There are some interesting ideas in the petition, but they will amount to nothing unless there is consistent, certain enforcement.  If bikers don’t stop for red lights on city streets, why will they do so in the park?

They should turn the traffic lights OFF when cars are not allowed.  The “new rules” listed above are what would happen if there were just crosswalks. 

Al’s comment about the “Lance Armstrong Type” is silly when you actually think about the park being a park… and not a city street.  Al wouldn’t expect a bicycle or a jogger stop at the line for him, he would simply wait until the bicycle or jogger passed.

Yielding doesn’t always mean stopping.  I bike in the park regularly and I am most definitely not a fan of the jerky spandex peletons, i.e., rhinocerous herds, that are “training” in the park. they are jerks. But they are also VERY predictable. 

Fresh striping and some new signs… OK.  All these new lights and ridiculous other things mentioned, silly, pointless, ugly, distracting, etc. etc. 

I’m not signing this petition because it’s too much. I hope the reasonable things are looked at, but not the rest.

How about some way to get the cyclists to obey the law and stay in the bike lane during the few hours that the park is open to cars?  Why isn’t there enforcement?  Next time those cyclists challange my by riding 4 abreast in the car lane ahead of me I’m tempted to knock out all four with my trusty Prius.

Actually, I do expect bikers to obey traffic laws in the streets and while I wouldn’t put anyone in danger to prove a point by crossing in front if a biker on purpose, I have told bikers, in not the nicest words, that they are subject to the same rules as cars and pedestrians have the right of way. The biker who almost hit me and my child wasn’t yeilding or being cautious at all even though the park was crowded. I ride my bike around the park and I know it’s hard to see what’s coming up ahead at some points. That’s why I slow down when I get the those places. And while it might be easier for a pedestrian to stop than a biker in principle the reality is that when you’re trying to cross with people and bikers all around you and someone is randomly yelling at you as they’re barreling towards you while you’re also holding a squirmy baby it’s a scary situation and you don’t always think straight.
Having said all that, I do agree that they can put up as many signs and dividers and whatever else they want and it won’t make any difference unfortunately.

No form of transportation has a lock on idiots and jerks. 

Like I said, Al… the marking and lights in the PARK should be such that creates a PARK environment and the expectations of the various PARK users would be PARK-type activities. 

I never said bicycles shouldn’t obey traffic laws.

I said, it’s ridiculous to think of and approach a closed PARK road the same way you do a city street.  There should be NO traffic lights in Prospect Park when cars are not permitted.  Bicyclists and rollerbladers should simply yield to pedestrians… and maybe, yeah, in the park environment pedestrians crossing the street should perhaps yield to the bicycle and jogging “traffic.” 

It’s unfortunate when a bicycle / pedestrian collision happens — but it’s due to someone being a d*ck and/or not paying attention.  No traffic lights or other pointless things like that will help.  More defined striping would be great.

Whoops, meant to write “nearly mowed down” though I have had my feet run over and once got smacked in the elbow. Three weeks ago on 26th Street I saw a woman fattened in a crosswalk by a delivery bike splitting pedestrians.

Sorry, but I have never, NEVER, seen a biker stop for a red light, stop sign or yield to a pedestrian.  Never, not once.  It’s interesting to read that not only are bikers not inclined to play by the rules vis-a-vis vehicles, but they don’t respect fellow park users on foot.  Not surprising, certainly in character…Bicyclists need to learn, either the easy way via education, or the hard way via summons, that if they want the roads shared with them, they have to play by the same rules as everyone else.

Fred, it’s called “confirmation bias” — you see what you want to see. The things that don’t fit into that is ignored.

Regardless — Have you ridden a bike in the city?  Do you realize that much of the behavior of bicyclists is CAUSED by the aggression and non-sharing by cars?!  Aggression begets aggression.

By the way, as both a pedestrian and bikers — i see bicycles yielding for walkers, walkers waving bicycles on, etc. etc.  It’s funny what you see if you look.

I do tend to agree with your overall premise, that we notice the worst, not the neutral to best in peoples’ actions. But if you come to the neighborhood where I work, you’ll see 80-90% of cyclists split the pedestrians who are crossing. I would add that pedestrians and motorists also do their stupid, frustrating, dangerous things. I tend to rank them by who can do the most damage. A stupid pedestrian stunt is a lot less likely to cause death and dismemberment than a stupid maneuver by a bicyclist or motorist.

Thanks for the behavioral analysis.  Why would I “want to see” bicyclists running red lights?  What’s my motive?  I think it’s great that more and more people are using bikes – we’ve seen this all over Europe.  The problem arises when the vast majority of bicyclists do not believe the traffic laws apply to them.  It’s not like I’m the only one noticing this…

Maybe the confirmation bias is on the other pedal…

Fred:  I think I once saw a cyclist stop for a red light.

Uh oh…you must have seen it because you wanted to see it!   Confirmation bias strikes again!!!!

Would you consider pedestrians that regularly REFUSE to wait on the sidewalk and encroach on the roadway a “stupid stunt”?

What about pedestrians that force a bicycle left… into the fast moving traffic. 

What about the pedestrians that stand in, walk in, cross bicycle lanes without looking, forcing a bicycle to either stop suddenly or get forced into the traffic lanes?  Is that a stupid stunt?

I don’t disagree with you generally speaking.  But these comments that bicyclists are all scofflaws, with NO self reflection of your own actions as a driver or pedestrians… AND how those actions may actually CAUSE and reinforce the behaviors of bicyclists.

Why are cyclists more respectful in Europe… forget that… in other cities in the U.S.??  It’s because the pedestrians and drivers are more respectful.  Share the Road is for EVERYONE. 

There were too many deaths this week on bicycles….First the  Marilyn Dershowitz accident, then the owner of DBA, Ray Deter has a fatal bike accident…something has to be done, but I have no idea what…

I’m not sure that bicycles are required to stop at red lights.  Last spring the police tried ticketing bikes in Central Park but gave up because it seemed pointless.

Obeying traffic laws and wearing helmets may cut the fatality rate.

This is sort of tangential to the whole discussion, but you might want to seriously consider the likelihood that you are very stupid.

I know I guy who got the full monty $160 ticket for not stopping at a stop sign on his bicycle. 

The judge laughed and threw it out.

He definitely at least looks for cops before blowing through stop-signs now though.

I know I guy who got the full monty $160 ticket for not stopping at a stop sign on his bicycle. 

The judge laughed and threw it out.

He definitely at least looks for cops before blowing through stop-signs now though.