NY bike law changes?
 

yesterday got stopped by police in brooklyn and ben given ticket for not having a bell 20$ ,a cop was saying something about blomberg and his gang stricting a laws for a cyclist and he personaly thinks it's a nonsense that's why he did't ticket me for crossing a double yellow line but just for a bell, so i honestly don't know yet was that just a cops game or something cominghttp://IMAG0942

Bell on a bike has been in the books for years,
enforcement is up to NYPD. White light on the front
and red light on the rear are required also for night
riding.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...e-Ticket-Blitz

Yeah, law's been on the books, they're just enforcing the letter of the law.
Lots of bell sales.
I suppose I'll be pinched soon, it's not if, it's when. I don't even care anymore. The last 8 plus years and it's just going to get worse, bloombag's on a warpath on the poor and middle class.

I think the $20 penalty is a little steep, but if we want to be taken seriously, we're going to need to follow SOME of the laws that apply to cyclists.

As Bike Snob put it:

I love it. If they want cyclists to take these laws seriously they need to revise them to reflect real world cycling use in the city.

Another personal pet peeve: wheel reflectors. Wtf is that supposed to do when a fool tbones you becausee he was too busy texting on a blackberry? "Sorry, officer, I did not see the biker cuz there were no reflectors on his wheels." :rolleyes:

>>>>If they want cyclists to take these laws seriously they need to revise them to reflect real world cycling use in the city.<<<<<

As a Long Islander who has only cycled in Midtown maybe half a dozen times, I don't suppose I'm really qualified to opine on how realistic NYC's bike laws are. However, in general, it seems that cyclists everywhere constantly complain that they are not taken seriously, yet continue to blow through STOP signs and red lights, ride against traffic, and treat most of the other vehicle laws as if they are optional for cyclists.

I know I'm not the first person to point this out; and I know I'm not going to change anybody's attitude by saying it, but I think that if we're going to let the city spend all kinds of tax dollars passing laws for cars, bikes, and pedestrians, we should either be there to argue how dopey and impractical they are WHILE they're being debated - OR we should just shut up and pay the fines when we break the laws.

Nothing personal, Pitbrit. I'd be pretty pissed, too, for being singled out for an offense I didn't even know was on the books. And if I were the cop, I'd probably just issue a warning. Still, he had a right to ticket you -- and you have a right to let your voice be heard about how ridiculous you think the law is. Personally, I think bike bells are totally ineffective.

IIRC reflectors are only required for retail sale of bicycles in New York. Once the sale is completed there is no reflector requirement but lights are required for nighttime riding.

Technically, you do at night:

NEW YORK PENAL LAW

New York Vehicle & Traffic Law

Bicycles

Section 1236. Lamps and other equipment on bicycles.

(a) Every bicycle when in use during the period from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise shall be equipped with a lamp on the front which shall emit a white light visible during hours of darkness from a distance of at least five hundred feet to the front and with a red light visible to the rear for three hundred feet. Effective July first, nineteen hundred seventy-six, at least one of these lights shall be visible for two hundred feet from each side.
(b) No person shall operate a bicycle unless it is equipped with a bell or other device capable of giving a signal audible for a distance of at least one hundred feet, except that a bicycle shall not be equipped with nor shall any person use upon a bicycle any siren or whistle.
(c) Every bicycle shall be equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make the braked wheels skid on dry, level, clean pavement.
(d) Every new bicycle shall be equipped with reflective tires or, alternately, a reflex reflector mounted on the spokes of each wheel, said tires and reflectors to be of types approved by the commissioner. The reflex reflector mounted on the front wheel shall be colorless or amber, and the reflex reflector mounted on the rear wheel shall be colorless or red.
(e) Every bicycle when in use during the period from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise shall be equipped with reflective devices or material meeting the standards established by rules and regulations promulgated by the commissioner; provided, however, that such standards shall not be inconsistent with or otherwise conflict with the requirements of subdivisions (a) and (d) of this Section.

Please report it here: http://www.transalt.org/campaigns/bike/ticket

air-zound!

bloomberg is sending undercover spies to arizona to report to the world all of the cyclist who aren't using bells

Good One! I can't wait till Bloombag is gone.

$20 is nothing compared to the $270 tickets NYPD has been handing out in Central Park lately for running a red light.

According to the Bicycle Defense Fund cyclists ticketed for lack of a bell may be "forgiven" if they can demonstrate they purchased a bell immediately after being ticketed.... but that was written before the current crackdown.

Are you required to appear in court to pay it? Where exactly in Brooklyn, can you give the cross street?

I would imagine if you put a bell on the bike, they will dismiss the violation at court. automotive equipment violations are usually handled this way "fix-it ticket"

I would also imagine that the bell is < $20 and if you stop being so vain, you could leave it on your bike and prevent future annoyances.

wow thanks for response ,ok ferstofalli'm not complaining i was tryING to worn people , my friend got a ticket for riding on a boardwalk with no helmet on a day before my accident ,so that plus cops mumbling about blumb make me paranoied about laws,secondly a had a bell,cop was "nice" and instead of u-turn on double yellow(60-80$ ?) line got me for a bell,it happened on Coney Island and av X near Roys bicycle shop ,and about city biurocrats they not stupid ,they stupidly unlogic if they need money they just have to send a traffic cops on those bike lanes (bedford av. 20 min 10 vehicles was parked on a line that's 1500$ its a 75 no bell cyclist , will take u forever to catch them :) ) but they don't work that way,its like that: - "my dogs groomer got scared by a cyclist ,let's get'em guys !"

Ah, you still missed some words there..... :)

Also, I forgot to mention; about 15-20 years ago I got a ticket for one headlight that was busted on my car.
I mailed back the ticket pleading not guilty along with the receipt and box for a new headlight bulb.
Never heard from New York City again. I guess this might fall under the "Fix it and you're forgiven" clause.

The only time riding on the boardwalk is legal is between 5 and 10 am though if your friend is over 14 he or she's not required to wear a helmet. Next time you're by a bikeshop pick up the New York City Cycling Map which shows basic requirements for bikes and will give you some idea of where riding is permitted, or not. You should also check out http://www.bikingrules.org

to Stasy
before i reply to any post ,specialy when i'm telling people what they should or should not do,i read and think ,otherwise it looks like u answering an imaginary qeschens that no one asks and no one gives a frayen shnitsel about .

r u 4 reelz???!!!1!!!/??