Plan to Introduce Cameras to Ticket Drivers in Bike Lanes
April 10, 2019 By Thomas Laforgia
A Queens state legislator wants to use traffic cameras to crack down on motorists who illegally drive and park in bike lanes.
The bill would allow for a pilot program of remote monitoring at 50 locations throughout New York City, with offenders receiving fines in the mail, similar to the red-light cameras already in place. The locations have yet to be determined.
“We must protect bicycles from reckless drivers,” said Assembly Member Michael DenDekker (D-Jackson Heights), the bill’s author.
DenDekker drafted the measure after Woodside cyclists complained of cars and trucks clogging the Queens Boulevard bike lane, according to a statement.
Mayor de Blasio has shown strong support for the lanes throughout his tenure, and the Department of Transportation has added more than 83 miles to the system under his watch, according to 2018 figures provided by the agency’s commissioner, Polly Trottenberg.
But only a fraction of those paths have physical barriers separating cyclists from drivers, and de Blasio earlier this year balked at the cost of using dedicated NYPD teams to patrol the lanes.
Cops themselves are routine violators of bike-lane parking laws, critics charge. At least one Twitter account, @CopsinBikeLanes, has dedicated itself to calling out officers, in New York and elsewhere, for the practice.
DenDekker praised the DOT’s commitment to building the lanes, but he says more must be done to protect the riders who use them.
“We must ensure that enforcement of traffic laws keeps cars and trucks out of those bicycle lanes and allows bicyclists to travel in bicycle lanes safely,” he said.
DenDekker introduced the bill, A06674, in March. It currently sits before the Assembly Transportation Committee.
Featured Events
89 Comments
If there’s a way to ticket the bike riders who violate the rules using these cameras let’s do it.
agreed. minimum $10,000 fine for bikers that violate rules. make an example.
The odds of an automobile driver fatality via the transgression of the law by a cyclist are far lower than the transgressions of automobiles. The vulnerability of our pedestrians and cyclists must be protected by holding automobiles to a higher standard.
Automobiles are already held to a higher standard. Cyclists routinely break the rules of the road that they are supposed to be following for everyone’s safety including their own… any solution that doesn’t account for this is simply not a solution.
This would be a great step for protecting the bike network and would go a long way towards stopping scofflaws from double parking.
They’d better start racking down on bikers who break traffic laws, first because way more than 50% of the ones I encounter break laws constantly. Until they are properly policed I think any more money spent on bike lanes is a massive waste of money the 90+% of people who don’t ride bikes provide to those whiney, self-righteous little snots.
Have you ever jaywalked or driven faster than the speed limit?
Still trying to blame the cyclists. I agree with your motif of complaining that cyclists violate the rules. I wish everyone would follow the rules 100% as well. However I fail to see how getting more people out on bikes would be a bad thing. You are very much a part of the immoral society. Here’s some diabetes ;plastic waste in the air and sea for you as well as some lung cancer from all the emissions that result from your sedentary attitude and lifestyle. Enjoy. And try buying a book (you know, to educate yourself – so you can know SOMETHING instead of NOTHING). No more than two large pictures per page. You’re a big boy now and it’s time to advance your education way past 3rd grade!
Not all books give accurate educations though. OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN is disgusting, delusional, unfair and extremely biased.
No cogent thinker would think the GOP was peaceful. The GOP is composed of greedy arrogant racist dogs. But at least they are honest about their lack of respect for human life.
I love the anti-biker logic: “Other people break the law. So I should be allowed to break the law too!” I don’t think that’s the way it’s supposed to work. Cars do more damage than bikes in every conceivable way- environment, wear and tear on infrastructure, deadly accidents. Bicyclists should be given medals – except for the eBike delivery guys. Those guys suck.
I have been endangered by and seen laws broken many, many more times by automobiles of every type than by bicycles. That’s anecdotal, sure, but it’s supported by studies and evidence. Thoughtless and aggressive drivers are way more dangerous and troublesome than bikes. So, yeah, I’d like to see a lot more traffic enforcement on cars, trucks, etc. Throw in a few bike tickets if you like too, but it’s the autos that are the big fish here.
By the way, I don’t have a car or a bike. So I don’t have a dog in this fight. But the truth ain’t nothin’ but the truth.
I have come to accept that more bike lanes and bikes are here to stay. Great. But I do want to see fines implemented for not wearing helmets, no matter what age. I want bicyclists to have lights on their bicycles, except that darn flashing led! I want to see bicyclist traveling from one borough to the other to be registered and insured. Bicyclist have hurt people and have damaged cars. Fair is fair!
That “darned flashing light” is unfortunately the only one many of the drivers in Queens see while they are posting updates on their phones. Cut me off, and I’ll shine a super-bright one in your rear window.
How many cars have they damaged? lmao
You do realize that helmets aren’t legally required above the age of 14, right? Nice that you want tickets to be issued for things that aren’t violations.
btw, wearing a helmet is probably a good idea, but enacting mandatory helmet laws, counterintuitively, undercuts road safety.
Well, this can’t be right. We all know that it’s only bikers who constantly break the law.
Why waste money on cameras to bust drivers who are all innocent law-abiding citizens?
Ticket bikers who don’t stop at red lights. In all my years in NY, I’ve literally never seen a single cyclist stop for a red light. And I’ve been nearly hit by countless cyclists running the red when I had the right of way as a pedestrian. You want to be treated equally with cars? Then the same laws apply to you jerk offs.
So you’re the bozo who doesn’t look before stepping into a well-marked bike lane? I know your name now, Fil.
If they are so gdamned well marked then how come your friends never use them? Or use them wrong? Or not stop at red lights. They are in danger if they run a red light because it’s time for the perpendicular direction to go. You run a red light you will probably get hit.
Or is that the point?
You putting yourself in harm’s way so you can sue some poor driver who was obeying his traffic signals???
Almost hit by a wrong way cyclist going full speed, twice, a year apart. Look the “right” way, get slammed anyway. There is a cyclist “high” of endorphins from cycling fast, like a runner’s high. Therefore without a cyclist getting consequences, they will continue to yell for more unfettered speeding. Bike addicts seldom realize city streets require a speed just over walking–a leisurely pace–to ensure everyone’s safety–theirs also.
Hi Phil,
You have literally never seen a single cyclist stop for a red light? Really now? In any case, cyclists do get ticketed for running reds. Yes, NYPD could step up enforcement. While they’re at it, they could step up enforcement on cars that run reds, speed, fail to come to a full stop at stop signs, etc. Every single day I witness cars rolling through the stop sign closest to my home in Woodside. I’ve even nearly been hit by cars when I had right of way.
The idea isn’t for cycles to be “treated equally with cars” – it’s to make everyone safer on our streets. From 2002-2016 an appalling 2,345 pedestrians were killed by motor vehicles in NYC. During that same time period, how many pedestrians were killed by bikes? Ten. Cars are two ton hunks of metal and bikes will never be “equal” to cars. Despite all the times you were “nearly” hit, bike are unquestionably safer than cars.
Sincerely,
One of your “jerk off” neighbors
Ummm, I got almost hit in January on 42nd and 2nd ave in from a biker running a red light in front of a traffic cop. The bike wanted to fight me for giving the middle finger and yelling red light, but scared after see a cop. I asked the cop to stop him and give him a ticket, but he said will get him at the next light as I watched him run through next few lights. It was 3rd out four near misses I had of bikes running traffic lights or signs in January. I also watched a bike push through some that month at 47st and Greenpoint ave. when pedistrian had the right of way. I still haven’t seen one ticket given to any bike that has broken traffic laws, and I have them break rules every day I have gone out since January of 2017, including last years blizzard.
I’m sure Phil always stands there and waits for the pedestrian light to turn white before he crosses a street when cars are not nearby. He’s no lawbreaker!
I’ve been biking in western Queens & Manhattan for more than 20 years now and I don’t run lights nor have I come anywhere near hitting a pedestrian. If you want to ticket people on the road who are dangerous and who break the law, target drivers of cars & trucks. They’re the ones who are killing pedestrians because they drive too fast and don’t care about who else is using the road.
Bike Lanes and bus lanes as currently made are oppressive to the elderly and the handicaped who aren’t fit enough to use bike lanes. They need access to the curb to get around and live their lives. Put the bus lanes in the middle of the street like the trolley cars tracks use to be. Put the bike lanes only on side streets where they won’t obstruct commerce Make the bicyclists register and pay road use taxes and wear protective gear(not just helmets).to make them safe. No more special priveledges for loudmouths. Loudmouths have no more right to limited square footage of the street than anyone else.
You don’t have to use the bike lanes. You can cross them as you usually cross the street…
Bike lanes aren’t the issue – it’s NYC streets as currently made that are oppressive to the elderly and the handicapped who aren’t able (or aren’t wealthy enough) to drive.
The majority of NYC households don’t own cars. Mass transit, biking, and walking all suffer greatly because we dedicate so much space to private cars. We even give them free street parking, in a city with some of the most expensive real estate in the world. NYC would be safer, healthier, quieter, and more environmentally sustainable with fewer cars.
well, right now, on this stretch of QB going to Yellowstone, where cars are double parked on one side and there’s no other way than to get onto the bike lane to pass through – that’s what we need, cameras to fine us for trying go drive somehow …
You have to get out of the mindset that people are categorized as either a motorist or a cyclist. Many people have both bikes and cars.
And it seems that motorists need to try cycling sometime, to see it from the cyclists perspective . Or we could make a video and show you. Or we could just show the video to police, lawyers , and judges…
And many are bipeds.
It’s all about the cyclists. They should be monitored and follow traffic rules too. I personally witnessed that some people on bicycles don’t follow the traffic rules. They ride on sidewalks, go through stop signs and red lights plus go the wrong way. I almost got hit by a bicycle rider. So who is going to be responsible for pedestrians crossing the street and they get hit by a cyclists? Not the cyclist they will just ride off. The city should be sued by every person who was hit by a cyclist. Its their dumb idea that they really didn’t think it through completely. The city can’t even control all the motorcyclists and ATV riders that terrorize the boroughs. Lets add bicycles to the mix.
Have you ever driven faster than the speed limit or rolled through a stop sign?
Or a pedestrian.
Not all drivers are against bicyclists and not all bicyclists are pro pedestrians.
A cyclist going too fast injured a 4-year-old child on a shared path in Manhattan. So the same hate cyclist spew at cars can be spewed at them by people on foot. What goes around comes around. I was pro bike until I met a bunch of them and their horrendous anonymous rhetoric. Read Streetblog sometime. Awful people.
So this what All about. You come up with the bike lion Because you want to give ticket to the Driver is not enough the street is being very Nero what next
I almost want them to go this so the traffic can get worse and everyone can see what a dangerous and damaging farce this road diet has been.
Bicycles should be licensed and pay road use taxes now that they use so much of the roads
Everyone knows that a bicycle does as much damage to our streets as a semi. Since there are protected bike lanes on every street and highway in New York City and licensing of drivers has eliminated traffic crashes in our city, this totally makes sense.
Please explain why traffic accidents are up 25% annualy since deblasio has become mayor. There are actually fewer cars.
Please understand that making vague and wildly unsubstantiated claims does nothing to further the discussion. Fewer cars? Where? Says who?
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/01/nyregion/traffic-deaths-decrease-nyc.html
https://www.citylab.com/perspective/2019/01/uber-lyft-make-traffic-worse-more-people-own-cars-transit/579481/
First show us the data. I seriously doubt you can, because traffic in this city has never been this bad. Are you counting all the alleged “taxi” drivers who pretend to work for uber, lyft, whatever?
Cyclists already pay taxes like everyone else. How could you not know that?!
They pay for the roads that your cars damage, requiring more money for repair.
Bikes don’t damage the roadway.
Yep. Same with pedestrians with all that sidewalk space that could be used for even more cars! Most of them don’t even wear helmets!
I have driven down Queens Blvd. in Forest Hills (down towards the 59th Street bridge and the other way towards Jamaica) thousands of times and I can count on 1 hand how many bicyclists I’ve seen. Meanwhile, I’ve seen thousands of vehicles that support NYS when they, BY LAW, get their vehicles registered, inspected, insured, pay tolls and taxes for gas. The people that want these bike lanes are the ones that are being driven around on taxpayer dollars. Let Mayor Butthead get on a bike and go to his meetings and same thing with the DOT head – another worthless city employee.
I can send you hundreds of pictures of my neighborhood streets that have no cars driving down them (only parked for weeks on end at the curb)–thus proving that our individual, and extremely anecdotal, experience means little to others that might have a different view or use of the streets that make up our largest public space in NYC.
As for car owners paying for their environmental and public space abuse, they often don’t even scratch at the surface of the government and societal subsidies that make their carbon generators seem like “freedom” machines … and when you are driving around multi-ton death and injury factory they better be insured and registered. Q: Who do you think caused 90% (or more) of traffic injury and fatalities in NYC last year? A: (It wasn’t bikes or pedestrians!)
Did you include wear and tear on the roads, highways and tunnels bikes can’t use (or the percentage of roads with and without bike lanes), pollution that affects everybody’s health, and death and injury caused by cars in your math? Because if you do factor all of that in, you’ll see vehicle registration and inspection don’t actually account for much in the grand scheme.
The roads are mostly paid for by sales and property tax. Bikers pay those just like everybody else, and have virtually no effect on maintenance of the roads that cars require.
Actually tolls and gas taxes cover all the NYC streets, plus a chunk of upstates repairs. Property taxes and income tend to go for education, water improvements, parks…etcs. It’s been like this for decades. They are separate funding streams.
With the exception of GWB (the ONLY place you can cross the Hudson on foot or bike), those tolls are on highways and bridges that bikers and pedestrians can’t use.
And you’ve still got the fact that cars create wear and tear on the roads thus causing the need for repairs/funding that bikes and pedestrians don’t. Not to mention the pollution and health problems motor vehicles cause, which also cost the city money long term. Cycling and walking make people healthier, saving the city money.
To add on to the commenters before me, see please read this article to learn just how much we subsidize driving:
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/10/driving-true-costs/412237/
It would be a start I suppose, but it is still very unsafe for bicyclists to ride in the city next to cars and trucks. I would love to commute to work by bike, but we need more protected bike lanes.
It’s mostly illegal immagrants using these bike lanes
Your spelling is very creative. Your mother must be so proud.
ONE TIME I SAW A CYCLIST RUN A STOP SIGN
LOL.
Usually 2 times a day, almost ploughed into a little kid on Saturday.
right on cue
Plowed.
Genius.
Only once???? All the time!!!
Thank you Mary Anne!
A BIKER YELLED AT ME WHEN HE HAD THE GREEN LIGHT BUT PEDESTRIANS ALWAYS HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY
Again, just because the law on paper says pedestrians have the right of way, doesn’t mean that all pedestrians should just wander out into the street without a care in the world!
We all have a responsibility to prevent preventable accidents. Blindly wandering out into the street is a preventable accident.
We all need to be part of the solution, not the problem.
“We must protect bicycles from reckless drivers,” ??? Michael DenDekker wasn’t label crazy. He was labeled mentally hilarious.
I’ll assume you drive recklessly. You make me sick. But if you come close to hitting a biker or me when I’m around, I’ll return the favor.
Sounds like the tolerant Dems again. Threats of violence. Who would have guessed the Republicans were the peaceful party?
Its about time NYer’s took back their government.
Great more “big brother” cameras to monitor the citizens of sunnyside who at times can’t double park in a two lane stretch because its hard and some people want to be courteous and pull of to the side. But noooo lets just ticket these people. These bike lanes are the dumbest piece of legesltion ever shove down our throughts. NO ONE every asked for this dumb bicyclist if they want to be one the road with the vehicle than they must ride on the same lanes as vehicle and not complain.
I ride bicycles to work sometimes, especially last summer when the subways were horrendous and made me late every day. I personally don’t mind biking in the same lanes as cars but considering the fact that cars double park all the time and drive with no regard to bikers (I basically have to yell if it looks like a car is about to pull out of its parking space so the driver actually looks) then having dedicated bike lanes is a very welcome change. Increasing the amount of safety for cyclists (considering how many are killed each year by cars) and setting aside a dedicated space for them to ride will increase safety and wellness for everyone, including drivers. The road isn’t just for you.
Another clown who probably drives like he bought his license at Sears.
A lot of the time, motorists don’t want cyclists riding in “their” lane as if it only belongs to motorists. I have had a motorist try to drive me off the travel lane (and they lost their side mirror because of that).
Just because you didn’t want it doesn’t mean everyone else also didn’t want it.
It’s about revenue not safety.
If it makes bike riders safer, who cares? In a Capitalist society, money is the only thing that motivates morons.
Choose to ride your bike on a dangerous road that’s on you. You know Darwinism, the only thing that controls the moron population.
Right. Because we shouldn’t do anything to correct dangerous conditions that might kill people.
Or… you could make roads safer, which is the point to the bike lanes this article is talking about.
That Guy
“Choose to ride your bike on a dangerous road that’s on you.”
So Skillman was dangerous and now it’s not. Who’s side are you on?
Bicycle riders tend to cause their own problems. They pass on the right and don’t pay attention to motorist’s signals then complain when they get hit. If you aren’t a defensive driver/rider you have only yourself to blame.
Right. Sure. And if a biker passes on the left, he or she gets creamed. I have a suspicion your driving sucks.
Since you “seen it all,” how many bikers have you killed by “accident?”
Your suspicion would be quite wrong. CDL-A holder with over 4 million safe miles. I suspect that you were a “Forceps Delivery”?
What about tickets for the majority of bikers who run through red lights, endangering pedestrians? Or go the wrong way on a one-way street? It’s a very serious problem in terms of safety.
You know, I actually support the bike lanes, but this is true. The other day I saw a family — parents on bikes, kid on a scooter — going the wrong way up the Skillman bike lane. There’s gotta be some education as well as penalties for not following the traffic laws.
Ann – bravo! I work downtown across from City Hall and every day you have bicyclists (not talking messengers or delivery guys) zig zagging down Broadway against the light. I have had to jump out of the way so many times or else risk getting run over.
Bikers should be ticketed for violations, especially biking on sidewalks. This dangerous. Few years back a man walking on the sidewalk was killed when hit by someone riding a bike.
how can you “thumbs down” someone getting killed. please think before you click,
Dear anonymous: because the cyclists think they fart rainbows and ice cream cones.
What about tickets for the majority of drivers who run through red lights, endangering pedestrians? Drivers are far more reckless than cyclists and cause significantly more injuries and deaths every day, but it’s the cyclists who are the problem here.
In 2017, NYC drivers killed 105 pedestrians and injured over 10,000. Meanwhile, cyclists killed 1 pedestrian and injured only 315 pedestrians. That’s 105x as many deaths and 31x as many injuries (and none of this data outlines if pedestrians are at fault). But let’s say that the very serious problem are cyclists and not cars.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/bicycle-crash-data-report-2017.pdf
“Majority” of drivers run red lights? You really hurt the cyclist cause with utterly factless BS. I have lived in NY decades and I have NEVER seen a cyclist stop at a red light. I am nearly run down and have to stop short nearly every day when I’m crossing the street with right of way. If you want to be treated on par with vehicular traffic, obey the same laws! Why do people think being on a bike gives them the right to never have to slow down or stop under any circumstances? Does any other mode of transportation (including walking) assert that right?
They should get tickets. Many do in fact.
In the past ten days Sunnyside alone has seen 3 pedestrians hit by cars (one hit-and-run) and 4 car crashes causing injury. It’s unclear how many people total, but one crash was a car that flipped onto its side and injured three people.
THAT’S a very serious safety problem that’s being ignored by most people.