13 responses so far ↓

• 1 Tyrone Shoelaces // Sep 11, 2008 at 10:09 am

  This isn’t going to be a popular comment but I think that if bicyclists are going to be sharing the road they should OBEY THE TRAFFIC LAWS.

  I am not suggesting that the cyclist in the above tragedy was doing so, but as a casual Slope driver I see it all the time.

  I see people going the wrong way on streets, running lights, running lights with children on the back, ignoring stop signs, passing on the left, etc.

  There is a order to traffic (and laws to keep that order) so drivers can somewhat predict where others (cars, pedestrians, cyclists, boats, airplanes, etc.). If you’re not following this, you’re going to cause an accident – and it will be your fault.

  So please, again, if you’re on a bike observe the rules of the road.

• 2 Tyrone Shoelaces // Sep 11, 2008 at 10:11 am

  correction:

  should read, “There is a order to traffic (and laws to keep that order) so drivers can somewhat predict where others (cars, pedestrians, cyclists, boats, airplanes, etc.) will be/are going/when they will stop/when they won”t/etc.”

• 3 Heather D // Sep 11, 2008 at 11:12 am

  To the above comment, the same could be said for cars. It seems that everyone was most likely abiding by the law in this particular tragic accident, but I live on 8th Ave and I watch cars use it as a speedway all the time. I can’t count the number of time’s I’ve almost been hit while crossing my own street in front of my house at the crosswalk abiding by all laws – just because someone isn’t looking. Just because it’s a one-way doesn’t mean turning cars don’t still need to look BOTH ways.

• 4 Sam // Sep 11, 2008 at 11:24 am

  Tyrone,

  It would be nice if drivers did the same. Do you have any idea how many times I’ve almost been hit because drivers don’t think they need to signal when turning or changing lanes? or how about drivers speeding up to go through the tail end of lights? or how about the driver that ‘didn’t see me’ and decided to not heed the right of way and hit me on my way to work.

  So please, again, if you’re driving a car observe the rules of the road.

• 5 Dane // Sep 11, 2008 at 12:53 pm

  Tyrone,

  It’s interesting that you assume only the cyclist was breaking the law. Given the conditions regularly observed on 8th Avenue there’s a damned good chance that the bus driver was speeding or carelessly changing lanes due to an illegal double-parker or simply driving recklessly and inattentively as so many Brooklyn drivers seem to do as a matter of course. Personally I find that cyclists tend to be the most observant and careful road users in NYC since they tend to have so much more at risk than road users wrapped up in 2 tons of steel.

  Bicyclists do need to obey traffic laws and I am certain that they will do a better job of doing so when New York City’s traffic laws and street designs finally start to take the needs of cyclists into account.

  Let’s take riding the wrong way on a one-way street, for example. Most of Brooklyn’s avenues were converted to one-way operation in the 50s and 60s to accommodate the speedy flow of motor vehicles. One way avenues often don’t make a whole lot of sense for bike commuters or delivery guys. Do you really want your Chinese food (and three other waiting customers’) to travel around an entire city block when the delivery guy can just as easily ride his bike half a block the wrong way up a street with minimal traffic?

  Bikes don’t take up a lot of space and other cities have easily resolved this one-way problem by providing cyclists with “reverse flow” bike lanes. We still don’t do this in NYC and it’s a shame.

• 6 corin // Sep 11, 2008 at 1:19 pm

  Tyrone,

  No other way to put it than – You’re an asshole.

  You weren’t there, so you shouldn’t make assumptions NOR should you use a tragedy to entertain your opinions of bicyclists.

  Pedestrians, bikes and cars are all here and aren’t going anywhere. People need to show more consideration for that fact and learn to live with and around it.

• 7 Bob Loblaw // Sep 11, 2008 at 1:32 pm

  Wow Corin and Dane –

  Did you not read the line, “I am not suggesting that the cyclist in the above tragedy was doing so, but as a casual Slope driver I see it all the time.”

  Clearly Tyrone was not implying that this was the case.

  So please apologize.

  As for Heather and Sam, they obviously agree that cyclists break the law and somehow feel it’s justified since cars do the same thing. Two wrongs clearly make it right. That’s like justifying littering because someone else did it.

  For the record, drivers, pedestrians, scooterists, bikers and cyclists ALL need to abide by established laws. When this system breaks down, people get hurt. Duh.

  I say to you all, walk down 5th avenue or 6th avenue from 15th to Flatbush on a Saturday and observe how cyclists breeze through lights.

• 8 Jessica // Sep 11, 2008 at 2:34 pm

  I support the first poster’s comments. The Century Bike Ride that took place this past weekend was a prime example of how little respect many cyclists have for pedestrians and the rules of the road. Cyclists were running red lights, not yielding to pedestriansm, riding against traffic and riding on the sidewalks. EVERYONE (drivers, riders and walkers) need to share the road. In my opinion, cyclists can be just as guilty as drivers. It is disappointing to see so many cyclists disregard the rules of the road, especially as I wholeheartedly support the need for additional bike lanes and safety measures for bikers and pedestrians alike. It can be dangerous out there — we all need to minimize our chances of getting hurt while out on the streets

• 9 Janet // Sep 11, 2008 at 5:56 pm

  The riders in this event disregard the rest of the world not only by ignoring traffic laws, but ignoring the right of others to have a peaceful Sunday morning. Once a year I am awakened to continual shouts of “clear!”, which is apparently a cyclist abbreviation for “there are no cars coming, you can run the light”!

• 10 Pandora // Sep 12, 2008 at 1:37 am

  I’m not sure what happened because I wasn’t there. I was told that the police report said that the cyclist didn’t have the right of way. It’s really a shame no matter who was right and who was wrong. As someone who rides every day, I try to be careful of myself but also respectful of pedestrians and cars. I realize that we are sharing the road. I will say that even though I have witnessed renegade, careless cyclists that seem to be accidents waiting to happen, I have seen so many more pedestrians and drivers with absolutely no regard for my right of way, almost as if I was invisible. Yes, bike lanes do help a little but seem to mean nothing to most people. It doesn’t stop them from double parking in them.

  So many times I’ve almost been hit by opening car doors and know people that have been hit and thrown off their bikes. I can’t even count the amount of times I’ve had to swerve or stop my bike to avoid hitting someone because they’ve crossed the street in front of me when I’ve had the right of way.

  I will admit to not always following the rules of the road in terms of doing what drivers are required to do i.e. going thru lights when there were no cars coming or going the wrong way on a one way street. I am, however, always careful not to be in the way of the people who do have the right of way.

  Because of what happened yesterday, there were police staking out 8th. Avenue today and I was stopped and given a ticket for going thru a light. It looks like it might be $150.

  I doubt that most people who ride a bicycle, be it occasionally or every day, stop at every red light when there are no cars coming but let’s all try be more careful and considerate of eachother. Too many people have died already.

• 11 Ben // Sep 12, 2008 at 12:57 pm

  I have been throughout my life a driver, a pedestrian, and a cyclist in New York City. These days, I am FAR more often a driver or a pedestrian, so I understand people’s comments about cyclists running red lights, etc. But I think their concerns about cyclists as a danger are exaggerated.

  This is New York and the most egregious group by far are pedestrians. We stand out from the curb, we jaywalk, all stuff I do all the time but I know it is difficult when you are biking to avoid pedestrians as you round a corner and find someone standing six feet out talking on a cell phone with a coffee cup in the other hand.

  I also drive in the slope and ALL THE TIME see cars cutting illegal U-turns across 7th Avenue or Union St. to nab a parking spot. Yesterday I saw a lady driving on the sidewalk down St. John’s Place, I have no idea why.

  We all violate the laws. And we all need to be more careful.

  But I vividly recall when I commuted on my bike in the city, I became convinced that the only possible way to save my health and ride safely was to hold a lane and bike as fast as I was able. Anyone riding on the side of the street within range of car doors just doesn’t realize how unsafe it is for cyclists here.

  So I would never put the blame first on cyclists. ALL of Brooklyn’s high speed thoroughfares (Boerum Place, 8th Ave., PPW, Flatbush) are extremely dangerous, especially during the morning and afternoon rush hours.

  Ben

• 12 Corin // Sep 12, 2008 at 8:54 pm

  Wow Bob did you fail to read what I said:

  *NOR should you use a tragedy to entertain your opinions of bicyclists.*

• 13 Robert // Sep 14, 2008 at 12:45 pm

  Eighth Avenue’s traffic signals encourage drivers to maintain 32 mph to keep up with the green lights. If a driver is a bit behind, he can catch up by going a lot faster: 45 – 50 mph. As a pedestrian or a bicyclist, I don’t like to be around drivers gambling they can make the next ten green lights!

  The roads ought to be safe enough for anyone to bike on; think, if more children could bicycle to school, we’d need fewer school buses. For that to happen, we’d need to change our attitudes about bikes and cars, and design street traffic flow not just for the convenience of cars.