Iproving Bicyclist Compliance With Traffic Laws
Vision Zero’s success relies not only on motorists but also cyclists. Image Credit: CityLand.
Mayor de Blasio’s Vision Zero initiative to substantially reduce traffic fatalities can only be achieved if all users of our roadways respect traffic rules. This needs to include bicyclists for their own safety and for the safety of others. On the streets of New York City compliance by bicyclists is not the norm. They frequently do not stop for a red traffic light, and often are seen bicycling against traffic flow, riding on the sidewalk and committing other infractions. What is needed is a more rational and appropriate way to promote compliance. Past culture-changing efforts in the City such as cleaning up after your dog, banning fireworks and restricting cigarette smoking have been remarkably successful. Changing the behavior of bicyclists also can be accomplished, but only with a new approach.
We recommend getting tougher and more lenient at the same time. Here’s how.
Change the penalty structure. Right now, penalties against bicyclists who run red lights are up to $270 — identical to car driver fines, even though the consequences, in terms of injuring others, are much fewer. Make the bike fine $50, a far more reasonable amount for the offense. And take the cyclist tickets out of the Traffic Violations Bureau — a state entity from which the city gets less than half the revenue — and make them returnable to the City’s Department of Finance. Incentives matter; that’s why the city writes about 8 million parking tickets but just 1 million moving violations annually.
More enforcement. With the extra revenue generated by transferring adjudication to the city we can hire a healthy complement of NYPD traffic officers dedicated to bike-related enforcement. This includes making sure that cyclists obey laws and that drivers share the road and don’t block bike lanes.
Saner rules. Finally, start to accept that bike riders shouldn’t have to follow all of the rules established for car drivers since cyclists navigate the road more like pedestrians at times than cars. Allow for turns on red after stops and when there are no pedestrians. Through signage and special traffic lights for bikes, permit bicyclists to make turns and other movements prohibited for motorists.
Lastly, launch an education campaign to encompass the changes and let bikers, drivers and pedestrians know the new rules of the road so that we can all get along.
Sam Schwartz, the Daily News’ Gridlock Sam, is a former deputy commissioner in the city Transportation Department under Mayor Ed Koch.
Gerard Soffian, adjunct professor at NYU-Poly, is a former deputy commissioner for the Transportation Department’s division of traffic operations under Mayor Bloomberg.