# Cycling deaths soar in NYC



## editor (Nov 22, 2010)

This sounds worrying:



> There were at least 19 cyclist fatalities in NYC through October 31, seven more than in all of 2009, according to an analysis of NYPD data conducted by the Wall Street Journal. And during the same period, 3,505 bikers were injured in crashes with motor vehicles, more than last year's total and up 20% compared to the first 10 months of last year.
> 
> In response, the NYPD has gone on a ticketing blitz targeting cyclists, issuing summonses for such infractions as talking on a cellphone while biking and cycling without lights.
> 
> http://gothamist.com/2010/11/22/with_cycling_deaths_on_rise_nypd_cr.php



I've never fancied cycling in NYC - I get confused enough cycling on the wrong side of the road and add in their abysmal road surfaces and I fear for an unwanted road/face interface.


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## TruXta (Nov 22, 2010)

Funny, that's exactly how I feel about cycling in London, except for the road surfaces. I did notice on my one and only visit to NYC that their roads were cack.


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## nick h. (Nov 22, 2010)

Are cyclists allowed to filter between stationary lines of cars in New York? Plenty of drivers got very arsey with me when I did it in assorted southern states this year.


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## sylvan (Dec 21, 2011)

Cycling in Manhattan is pretty similar to London, just on the other side of the road (no helmets, almost universal ignoring of red lights if nothing coming etc). Massive contrast to the cyclists outside of NYC (mostly have helmets, mirrors, safety first etc).

Roads in Manhatten were excellent, but cycled out to JFK and experienced a more London kind of surfacing through Brooklyn.

I think that the link in the OP might be doing a little bit of injustice to the issues. The police crackdown isn't to do the cyclists a favour, it's a small part of a bigger political battle going on in NYC over the last couple of years (which has been mentioned a lot in the Guardian's bike blog, so I'm going to assume that it's been extensively discussed in the transport forum).

ahh, here's a link anyway: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2011/feb/22/new-york-crack-down-cyclists

eta: damn, just noticed that previous entries were 2010, not 2011. Sorry


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## Radar (Jan 14, 2012)

nick h. said:


> Are cyclists allowed to filter between stationary lines of cars in New York? Plenty of drivers got very arsey with me when I did it in assorted southern states this year.


Don't think filtering is allowed much anywhere in the states. I hired a blackbird a couple of years ago and went touring around the Sierra Nevada's. Even the local hairy arsed brigade went batshit when I filtered down the main street in Sonara, and that was in the only state I know of where it _isn't_ verbotten


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