walrus1

Yep the NYPD has decided to go after the real danger on NYC roads cars! Just kidding they're going after bicycles again cause with the last reported pedestrian death from a bike being in 2009 it just makes sense. So yeah look out for our beloved law enforcement professionals if you're cycling through NYC. They also announced a crackdown on cars in bike lanes. Which leads to an interesting question will they ticket themselves?

dynodonn 

NYPD's favorite past time, chasing after those pesky cyclists, and yet there are articles like the one in the link below........

Pedestrian deaths from vehicle strikes are quickly rising in New York City - NY Daily News

rydabent

It is tax and spend b'crats just looking for a money stream. It has little to do with cycling.

walrus1

At least four to five times a week I read about a pedestrian or cyclist killed by an aggressive or careless drivers. It's heartbreaking how few of those are charged or much less ticketed. It also amazes me of how many of those who run are never found.

You do realize "tax and spend" is how every government everywhere works right? I think if anything it has less to do with money and more to do with ticket quotas as well as proving to motorists that the NYPD is not targeting them unfairly.

mconlonx

I'd sure hate for cops to take a period of time to focus on murderers or raypists...

They do this kind of thing in some kind of rotation. Did any BF'rs take offence when they were cracking down on aggressive MV drivers? Or the perennial fave, drunk drivers? Thought not...

Obey the law and it doesn't affect you; law-breakers are "scofflaw cyclists" who give you a bad name just for being on a bike -- who actually has an issue with this?

walrus1

The problem is in NYC they just don't target law breaking cyclists they randomly target every cyclist regardless whether or not they broke any actually law. In the past they have ticked cyclists for not wearing helmets, not riding in the bike lane that they blocked with a cruiser, going through yellow lights and having a small purse dangling from the handle bars. Heck, I once read about a guy who got a ticket for walking his bike on the sidewalk into his office. So yeah I have an issue with this crackdown as should every other reasonable person. Especially when pedestrians are hit by cars that regularly kill or severely injure them and those cars get away scott free.

If the cops just targeted salmons, cyclists who carelessly blow red lights, ride on sidewalks, turn into pedestrians, don't have lights, have two earbuds in or text while cycling I'd be cool with it. To be honest such a legal crackdown might do some good in curbing some of the stupidity I've been seeing a lot more of lately. However the current NYPD will never give us such a crackdown.

lostarchitect 

LOL. You have obviously not had many dealings with the NYPD. I once lost two days of work over a perfectly legal 3" pocket knife.

FBinNY 

This happens because the NYPD is a government entity and as such subject to the political winds, and orders from above. The fact is that rank and file officers have little interest in ticketing bicyclists (which is actually hard to do), so from time to time they have to have blitz campaigns to show folks that bicyclists are subject to the same laws as everybody else.

Part of the problem is out shaky alliance with pedestrians. The city gets large numbers of complaints about "kamikaze" bicyclists making streets unsafe for pedestrians. Plus, despite strong support from the prior administration, bicyclists in general aren't loved by city officials, and there's resentment from all sectors about the changes to infrastructure. This is NYC and nothing ever happens without opposition, complaints, resentment and gripes.

Ticket blitzes happen for all sorts of issues, from dirty sidewalks (for retailers) to failure to take in empty trash cans, to red lights, and so on. There are simply too many laws, and enforcement priorities, and the risk of a summons for any violation is too small. So from time to time (in rotation) the NYPD selects the target of the moment and focuses with a blitz to show that they are doing their job, and also as a psychological ploy hoping to create some lasting compliance, at least for a while.

1nterceptor

From 2-week Bike Ticketing Blitz | NYCC.org

"I am an early victim of the "bike safety campaign," as the officer described it. I got stopped by an unmarked black car for running a light on Morningside Ave. at W 116th. I tried to be as polite and obedient as possible given that I had nothing to gain by being rude, and I still got treated like a criminal--he thought I was pulling a *** on him when I reached for the bag on the back of my bike to get out the ID he requested. He took down my height, weight, eye color, and bike make, among other things. I think the ticket is over $200. If I amortize that over all the red lights I may have missed, it's not a bad deal, but I wish it hadn't happend. "

Astrozombie

Do you happen to be colored mate? I fear if you were you might just be six feet under right now

rydabent

No-------------it is not bike safety, it is the money the city is out to get!!!!!!

dynodonn 

...and those few bicyclists are doing all of what?...... if they are in good shape, 20-30 mph on flat ground on a 10 to 20 lbs bike.

Dave Cutter

And with larger government, and more centralized government, the greater the (mood) swings. The next administration controlling the city may (once again) embrace horse drawn transportation (and/or bicycles). But the current "holder of the power" prefers a specific traffic plan that is not friendly to POVs.

lostarchitect 

I'm not. Yeah, it could have been much worse.

walrus1

Yet the current one is claiming to be so bicycle and pedestrian friendly. Yet they are claiming Vision Zero is going to make some huge difference. Then do **** like this crackdown while smiling. I got blasted on Streetsblog when Deblasio announced Vision Zero for saying it was an empty promise and that nothing would change. I wonder how those people feel now.


By the way I ran across this tweet yesterday Apparently there is a bike lane on Park Row in lower Manhattan in front of Gracie Mansion and by City Hall. I cycle there at least 3-4 times a week and always assumed it was on street parking reserved for the city employees. This means the very people responsible for the implementation and enforcement of Vision Zero have decided to block a bike lane. The irony is so rich! Next time I go by I'm going to see if I can't spot any bike lane markings under the illegally parked cars. So between the crackdown and the illegal parking Vision Zero is officially ****ed up right?

FBinNY 

From what I can see, the crackdown is focused on the long standing core issues -- running red lights, wrong way/wrong side of the street and failure to yield to pedestrians.

It's not like they're singling out all bicyclists for "safety violations" such as no bell, lights or reflectors. I'm not a "law and order" guy, and will ride against red lights (I differentiate between running lights, and treating them as yield or stop), I'll also ride against traffic for a short distance now and then if it makes sense in the scheme of things (last block vs. going around on one ways). But other than the fact that I'm not a fan of crackdown mentality, don't see anything wrong here.

This crackdown is intended to send a message, and it seems that most officers aren't being axholes about it, even giving lectures and warnings instead of citations.

NYC traffic has always been something of a free for all, and nothing will change that, but with more bicyclists on the street, I fully sympathize with an effort to prevent total chaos.

BTW- even as a cyclist, I've suffered at the hands of other cyclists who ride so unpredictably as to make riding in NYC more like steeplechase.

I love the hippocrasy, demand bike oriented infrastructure, insist that every "anti bike" violation be swiftly and surely punished (my god they're blocking the bike lane!!!!!) then the righteous indignation when they start enforcing the traffic code against bicyclists. Yes, a 2 week blitz is sure to snag some minor violators who aren't careful, but it's not unreasonable.

walrus1

Our magnificent overlords are now using bike lanes for the commissioner's parking needs. I'm sure we all agree this is a great thing! It's great to see them blocking bike lanes in the name of enforcing the law. Also for safety!

FBinNY 

Grow up! Police vehicles have been blocking traffic lanes for as long as there were police vehicles and traffic lanes. Of course, it's usually far easier for a bicyclist to maneuver around an obstacle than for someone driving a car or truck.

So while you see hypocrisy in all this, I see it as another day in New York. OTOH, I enjoy the irony of the hypocrisy argument from cyclists responding to "anti" bicycle law enforcement.

If/when NYC enforces any of the minor vehicle requirement sections of the code, like ticketing for no bell (as they sometimes did 30-40 years ago, I'll join you at the barricades. Otherwise, I have no problem with the 2 week crackdown per se, though I'm sure there'll be some cases of abuse.

BTW- last time there was a major crackdown, the courts dismissed the bulk of the cases before the trial date. In other instances all the tickets of those who appeared were dismissed. I expect something similar will happen here, with a large percentage of dismissals for "failure to prosecute".

walrus1

You are so right! How did I not see it! The cops since they've been breaking the law for so so long we should just let them! It's so immature of me to expect the cops to follow the law! Thank you so much for pointing this out! I love it that someone upstate is so right about how NYC is and should be! Thanks!

FBinNY 

You haven't made the case that the cops are breaking any laws when they block lanes (car or bike). This is all part and parcel of doing their jobs (even if we think they're doing it stupidly), and if the traffic code doesn't have a specific rule covering it, it's not illegal. Consider it a necessary part of having a police force in the first place.

OTOH- you started this thread objecting to an enforcement blitz, which is probably justified given NYC traffic issues including but not limited to bicycles. They've also done jaywalking blitzes, speeding (for cars), and just about every type of targeted campaign possible in an effort to kkep some kind of lid on what would otherwise be chaos.

While I don't like these blitz campaigns (any of them) I understand the logic, and have no problem living with them. So for two weeks, you'll have to be more careful about riding less like a cowboy, though I expect the odds still favor you unless you're an extreme case.

walrus1

So in other words you didn't read the link in my post?

spare_wheel

i have a problem with this. jaybikers are like maryjane. both should be decriminalized so our expensive leos can focus on problems that have real societal cost.

FBinNY 

I actually read the link, and some of the all too many links within it. Bit I found nothing pertinent.

I think back to Ed Koch who was one of the few who has a sense of balance when running the city. He knew when he had it right when everybody hated what he was doing ---- equally.

I keep hearing folks whining about how the police have to crackdown on those making the streets so dangerous; speeding, red light running cars and cabs, kamikaze bicyclists, crazy, jaywalking pedestrians who don't bother looking. And yet, eny enforcement against one's favored (we're so innocent) group is a nazi crackdown.

I don't think anyone will disagree that there needs to be some effort to maintain order, and I'm sure we're all 100% innocent of the violations here (so why do we care so much), especially me. So I don't see a problem here, unless of course, some jackbooted fascist should cite me for a no harm, no foul running of a red light.

Cry all you want (my violin is in the shop) but all in all, I think NYC is extremely lax and relaxed about law enforcement as it applies to the traffic code and bicyclists. If an occasional blitz is part of the bargain, so be it.

Dave Cutter

Who was it? Really what was the names of the people that ever thought that "government" should EVER have so much control over our life's anyway?!?!?!? Taking back our life's, our decision making, our control over ourselves won't come easy... or cheap.

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
~ Thomas Jefferson

kickstart

While an individual act may be of little consequence, collectively all those individual acts if allowed to go on unchecked can lead to anarchy. Prohibition and regulation are two entirely different things.
Enforcement "blitzes" may be rather silly when taken for face value, but they are probably the most economical and least intrusive way to maintain some semblance of order. I mean really, they announce when they will happen and what they're enforcing......