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Cops Crack Down On UWS Cyclists
By
John Del Signore
Published May 27, 2014
Modified May 27, 2014
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By
John Del Signore
Published May 27, 2014
Modified May 27, 2014
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After cracking down on jaywalking pedestrians (and bloodying an elderly man) earlier this year, police on the Upper West Side are focusing their attention on cyclists, who have caused exactly zero traffic fatalities so far in 2014. Bicycling violations have soared 123% in the past month, with 38 bike-related summonses issued, according to Capt. James Dennedy. That's up from 17 summonses issued during the same period last year.
"We are experiencing an increase in bike accidents," Capt. Dennedy told a community meeting last week, adding that cyclists "have to obey the same traffic laws as we [the police] do." Guess that means cyclists are still free to blow through red lights, speed, and park in bike lanes, just like the NYPD!
To be sure, cyclists who flout traffic laws pose a legitimate danger to pedestrians, and in recent years, uptown residents have been particularly vocal about reckless restaurant delivery cyclists. But three pedestrians have been killed by motorists, not cyclists, on the Upper West Side this year, and some neighborhood groups argue that the NYPD needs to do more to crack down on speeding and reckless driving.
"Why I gotta be in the street? It’s dangerous," scofflaw cyclist Charles Williams asked the Daily News. "The city just wants a way to make money. Go after the rapists and the killers." Well Charles, that's complicated.
Tagged
cycling crackdown
cyclists
nypd
Upper West Side
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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