NYPD Launches Crackdown Amid Spike in Cyclists Deaths

[Tony T]

NYPD Launches Crackdown Amid Spike in Cyclists Deaths

New York –

The NYPD has launched a crackdown on unsafe driving as the number of deaths involving bicyclists doubled this year.
Many of those crashes happened in Brooklyn, including a yeshiva bucher who was killed last month when riding his bike in Boro Park. The crackdown also includes a ramping up of speeding fines and adding dedicated bike lanes.
“We have a long way to go to get to our overall goal, and the truth is we’re trying to change the culture,” NYPD Transportation Bureau Inspector Dennis Fulton told ABC News.
For the first five months of this year, 10 people have died while riding bikes in the city. That’s up from five during the same period last year. Police attribute the 100 percent increase to the rising number of people who cycle instead of drive. In 2000, there were approximately 54 million bicycle trips, while 2018 saw that number more than triple to 178 million.
Fulton said that police is deploying more cops to hard-hit neighborhoods and giving out more tickets.
“Last year we wrote 83,000 speeding violations,” he said. “Another thing is failure to yield, summonses were up 265 percent.”

[MagicHour]

That's great as long as the enforcement isn't solely setting up "letter of the law" ticket stings on cyclists (as so often happens in a vicinity immediately proceeding a bike/ped fatality). But hey prove me wrong, would love to not have such a cynical reaction to articles such as this.

Originally Posted by Tony T

NYPD Launches Crackdown Amid Spike in Cyclists Deaths

New York –

The NYPD has launched a crackdown on unsafe driving as the number of deaths involving bicyclists doubled this year.
Many of those crashes happened in Brooklyn, including a yeshiva bucher who was killed last month when riding his bike in Boro Park. The crackdown also includes a ramping up of speeding fines and adding dedicated bike lanes.
“We have a long way to go to get to our overall goal, and the truth is we’re trying to change the culture,” NYPD Transportation Bureau Inspector Dennis Fulton told ABC News.
For the first five months of this year, 10 people have died while riding bikes in the city. That’s up from five during the same period last year. Police attribute the 100 percent increase to the rising number of people who cycle instead of drive. In 2000, there were approximately 54 million bicycle trips, while 2018 saw that number more than triple to 178 million.
Fulton said that police is deploying more cops to hard-hit neighborhoods and giving out more tickets.
“Last year we wrote 83,000 speeding violations,” he said. “Another thing is failure to yield, summonses were up 265 percent.”

[yinzerniner]

Originally Posted by Tony T

NYPD Launches Crackdown Amid Spike in Cyclists Deaths

New York –

The NYPD has launched a crackdown on unsafe driving as the number of deaths involving bicyclists doubled this year.
Many of those crashes happened in Brooklyn, including a yeshiva bucher who was killed last month when riding his bike in Boro Park. The crackdown also includes a ramping up of speeding fines and adding dedicated bike lanes.
“We have a long way to go to get to our overall goal, and the truth is we’re trying to change the culture,” NYPD Transportation Bureau Inspector Dennis Fulton told ABC News.
For the first five months of this year, 10 people have died while riding bikes in the city. That’s up from five during the same period last year. Police attribute the 100 percent increase to the rising number of people who cycle instead of drive. In 2000, there were approximately 54 million bicycle trips, while 2018 saw that number more than triple to 178 million.
Fulton said that police is deploying more cops to hard-hit neighborhoods and giving out more tickets.
“Last year we wrote 83,000 speeding violations,” he said. “Another thing is failure to yield, summonses were up 265 percent.”

Well it's better than their previous reactions to cyclist deaths - BLAME AND HARRASS THE VICTIMS!

http://gothamist.com/2017/07/28/gree...st_tickets.php
http://gothamist.com/2019/02/07/visi...clist_nypd.php

[verticaldoug]

Were they wearing helmets and did the bike have a bell?

It's all about the bike bell.

Anyone else ever get the 'no bike bell' ticket crossing the GW? or is that just a Jersey thing.

[cderalow]

Originally Posted by verticaldoug

Were they wearing helmets and did the bike have a bell?

It's all about the bike bell.

Anyone else ever get the 'no bike bell' ticket crossing the GW? or is that just a Jersey thing.

Nope.

Got one from new york side.

It's pretty common in most areas.

Any national park will require a bell on your bike as well.

[R3awak3n]

well NYPD is apparently now giving tickets to people that don't have wheel reflectors....

This is all a big waste of time, giving tickets for stupid stuff is not going to solve the problem. They need to improve infrastructure, more protected bike lanes and more awareness instead of just making people have a bad day and some not wanting to ride bikes in the city anymore.

I have pretty much only had bad experiences with the NYPD while on my bike


edit - I guess I did not read the article title at all. However it seems like they are trying to crack down on both drivers and cyclists

[GregL]

Originally Posted by cderalow

Any national park will require a bell on your bike as well.

This may be specific to some jurisdictions, but is not a requirement across all US national parks (to the best of my knowledge). I just spent a week enjoying the cycling in Acadia National Park and its rules do not require bells (but specifically do not allow e-bikes on the carriage roads).

Greg

[fiamme red]

Originally Posted by R3awak3n

They need to improve infrastructure, more protected bike lanes and more awareness instead of just making people have a bad day and some not wanting to ride bikes in the city anymore.

Please, no more "protected" bike lanes!

[R3awak3n]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

Please, no more "protected" bike lanes!

everyone that I know that does not ride in the city is because they are afraid of cars... they are not going to ride on shared lanes, more dedicated bike lanes will help with them. Trust me I don't like them, specially when the law now says you have to ride on the bike lanes and sometimes they are unsafe and I will say that a lot of the protected lanes are just terribly thought out so in that case I will agree (1st ave for example, what a pile of crap) but take a look at Amsterdam for example.


For me, the risk/reward of ridding in the city is just not there. I used to enjoy it, now I do it because its the most convenient but I much rather ride my bike for fun instead of a mode of transport

[fiamme red]

Originally Posted by R3awak3n

everyone that I know that does not ride in the city is because they are afraid of cars... they are not going to ride on shared lanes, more dedicated bike lanes will help with them.

Why is it so important to get these "interested but concerned" people on bikes that we need segregated lanes to make them feel safe? Safety in numbers? I felt much safer cycling in the city when I didn't have to deal with so many idiots on bikes who ride erratically and unpredictably.

[MagicHour]

I'd have to agree with you there, it did feel safer in the 90s and with less lanes, but maybe I was also younger and "stupider". Also pre cell phones (more distracted)and ride-hailing apps (more traffic), bike shares, e-scooters/skateboards, e-bikes etc. etc. <old man shakes fist at cloud Smiley>

Originally Posted by fiamme red

I felt much safer cycling in the city when I didn't have to deal with so many idiots on bikes who ride erratically and unpredictably.

[Dead Man]

you'd feel just as safe today, maybe safer, if you just stopped reading the "news"

thats the only difference, at the you-level, gents.

[yinzerniner]

Originally Posted by MagicHour

I'd have to agree with you there, it did feel safer in the 90s and with less lanes, but maybe I was also younger and "stupider". Also pre cell phones (more distracted)and ride-hailing apps (more traffic), bike shares, e-scooters/skateboards, e-bikes etc. etc. <old man shakes fist at cloud Smiley>

A lot to consider with regards to NYC's current civil predicaments, but in no particular order:
-Total mismanagement of the public transit system. Money being spent on flashy new structures or stations instead of fixing the damage from increased rider usage and natural disasters. Delays, shutdowns, and decaying service are the fruit born from the negligence
-Increased congestion due to more rideshare and delivery drivers as well as implementation of segregated driving/parking/riding lanes
-Overall lack of travelling attentiveness due to overwhelming screen time, be it on the phone, tablet, computer, gps, camera, etc.

Any one of the above would bring about increased danger to cyclists, but all three are terminal. Also need to point out that cyclists probably have the highest risks to personal safety due to the high speed, minimal protection and encumbrances in right of way/way of travel.

Doesn't help that de Blasio and Cuomo make Mayor Quimby look honorable and competent in comparison.

[BubbleWrap]

Originally Posted by Dead Man

you'd feel just as safe today, maybe safer, if you just stopped reading the "news"

thats the only difference, at the you-level, gents.

Come ride in the greater NYC area, see how safe you feel. The amount of asshats glued to their phones behind the wheel or being ridiculously aggressive, not giving a single thought to your safety is appalling.

[BobbyJones]

Originally Posted by verticaldoug

Were they wearing helmets and did the bike have a bell?

It's all about the bike bell.

Anyone else ever get the 'no bike bell' ticket crossing the GW? or is that just a Jersey thing.

I got one years ago on my way to the bridge in front of Riverbank. Cop was a no show

As a side FYI- the Parks police stationed at Riverbank in the white / green accented cars are State Police, not security guards. So don't piss 'em off.