Since the wild expansion of New York’s system of bike lanes under Mayor Mike Bloomberg, there has been a considerable increase in the amount of cycling. The bike lanes have made cycling considerably safer, especially in physically-separated lanes that have opened in the past year on 8th and 9th Avenues and most recently on Broadway. Unfortunately, there have been some troubling trends within these bike lanes that make cycling more dangerous for everyone.
These bike lanes are new to many New Yorkers, but it seems that pavement markings and signs are doing nothing to discourage misuse of the lanes. It’s hard to understand why it’s so difficult for New Yorkers to understand the purpose of bike lanes. But these photos from Broadway’s bike lane make it clear that there’s a disconnect between their intended purpose and their use.
Despite having an entire double-wide crosswalk to use for crossing Fifth Avenue, these pedestrians chose to cross in the bike lane. They continued to walk in the bike lane down Broadway along Madison Square Park when there was a perfectly good public plaza space and empty sidewalk for them to use. This behavior baffles me.
Only slightly less inexcusable was the couple who walked in the bike lane against traffic in SoHo on Prince Street on Saturday, crossed a street in the bike lane rather than the crosswalk, and then scoffed at cyclists riding directly at them, as though the cyclists were in the wrong. I only say “slightly less inexcusable” because walking on the sidewalks on Prince Street is nearly as frustrating as trying to navigate Manhattan on a bike.
Equally as mind-boggling is why a pedicab driver, who presumably thrives on his ability to use bike lanes to make business more efficient, decided that a bike lane was a perfectly acceptable place to park his vehicle. You can also see how the design of this lane is fatally flawed, since two pedestrian areas are separated by a bike lane, prompting pedestrians to consider the bike lane part of their public space.
A lack of education on these spaces is part of the problem. So is poor design. But the real problem is that in New York, pedestrian space is still so limited that pedestrians will use any area that is not used by cars (and, in many cases, areas that are used by cars – in between light cycles). If pedestrians felt that they had enough space, they may not seek out more space. In the case of the Broadway, Grand Street, and Prince Street, the neighboring sidewalks are often overburdened with slow tourists and overcrowded during rush hours.
Then again, it could be a psychological issue. New Yorkers have a notorious sense of entitlement and may believe it is their right to walk in public space that is not necessarily designated for pedestrians. An educational campaign could help to change this over time. Transportation Alternatives recently launched a campaign called Biking Rules to help with the very serious problem of cyclist scofflaws, but reaching out to the very large pool of New York City pedestrians is a much more daunting task.
Also, it’s hard to change behaviors when the NYPD can’t even follow the law.
Perhaps if people on bicycles showed a modicum of respect for traffic law and pedestrians they could expect it in return.
How often do you see cyclists riding the wrong way down a street, not stopping at stoplights, riding on the sidewalk, or other examples of endagering pedestrains?
I say walk in the bike lane, park in the bike lane, even better get rid of the bike lanes, I’ve lived in this city for a long time and can say without doubt the modern cyclists are the biggest threat to pedestrians, I’ve seen more people hit by an idiot on a bike in the past few years then I’ve seen hit by cars in the past 20.
How often do you see drivers breaking traffic laws? How often do you see pedestrians jaywalking? The answer is just as often, if not moreso. So why are you singling out bicyclists?
Pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers all have a “me first” attitude in this city. But bikes have the lawful right to use the roads just like everyone else. They also have the right to safety, as they are vunerable and lack the protection of sidewalks, crosswalks, or two tons of steel. If you don’t want bike lanes, what’s your solution to keeping cyclists safe from themselves and others? Based on your complaints, the only solution is to ban bikes. If that is your solution, you’re clearly out of your mind.
There is no contest that motorists far outdo cyclists and pedestrians combined with it comes to breaking laws. A notable difference is that when motorists break laws, they sometimes seriously injure, maim, and even kill people.
Perhaps if people on bicycles showed a modicum of respect for traffic law and pedestrians they could expect it in return.
Oh, please. The vast majority of cyclists show far more respect for traffic laws than most pedestrians do, and the vast majority of cyclists show far more respect for pedestrians than cars do. Remember: At a green light, a bicyclist — and not a jaywalking pedestrian — has the right of way.
How often do you see cyclists riding the wrong way down a street, not stopping at stoplights, riding on the sidewalk, or other examples of endagering pedestrains?
Once in a while. How often do you see cars not yielding turns, running red lights or generally disregarded safety?
I’ve lived in this city for a long time and can say without doubt the modern cyclists are the biggest threat to pedestrians, I’ve seen more people hit by an idiot on a bike in the past few years then I’ve seen hit by cars in the past 20.
I’ve lived in this city for my entire life, and not once has a pedestrian been killed by a bicycle. Yet, in the past 20 years, how many people in this city have been killed by cars? Far more than you would guess. Get a grip. Get out more. Your anti-bike rant is absurd.
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> Your anti-bike rant is absurd.
Trolling is a art.
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Friends, can you maybe help me? A buddy of mine is thinking about buying themselves a new CBR 1000 as their first bike! Never rode much of anything else before! I said this is probably not a good idea for the first one, but they are adamant! What do you rekon, is this ok and would you then just recommend good lessons?