Community Corner
New Crackdown Coming for Brooklyn Cyclists
Many cyclists do not realize they are subject to the same rules of the road as motorists
In a borough-wide crackdown, cyclists in Bedford-Stuyvesant soon should be on the lookout for police targeting two-wheelers who don't obey traffic laws. If cyclists even so much as fail to signal before turning, they will be ticketed. The law will go into affect in a little more than one week.
One cyclists who was riding in Prospect Park said he felt the law was unfair, especially since it will be enforced by police officers who sometimes have little understanding of bicycle traffic laws themselves:
“My experiences with cops and bikes in the past have been that they usually don’t have any education about traffic laws,” said Zach Poff, a Brooklyn resident and cyclist. “So I’ve been told by cops to ride on the sidewalk, but I’ve also been ticketed by cops for riding on the sidewalk to avoid a traffic accident. So I think what the cops need to do is the same thing most drivers need to do, which is to educate themselves about how to share the roads with cyclists.”
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The relationship is still new between cyclists and the NYPD. And as in any new relationship, both are still feeling the other out. In 2009, the bicycle advocacy group Transportation Alternatives estimated that more than 236,000 people bicycle across the five boroughs — 28 percent more than the year before. But as the number of cyclists rises across the city, so have the number of bike accidents. And the problem finally caught the attention of the mayor's office.
So while some cyclists are wary of the upcoming crackdown, others understand the need for stricter enforcement, in a city where too many two-wheelers go about their business with complete ignorance of traffic laws.
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What many cyclists do not realize is that they are subject to the same rules of the road as motorists, which means summonses for either traffic violations and even a bench warrant if they miss a court date.
“I think it’s a good thing overall,” said Dennis Milborough, a cyclist from Park Slope, “But I have certain reservations like, I wish they had more community feedback before they started it.”
