Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Bicycle Safety

Cabbie Mistakes East River Park Bike Path for Highway

eastriver.jpg
The marker to the south is where the speeding taxi passed the cyclist. The marker to the north is where the cyclist gave up trying to chase after him.

A tipster sends along this story from the East River Park bike path...

Yesterday around 6:15PM, my friend and I were biking home from work through the East River park as we usually do, when a taxi flew past us! This path is separated from the FDR by a big fence and it is NOT easy to get onto it. We are used to park service and construction vehicles making their way down it, but they are always obeying the 5MPH posted speed limit and are generally not a safety hazard. This guy was doing at least 20MPH! Pedaling as fast as I could I couldn't catch up to him to either a) get his license plate or b) yell into his open window and call him a maniac and beg him to slow down and turn around.

There were a lot of people (kids on bikes, kids playing soccer, commuters, joggers) on the path at the time--did ANYONE manage to get a picture of this or get this guy's license plate? Even by NYC bike lane standards this was absurd. There is no way this person should have a license to drive, let alone drive a cab in New York. I want to see this guy's head in the stocks, and failing that, I want to see him fired.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Friday’s Headlines: Canal Street Follies Edition

Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine isn't happy. Plus other news.

April 26, 2024

Community Board Wants Protected Bike Lane on Empire Blvd.

Brooklyn Community Board 9 wants city to upgrade Empire Boulevard's frequently blocked bike lane, which serves as a gateway to Prospect Park.

April 26, 2024

The Brake: Why We Can’t End Violence on Transit With More Police

Are more cops the answer to violence against transit workers, or is it only driving societal tensions that make attacks more frequent?

April 26, 2024

Report: Road Violence Hits Record in First Quarter of 2024

Sixty people died in the first three months of the year, 50 percent more than the first quarter of 2018, which was the safest opening three months of any Vision Zero year.

April 25, 2024
See all posts