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

From the National Bike Summit:

4516694_92b586a5eb_o.jpgAt a panel on cyclists' rights, Bob Mionske, a Portland, Oregon attorney and founder of Bicycle Law, offered a cogent explanation of the obstacles cyclists face when it comes to public perception, police enforcement, and holding motorists accountable for injuring and killing cyclists. "Anti-cyclist bias is endemic in the police, the court system, and the media," he said, then described how bias in each arena reinforces bias in the others.

Mionske talked about three examples from his practice:

    • A 19 year-old cyclist stops next to a cement truck. Truck turns right and crushes her. Headline the next day reads: "Bike slams into cement truck." Police said the driver couldn't see her, didn't issue a ticket.
    • A rider going downhill in the bike lane gets crushed under the rear wheels of a right-turning garbage truck. Cops determined that the driver had violated the cyclist's right-of-way, but he couldn't perceive it. They didn't issue a ticket, even though the sideview mirror was held together with duct tape and bungee cord. Media portrayed it as a "cars vs. bikes" story and ran file footage of a bicyclist on a roundabout, nothing from the scene of the crime. "It's a feedback loop," said Mionske. "The message to society is: Someone died on a bike, but it was probably his fault."
    • A mother called, said her son was hit by an F150 truck. Son was issued two tickets for running a light and had $25,000 in medical bills. He had front lights, back lights, and a helmet at the time of the crash. On the scene, the officer asked the cyclist what happened, but the cyclistwas in shock and couldn't remember. News said, "Wrong way cyclist hits truck, driver has heart attack," but it turned out that the driver was entering a diabetic coma at the time of the crash. Media wasn't interested when the case against the cyclist was dismissed.

"This just poisons the mind of the public, and the public is who is empaneled in juries," said Mionske. "What you see is, anti-cycling bias starts with cops, is reinforced by the media, and is perpetuated in the courts."

"We need to keep the media accountable, and we need to talk to the police," he said. "But it starts with enforcement."

Photo: Steffe/Flickr 

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

DOT Proposing A 14th Street-Style Busway For 34th Street

It's the sequel you've been waiting for. Here's hoping Mayor Adams delivers, said one activist.

May 19, 2025

Sohn in Albany: State Bill to Force Drivers to Pass Safely Stalls

Apparently, New York City is just too unsafe for legislation forbidding drivers to pass cyclists too closely.

May 19, 2025

Car Harms Monday: Machines Took Over Cities and Left Humans in the Dust

There isn't enough physical space for every single household to store its fleet of personal vehicles in front of the home, nor is there space for everyone to drive at the same time. So let's fix that.

May 19, 2025

A Valuable History Lesson for Jessica Tisch: ‘The Rules of the Road’ Were Written for Cars

Hey, Commissioner, listen to this historian: When rules recognize reality, suiting the distinct needs of categorically different users, everybody wins.

May 19, 2025

Monday’s Headlines: ‘Hey, Sean, We’re Walking Here’ Edition

The federal Transportation secretary once again shows how little he knows about urban transportation. Plus other news.

May 19, 2025
See all posts