Cyclists in the City - Eco-Friendly or Just Plain Deadly?

Sometimes, when walking around New York City, it seems that there are two entirely distinct species of hominid occupying every street and every avenue, trying but failing to co-exist. One is a a timid, slow moving creature that plods along the city streets, often nonchalantly; the other is a battle-hardened, bi-wheeled beast that weaves its way in and out of traffic with little concern for its own safety or the safety of others. I am of course talking about pedestrians and cyclists.

If you’re unfamiliar with this whole issue, you might be surprised by just how divisive it really is. It’s almost as polarized as those other infamous dichotomies: Democrats and Republicans, Yankees and Red Socks, iPhone and Android. It seems you’re either fiercely pro-cycling or fiercely against it; or rather those in the middle ground are rarely heard – which isn’t surprising as the debate tends to get pretty loud.

To be fair, it’s hard to be against cycling from the get go. If cycling routes are clearly marked , sensibly separated from the rest of traffic, and kept away from pedestrian areas, no problem should arise. Cycling is a major mode of transport in many cities across the world and a lot of people would be willing to vouch for its efficiency. An amazing video went viral recently, showing a time delayed rendition of rush hour in the Dutch city of Utrecht. When properly managed, cycling can undoubtedly help ease congestion and help the environment.

But what about when it’s not so well managed? New York City is notorious for its bungled attitude to cycling. People have been trying to act as if all is well these days, what with new cycle lanes on Second Avenue and elsewhere, but I can tell you from experience that everything isn’t as rosy as some would have you believe. That’s right, I myself tried cycling in the city for about two months, after the subway fare went up again in January. And I can tell you right now it was terrifying. I came close to be knocked down by vicious cabbies on countless occasions. Eventually I began to dread every journey and had to give it up – the constant fear of having my bike stolen didn’t help either.

Even the new measures the city is taking to make cycling safer are having more of a negative impact than a positive one. Bike lanes are placed in between moving traffic and parallel parked cars, leaving cyclists struggling to avoid vehicle doors, and pedestrians struggling to cross the street as agitated cyclists whiz by (New York’s cyclists have a bit of a color-blindness problem, rarely stopping for a red light unless their life depends on it).

So far I’ve been pretty measured in my depiction of New York City cyclists, wouldn’t you agree? It’s clear that, for the most part, they are a danger only because the city’s infrastructure isn’t set up to deal with them. But what happens when the cyclists have free reign, when they can’t blame crazy cabbies for their erratic weaving and bobbing? Where on earth do cyclists have free reign you ask? Allow me to present the case of Central Park.

The Park is closed to traffic on Monday through Friday, 10am to 3pm and 7pm to 7am the following morning, and weekends from 7pm Friday to 7am Monday. During those hours pedestrians and cyclists can have the Park to themselves, and it just so happens that those are the hours in which I spend most of my time there. But the fact is, unless you’re on the lawn or another green area free of all asphalt, cyclists in the Park insist on making your leisurely stroll an anxiety-inducing experience.

The rules of the Park in relation to cycling state the following:

• Pedestrians have the right of way at all times.
• At crosswalks, cyclists must slow down, yield to pedestrians and then proceed cautiously.
• Cycling is prohibited on all pedestrian pathways.
• Cyclists are required to obey all traffic laws, such as traffic signals, stop signs, and a maximum speed limit of 25 mph, though it is recommended they travel at a speed appropriate to their surroundings.
• The law requires that children under 14 years of age wear a helmet, but it is recommended that all cyclists wear a helmet.
• They must always travel counterclockwise around the Park.
• Cyclists must use only the outer half of the recreation lane when the drives are open to cars; when they are closed to cars, cyclists must stay out of the recreation lane which is for runners and walkers only.

I can safely say I have seen every single one of those rules being broken, on multiple occasions. You see, the people that use the Park for recreational cycling aren’t your regular commuters; often they are kitted out in full cycling gear while riding competitive racing bikes – it doesn’t take a genius to see that these guys – and girls too – have no intention of sticking to any speed limit, much less concede the right of way to a lowly pedestrian such as myself.

It really is becoming a noticeable problem (read: I’m not becoming a bitter old killjoy, other people think this stuff too). Earlier this month, residents of the Upper East Side reacted angrily to the news that crosstown bike paths were planned for Central Park. They would rather cyclists were kept away from pedestrian paths altogether.

“I see my city, the way I travel and how I get around being revamped to accommodate a very small percentage of the population,” said one resident. “It really isn’t a right to travel the Park on a bicycle.”

So what is to be done about all this? Aside from a major overhaul of the city’s bike network, it’s not clear if anything can be done that would yield immediate results. Every few months we hear reports that the NYPD are starting to crack down on cyclists in the Park, but inevitably when the hype dies down the status quo is reintroduced and the bikers roam free again. For now, all we can do is advise you to be careful. If you bring your dog to the Park keep it on a tight leash, and if you have kids make sure they are by your side at all times!

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Posted by Staff Writer at 08:49 AM
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