As we are all aware, the NYPD has been ticketing cyclists running red lights on West Drive, primarily on the downhill near 79th Street. Until now, from what I observed, it was limited to after 7am.
Today, I saw them ticketing as early as 6:15. With the sun rising later and later, and the enforcement coming earlier and earlier, we are left with a very small window of unencumbered, daylight riding...
Anyone have other new information on this matter?
Enforcement of Lights in CP beginning at 6:15am
Wed, 08/09/2006 - 12:04pm
Wed, 08/09/2006 - 12:25pm
#1
Drive time?
Is the ticketing going on only when the park drives are open to cars?
I can often ride between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. when the drives are closed to cars, and I haven't seen any cyclists being stopped.
Are the folks that ride laps in the evening (after 7 p.m.) getting tickets?
Wed, 08/09/2006 - 12:39pm
#2
No. They were ticketing this morning even before cars were allowed in. First time I saw that. Very disturbing. Thank goodness I was doing hill repeats this morning.
Does the NYCC have a lobbyist? Can we team up with CRCA and 5BBC to hire one?
Wed, 08/09/2006 - 12:58pm
#3
What we need.
"Is a way to make ourselves appear to be policing OURSELVES. If we were to make some big fanfare about having ""cycle patrol"" people out there on certain nights and weekends, to ""promote safe cycling"" and ""assist with technical issues"" in the Park, I'll bet we'd be left alone in short order.
Between NYCC, and 5BBC, CRCA and any other groups out there, we could make a huge impact on park policy. I'd imagine we'd need two people per day out there evenings during the week, or if we just wanted to target weekends, four or five (to split the time) on weekend days to act as patrol folks. Would be fantastic PR and we would appear to be policing ourselves.
It would work if we publicized the heck out of it and posted things online and in the Park. Instead of bitching on the message board, we could use this energy to do something positive and make a better name for NYC cyclists.
I am sure this is done in other cities. We would need to do some research.
~Claudette"
Wed, 08/09/2006 - 4:59pm
#4
Claudette, I love the way you think!
Alisa
Wed, 08/09/2006 - 6:12pm
#5
Lobbying
"NYCC belongs to the New York City Bicycle Colation, a group including all organizations associated with cycling in the city (including pedi-cabs and bike messengers). I try to go to monthly meetings, which are held at Transportation Alternatives. The group is currently engaged in a campaign to defeat the proposed NYPD rule about parade permits. We're also working with a group of city agencies on safety issues and a public awareness campaign.
If you want to do something about the entire cycling-unfriendly attitude of this administration, email, fax or write to Mayor Bloomberg and express your distress with the NYPD attitude toward cyclists and tell the Mayor he needs to promote more cycling in order to reduce automobile congestion, polution and asthma rates in the city. (Email the Mayor. Scroll down and click on ""contact the Mayor"".) It only takes a few minutes and if the Mayor gets enough mail on this issue things may start to turn around. Send the same message to Council Speaker Christine Quinn. (Email Speaker Quinn. Scroll down and click on ""contact the Speaker"".)
Lobbying is up to all of us. Do it now. Thanks for your help."
Thu, 08/10/2006 - 6:11am
#6
Who does the NYC Bicycling Coalition use for lobbying? Law firm or just house staff?
Thu, 08/10/2006 - 6:30pm
#7
House staff of Transportation Alternatives and sometimes pro-bono lawyers (don't know the names). Plus, of course, all the grass-roots lobbying we can muster from the memberships of the various organizations.
Wed, 08/09/2006 - 1:28pm
#8
I ride laps around Central Park most weeknights after 7pm. Most recently rode yesterday. I'll keep an eye out, but so far I have never been stopped, nor seen police ticketing during my rides.
Wed, 08/09/2006 - 2:59pm
#9
Let's not stress out TOOOO much.
I also passed them at 7:30 am today.
a) first there is a smiling Parks person who says good morning or Your mother wears army boots, could not tell, but he did smile.
b) Then there is the light, No Speed trap digital device. I think they just want you to stop at the Red light.
I road through as it was Green. However, they were giving a cyclist a ticket.
Like all speed traps that are known, simply pass the word and slow down.
Okay, enough of the boo sheet. Shouldn't the speed be posted for the park, Shouldn't runners, walkers, muggers also be stopped at the light?
Does the Park rule say we MUST ride in the bicycle lane?
What about cyclists who go the wrong way?
Nuff said
Thu, 08/10/2006 - 9:51am
#10
bike lane
"""Does the Park rule say we MUST ride in the bicycle lane?""
Third bullet of The flier they hand out says, ""Cyclists and skaters are allowed on the Drive and must travel counterclockwise..."" 56 RCNY 1+05(i)
I just called the CP Police princint for clarification. The officer said: A bicycle must use the bike lane when provided, per state motor vehicle code.
He also said, the recration lanes are NOT seperate bike and running lanes. I queried about the markings, to which he replied, they are old and most have not been removed. To me, this is quite bad and confusing - especially with the markings on the road.
As presented to the public, I personally think this is all very conflicting/unclear information.
"
Wed, 08/09/2006 - 3:18pm
#11
Enforcement of Lights in CP beginning at 6:15am
"My experience this morning was different. So was my wife's. I did 3 laps and she did 2 between 6:00am and 7:00am and we blew through the light. The cops didn't move a muscle.
This summer there has been a lot of dangerous riding going on. Instead of ticketing, why don't they help cyclists learn how to hold lines, effectively brake, pass, etc. As I said to one guy yesterday morning, ""Just because you can buy a Guru doesn't mean you know how to use it."" His chain needed lube so bad I thought it was gonna hit a high C"
Thu, 08/10/2006 - 7:05am
#12
My training partner was ticketed one morning this week for riding through the red light at 6:15 AM near 81st Street inside Central Park. The park was closed to traffic and there were no pedestrians except for the runners.
Thu, 08/10/2006 - 4:55pm
#13
To me, that 6:15 AM ticket is stunning. Say what you will about yielding to peds but at 6:15 am there are no peds, no cars and no clueless tourists to hit.
Why should we have to stop at that light (but not the other lights) under such conditions?
Sun, 08/13/2006 - 9:23pm
#14
ticketing
Why are they not ticketing the jay-walkers who walk out in front of the cyclists when WE have the right of way?? This is just as dangerous!
Wed, 08/09/2006 - 12:41pm
#15
After 7pm, when I usually ride . . .
. . . . I have never encountered anyone being ticketed. Great, I said it, now I'm sure to get one tonight . . .
Thu, 08/10/2006 - 7:03am
#16
Reason for ticketing
"I was doing laps the other night when a rider attempted to run the light, threading through pedestrians crossing the road. He nailed two pedestrians who were miraculously not injured. He was thrown off his bike and got scratched up a bit. The pedestrians that had been hit, as well as others that had seen the crash kept asking the guy if he was ok. No response from him. I guess he was in shock. As these scene was taking place four or five speed-racer types came bombing through and yelled at the group to get the H* or F* off the road.
It seems so obvious to me, ride with a little common sense. The law in New York is to yield to pedestrians. Yield and be courteous in the park, even if the pedestrian is ""at fault"". I'd rather apologize to someone that has unpredictably darted in my way than be subject to increased limitations of my use of the park."
Thu, 08/10/2006 - 5:22pm
#17
its all CM fault
Sat, 08/12/2006 - 9:25am
#18
Yield to Pedestrians When They Have Right of Way
"I agree with yielding to pedestrians when they have the right of way.
However, a big part of the more general safety problem in my opinion is that pedestrians and motorists appear to not be conscious of their obligation to yield right of way to cyclists when required by law.
Of course you're just looking for a head injury if you don't ride defensively; however, when a pedestrian or motorist takes my right of way I like to say something like ""Please yield right of way!"" or ""You could hurt someone doing that!"", or something. For motorists I shout out something more appropriate for New York traffic. :)
A couple weeks ago I was riding in midtown next to a truck. A woman crossed against the light, and ran until she got out of the way of the truck (IOW ran right in front of me and then stopped running, even though she clearly saw me). I made a big display of having to brake hard, brushed her lightly and made my ""I'm surrounded by idiots"" face. She got the message and apologized--I suspect that next time she will keep hurrying until she gets out of the way of the truck AND the cyclist.
I think it's important to take the right of way as well as yield it."
Sat, 08/12/2006 - 5:36pm
#19
Beeping pedestrians out of the way in CP
For what it's worth, I was surprised the other day when a club member whom I like rang a bell to stop a woman from walking across at a crosswalk when she had the green and he (and another guy riding with him) had the red. I'll admit I didn't criticize him at the time, I needed to think about it. But then I noticed others routinely doing it too (in various ways: yelling at people, ...).
It's not an issue of the safety of the pedestrian, since the two cyclists could easily have slowed down or stopped to avoid a collision. The issue was that the cyclists didn't want to slow down or stop, even when the pedestrian had the right of way, so they beeped the pedestrian back. And the culture of riding laps seems to be such that cyclists (at least some to many) think that's ok.
I don't.
Sun, 08/13/2006 - 9:26pm
#20
It just gets tough to to stop for reds when the peds cross on GREEN anyway! If I stopped for every ped in the street I'd just be walking myself! It goes both ways and the NYPD needs to ticket jay-walkers if they are going to ticket riders. We have a right to ride safely as well.
Sun, 08/13/2006 - 9:33pm
#21
and while we are at it, another peave of mine is cars stopped, parked or taxis letting out fares in the bike lanes! Most often I see traffic cops parked in the bike lane to get out and write tickets!
