered two things:

-25 minutes on bike vs. 40-45 on the train

-actually end up more sweaty and disgusting after riding the train

I also got to listen to screaming babies and watch three girls munch sunflower seeds and spit the shells on the floor. By the time that I came in the train the entire floor of their corner was covered.

And I got double charged buying a Metrocard.

no thanks

woodendesigner

Being both a motorist and a biker I can see both sides of the argument but the simple fact is that the bike lanes crate a safer environment for everyone. An perfect example is the new bike lane at Prospect Park in Brooklyn. I have driven and rode it many times and before the bike lane, people were speeding A LOT while bikes had to ride on the sidewalk. Now that the new bike lane is there I have noticed that speeds are down in the car lanes (now reduced to 2) and the bikes have a safe and separated place to ride away from traffic and pedestrians.

As far as pedestrians getting hit crossing the bike lanes...... It is either due to a reckless biker (and there are some who should be held accountable for their shitty riding) or a clueless pedestrian (of which there are many and are in danger of being hit by both a bike or a car.

I welcome the bike lanes. While the subway is handy (when it's running the way it should), it's nice to bike somewhere when you can. This city should keep embracing it.