Comments on: Breaking: Police Ticketing Cyclists Exiting Williamsburg Bridge

By: Ian Turner

Ian Turner — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:45:19 +0000

IMHO, it's great that cops are ticketing cyclists for running red lights. It's illegal and they shouldn't do it. What is highly disturbing, however, is that drivers /never/ get ticketed for doing anything dangerous whatsoever --- In the entire time I've been living in New York, I've seen a driver getting a ticket precisely twice. Needless to say, it's far more common to see a driver do something incredibly brazen directly in front of a unresponsive RPU with no resulting enforcement action at all.

By: anon

anon — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:59:55 +0000

The other day I got a ticket for running a red light at intersection of Delancey and Allen. Three police officers were flagging down every cyclist on the brooklyn bound side of delancey and handing out tickets like they were free issues of the NYPost. BE CAREFUL OF CARS, COPS, AND PEDESTRIANS ON DELANCEY STREET.

By: Andy Trafford

Andy Trafford — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:22:47 +0000

I can't understand cyclists who refuse to use lights. LEDs these days are small, light and cheap. I've got so many that I wish I had a universal switcher-onerer that'd control 'em all.... When my time comes, it'll be in a comfortable bed, surrounded by women a-weeping and a-wailing. It will NOT be on a cold hard road with some fat van driver with blue teeth in his ear (or whatever those gadgets are called) saying "I didn't see you...."

By: Larry Littlefield

Larry Littlefield — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:11:20 +0000

If they are going to take enforcement actions against cyclists, perhaps they could enforce some rules that provide safety to cyclists themselves.

For example, carrying lights with them and stopping anyone riding without them at night, providing the option of a purchase at cost-plus or a summons.

By: Andy Trafford

Andy Trafford — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:45:57 +0000

Another day, another bridge....

The Queensboro was clear of cops today but I did see a pile of bright green/yellow "cyclists dismount" signs stashed by one of the gaps where you can get from the bike path to the road.

By: tony

tony — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:14:43 +0000

So, no one, including the blogger is going to tell us why tickets are being issued??

What's the point of the post, then? Just don't use the bridge anymore?

Can we get some useful information?

By: Geck

Geck — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:00:08 +0000

FYI, the dismount signs on the Brooklyn end of the Brooklyn Bridge have been removed!

By: Mark Walker

Mark Walker — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 02:15:24 +0000

"Sometimes I think they are promoting cycling only so they can ticket every rider as a way of generating income for a cash-strapped city."

This is exactly the same paranoid conspiracy theory that drivers use to excuse speeding, blowing through red lights, and other bad behavior.

My response to drivers and bikers is identical: Try obeying the traffic laws. They exist to keep people safe. The fact that you're on wheels doesn't make you the right to break the law and abuse other road users.

If the cops are ticketing bikers who do obey the law, that of course would be a different thing altogether. Then the onus is on the cops to interpret and enforce the law correctly.

By: medici

medici — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:52:18 +0000

Sure I'm careful about it, but i also merge with traffic like ac and grant. I have to say that I'm a little freaked out that the cops have the perfect trap set up with bridge ped/bike paths. I've seen them ticketing for skipping reds on delancey at evening rush hour. Now they're staking out the actual entrance/exit of the bridge. The bridges are some of the only true safe zones for bikes and now I'm scared they'll hit me with some lame ticket for not having a light or no brakes on a track bike. Maybe it's time I bought a gary fisher hybrid and put mirrors on my helmet Why aren't the police fighting actual crime?

By: ac

ac — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:22:41 +0000

What Grant is doing, most of us do. That's how it works there. That's why the traffic cops say nothing. That's why there's a HUGE sign that says share the road, watch for bikes.

By: Grant Harding

Grant Harding — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:33:46 +0000

That's what I do. Hop off the little island into traffic. If it doesn't look like there's enough space or there are people standing there, I just go straight off the island then cut into traffic through the traffic barrels. I've never even been honked at for doing that. Seems a little intense that they're giving out tickets for that.

Why not make Delancey St. more bike friendly. Getting on/off the bridge bites.

By: Streetsman

Streetsman — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:15:20 +0000

I agree - every time I approach the entrance I see cyclists flying out of that chute and right through crosswalks at breakneck speeds, with no regard for safety, like they were going for the yellow jersey in Le Tour. Some of those people could use a reality check.

By: mfs

mfs — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:15:23 +0000

If they are ticketing people for speeding off the bridge and cutting into traffic off the curb without slowing down or looking over their shoulder, I have no problem with that. I am amazed by how many fellow-cyclists are convinced that a car traveling 25+ mph off the bridge with a green light is going to stop to let them into their lane at that end of the WB bridge.

By: Grant Harding

Grant Harding — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:28:47 +0000

Citing them for what? Not waiting for the ped crossing sign? There's been a cop car sitting at the Y on ped path on the Manhattan side of the bridge recently. I didn't bike today so I don't know.

But how do you pull over cyclists on Delancey anyways?

By: Benjamin Running

Benjamin Running — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:05:00 +0000

The Bloomberg administration's contradictory actions are amazing. Sometimes I think they are promoting cycling only so they can ticket every rider as a way of generating income for a cash-strapped city.

You could ride down the bike path on that bridge on a bike with front and rear lights, a bell, working brakes, and everything else regulated by law, and still be ticketed for some made-up offense.

By: Eric McClure

Eric McClure — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:57:44 +0000

Silly cyclists -- if they had just hitched a missile to the back of their bikes, they would've sailed through with a salute. Those of you supporting Bloomberg's attempt to circumvent term limits should take note.

By: AT

AT — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:46:00 +0000

Tickets for what? For not driving a car?