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

NYPD: Pedestrian In ‘Serious Condition’ After Getting Hit By Central Park Cyclist

File photo: Dave Colon

A woman was seriously injured after a cyclist struck her in Central Park on Tuesday morning, police said.

The 26-year-old biker hit the 49-year-old victim inside the park near W. 74th Street at about 7 a.m., police said. The woman was taken to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in “serious condition” with head and body trauma.

But a police spokesman could not say whether the cyclist, who remained on the scene, was speeding or had gone through a red light — which one member of the local community board said bikers do too often.

“This may or may not have contributed to this incident, but is a common problem that poses a serious risk to pedestrians,” Susan Schwartz, a member of Community Board 7, told the West Side Rag.

The board is expected to vote tonight on a resolution calling for more NYPD enforcement to crack down on rogue cyclists, but advocates say the solution is redesigning the notoriously dangerous pathways in Central Park to make them safer for both bikers and pedestrians, not sending in more police. The city has banished cars from the park, but has not reconfigured traffic lights that were installed to control motor traffic.

“We've been arguing that the roadway is designed for cars/vehicles, and needs a complete reimagination, not more enforcement,” said Lisa Orman, director of Streetopia UWS.

Since 2012, the first full year when the Department of Transportation was required to collect such data, seven pedestrians have been struck and killed by cyclists — several of which have been inside Central Park. Over the same period, more than 1,000 pedestrians were killed by drivers.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Why No BRT For NYC? Two New Reports Tackle Why Your Bus Service Sucks

Years of bus priority projects barely made a dent in speeds because Big Apple leaders won't install real bus rapid transit, two recent reports argue.

July 11, 2025

Citi Bike Riders Are Pissed About Eric Adams’s 15 MPH Speed Limit

Citi Bike's new 15 mph max speed limit is a bad deal for riders and a potential threat to safety, riders said.

July 11, 2025

Friday Video: Cyclists, Check Out Your Next City

Streetfilms' Clarence Eckerson visited London earlier this summer to check in on the Big Smoke's cycling revolution.

July 11, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Just the News Edition

We've got one more workday before we can hit the beach. Plus the news.

July 11, 2025

Council To Close Instacart Loophole, Pass Delivery Industry Regulation Bills

The City Council will vote on Monday the "Instacart loophole" and force all app companies to pay workers a minimum wage.

July 10, 2025

‘Blood On His Hands’: Cyclists Slam Eric Adams After Judge Lets Him Remove Brooklyn Bike Lane

Mayor Adams will have “blood on his hands” for his decision to rip up three blocks of the popular protected bike lane.

July 10, 2025
See all posts