Cyclists' collision course 3,830 accidents by 2-wheel heels

By JOHN DOYLE, ALEXIS JEFFRIES and LARRY CELONA
Last Updated: 6:20 AM, December 21, 2010
Posted: 1:13 AM, December 21, 2010

Somebody hit the brakes!

There's been an alarming 16 percent spike in vehicle and bicycle collisions over the past year that investigators blame in large part on rogue cyclists who have turned city streets into demolition derbies.
There have been 3,830 accidents involving bicycles, including 12 fatal ones, so far this year, compared to 3,294 in 2009, city statistics show. The East Village and Downtown Brooklyn have the most accident-prone intersections.
"This was a catastrophe in the making as soon as they put those bike lanes up around the city," said a cop in the East Village, the epicenter of collisions even with several bike-only lanes.

Photog:

James Messerschmidt
CRASH PEST DUMMY: A cyclist cuts in front of a car yesterday near Union Square, as bike accidents mounted for the year.

"They are arrogant. They think they now own the road and think they can do no wrong," the officer said. "Some even yell at police cars saying they have the right of way."
Other danger spots include both sides of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.
"It's crazy. The volume of traffic, careless bicyclists and too many turns in too many directions is a recipe for disaster," said a traffic-accident investigator. "Most times they don't obey [laws] and that leads to chaos."
Commercial drivers say they live in fear of hitting bikers.
"Man, it's a pain because they truly think they can just do whatever they want to do," said Manny Sosa, a UPS driver for 15 years.
Some 17,500 people commute daily by bike -- up from 8,500 in 2006, according to the Department of Transportation.
"We have too many bicyclists that are bad actors, so to speak. Too many bicyclists don't obey the rules," said Councilman Jimmy Vacca (D-Bronx), chairman of the Transportation Committee. "If they don't, they deserve a ticket just like any driver."
Cops handed cyclists 29,545 tickets in 2010, compared to 27,555 last year.
Bikers, however, blamed drivers for the rise in accidents.
"I get hit in some fashion probably every couple of weeks," said Chris Gewecke, a bike messenger. "I'll get 'doored' or something by someone getting out of a cab or a truck. They just don't see you sometimes, or they don't care."
Additional reporting by Chuck Bennett
larry.celona@nypost.com

City must end this 'cycle' of violence

By ANDREA PEYSER NY POST

Last Updated: 7:35 AM, August 19, 2010

Posted: 3:35 AM, August 19, 2010

It's hell on wheels out there. Police say they're cracking down on demon bicyclists, papering lawless delivery men and two-wheeled street hogs with tickets like expensive confetti. But just 48 hours after the city announced it was handing hundreds of $50 summonses to assassin wannabes who ignore stop signs and dart giddily on sidewalks, terrorizing senior citizens and small animals, it was business as usual.

As you can see at right, it isn't safe on two feet.

"There's a certain green superiority complex," said Village resident Margarita, 36, the victim of a near-miss. "They're obnoxious."

And lethal.

A visit to a new bicycle lane in the East Village yesterday, the brainchild of a mayor who can't stand cars except his own, revealed Dodge City. Bicycles zoomed the wrong way on a one-way path, ignoring traffic lights, helmet laws and decency.

Taking my life into my hands, I stopped deliveryman Ivan Zamora, 25, as he ignored signs and rode in the opposite direction of arrows painted on First Avenue. He removed his noise-blocking headphones.

"I think it's OK" to ride the wrong way, said Zamora. "The cops no give me a ticket."

Just then, I saw a policeman roaming the bike lane, and asked if he planned to write summonses for lawbreaking riders. The cop said no, explaining that he specialized in ticketing cars, not bikes.

From out of the blue, a bicycle sped around the corner, ignoring a red light, an intersection filled with pedestrians, the cop. And me.

It's official.

You see them coming from the corner of your eye, if you're lucky. Fearless bike riders, whom Mayor Bloomberg and his minions see as the green glory of New York, have morphed into what a police spokesman said was the Upper East Side's No. 1 quality-of-life menace. It goes further. You hear it in the close-call stories shared by every pedestrian ever to tread the sidewalks. You see it in the crutches borne by a colleague who survived a hit.

"It feels like civil war," declared Nancy Gruskin of New Jersey.

She should know.

Last year, Nancy's husband of 16 years, Stuart, an athletic 50, was run down in Midtown by a bike deliveryman riding the wrong way on a one-way street. Three days later, Stuart died of head injuries, leaving behind 12-year-old twins. The deliveryman faced no criminal charges.

Nancy has dedicated her life to making streets safer. It doesn't help that the government is in deep denial, plunking down some 200 bike lanes since Stuart was killed, and failing to enforce the law.

But while Nancy's research -- and reams of anecdotal evidence -- indicates things are increasingly desperate, the city says there's no problem. The Department of Transportation reports that last year, 49 pedestrians survived bike hits. The official number has decreased from 2001, when 130 bike-walker accidents were recorded.

The numbers belie a recent Hunter College study that found, among other outrages, that a whopping 37 percent of bike riders routinely blow through stop lights. More than 10 percent ride the wrong way. And helmets? A joke to two-thirds of cyclists.

But a spokesman for the bike group Transportation Alternatives, which bike-safety activists contend has achieved outsize influence over this administration, insists that cars are the real culprits.

"Bicyclists and pedestrians are fighting over the scraps given over to cars," said deputy director Noah Budnick.

Still, Nancy isn't the only one suspicious of the city's rosy bike picture.

Jack Brown once ran the Hi-Ho Cyclery bike shop. Now, he runs the Coalition Against Rogue Riding, an organization he founded after a 2005 epiphany. Walking four blocks in the rain through the East Village, "I nearly got clipped five times" by bikes, he said.

"It felt like I was in a bar fight -- you never know where it's going to come from next. I was shaking. I was in shock."

Bicycle riders who run roughshod over the city should face the law. If not, bike lanes must be painted over, criminals stopped.

Gi

Weiner, Bloomberg & Sadik- Khan :"The Lighter Side of Rogue Riding"

For City’s Transportation Chief, Kudos and Criticism/ By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM/
March 4, 2011 NYT

ON a balmy night last June, the city’s Congressional delegation gathered for dinner at Gracie Mansion. Representative Anthony D. Weiner, who aspires to live in the mansion someday, knew he would have only a few minutes with the host, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. So he brought up the hottest topic he could think of: bicycle lanes, and the transportation commissioner who had nearly doubled the number of them, Janette Sadik-Khan.
“When I become mayor, you know what I’m going to spend my first year doing?” Mr. Weiner said to Mr. Bloomberg, as tablemates listened. “I’m going to have a bunch of ribbon-cuttings tearing out your [expletive] bike lanes.”
Mr. Weiner, a brash Democrat from Queens, had expected a bit of banter with his longtime adversary. Instead, Mr. Bloomberg adopted an exasperated, welcome-to-my-world expression. “His answer was, ‘Tell me about it,’ ” said a person who was there, one of two who recounted the tale. The mayor, some guests said, made it clear that Ms. Sadik-Khan was off on her own.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/nyregion/06sadik-khan.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=sadik%20%20khan&st=cse

March 21, 2011, 5:19 PM City Makes a Calculated Case for Bicycle Lanes By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM

The Bloomberg administration released an unusual two-page communiqué on Monday laying out its arguments for bicycle lanes, the subject of what one magazine has labeled the “newest urban culture war.”

The memo (pdf), written by Howard Wolfson, the city’s deputy mayor in charge of communications and government affairs, uses statistics to demonstrate improved traffic safety and cites community-based support for the lanes, which have sprouted up under the supervision of Janette Sadik-Khan, the city’s transportation commissioner.

Mr. Wolfson wrote that his memo had been prompted by a cover story in this week’s New York magazine detailing the recent civic controversy, which has now spilled into court after a group of Brooklyn residents filed a lawsuit calling on the city to remove a lane along Prospect Park West.

Some advocates have portrayed bicycle lanes as a way to nudge New Yorkers toward a more progressive, European-influenced version of city life, but Mr. Wolfson’s memo focuses more on concrete safety gains recorded by its traffic engineers.

He wrote, for instance, that injuries to drivers, pedestrians and cyclists typically drop by at least 40 percent and sometimes drop more than 50 percent along streets where physically separated bicycle lanes are installed. The memo notes that the number of bicycle crashes that lead to injuries or deaths has fallen in the last four years, even as cycling’s popularity grows.

The memo also points to a Quinnipiac University poll released last week thatfound that 54 percent of New Yorkers agreed with a statement that the lanes are a positive development “because it’s greener and healthier for people to ride their bicycles.”

Mr. Wolfson also noted that major bike lanes, like those on Columbus Avenue in Manhattan and Prospect Park West, had been approved by the local community board, and that the Transportation Department has held dozens of public meetings on the projects.

“Bike lanes are part of the city’s future,” Mr. Wolfson said in a telephone interview. “Will these save lives in the next year? You bet.”

Critics of the lanes have lodged a range of complaints, from lost parking spots to increasingly difficult driving conditions, aesthetic problems, and a risk to pedestrians from bicyclists who disobey traffic laws.

Some opponents have also faulted the Transportation Department for withholding or selectively disclosing traffic data related to bike lanes; the Brooklyn lawsuit accuses the city of deceptive practices in installing the lanes.

City Council Hears Sides of Bike Lane Battle By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM Published: December 9, 2010 NYT

The Brooklyn borough president, Marty Markowitz, sang a self-written song about bicycle lanes to the tune of a popular selection from “The Sound of Music”: “These are a few of my favorite lanes.” A 40-year resident of Park Slope, Brooklyn, testified that an influx of cyclists had made her afraid to cross the street in front of her house. A group of cycling advocates wondered why the city would reject a nimble, environmentally friendly mode of transportation in favor of bulky, polluting automobiles.


John Marshall Mantel for The New York Times“Bike policy is all about trade-offs,” said James Vacca, the City Council’s transportation committee chairman, at a hearing on Thursday.

The battle of the bike lanes, a civic discussion that has turned increasingly contentious and common at community boards and dinner tables throughout New York, made its way to the City Council on Thursday. The theatrics seemed to survive the transition.

Dueling protests, vicious invective from both sides and good old New York-style kvetching have been hallmarks of the bicycle debate since the Bloomberg administration began installing hundreds of miles of bicycle-only lanes throughout the city.

Thursday’s oversight hearing was the first time that Janette Sadik-Khan, the city’s transportation commissioner, sat for formal questioning from city politicians about the implementation and enforcement of the ambitious new cycling network she has been overseeing.

“Nobody disagrees that using more bicycles is a good thing, but in a city where traffic is horrendous and finding a parking space is difficult, bike policy is all about trade-offs,” said James Vacca, the chairman of the Council’s transportation committee, as he introduced the hearing.

But Ms. Sadik-Khan firmly defended her department’s actions, countering a barrage of questions from council members who were irritated and enraged about the subject.

“While there are inevitable growing pains as cycling moves from the margins to the mainstream, its growth in New York is already delivering substantial safety, mobility and health dividends,” Ms. Sadik-Khan said. “The city’s bicycle program, with your assistance and support, is a huge success.”

The discussion touched on topics like the proper regulation of conduct on the road (Ms. Sadik-Khan said she planned a major advertising campaign featuring celebrities who would warn cyclists “to stop riding like jerks”) and whether the city had sufficiently solicited the views of people in communities where bicycle lanes have been installed (the commissioner said yes; several council members said no).

Advocates argued that the lanes encourage a safer, more environmentally friendly mode of transportation while making the city safer for pedestrians. “You’ve got to lay the tracks before you run the train,” said Noah Budnick, a deputy director at Transportation Alternatives, a cycling and pedestrian advocacy group.

Opponents lamented the loss of parking spaces and traveling lanes for automobiles, as well as complaining about what they labeled an imperious approach by city officials.

Jessica Lappin, a councilwoman from the Upper East Side, has introduced a bill that would require the Transportation Department to release detailed information about traffic accidents, including a count of those involving bicycles. Transportation officials have said the Police Department keeps the data, and Ms. Sadik-Khan testified that she had not yet read the bill, an assertion that Ms. Lappin seemed to doubt.

“I will tell my staff that despite our negotiations, I guess the top of the agency is not engaged,” Ms. Lappin said after her questioning of Ms. Sadik-Khan.

In her remarks, Ms. Sadik-Khan emphasized that she believed bicycle lanes provided significant improvements to street safety, and offered statistics showing fewer pedestrian injuries and a slower flow of traffic where lanes had been installed.

But when asked by Mr. Vacca how many people in the city ride bicycles every day, Ms. Sadik-Khan could not immediately produce an absolute number. Mr. Vacca said he was surprised that the city would engage in a large-scale change to the city’s roads without a more precise count of how many New Yorkers might use it.

“We don’t have the number of cars in the street, either,” Ms. Sadik-Khan replied.

Mr. Vacca responded: “Maybe we should have those numbers, too.”

(Officials later cited a survey from 2007 that showed about 500,000 New Yorkers identified themselves as regular cyclists.)
A version of this article appeared in print on December 10, 2010, on page A30 of the New York edition.

Portnoy's Lament

Testimony given Dec 9, 2010 at oversight hearing of the Transportation Committee of the city council. Chair: Jimmy Vacca.

By Jack Brown

*Refer to above NYT Grynbaum account. **Note Jan 6,2011 the sustained program of bike law enforcement began by the NYPD.**

It feels like we may be at the point towards a responsible bike culture in New York that was reached at the end of Phillip Roth's celebrated novel "Portnoy's Complaint".Portnoy's psychiatrist after listening to his catharsis says "Ah now ve may begin" This Oversight Hearing can form the basis for a coordinated effort to address the various concerns of the city agencies that go into forming a functional productive bike culture. The effort must be cooperative, consistent and considered. Everything that it has not been up to now. The Coalition Against Rogue Riding advocates responsible enforcement as the backbone of a law abiding cycling community. It is the bottomline where responsible bike communities work. Why not here?

By withholding the services of the NYPD it merely increases the sense of impunity on the part of irresponsible bike riders and undermines the credibility of the police department. In my opinion a lose lose situation. When I see adults cycling with youngsters on their bikes-without helmets and against the flow of traffic that constitutes child welfare endangerment. When I see cyclists on battery powered bikes riding every which way but right I know something needs enforcement.

It is time to establish a task force to consider the various and increasingly urgent issues necessary to promoting a responsible bike culture. Clearly the scattershot approach currently employed is a significant failure. An exercise in zealotry. It is time that a callous disregard for public safety is recognized for what it is and not conflated with a green ideal going toxic. I urge the transportation committee to exercise whatever powers it has to formally establish a task force to pursue this goal in a considered and knowledgeable fashion. It is my belief that the public would respond with appreciation and that a coalition of elected public official will bring the resources of their offices to advance such a process.

Thankyou

Jack Brown CARR

Coalition Against Rogue Riding

CARRNYC.blogspot.com

Talking Point Toward Responsible Cycling

By Jack Brown
Cycling in New York City is no longer regarded as something exclusively good and “green.” Many people are “mad as hell and not willing to take it anymore.” This refers, on the one hand, to the scofflaw riding and attitude on the part of rogue working, commuting and recreational cyclists. On the other hand, there is the hubris and fabrication of those who function like lobbyists and exert influence on the implementation of bicycle amenities. This is allegedly being done for our own good whether we like it or not. There is, we are informed, a morally and pragmatically superior approach at work here.
People are taking to the streets — not simply to ride for the sake of health and the environment, but to protest. At the First Annual Downtown Upright Bike Ride two weeks ago, The HUB’s proprietor, the pedicab visionary George Bliss, and actor Matthew Modine led the “upright” faction, which advocates a responsible, sensible, kinder, gentler approach to cycling. This group also hopes to ward off what it views as draconian measures resulting from a possibly anti-biking backlash.
Leslie Sicklick is organizing a demonstration on Fri., Oct. 15, at the corner of 14th St. and First Ave. The event’s purpose is to express dissatisfaction with a raft of bike culture phenomena, including rogue riding, bike lanes and reduced motor vehicle lanes.
On Sun., Sept. 19, The New York Times “Spokes” column, written by David Goodman, presented the point of view of those who advocate a more balanced approach to a responsible bike culture. This was a first. The New York Post — with a number of angry and bike-injured staffers — has produced a steady drumbeat of articles critical of the current style of management.
CBS News’s Tony Aiello produced a five-part series called “Bike Bedlam.” Aiello’s reporting presented a graphic picture of the often-anarchic practices of cyclists and the problems related to the bike lanes. Bedlam culminated with an acknowledgement by Department of Transportation spokesman Seth Solomonow that statistics ballyhooed in a “landmark” study of pedestrian safety in mid-August were inaccurate or fabricated. D.O.T. also apologized to reporter Aiello for accusing him of “inaccurate and irresponsible reporting.”
Clearly, there is turmoil in the streets and on the sidewalks. What then can be done to provide a balm in Gotham? What can be done to make the ride toward a responsible bike culture more reasonable and genuinely noble?
It is clear that this problem has been around for decades. It is also clear that it has been allowed to fester until it has become a public-safety crisis.
In 2003 the Rudin Center for Transportation at New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service conducted a study, “Pedestrian and Bicycle Standards and Innovation in Central Cities.” This was done in conjunction with NACTO (National Association of City Transportation Officials). The study was inconclusive save one point: It concluded that a successful resolution to the problem would require a cooperative approach.
This concept can be translated into a task force. It would, at the core, bring together the Police Department, D.O.T., legislators, educators and possibly representatives of advocacy groups.
This group would meet to devise a strategy to achieve a responsible bike culture and meet as needed to see it through. It would be useful to have a respected transportation professional head the task force. Perhaps a George Mitchell type with negotiator skills.
It will take time to devise the necessary, balanced and comprehensive legislation and time to pass it in Albany and the City Council. Effective enforcement is the bottom line. There are some aggressive riders that will not otherwise comply with common sense and common decency. When the rules of the road fail, responsible enforcement promotes responsible cycling.
A more reliable method of gathering statistics on bike/pedestrian accidents needs to be devised. A functional 311 system could provide part of this. The use of aided reports by the Police Department would complement this. Hunter College is partnering with The Gruskin Family Foundation to gather hospital emergency room reports. This would add a third leg.
This writer recommends a shakeup in the Department of Transportation. Two deputy mayors have been assigned to supervise the wayward agency. D.O.T. both ignores hard data, such as Hunter College’s “Biking Behavior in Midtown,” and fabricates statistics to suit its own agenda. Replacing D.O.T. Commissioner Sadik-Khan with a seasoned transportation professional who is willing to listen to and take into consideration the expertise of other city departments and the needs of various communities would work to restore a sense of optimism and enthusiasm for a responsible bike culture.
The model cities for what is being done here now — Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Berlin — are less dense and often have wider streets. It takes time, cooperation and consistency to establish a responsible bike culture. If Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz can be paraphrased, New York City has been subjected to an exercise in zealotry. It’s time to slow down, calm down and use cooperation to work toward the public safety of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike.
Brown is the former owner of the Hi Ho Cyclery store, 165 Avenue A, and spokesperson, Coalition Against Rogue Riding