BY Scott M. Stringer
For anyone who spends time on the streets of Manhattan, the congestion in our bike lanes has become a familiar sight:
Cars block the lanes for minutes at a time, sometimes longer. When motorists open their doors without checking for oncoming bikes, collisions can injure passengers and riders alike.
Pedestrians also clog the lanes, even as cyclists approach. And cyclists contribute to the problem by riding the wrong way in designated lanes.
I am a big supporter of bike lanes. As the Downtown Express recently editorialized, bike lanes bring a tremendous benefit to our City. They enrich our environment and boost the quality of life and health of New York City residents. However, misuse by all parties, including motorists, pedestrians and cyclists, is undermining their success.
That’s why, in response to numerous complaints by constituents, my office recently conducted an unprecedented survey of bike lanes in Manhattan. We found more than 1,700 abuses at 11 separate sites, based on observations by my staff during morning and evening rush hours over three days in October.
In Lower Manhattan we found motor vehicles and pedestrians repeatedly blocking lanes, cyclists riding the wrong way and other safety hazards. During three one-hour observation periods at each location, surveyors witnessed 243 total infractions at the intersection of Centre and Chambers Streets. Of those, 100 cyclists were observed running a red light. Additionally, an NYPD vehicle was observed parking in the bike lane.
For Lower Manhattan and the rest of our city, the bottom line is clear: We need to develop a bicycle friendly culture where New Yorkers respect the bike lane and clear the path.
The Department of Transportation has done a great job in creating bike lanes. But we need to make sure they are working properly, so they can be enjoyed in all of our neighborhoods. My office has made the following recommendations:
• Increase enforcement against motorists who drive in or obstruct bike lanes. This was the most significant and prevalent threat to bike lanes found in our study. During our survey, we observed 275 motor vehicle blockages in bike lanes, but only two summonses were issued.
• Provide enhanced street signage for cyclists, pedestrians and vehicles. In particular, the Department of Transportation should provide signs that warn riders against cycling the wrong way in bike lanes.
• Taxi Cab Public Awareness Campaign on Dooring. Dooring, the act of hitting a cyclist with an open car door, is a serious threat to bicyclist and passenger safety. The Taxi and Limousine Commission should launch a campaign to educate drivers and the public about the problem.
• Reserve parking spots for deliveries along commercial streets to discourage potential bike lane blockages. This would help reduce a serious cause of obstructions in many Manhattan bike lanes.
• Increase the frequency of Bike Boxes along bike routes. Cyclists often report that for their own safety they must get a head start on motor vehicles at red lights. The D.O.T., in response, has created Bike Boxes that give riders a safe place to cyclists waiting for traffic signals to change. We need more of them.
• Where appropriate, D.O.T. should develop bike lanes that reduce the mixing of cyclists, pedestrians and motorists.
• Finally, I urge the D.O.T. to conduct regular surveys such as the one produced by my office, so we can have a more reliable source of information of whether our bikes lanes are working properly.
Scott M. Stringer is Borough of Manhattan President
