"I got a call today from the NYPD Central Park Precinct's Community Affairs officer, who told me that the NYPD is going to step-up bicyclist enforcement in the park in the coming days, so spread the word to bike riders to be on their best behavior.
The NYPD said that they plan to focus enforcement on the loop drive during car hours, but it's safe to say that cyclists should expect heightened enforcement throughout the park at all hours.
The Community Affairs officer I spoke with also said that the plan is to focus enforcement on cyclists who fail to yield to pedestrians, ""speed at 30mph"" through red lights and ride recklessly, but, again, people should be wary of even rolling through red lights and riding near pedestrians.
I know that the Central Park Conservancy is very concerned about bicyclist-pedestrian conflicts, near misses and crashes. Over the past few weeks the Parks Enforcement Patrol has supposedly handed out safety information to cyclists. (T.A. went out to meet the Parks Enforcement Patrol and distribute safety info about a month ago, and they didn't show up).
Also on the Central Park tip: I've received a couple of complaints from cyclists who were ticketed for riding through the park after 1am, when the park is closed. All City parks close at 1am, but since the Central Park loop drive is under DOT jurisdiction, it's unclear if the 1am curfew applies. T.A. is researching this.
"
Central Park enforcement step-up
The Parks Enforcement Patrol has been handing out a list of laws that cyclists are supposed to obey and have stated that the NYPD will be stepping up enforcement.
Blowing though red lights at 30mph is riding recklessly and is clearly what has attracted negative attention. Stopping at red lights doesn't seem an unreasonable thing to enforce.
However, I am concerned about speed limit enforcement. It seems unfair that bikes are restricted to 15mph and cars can travel at 25mph.
I also think the police should keep pedestrian off the loop road's car lanes.
"""The Parks Enforcement Patrol has been handing out a list of laws that cyclists are supposed to obey""
Is there a way (ie. website) where I can find this list? I ride the park loop at least 3 times a week, I've so far not seen a list of laws being handed out, but then I haven't exactly been looking for it.
Does this mean I will have to stop at all red lights along the loop? Or just when there are pedestrians crossing?
"
Just ride around the loop until you see a Park Enforcement Officer handing pieces of paper to cyclists.
To answer your main question, yes you are legally required to stop at every red light in the park. However, it seems peds can cross against the light and you are required to yield to them when they do.
You are also required to keep your speed under 15mph. Good luck doing that.
I have to say that the rules seem very onesided against cyclists.
guess my A20 rides around the park with fellow nycc'ers is no more...=(
"Check this site - the first paragraph tells you the basic rules:
Read 'em and weep
If you don't ride aggressively or cause pedestrians apprehension, you most likely can still run lights. But as a disclaimer, I could be wrong so do it at your own risk.
"
"Are they going to be doing this ""enforcement thing"" early in the am as well (when tourists and generally unaware people are not in the park)?
If so, that is a blatant waste of NYPD resources."
Actually, it's a blatant fund raiser.
I received a summons at 7:15am today at the hill near W 79th. I did in fact go through the red light like I have done 3 mornings a week for the last 10 years. It's a 25-30 mph type hill. I was riding anything but recklessly, but 'lo, I got a ticket.
That's absurd. If they keep going with this, it's going to be impossible to use the park for any form of real bike exercise. Can you imagine the outcry if runners had to stop at every red light at any time day or night? Realistically, they're not pedestrians in the usual sense either.
Now, ticketing people for blowing through the intersections at high speeds when there are people trying to cross - that's another story.
How much was the ticket?
Ticket was $50.
I wonder if enforcement starts at 7am when the cars come into the park. I suppose pedestrians would expect all traffic to stop so they can cross, but before 7am that would be unreasonable.
I gotta ask: How did they stop you in order to issue the ticket?
"It was a ""sting"" operation of sorts. At the first light, there were a few stationed NYPD officers radio-ing down to a cordoned off area about 100 yards south. This was around 79th Street on West Drive on the downhill. They waived me down and required me to stop. I could have ignored them and kept going, but I thought that was a bad idea. I was probably going 30 mph, but in complete control. My ticket says I was ""reckless"". I was doing 15:45 loops, and quite frankly, if you don't go 30 mph in a few places, you are not going to make up for the 15-16 mph at Harlem Hill and some of the other hills. So, even a 25 mph speed limit for bikes might not work so well."
if we have anyone that can communicate with the city about adjusting the rules it would seem fair that there should be time set aside for bikers to ride at higher speeds and without lights (turn them off?)-- sort of like the way dogs can run free in the park at certain times although it is illegal to have them off the leash at other times
obviously the 15 mph is too low -- it is the same limit that is imposed on skaters and does not correlate to actual safety concerns or bicycle speed limits anywhere else on public roads
Right, I get the feeling these rules were written arbitrarily by some individual who has never ridden a bike (as an adult), and then were signed off up the line without a second guess. The City and/or Parks Department should deliberately confer with all interests and strike a balance. That would be the end, I think, of nonsensical rules like the 15 mph speed limit. I'm tempted to think whoever originally wrote the rule didn't realize how slow 15 mph is on a bike going downhill.
She's the author of the 15mph speed limit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betsy_Gotbaum
Especially if you're a voter. Contact your city council rep and perhaps also the mayor, the caption of the Central Park Precinct and the parks commissioner. www.nyc.gov
Does this outlaw bike races? Or is there a special dispensation for races?
If so, who formulates who can go at what rate when?
Please don't turn this into something it's not (and end up making things worse).
It would definitely make CRCA races difficult if the peloton had to stop at all of the red lights!
Is there some compromise here? Can the lawmakers be persuaded to change the rules regarding riding before 7 A.M. and after 7 P.M.? Where else are we going to train during the week?
NYC is discouraging cycling while Americans are getting more obese and automobile pollution is destroying the planet. I'm very frustrated.
I have not had a problem this week riding before 7, so hopefully this remains the case.
Riding before 7am or 7pm?
So far (2 rides this week), I have not had a problem riding after 7pm, can anyone else second this or have I just been lucky?
Before 7 am.
I haven't had a problem riding before 7am or after 7pm or at mid-day. I think some days the fuzz is out in force other days not. As far as I know, the rules they are handing out have always existed but have rarely been enforced.
One thing that was kind of strange, I rode to work through the park on Tuesday in commuter garb. 2 cyclists passed me in full cycling regalia. A little further down the road, I saw a park ranger had stopped the 2 cyclists and was handing them the infamous rule sheet and explaining said rules. The ranger saw me in my street clothes and just stepped back out of my way. So maybe that's the secret, train in your street clothes and they won't hassle you.
Tom, you might have a point. I've always suspected that male riders in their full team kits are hassled more than I am, in my boring solid colors. The trick is to not LOOK like you're fast.
"I've also been out in my team kit and not gotten hassled or even seen anyone doing any hassling.
It sounds to me like this is one of those ""sweeps"" type things. The city is trying to make a point and after they've had their fun they'll go away. Let's hope anyway."
which is my usual commuter outfit. Frowning park police handed me the flyer, but didn't give me a ticket. I wasn't breaking any law other than going over 15 though (much less than 30).
Fifteen is ridiculous, but that particular crossing is a tough one. As a pedestrian, if someone's approaching at 30mph you aren't going to see them approach until after you start walking across.
That said, I've seen a lot of ambulances on the loop over the years, and not one has been at a crossing. If they were really concerned about safety they would be handing out flyers to people walking/joggin on the bike path.
I train in a red t-shirt and black jean shorts (with padded shorts underneath) on a non-flashy roadbike, and although I zoom past NYPD cars, swat trucks, and those goofy tricycles, I so far have not had a ticket. Knock on wood.
But this is quite ridiculous. The rules are quite applicable during day-time (7/8-am to 7/8/9-pm) -- you have to be absolutely crazy to do any kind of 30 mph-ing during day-time, but during wee hours and late evening, these rules should definitely be relaxed.
The park is closed to traffic from 10:00 to 3:00 during weekdays. It is uncrowded and this is a great time to ride faster then 15MPH but they are enforcing during these hours.
Has anyone been hassled for riding listening to an ipod?
Thanks!
F.
