Frankly if there should be any dividing and defining of groups it should be between the “thoughtful and courteous” and the “rude and careless” regardless of transportation modes.

If the city wants to promote safety and not engender resentment from the 2 and 4 wheeled variety of park users traffic enforcement should be comprehensive and crack down on all transgressors period. Time and time again these sporadic and completely ineffective threats of action come from the cops. Honestly, how many ticket blitzes have we been thru? Does anyone think CP traffic safety has greatly improved as a result? Repaving the roads and limiting car hours have done far more to this end, not to mention increase park enjoyment, than any stupid ticket threat.

Personally if I see another person push a baby carriage onto a Central Park roadway w/ out so much of a glance in either direction I’m going to scream. There’s a nice place to start ticketing jaywalkers – appalling parents risking children’s lives needlessly.

And yes those chucklheads that think they can treat the south end of the park as their personal racetrack and find it a wonderful thrill to weave and dodge amongst the tourists need to be targeted. Or how about that lone kook that insists on riding down the middle of the road opposite the flow of traffic like noting mattered except him? I got no problem w/ pulling these people over and handing them a nice fat fine.

Who needs a kick in the pants as well are those utterly rude and inconsiderate pedicabs drivers who ride 3 abreast, make sudden stops and turns on either side of the road and generally disregard the safety and enjoyment of others. They as a commercial enterprise should above all be held to a higher standard of conduct than the average citizen merely out enjoying the sunshine. If it keeps up could someone please revoke their operator privileges? We don’t have these problems w/ the horse cabs do we?

And finally the cars. How many cyclist have been dangerously buzzed by cars or startled out of your wits by a rude honk from a driver whose bumper menacingly sits a few feet from your back tire? (Every cyclist in the city knows this tactic – am I right? raise your hands) This happens because you’ve strayed outside the bike lane by a foot or two. Never mind the fact that the multi-use running and cycling lanes are jam packed w/, pedestrians joggers and cyclists traveling in every direction (don’t get me started on why this is). Also never mind the fact that 8 times out of 10 the driver has a clear unobstructed choice of lanes. They just want to be hostile that’s all.

Do you know how easy it is to enforce the law? How easy it is to spot the problem people from each group? VERY EASY! I could right 3 or 4 tickets a lap if Mayor Bloomberg wants to deputize me.

The cops are lazy and these “ticket blitzes” are patentedly unfair and ineffective. All the police needs is a couple undercover roadie cyclists or rollerbladers and they could solve all their park safety issues in a few weeks.

I can’t believe the utter mendacity of cop representatives like Kevin Jeffrey when arguing that they are interested in promoting safety in the parks. It’s a pretty simple fix guys.

PS – I’m one of those road guys w/ the spandex and the helmet and the speed. I’ve logged thousands and thousands of miles in Central Park alone and never had a crack up w/ anyone or anything. It’s not a problem for all of us to get enjoyment out of Central Park if you’re just thoughtful and considerate.

Is this really the issue?

I’m just glad my dog is still in one piece.

Sorry, I wear spandex on my bike. Helps me control the sweat issue. I just get changed when I get to my location.

I’m not male and I’m not in my twenties. I’ve read a magazine article about a 60-year old man (in spandex!) taking up cycling and riding his bicyles across the USA Don’t think he hit any pedestrians along the way and I’m sure many old pedestrians would be inspired by his story.

Look around you when you cross the street. Cyclists are generally looking out for you, no matter how we are dressed.

This ain’t Amsterdam. It’s New Amsteredam.

In practice, I also accommodate pedestrians when they are wrong, but with more swearing and only to prevent harm. I mean, when some guy or kid on the Brooklyn Bridge wanders into the bike lane while I’m commuting to work, it may be his fault if I run into him but I’m still not going to do it.

i seem to recall some outrage on this blog when it was suggested (by bloomberg maybe?) that cyclists were responsible for their own safety when sharing the road with cars; the desire for recognition of one’s physical vulnerability becomes very empty if it is not extended by cyclists to pedestrians.

OFTEN on “do not walk” signs? So if there is a “walk” sign, they should still yield to bikers? Otherwise the “danger is arising” from the pedestrian, trying to use they right of way that actually have?

I’m sorry, that’s nonsense. I said it before: I will sometime disobey traffic rules on my bike, but when I do, it is my job to look out for and yield to people who have the right of way–not the other way around. No matter how exceptional the “sense of fluidity” is.

The fact that you really, really like biking in the park gives you not legal nor ethical claim on the exclusive right of way. Neither does this “other people break rules so I’ll stop after they stop” argument–which obviously is just as often used *against* bikes.

Until that day, bicyclists will have to be extra vigilant, watch out for pedestrians who don’t look around them, accept being forced out into traffic on the loop because someone is getting “exercise” by pushing a double-wide stroller and chatting on a cell phone while walking the wrong way up the bike lane, and pay tickets we get if we don’t pay attention to where NYPD runs its checkpoints.

The alternative is accepting bicycling’s status as marginal.

I have pedaled this loop about 5,000 times on my bikes, and just as I know the “Park Racers” will NEVER stop at red lights, I also know that 95% of the time that potential danger arises, it’s from pedestrians who are either jaywalking and don’t calculate the approaching speed of bike traffic, or who are simply not looking as they cross the street, often on “do not walk” signs. (A big part of the remaining chunk owes to pedicabs, who take up over half the bike lane and travel at an awkward 7-8 mph. )

Ironically, I think that the “walk” signs actually create a false sense of safety for pedestrians, who feel that, because the light says go, no one is coming. Legalities aside, the reality is that people are coming. More and more they’re coming, as Manhattan gets wealthier and more bike stores open, selling more aerobars . It’s a shame that a family can cross the street and be nearly struck down by vociferously-tongued tri-guys, but just as the family would look both ways before crossing the avenues, they need to know that the same rules apply in the Park.

In light of this, I would propose that instead of walk signs for street-crossers, there be blinking red lights. This way, pedestrians could cross at any time (which happens anyway), but with an increased sense of mindfulness.

We need a lot more space for people in this town and places where we can power ourselves to go as fast as we want (or can) without running into anyone.

Oh well.