Cyclists claim e-bikes &scooters make riding more dangerous NYC Gothamist

https://gothamist.com/news/cyclists-say-e-bikes-scooters-are-making-nyc-bridges-more-dangerous-with-laughable-enforcement One rogue group accuses another rogue group. The responsibility lies back 20 + years when Transportation Alternatives prevailed on then Mayor Bloomberg to withhold enforcement by the NYPD. And refused to participate in a cooperative effort to establish a responsible bike culture. How do they like the taste of their own cooking?

Traffic Fatalities*112* Cylist Deaths *18* First half 2023--Patch

Patch seems to be a TA publication. These are indeed troubling statistics. However consider that Transportation Alternatives was so zealous to put spokes on the street and apparently sidewalks that it actively opposed a responsible bike culture. With a rogue culture it astronomically increases the probability of accidents. Increases the level of stress and aggravation for all.Pedestrian, Cyclist and motorist alike. The reckless disregard for public safety makes Transportation Alternative morally liable for a massive percentage of the deaths and accidents and numberless near accidents experienced by the public since the first Bloomberg administration. And the elected public officials who truckled and faciltated the sophistry are like MAGA hat wearing "Progressives." Que lastima. https://patch.com/new-york/new-york-city/traffic-crashes-kill-112-nyc-during-first-half-2023-study?utm_term=article-slot-2&utm_source=newsletter-dai

E-bike bills require licensing and make ECorps responsible Village Sun July 21,2023

https://thevillagesun.com/e-bike-delivery-persons-would-need-license-plates-under-new-bill-apps-would-be-fined-if-riders-go-on-sidewalk

Response to Village Sun Editorial by Steve DiLauro by Jack Brown June 2, 2022

Brown gives an account of how the reckless disregard for public safety was promoted by the irrational zealotry of Transportation Alternatives. I have written in the Sun previously. The social contract was broken when Michael Bloomberg was Mayor. I was told by then-Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh in 2010, “THE REASON THERE IS NO ENFORCEMENT IS BECAUSE TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES DOESN’T WANT IT.” TA based their zealotry on — I was told — some apocryphal study done in the outback of Australia — “THE MORE BIKES ON THE STREETS, THE SAFER THE STREETS FOR BIKES.” Well not only — if true — was there no correlation between rural Australia and the Big Apple, but that fancy has proven to be deadly wrong. Bloomberg didn’t need the campaign contributions but he did want to attract the Tech (FANG) industry — and not incidentally give the real estate values a boost. Techies like to ride bikes. Requiring helmets or having the law enforced would dampen enthusiasm, ipso facto NO ENFORCEMENT FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. For cyclists it’s all the rights of the road and none of the responsibilities. Hence bike bedlam. Charles Komanoff, a self-described visionary, is the sophist in chief of TA. I spoke to Prof. John Pucher, an internationally recognized transportation expert and biking advocate. When I told him about TA arm-twisting about law enforcement, he said emphatically, “I TOLD THEM NOT TO DO THAT.” Bloomberg told DOT Commish Sadik-Khan, “Do whatever you want. Just don’t screw up.” Well, hubris given license knows no bounds. Anarchy prevails. In my view, as a veteran of the bike industry and spokesman for Coalition Against Rogue Riding, this demonstrated a reckless indifference for public safety and human life. The grandiosity of Charles Komanoff is akin to that of Donald Trump. Only Komanoff couches it in statistics and intellectual pretension. If anyone has any doubt that NYC and other areas have been affected by Komanoff’s meglomania, see a recent article in the Washington Post. It leads with reference to Komanoff’s 180-degree reversal on the value of nuclear energy. At one point he was perhaps the leading detractor on the value of nuclear energy, he has now seen the light. Realizes that climate change needs the more efficient energy nuclear provides. At the same time he was cooking up his animosity to nuclear energy, he was dreaming of an Big Apple without motor vehicles — where the NYPD only enforced the law against the evil motor vehicle and let two-wheeled rogues run wild on the streets and sidewalks. So now the NYPD has been undermined. Lawless two-wheeled culture has expanded and jeopardizes every step we take. The parks are not safe. With the dining shacks, the sidewalks are even less safe than prior to the pandemic. Let us all recognize Charles Komanoff for the Donald Trump-like snake oil salesman he truly is. Dollar Bill De Blasio went along with TA for the votes and campaign contributions. He too kept the NYPD on a short leash. This is the underbelly of one of the signal boils in the Big Apple’s Progressive Paradise. Let us all recognize the inept arrogance of one of Harvard’s ignominious alums, Tribecca’s Charles Komanoff.

Who Broke the Social Contract? -Steve Di Lauro Editorial ::Village Sun

https://thevillagesun.com/bicycles-and-politicians-who-broke-the-social-contract Playwright Steve Di Lauro descibes his personal experiences with lawless bike riding. Makes interesting points and observations. Suggests ways to manage the e-bike crisis. Interesting comments follow. https://thevillagesun.com/bicycles-and-politicians-who-broke-the-social-contract

International News---- Kent England- Order to "crush" e-scooters *** The telegraph

Order to "seize and "crush" unlawfully ridden e-scooters. Anywhere on public land. ‘Seize and crush’ e-scooters, policing chief tells officers

Ya-Ting Liu Public Space Czarina-plans to reclaim space from cars etc** Bloomberg!!

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-07-11/nyc-adds-bike-lanes-and-pedestrian-plazas-to-reclaim-space-from-cars?srnd=citylab This is the grand plan to plan public space for the immediate future. Read it and try to conceive of how this will improve on congestion. Public safety and quality of life. Consider how all this may be effected without enforcement. An undermined NYPD needs to be resurrected. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-07-11/nyc-adds-bike-lanes-and-pedestrian-plazas-to-reclaim-space-from-cars?srnd=citylab

Mayor Bloomberg admits Bike Lanes diminish his popularity **Bloomberg's legacy NYT 2012

https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/23/nyregion/a-spring-rite-for-bloombergs-top-officials-food-drink-and-rivalry.html 2012 then Mayor Mike Bloomberg amidst the revelry of a big splash dinner party admits that bike lanes diminish his popularity. This was 2012. It's a good thing he's not checking his popularity for allowing the visionaries to pursue their zealotry. Lithium battery death and destruction.Worst congestion in the nation.Having prevented the NYPD from enforcing the law a dangerous culture on the streets and sidewalks creates constant jeopardy. Emergency response times are extended. Parking is a nightmare for people who use vehicles as part of their job. And now the great solution of congestion pricing. All this for what was touted as going green. Perhaps Mr. B can put a bug in the overmatched ear of current Mayor Adams to do right what he did wrong and direct the NYPD to enforce the law.

NYC NEWS***Personal Experience*** Utility Technician

CARR Blog had the opportunity to learn about the experience of a veteran employee of a utility company. The job involves frequent travel around Manhattan to service primarily commercial establishments as well as residential. A van used to transport equipment.** Parking has become a nightmare. Often necessary to park blocks away from the job. Lug serious weight of equipment and supplies the exra distance.***The cost of fines incurred by the van double parked or in no parking zone gets passed on to the customer***As a commercial vehicle those writing tickets know that the company will recover a vehicle within hours and pay the fine. Therefore a van is a prime target.***Parking has been reduced due to the bike racks and the dining shanties.During pandemic the sheds were needed to prop up the restaurants. Now "The sheds gotta go". Bike parking could be on the sidewalk more frequently. ***Everyone is entitled to safety. The bikes and e-bikes and microtransport go every which way. No enforcement. No accountability.This endangers everyone. And motor vehicles are liable.***The city can require the micro transport to be registered and licensed. This generates revenue and makes true enforcment possible.*** Commerce is the driving force of this great city. Commerce is recovering but hindered by implementing the bike lanes and racks and quieting zones without the benefit of an environmental impact study.***This has brought about congestion and congestion pricing. Though the company gets a fleet discount-again the cost is being passed on to the cusomer. A burden on the common resident. Not the elite*** ***The decades long lack of enforcement has undermined the NYPD. Created an environment of lawlessness on the streets and sidewalks. The arrogance and sense of entitlement translates into other lawless behavior.***HOW YOU ACT ANYWHERE IS HOW YOU ACT EVERYWHERE.*** In short in order to please a small percentage-2-3% of those who commute by bike the city has created an environment of danger and unfair expense for the majority. An irrational bargain. The sheds gotta go.There needs to be enforcement & accountability.

NYC News****Scooter Shooting Spree

Mr.TThomas Abreu apparently felt fine and fancy free Jumped on his scooter and went on a shooting spree. Brooklyn and Queens if you please. Intermin NYPD Commissioner Caban astutely pointed out that the scoot & scooter in question was unlicensed and without plate. Is this karaoke of violence a result of the lack of a responsible culture from the inception of the "visionarie's" putsch? Or another example of a "mentally unstable" with a gun? It's fair to observe that guns need emphatic regulation and so do bikes and micro transport. The combination lethal. https://heavy.com/news/thomas-abreu/

NYC News*** Personal Experience Gary Baumgarten

Gary is a veteran street and radio journalist and photographer. Unfortunately adept at dodging rogue riding of all kinds. **** "This is not uncommon: Crossing one Manhattan intersection legally on foot I just had to contend with a turning cab whose driver thought he had the right of way, a pedicab barreling through the red light, a wrong-way bicyclist who nearly clipped me from behind and a delivery guy on a scooter screaming through as if driving an emergency vehicle because, you know, time is money. What is uncommon is police enforcement."*** -- Gary Baumgarten

Regional News**** Boston** Boylston Bike Lane Brouhaha

Another stroy of the business community-in particular- rebelling against the zeal of the bike "visionaries" to contort the streets to accomodate bikes and micro transport to the disadvantage of other modes of transportation and apparently the common good. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/06/29/business/who-is-street-serving-bike-lane-battle-brews-boylston-street/

Regional News****The Congestion Tax battle between N.J. & NYC Yahoo News

https://news.yahoo.com/inside-furious-debate-over-york-103000978.html Congestion tax is a fabrication of Transportation Alternatives ie "visionairies" putsch to drive the motor vehicle from the island. The bike lanes. Quieting zones. Bike racks & yes the pandemicly opportunistic grub shacks all reduce parking. Also fewer lanes for motor vehicles in the streets. Hence the worst congestion in the nation. Newark to New York City is the worst regional congestion. Transportation Alternatives blared that cycling was the be all and end all for going green. The acute congestion is the result. How's that for going green. Now the visionairies want to impose a congestion tax. Much to debate. But one thing is clear-they have created the problem they want to heroically solve. How's that for irrational hubris? The daily danger on the streets and sidewalks and the unregulated deliveristas with the lithium battery explosions and resulting death and destruction also fall out of the irrational push. There was never an environmental impact study done. There was never an effort to establish a responsible bike culture. Thus is the resulting needless death, danger and destruction gifted to the public in an ongoing exercise in hubris and zealotry.

National News----Pedestrian Deaths Highest Since 1981 Across the USA.***Auto Blog/Yahoo News

A piece detailing the increase in road deaths. In particular pedestrian deaths have increased 77%. Outstripping other categories. Distracted driving. Etc. NYC is particularly lawless. Bikes and micro transport commonly ignoring lights. Direction of traffic flow. Using hand held devices while riding. Other unsafe practice. An environment of continual jeopardy. A reckless disregard for public safety. https://autos.yahoo.com/pedestrian-deaths-2022-rose-level-165000395.html

Big Apple News----Editorial e-bike battery crisis*****The Village Sun 7/4/23

Editorial & comments making comments about the crisis and measures being takeing to address the lithium battery fires. the resulting death and destruction. https://thevillagesun.com/editorial-the-e-bike-batteries-crisis-more-must-be-done

Big Apple News----NYC-EVSA #2**** West Side Rag

Upper West Side group mobilizing to bring sanity and safety to the streets and sidewalks of city. https://www.westsiderag.com/2023/06/26/the-menace-of-e-vehicles-and-whats-being-done-about-it

Sen. Gillibrand & Schumer Bringing Home the E-bike Battery Bacon WPIX

$25 million secured for charging stations for NYCHA housing. Why not demand that Transportation Alternatives "donate" the funds to prevent death and destruction that the zealous promotion of bikes and micro transport have caused? A drop in the bucket for Hedge Funder Mark Gorton. Charles Komanoff is more than well fixed. Oh that's right-they want to spend public money to privatize public land. All the rights of the road---and none of the responsibilities. The ZEALOUS Bros. Jack Brown https://pix11.com/news/local-news/e-bike-charging-stations-coming-to-baruch-houses-in-manhattan/

E-bike battery bust on Canal St NYDN

The FDNY investigated a bike charging time bomb on Canal Street. Previously violated. Clean out a cauldron of potential death and destruction. Good work. How about enforcement of rogue riding? Jack Brown https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-ion-lithium-battery-time-bomb-found-chinatown-fdny-commissioner-kavanagh-says-20230629-