Streetsblog New York City

When we posted pics of the new Williamsburg Bridge bike lanes last Friday, Streetsblog commenters wondered if, since one of the lanes directs cyclists onto a sidewalk, police might be lying in wait. Wrote Barnard: "Just because bicycling is legal doesn't mean the NYPD won't write you a ticket for it!"

Earlier today Benjamin Running posted a link to this item from Gothamist, where a cyclist relays this story:

"As I reach the corner of South 4th Street and South 5th Place, just one short block away from one of the Brooklyn entrances to the Williamsburg bridge, I see that the bike lane arrows turn and point to the sidewalk. I thought it odd but I followed it knowing that it was just a short bit away from the entrance. 3/4 ways down the sidewalk I get stopped by 2 cops telling me that I can't ride on the sidewalk.... And then they proceed to give me a ticket!

Is this some kind of entrapment? The bike lane arrows clearly point toward the sidewalk and there is no sign telling you to get off and walk your bike. While they were in the middle of giving me a ticket, a girl on a bike comes up behind me and they stop her and give her a ticket for the very same reason. And she had the same complaint I did; she was just following the bike lane arrows that pointed to the sidewalk."

Gothamist thinks it's possible that cyclists are misinterpreting the markings and may be riding on a sidewalk area not meant to be included as part of the bike route, while Wiley Norvell of TA says "this is a good, necessary set of markings" on "one of the more dangerous parts of the north Brooklyn bike commute." Norvell notes that a cyclist was killed at this location not long ago.

Regardless, it sounds as if the PD is exploiting this improvement to continue harassing cyclists entering and exiting city bridges.

TA's Wiley Norvell sent in these shots of new bike infrastructure on the Brooklyn side of the Williamsburg Bridge.

It includes a Class 2 bike lane and road diet for South 5th Street, a buffered Class 2 and road diet on South 5th Place, and sharrows and better lane markings for cars on South 4th Street. Williamsburg Bridge-bound cyclists coming from Roebling Street or points further east are being routed along the sidewalk bordering Continental Army Plaza. Good stuff!

This evening, Adopt-a-Bike-Lane and Transportation Alternatives will launch a campaign for a protected bike lane on Delancey Street by leading escorted "bike commuter pools" across the Williamsburg Bridge. Reads a TA press release:

"The thousands who ride on Delancey every day shouldn't feel like they are taking their lives in their own hands," says Marin Tockman, founder of Adopt-a-Bike-Lane, who was herself the victim of a crash while riding on Delancey. "We want these rides to show bicyclists how much better their commutes would be if this street made space for them."

Over 3,000 cyclists cross the Williamsburg Bridge every day, according to TA, which says the intersection of Essex and Delancey is the third most dangerous for cyclists in the entire city. Between 1995 and 2005, 99 cyclists and 308 pedestrians were injured by motor vehicles on Delancey.

The Adopt-a-Bike-Lane effort was spurred by the death of Rasha Shamoon, who was killed at Delancey and Bowery in August. Today's rides will depart from Delancey and Bowery every five minutes from 6:00 to 7:00. Cyclists will gather for an after-party at The City Reliquary in Williamsburg from 7:00 to 9:00.

Photo: crayfray/Flickr

Looks like NYPD is at it again. 

This just in from T.A.: 

I just received a call from a very angry member informing me that there are three groups of cops at the Manhattan exit of the Williamsburg Bridge who are pulling over and summonsing every cyclist exiting the bridge. If anyone happens to be headed that direction a) be careful and b) try and grab an image. According to the member, they’ve got cyclists waiting in lines to receive their summonses.