The analysis was done on the roads that cross the Williamsburgh, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queensboro bridges.
Foto:
Angela Weiss / AFP / Getty Images
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More than a third of two-wheelers on protected bike lanes and greenways in the Big Apple are speeding classified as “dangerous”, in addition to violating the established speed limits, indicated an analysis carried out by the New York Post.
Motorcyclists were tracked by journalists from The Post, who used a radar gun on the roads that cross the Williamsburgh, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queensboro bridges, as well as the bike lanes in Midtown and Hudson River Park.
A total of 486 two-wheelers were timed, and it was concluded that 167, which represents 34% of the motorcycles, accelerated above the speed limit of 25 mph. In some cases motorcyclists reached up to 35 mph.
The Williamsburg bridge increased the need to speed up even more, leaving between 44% and 59% of the 74 motorcycles that used the road during a one-hour period on Friday to exceed 25 mph.
Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge lanes had 37% and 30% of motorcyclists caught speeding during one hour of analysis.
The Queensboro Bridge had a lower percentage of offending motorcyclists, with 18% of the 87 timed motorcyclists; however, unlike other East River crossings, its bike lane is shared with pedestrians who were forced to dodge motorcycles.
By Thursday afternoon, The Post was located near Stuyvesant High School on Chambers Street and for an hour recorded 33 of 77 motorcycles that traveled the Hudson River Park bike lane in violation of 25 mph, to 43%.
The analysis of the newspaper was carried out amid an increase in the crackdown on dangerous driving, with speed cameras that operate 24 hours a day. Still, bike lanes continue to pose serious safety hazards, as cases of e-bike, moped and motorcycle violators breaking speed limits continue to be prominent in the city.
This situation has made citizens feel fed up with lawbreakers in bike lanes.
Peter Epstein, a 60-year-old cyclist who finished fighting on the West Side of Manhattan, considers the situation with violators to be a big problem.
“People walk by because they have the green light to cross the road, and these (motor) motorcycles approach them; there isn’t even time for anyone to react. It’s crazy”Epstein lamented.
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine last week proposed converting part of the adjacent West Side Highway into a two-way protected bike lane so electric bikes and other legal motorized bicycles can use it.
Motorized bicycles are not allowed in Hudson River Parkwhich is run by a state-city entity, nor in any bike lanes in city parks.
Nevertheless, law enforcement by NYPD and city park patrol officers seems non-existentaccording to some avid cyclists.
“We don’t have the manpower to deal with illegal bikes or speeding,” acknowledged Joe Puleo, president of District 37 Council Local 983, which represents park officials. “Our members are being told to turn most of their attention this summer to protecting pools and beaches.”
During Mayor Eric Adams’ campaign, he stressed that the city needs to take action against off-road motorcycles, off-road vehicles, among others, including more effective implementation of speed cameras and police to stop speeders.
In June, New York City authorities finalized a road safety plan to curb motorcyclists violating speed limits and increase safety at intersections and bike lanes.
Given the complaint of drivers and pedestrians who feel in danger due to the maneuvers of those who drive these types of motorcycles, launched a motorcycle plan for the summer that consists of specifying where illegal motorcycles operate most frequently and where the complaints come from to remove them from circulation.
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