Bicycle Safety
Top Categories
Traffic Lights Don’t Belong on a Park Loop
Two separate crashes in which cyclists struck and killed pedestrians on the Central Park loop have garnered more media attention than any other traffic safety issue in the past two months. In addition to the inevitable reemergence of a few bikelash trolls, the collisions have led to a round of less spiteful stories that still miss the mark, framing the whole issue in terms of adherence to traffic lights. Collisions on the loop roads in both Central Park and Prospect Park are preventable, but trying to compel pedestrians and cyclists to obey signals won't get the job done.
September 30, 2014
Garodnick Endorses Complete Streets for Fifth and Sixth Avenues
The next time someone tries to tell you that complete street designs with pedestrian islands and protected bike lanes are controversial, point them to what's happening on Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Avenues in Manhattan, where a united coalition of parents, business owners, elected officials, and community boards are begging DOT to design streets in the image of the already-remade First, Second, Eighth, and Ninth Avenues.
September 24, 2014
Trottenberg Talks About Expanding Cycling in the de Blasio Era
Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg sat down for a Q&A with the New York Cycle Club Monday night to lay out her approach to expanding the city's bike network. With NYU Rudin Center director Mitchell Moss moderating, Trottenberg said DOT will keep adding bike lanes on her watch, including protected lanes, without seeking to change a review process that has often delayed or watered down street redesigns despite ample evidence of public support.
September 17, 2014
In Jackson Heights, Kids Learn About Bike Safety and Document Speeding
On Saturday, Make Queens Safer kicked off the school year with a safe streets fair at Travers Park in Jackson Heights, next to the 78th Street play street. DOT distributed 723 bike helmets, more than half of them to children, and 70 kids swapped out their old bikes for right-sized models provided by Recycle-A-Bicycle. Hundreds of kids also participated in learn-to-ride classes from Bike New York and had their bicycles repaired by the Bike Yard.
September 15, 2014
DOT Scores TIGER Grants for Vision Zero and Rockaways Transpo Study
City Hall and Senator Charles Schumer announced yesterday that NYC DOT had secured a $25 million federal grant for street safety and greenway projects in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. Notably, the press release announcing the funding hailed street design improvements as a "critical" component of the city's Vision Zero safety agenda. In addition, a separate $1.4 million federal grant will fund a transportation study for the Rockaways.
September 10, 2014
DOT: No Plans for Park Avenue Bike Infrastructure After Recent Deaths
DOT will consider design changes at the Park Avenue intersection in East Harlem where drivers have recently killed three cyclists, but there are no plans for new bike infrastructure along the Park Avenue viaduct.
August 19, 2014
Jerrison Garcia, 25, Third Cyclist Killed Near Park Ave. Viaduct in Two Years
Update: Cab driver Nojeem Odunfa of the Bronx was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, careless driving, and a right of way violation, according to NYPD. Odunfa was not immediately charged for killing Jerrison Garcia, and, if past patterns hold, he won’t be. Aggravated unlicensed operation carries nominal penalties and tends to be the default charge against sober unlicensed drivers who kill cyclists and pedestrians in NYC.
August 18, 2014
The Gulf Between NYPD’s Street Safety Message and Police Behavior
It's day two of NYPD's bike enforcement blitz, and for all its professed good intentions, image-wise the department isn't doing itself any favors.
August 14, 2014
CB 7 Committee Unanimously Endorses Road Diet for West End Avenue
The Community Board 7 transportation committee last night unanimously endorsed the DOT proposal to improve pedestrian safety on West End Avenue, where drivers have killed two pedestrians this year.
August 13, 2014
NYPD: No Reason to Investigate Greenway Crash That Hospitalized Cyclist
A witness to the aftermath of a Hudson River Greenway crash that sent a cyclist to the hospital says NYPD officers, including personnel from the Collision Investigation Squad, said they did not intend to investigate the cause of the collision, explaining to bystanders that it was an "accident" while blaming the cyclist.
July 30, 2014