+5. i lost my license this way. on the plus side, i don't need it anymore...

My favaorite part of that thread is the non-nyc cyclists preaching to NYC cyclists about not running reds...yeah right!

Evan, man I never ride on the sidewalk. I also think it's stupid and usually dangerous, but in Bushwick with no one on the street riding 1 mph alongside my girlfriend I get a stupid summons. I couldn't believe it. Since as this is happening a motorcycle pulls a wheeli through a red. so stupid

for serious. i got a ticket about a month ago, and some assclown called me out on some hipster bull**** for running a red, claiming i was running a red to be captain coolguy. a little lesson for non nycers...in these parts, its not uncommon to see middle aged woman with babies on their handlebars riding fixed/brakeless/no hands, barreling red lights, skidding into one footed trackstands, drinking a jamba juice, bombing emails on their crackberry, while walking a dog and taking clothes to the drycleaner.

on another note...i mailed my ticket/guilty plea in with a letter detailing the absurdity of the ticket and the abrasiveness of the officer, etc.

I imagine it won't get passed the finance clerk, but my credit card hasn't been billed, and i mailed it like two weeks ago. i'm keeping my fingers crossed.

it's illegal to ride on eastern parkway? how? i do that all the time. i guess it's because there is the bikepath and we're supposed to stay on that, right?

I got a sidewalk ticket a couple of years ago while riding on a stretch of jamaica avenue thats surrounded by cemeteries and there is no one around for blocks. its dark and the cars fly down the street. when you go to the court the officer won't be there, there will be a bunch of other people for biking on the sidewalk or open containers. I told the judge that i was on the sidewalk because its a dark stretch of street and its dangerous. she said that if i'm scared of getting mugged shouldn't i be safer on the street. i said i wasn't scared of getting mugged but scared of getting hit by a car. at which point she said "oh" and dropped the ticket. So basically just tell the judge that it isn't safe to ride on that stretch of road and most likely they will drop the ticket.

according to the bike map Eastern is a Greenway, off road bike path.

yeah, there's the greenway thing, but that thing sucks and is cobbled and is typically full of people hanging out.

There isn't a bike path between Grand Army Plaza and Washington, unless the sidwalk is what they're refering to. When you get to Washington the tree lined sidewalks on either side of the parkway have designated bike lanes on them, which is I think what the bike map refers to.

The side street along it is always best. Same with Ocean Parkway, which I avoid.

You're right about those blocks. Man, just ride on the street and it will be a non-issue.

I live on Ocean Parkway and ride the path everyday (just 2 blocks to Church Ave in the morning and back at night) - but if i'm going on a trip to Coney Island or Brighton Beach, I normally use the service road. There's way less chance of getting clipped by someone turning right off the Parkway. But then you always have to squeeze by cars stopped at every intersection (or car services dropping off or picking up).

They need to make more of those avenues (ave A through Z) one way, and maybe even incorporate the service road into the traffic light scheme (instead of just having stop signs).

What annoys me is that on one side of Ocean Parkway (and Eastern I assume) there are big "No Bicycle Riding" signs painted onto the path - but no "No Walking" or "No Dog Walking" signs on the bike path side (especially when there is a fence between the bike path and the footpath right next to it).

I actually put a $7 bell on my handlebars last night (I know - I'm a dork) so that the dog walkers on Ocean Parkway will not take up the entire path when I'm trying to get to work (them and the jaywalkers at Astor Place - okay NYU sophmores, feel free to jaywalk, but could you at least look up - just because there are no more cars coming doesn't mean I can't hurt real bad when i'm going 20mph).

Yes, sidewalk riding isn't cool. Everyone here agrees.
But sometimes, you're with someone who doesn't have a bike - or sometimes you need to get to the Ocean Parkway path from your apartment on Ocean Parkway and don't feel like climbing over the fence, so you go 1/2 block on the sidewalk to get to the nearest intersection, and sometimes you need to get to a Parking sign 8 feet away to lock up. Tickets in those instances are ridiculous.

Sorry, my little rant is getting a bit "Advocacy and Safety" i.e. boring.

I just wish I could find the law this person cited to the judge to get out of her riding on the sidewalk ticket (which in my friend's case is $90).