Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Bicycling

Is Transportation Reform Possible When the Cops Don’t Care?

A reliable Streetsblog tipster sends along this photo of a police cruiser parked in the Department of Transportation's new Ninth Avenue bike facility. The police officer seen getting into the car was returning from a nearby deli with what appeared to be lunch for him and his partner.

Again, as we pointed out yesterday, the Ninth Avenue cycle track is still under construction and it is way too early to judge whether it is working or not. New medians, planting beds, street markings, muni-meters and traffic signals will likely make it clearer that the city's first on-avenue, physically-separated bike path is not a loading zone.

Still, no matter how the final design of this particular bike facility works out, the larger question remains: Is it possible to have meaningful transportation policy reform and a successful Livable Streets movement in a city where the police generally do not care to enforce traffic laws and, in many cases, actively break those laws themselves?

Related:

    • Automated Parking Enforcement is the Killer App (9/14/07)
    • NYPD to New York City: "We Do Not Summons Our Own" (3/28/07)
    • UncivilServants.org: Cleaning Up Illegal Placard Parking (3/15/07)
    • Chinatown Businessman Arrested for Photos of Illegally Parked Cops (9/7/06)
    • The $46 Million Parking Perk (6/16/06

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Giving Tuesday: Donate and Get Your ‘Official’ Streetsblog Parking Placard Here!

This year, your donation comes with the ultimate city perk: a completely official-looking, yet completely fake, Streetsblog parking placard! Donate today!

December 2, 2025

Report: DOT is Undercounting The E-Bike Boom

A new study from an MIT grad student shows that e-bikes are the most popular vehicle for those using New York City's bike lanes.

December 2, 2025

Acid Test: Will Doing Ayahuasca Finally Get Drug Agents to Stop Parking in the Bike Lane?

Watch as I consume a psychedelic drug known for revelatory visions (and, trigger warning, inducing vomiting) in hopes of getting federal drug agents out of the 10th Avenue bike lane.

December 2, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines: Oonee Robbed Edition

A city-based bike parking firm didn't get the contract. Plus other news.

December 2, 2025

Adams Administration Picks Vendor for Bike Lockers After Years-Long Wait

Mayor Adams claims last-minute credit, but the work starts for Mayor-elect Mamdani.

December 1, 2025

Agenda 2026: Will Zohran Mamdani’s Left-Progressive Backers Mobilize for Faster Buses?

The new mayor must mobilize the coalition that got him elected if he wants to avoid his recent predecessors' failure to speed up buses.

December 1, 2025
See all posts