Bike Advocacy Group Rails Over Registration Rule

Since when did bicycle etiquette become headline news in New York City?

In just five short years, the number of daily bike commuters in the city has more than doubled, from 8,499 in 2006 to 17,451 today, according to the Department of Transportation.

And a new rule for two-wheelers may be coming down the pike, as Queens Councilman Eric Ulrich is floating a new bill that would require New Yorkers register their bicycles and affix it with an ID tag, as reported by the NY Post.

"Bicycles are involved in accidents, unfortunately, across this city," said Ulrich.  “There seems to be a double standard when it comes to enforcing the traffic laws.”

Ulrich added that many cyclists don't have identification on them if they get into an accident because "they're in Spandex or whatnot."

Cycling advocacy groups are not feeling the proposal. Transportation Alternatives calls the move misguided, a waste of the city’s resources and says it does nothing to improve the cycling or safety in the city.

“Practically speaking, bicycle registration would criminalize bicycling, waste valuable city resources and erect yet another obstacle for those seeking to ride a bike,” said Caroline Samponaro, director of bicycle advocacy. “It would do nothing to improve safety or enforcement, and would even make bicycling less safe by eroding the ‘safety in numbers’ effect.”

According to the Department of Transportation, bicycle crash rates go down as bicycle riding rates increase.

“There are sufficient traffic laws on the books, covering drivers, cyclists and commercial cyclists. What's missing from the equation isn't an ID tag, it's the NYPD's participation in enforcement,” said Samponaro.

But even as bicycle advocacy groups push back against the proposed requirement, the New York City Police Department already offers the service. In fact, bicycle registration is included in the list of NYPD crime prevention measures, citywide.

Through the NYPD’s property identification program for a small fee, any bicycle, skateboard, scooter or wheelchair can be brought into a local precinct for registration and then marked with an identification number using an engraver.

In addition, a decal is affixed to the bicycle, which is difficult to remove. In the event that it is removed "void" appears on what remains of the decal. In the event that the bicycle is stolen and recovered, it can be traced back to the owner through the ID number.

Do you feel that the Councilman Ulrich’s measure would improve accountability and safety for cyclists, drivers and pedestrians, or do you feel that the new measure would do little more than criminalize bicyclists?