Results tagged “blocking”

Sure, cops have been known to park in bike lanes like everybody else, but this is ridiculous! Or perhaps it's serving some vital public safety emergency? We don't know; a reader just sent us this photo taken today from the Manhattan Bridge, looking down on the recently installed bike lanes on Allen Street. He adds, "I've never seen cops parked down there at all, especially not in the bike lanes."

Since September 10th, when blocking the box was changed from a moving violation to a parking violation, the NYPD has issued over 1,000 citations to the tune of $150 each. But some traffic cops have come out against the change because they say they're ill-equipped to deal with traffic stops, which are "one of the most dangerous interactions even police officers engage in," according to Anthony Miranda of the National Latino Officers Association. He tells WNYC that NYPD officers "have specialized training specifically for the purposes of car stops. Traffic enforcement agents do not. They do not even have training in non-lethal weapons." In response, Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne released a statement wondering, "Where's he been? Traffic enforcement has always been a difficult and often dangerous job for TEAs and police officers alike, particularly at busy intersections." And with the return of the squeegee men, it's only going to get worse!

Traffic agents wrote nearly 700 summonses on Wednesday as part of the city's crackdown on drivers who block the intersection during heavy traffic. But despite the increased enforcement of the city's box-blocking law— which is now punishable by a $115 fine—New York's boxes are still all blocked up! The Post sent a reporter to hang out at the intersection of West 54th Street and Broadway yesterday, where traffic agents were not handing out tickets. There the reporter counted 29 cars blocking the box over the course of an hour. But box block at your own risk; over at West 36th Street and Ninth Avenue the NYPD says they handed out 20 summonses an hour to drivers with a penchant for box blocking.

It’s a common complaint from cyclists that the NYPD doesn’t seem too interested in ticketing the myriad drivers who use the city’s bike lanes as a double-parking lot. (My Bike Lane is dedicated to the phenomenon.) And it’s not uncommon to see a cop car idling in a bike lane while the officer does a little shopping. But this is getting ridiculous: A Clinton Hill blog reader reports that the NYPD has been parking what looks to be a fleet of squad cars in a "Class II" bike lane on DeKalb Avenue near Classon Avenue in Brooklyn.

This intersection has already become a traffic nightmare, and now cyclists have to divert out into traffic that’s already dangerous. Surely there must be a better way to arrange this. With a huge increase in neighborhood traffic (especially on Sundays with the Flea), this isn’t cool.

Maybe it’s just a police checkpoint to make sure cyclists have the legally required bell, light and reflectors? Or perhaps the city needs to paint it a vibrant green, like some other bike lanes, to better catch the officers’ eyes? There must be a logical explanation, because one would hate to think the NYPD harbors any ill will toward cyclists!