hall in the a.m.
On June 16, 2005, after three New Yorkers died in bike crashes in the course of a month, cyclists and cycling groups from all Five Boroughs rallied at City Hall to call on the Mayor and his agencies to make streets safe for New Yorkers on bikes. Tragically, history is repeating itself.
Special Action Alert:
City's Bike Safety Efforts Are Not Enough
City Hall Rally to Urge Mayor Bloomberg to Protect City's Growing Number of Cyclists
TOMORROW MORNING
Thursday, June 29th, 2006
8:30 am
City Hall
And tomorrow afternoon don't miss:
Time's Up! Memorial Ride: Thursday, June 29th, 6:30 pm
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As a savvy New York City cyclist, you know to watch out for the frequent hazards on city streets: car doors, potholes, debris, double-parked cars, speeding drivers and big trucks. You ride defensively, you use lights after dark and you wear a helmet.
But cyclists can't install protected bike lanes and greenway paths; we can't give drivers tickets for speeding and double parking in bike lanes and we can't make sure that city contractors don't leave debris, errant plates and other hazards in the street.
That is the City's job.
The cyclist fatalities and serious crashes over the past three weeks have brought renewed attention to the fact that little progress is being made to eliminate these everyday cycling hazards.
Join Transportation Alternatives and leading bicycle advocates, clubs and organizations on Thursday morning to call on Mayor Bloomberg to redouble New York City's bike safety efforts:
Watch a video from last year's rally.
TOMORROW MORNING
Thursday, June 29th, 2006
8:30 am
City Hall
In the past three weeks there were four serious bike crashes in New York City, three of them resulting in the deaths of individual cyclists, Donna Goodson, Dr. Carl Nacht and Derek Lake.
On June 5, Donna Goodson was killed by a truck on Rockaway Parkway in Brooklyn. On Monday June 19, a taxicab driver opened his door and knocked a cyclist into the path of a passing bus on 10th Avenue in Manhattan. On Thursday June 22, an NYPD tow truck driver crossing the Hudson River Greenway hit Dr. Carl Nacht as he was riding with his wife northbound on the bike path. Dr. Nacht died Monday, June 26. On Monday June 26, Derek Lake was killed by a truck when his bike slid out of control and he fell beneath the truck on Houston Street at LaGuardia Place.
All four recent crashes were caused by dangerous conditions that are commonplace on New York City streets but should not be: drivers and passengers opening car doors into the path of cyclists; drivers failing to yield to cyclists and hazardous street conditions that can send bikes out of control.
Like the Mayors of London, Paris, Chicago and other world class cities that have recently unveiled comprehensive plans to make bicycling safe and widespread, Mayor Bloomberg must get serious about making New York City a safe place to bike. The City's "Bicycle Master Plan" is ten years old and only 15% complete. Moreover, it has no targets or timetable for completion, benchmarks for increasing cycling, or modern bike lane and path design standards--all hallmarks of exemplary plans recently put forth by cities like London and Chicago that will make cycling safe enough for all to enjoy.
© Transport for London 2005
From a press release issued on October 26, 2005 by the Greater London Authority, which is the administrative body of the metro London area, comprised of the Mayor Ken Livingstone and the London Assembly (the London equivalent of the New York City Council), Mayor Livingstone says:
Cycling is the fastest, cheapest, most healthy and environmentally friendly way to get around London, which is why we are investing almost 20m this year to improve cycle facilities in the capital. The number of cyclists on our roads has doubled since 2000 and we've already exceeded our cycling targets five years ahead of schedule, on top of achieving a shift from car use to public transport. I will now be looking at setting tougher targets so we can continue to build on this success and encourage many more cyclists in London.
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, whose goal is "to make the City of Chicago the most bicycle-friendly City in the United States" said that the "…the Bike 2015 Plan will continue to help make bicycling an integral part of daily life in Chicago." In his online public message, Mayor Daley says:
Photo courtesty City of Chicago
As part of our effort to make Chicago the most environmentally friendly big city in the nation, one of our main goals is to promote environmentally friendly lifestyles. Bicycling is a great way to get around Chicago. It's fun, fast, healthy and good for our environment.
We want to make Chicago the most bicycle-friendly city in the United States. We have an ambitious, multi-million dollar program to establish 25 miles of new bike lanes and 200 miles of signed routes and to install 2500 bike racks. Major improvements to the Lakefront Trail are underway, with new bike paths to be built at other locations.
Please help by biking responsibly and sharing the road with others. Contact us if you have suggestions to improve cycling conditions. Let's work together to make Chicago a better and safer place for biking!
To prevent future tragedies, City Hall must modernize New York City's bike plan to include targets, timetables, design standards and other modern tools for making cycling a safe and viable mode of transportation, including:
A new updated "New York City Bicycle Master Plan"
A timetable to implement this bike safety/encouragement plan
Specific targets to increase the rate of bike riding and reduce the number of bicycle crashes
Modern street design standards for the safest types of on- and off-street bike paths
Heightened enforcement of laws against drivers who endanger cyclists
Specific targets to put every New Yorker within a half-mile of a bike lane or path
Increased street hazard inspection on heavily-cycled streets by bike-borne DOT inspectors
Proactive safety measures like "anti-dooring" stickers in taxicabs to remind drivers and passengers to look for cyclists before opening their doors
Adequate outdoor bike parking and bike access to buildings
The reinstatement of a public bicycle advisory committee
Helmets reduce the risk of serious head injuries, but are only part of the safety equation. T.A.'s Deputy Director of Advocacy, Noah Budnick says, "Everyone should wear helmets, but helmets don't prevent crashes. Safety is better served by safe streets that encourage more cycling because studies show that the more cyclists there are, the more motorists notice us and the safer it is to ride."
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Time's Up! MEMORIAL RIDE: Thursday, June 29, 6:30 pm
Hudson River Greenway at 46th Street (in front of the Intrepid)
6:40 at 38th Street and the Greenway
7:30 at LaGuardia Place and Houston Street
Three cyclists have died in crashes in three weeks. Honor them and call on the City to enforce dangerous driver behavior and design safe streets for cycling.
23-year-old filmmaker Derek Lake was killed by a truck on June 26 amidst the construction on Houston Street and LaGuardia Place. Dr. Carl Nacht, 56, passed away the same day following a brief hospitalization after an NYPD tow truck failed to yield to him on the West Side Greenway on June 22. On June 5, 41-year-old Donna Goodson was killed by a truck on Rockaway Parkway in Brooklyn.
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info@transalt.org; Phone: 212-629-8080; Fax: 212-629-8334
