Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Bicycling

The 107th Precinct Is The Latest to See Cyclists As Lawbreaking Pests

11:05 AM EDT on April 5, 2019

NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill always says he loves cyclists — but for the second time this week, his rank-and-file officers have indicated that they do not.

The latest example comes courtesy of the 107th Precinct in Kew Gardens Hills, which posted a tweet on Thursday urging cyclists to "bike smart" — but included a graphic that shows every other road user acting dumb (including a cop on the beat!).

So let's break that down:

    • The pedestrian is crossing against the light and does not appear to be paying attention.
    • A yellow cab is illegally parked in what appears to be a two-way bike path (because of its width).
    • The driver of the yellow cab is opening his door into a cyclist, which is illegal.
    • The cab has forced another cyclist out of the bike lane and into traffic.
    • Another cyclist is getting a ticket from an officer, even though the graphic suggests that the cyclist had the light (after all, the pedestrian was crossing against the light).

The caption reads, "Bike smart. Be visible, use bike lanes and remember to give pedestrians priority." Nothing in the picture suggests that cyclists were not prioritizing pedestrians. But everything in the picture suggests that no one needs to prioritize cyclists.

Earlier in the week, O'Neill was forced to admit that a tweet from the 103rd Precinct, also in car-centric Queens, sent the "wrong message." That tweet featured a picture of a crumbled bicycle that had apparently been run over by a car. The caption on the horrific photo urged drivers to keep an eye out for cyclists — "love 'em or hate 'em." The social media posting was later replaced with something less offensive.

This tweet has since been deleted — after it enraged city cyclists.
This tweet was deleted after it enraged city cyclists.
This tweet has since been deleted — after it enraged city cyclists.

Streetsblog asked the NYPD for an explanation about the 107th Precinct tweet. After initial publication of this story, we received the following statement from NYPD spokeswoman Jessica McRorie:

The goal of the tweet is to promote safety for bicyclists, motorists and pedestrians alike. The graphic was meant to depict officers addressing the concerns of bicyclists, and emphasize traffic safety for everyone. The NYPD is a proud partner of the Vision Zero mission.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Council Votes to Repeal Decade-Old Law, Expedite Bike Lane Installation

The City Council repealed a notorious. out-dated law that imposed lengthy delays on the city before it could break ground on new bike lanes.

December 7, 2023

Dynamic! MTA Could Hike Congestion Pricing Toll 25% on Gridlock Alert Days

The MTA said it had that power, and modeled it in its environmental assessment (see footnote 2 below), but no one ever reported it, until Wednesday.

December 6, 2023

Judge Orders Trial for Hit-and-Run Driver Who Turned Down ‘Reasonable’ Sentencing Offer

Judge Brendan Lantry turns down driver's request for mere probation for killing a delivery worker in 2022. The trial will start in January.

December 6, 2023

Wednesday’s Headlines: Another Big Day at City Hall Edition

Today is going to be another busy day for the livable streets crowd. So get ready with today's headlines.

December 6, 2023

Reporter’s Notebook: Will Eric Adams Ever Publicly Embrace Congestion Pricing?

The governor, the head of the MTA and the city's leading transit thinkers all celebrated congestion pricing on Tuesday as an historic moment while Mayor Adams spent Tuesday failing to live up to it.

December 6, 2023
See all posts