GlennR

After a cyclist hits a pedestrian in Central Park, the police start taking control.

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/live/cb...t-noon-part-2/

ChiroVette

This is a huge problem, and some of this is the fault of cyclists who are so focused on their interval training and their segments that they throw all caution to the wind to beat their times and such. But pedestrians also cause problems by meandering all over the MUT's, flagrantly ignoring cycle-only lanes as they wander to and from their ped lanes. Not to mention everyone, cyclists and peds, breaking out their cell phones and looking down at their screens instead of where they are going. I took a lot of heat on another cycling form for suggesting that maybe, just maybe, cyclists also need to slow the hell down on these multi-use paths. But one problem I think is a lot of racing clubs and pro and sem-pro racers are using paths like Central Park to train, where they really cycle at breakneck speeds at times of the day where there is a lot of congestion on these paths.

PickleRick

Yeahhhh, this isn't just Central Park. I was in Toronto last month riding the beautiful Waterfront trail and between the Tour de France wannabes, the e-bikes and the meandering pedestrians I witnessed many a HOLY CRAP! moment....luckily no one was struck, but only due to divine intervention or dumb luck.
Up here, in the boondocks, we usually only have to worry about whitetail deer or coyotes sprinting out in front of us on our country roads. We do have one shared-used trail that has its own issues, but nothing like what I've seen in NYC, Toronto or even Richmond VA.
I don't think shared-use trails are going to be safely sustainable in densely populated cities unless some form of formal law enforcement (Bike Cops?) is put in place. Be interested in hearing what urban dwellers think.

GlennR

The real problem is "most" people are in their own little world and don't take responsibility for thier actions and the impact they might have one others.

Drivers need to be aware that there are others on the road. They need to obey traffic laws, stop at the stop line, not 10 feet past. Not had dark tinted front door windows... which are illegal. Give the right away to cyclists and pedestrians.

Cyclists need to not wear headphones, be visible, warn pedestrians when approaching from the rear, stop for pedestrians when they cross the street.. if if they are in the wrong. Share MUPs and ride at a safe speed.

Pedestrians need to look before crossing the street, not stop on MUPs to talk and be aware of others.

We all need to get along.

This is why I avoid MUPs when I know they will be crowed. MY view is... if I hit a animal or a child... it's MY fault since i'm the adult. When I see a loose child or a dog off the leash, i call out "i see them" and slow as needed and stop if necessary.

Central Park is a unique space since there are roads with no cars but there are still traffic lights so cyclists need to STOP. The parts is very crowded having headphones on mean you are not concerned about others... or I guess yourself.

bobwysiwyg

Thank you! Right up there with what I call driver anticipatory stops. They never actually stop, instead, try to time their proceeding with my passing in front of them. I have no idea what they are up to when they continue to roll.
If they would just ask themselves how is what I'm doing going to look like to other drivers/riders?

dendawg

Today I was passed by a motorcycle in the 2nd ave bike lane, who probably thought it was a good way to avoid the traffic on the road

ChiroVette

Sometimes in the Paerdegat Ave bicycle lane that runs from Flatlands Ave to Seaview Ave (the part close to Flatlands) aggressive motorists heading south will fly into the bike lane with their cars to try and pass slower moving cars coming to the stop light on Ave J as it goes from two way to one way. I can't tell you how many close calls I have had with motorists who either didn't see me or didn't care that I was in the dedicated bike lane. One guy actually had the nerve to yell at me as he did it after I gave him a dirty look. His reason? He cried out that I was cycling the wrong way! LMAO apparently he didn't bother to realize that its a two way bike lane, and there is not one on each side.

GlennR

Just heard the cyclist died.

BTW, he was riding a e-bike.

Lemond1985

fixed.

GlennR

Agreed.

ChiroVette

I think the pertinent issue here is not laziness or lol "cheating" on an electric bike, but whether or not these things should be allowed on bicycle paths or MUTs at all. I can't tell you how many times I have been dangerously passed without any warning with one of these tools driving the thing at really fast speeds and no horn or warning as they flew by me. I know that some cyclists can routinely cruise at speeds in the mid '20s, but these e-bikes are dangerous in the hands of many of these riders.

Steve B.

A few weeks back I got passed on the Rockaway Beach Boardwalk by a guy on a motor scooter. Not an e-bike of any kind, an actual and smaller version of a Vespa type thing. He was well into the 20 mph area as I was near that. I'm not certain the cops that patrol this boardwalk - and they do, pay any attention.

indyfabz

Can't watch the video at work. Wasn't a jogger hit and killed by a cyclist in Central Park a few years ago? Or am I dreaming? A pedestrian was hit and killed by a cyclist here in Philly maybe 5-6 years ago while he was crossing the street legally. Sad story. Husband and father on his way to catch a train home. Got knocked to the ground, hit his head, slipped into a coma and eventually died. The cyclist got up, straightened his bars and rode off. He has never been identified despite a pretty sizeable award offered by the victim's employer (a law firm).

justtrying

It’s my understanding that the cops assigned to the Rockaway Boardwalk for the summer don’t start their workday till around 10am. Also they mostly in the more crowded “uptown” section

Steve B.

Had 3 e-bikes pass me headed north on the Flatbush Path next to Floyd Bennet this afternoon on my commute home. Really noisy things is how I knew. Moving at a clip as well.

zacster

A motorcycle hits pedestrian in CP and now the cyclists are going to pay the price, and they still won't stop the motorcycles from using the park. Cycling orgs worked for years to get car-free parks and the ebikes are going to ruin it for everybody. I don't get why some of the cycling orgs support them. A motor vehicle is a motor vehicle, I don't care if it requires pedaling to engage the throttle, it is still a motor vehicle. These should be banned from the parks and the bike lanes.

I just read (in the NYTimes I think) about how an ebike changed an older person's life. She could cycle again. She could keep up with everybody again. That's great but stay out of the bike lanes because you're not a bike. If there are ebikes on a group ride, I would drop out immediately. I'm 64 and you'd think I'd be sympathetic, but I'm not in the least. Maybe I'll need one in a few years, but I'll stay out of places I don't belong, like on the West Side or CP or PP or the bridges.

As for TdF wannabees training in the park, the real racers wouldn't think to use the park on a busy day, they go to NJ. It is the guy with too much money to spend that thinks he can go as fast as he can in the park on a crowded weeked just because he dropped $10k on a bike and is too busy to go anywhere else. The worst ones are the guys in baggy gym shorts on the west side bikeway. They'll blow past at a light while you slow down or wait and think they're really cool.

cyclebycle13

Seems to be anywhere there's a MUT there are these kinds of problems. Upstate (NY) from NYC a bit in Dutchess County they opened the Dutchess rail trail. I've been on it with my kids (cycling) and these idiots blow past - sure enough, there are tons of strava segments the entire length. Even worse is if you try to cross the Hudson River on the Walkway in Poughkeepsie, although that's more because of pedestrians on their phones not able to walk in a straight line.

justtrying

E bikes don’t belong on any MUT period. Saw one on the Bethpage Bike Path. It has an engine it doesn’t belong there. I can see individuals who for whatever reason can’t cycle like they use to using them. If your healthy use a bike and get up off your lazy ass. If you are in a hurry pay the money for a scooter that requires plates and insurance.

GlennR

In the beginning of the season i was passed by 2 guys on E-Fat Bikes on the Bethpage trail south of the circle. I jumped on their wheel and they got pissed off that I was keeping up with them. For one stretch we were doing 23mph which is way too fast for that narrow section so i dropped off.

To me there's a difference between a E-Bike which consider a motorcycle and a electric assist which still requires pedaling. A E-assist will allow a "C" rider to ride with friends who are "B" riders. And "B" can ride with "A".

Moe Zhoost

The initial video link went to their "live" offering. Here's another link:

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/video/4...ark-collision/

Exactly! I have no problems with e-bikes/e-scooters etc. on MUPs as long as they ride prudently, given prevailing conditions. The Central Park video looks like chaos.

GlennR

justtrying

I see how the E- assist enables a slower rider to be able to ride with faster friends. If the slower person has no other health issues, he should abstain from getting “artificial speed” from a machine, and if they are friends they could ride at his pace. I am not fast by any means, when I occasionally ride with slower friends I let them set the pace.

dendawg

You'ld love the Brooklyn Bridge

rumrunn6

that one guy on the clip who crashed holding his phone w/o a helmet who doesn't want "helmet head" ...

zacster

There's an interview with Adrian Benepe, the former Parks Commish, saying that he won't ride in Central Park anymore, blaming the city for not recognizing that a car-free Central Park needs to be redesigned that way. Interview Here

I had been noticing that myself when I ride in Prospect Park. Why are there traffic lights on the way up the hill, in the middle of a long stretch, in some seemingly random places. And then also PP has many fewer pedestrians and cyclists than CP and doesn't need that level of control.

I took my first ride this year in CP today just to check it out and it really is a mess. And the place where the accident occurred is the worst one.