09-23-2010, New Urban Network
Something must be done to reduce collisions between cyclists and pedestrians, activists in New York insist. But what should it be?
Cyclists who disobey traffic laws are the No. 1 complaint among residents of Manhattan's Upper East Side, police say. New York City raised its fine for riding on the sidewalk to $100 from $40 in 1996, but violations remain common across the city, according to the "Spokes" column in the Sept. 19 New York Times, available here.
"Right now, the bikes are running amok," said Jack Brown of the Coalition Against Rogue Riding, a group formed last year to try to reduce objectionable cyclist behavior. The Times reported that New York police issued 15,957 tickets to cyclists in the first half of this year, 13,632 of them for riding on the sidewalk.
Bike-riding delivery personnel for restaurants are the biggest problem on the sidewalks, many say. Cyclists who "salmon" — ride the wrong way on the street, against the flow of traffic — are also frequently cited as a danger.