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

‘Gateway’ Drug: Trump Is Holding the Second Avenue Subway Hostage

The president blocked funds for the Second Avenue Subway during the government shutdown in October — and the MTA has still not received the money, sources said.

January 28, 2026

TRAIN IN VAIN: Amtrak Pulls Plug On Metro-North Expansion

All aboard? Not so fast. Amtrak is putting the brakes on an expansion of the Metro-North that would have extended service to Albany.

January 28, 2026

Bushwick Panel Opposes NYPD Cycling Crackdown — But Board Chair Slams Newbies

A community board chair is calling into question the very role of community boards by saying his board doesn't speak for the community. Yes, he said the thinking part out loud.

January 28, 2026

Survey: Most Americans Are Open To Ditching Their Cars

Automakers have spent a century and countless trillions of dollars making car-dependent living the American norm. But U.S. resident still aren't sold, a new survey suggests.

January 28, 2026

Wednesday’s Headlines: Plowed In Edition

It was still a mess out there. Plus other news.

January 28, 2026

Tuesday’s Headlines: The Storm Before the Calm Edition

What a mess (was Gersh actually right?!). Plus other news.

January 27, 2026
See all posts