Helen Rosenthal, bike helmet in hand, with former council candidate Ken Biberaj.
Sorry, bike lane haters. The Upper West Side has elected a very bike-friendly council member. Helen Rosenthal proved her allegiances by biking to Wednesday’s inauguration in freezing weather, as documented in the photo above.
But one idea she has proposed could irk some of the bicyclists: she told us in a Q&A last year that she wants bicyclists in the protected lanes like the one on Columbus Avenue to wear special identification.
“Protected bike lane users should be required to wear the same kind of yellow or orange jackets worn by delivery men so that there presence is more easily identified by pedestrians and unnecessary and dangerous accidents more likely to be avoided. Â Restaurants must be required to license their delivery men and wear clearly identifiable vests. Â Bike riders who do not follow the rules must be fined.”
This idea is very unlikely to pass muster — it would depend on a citywide change in the rules, and the de Blasio administration probably wouldn’t even consider it for fear it would depress bike usage.
That said, we’re curious if Upper West Siders support the idea. What do you think?
[poll id=”22″]
CM Rosenthal is great, but I don’t find this very compelling.
Mandatory vests for delivery people, sure (and I think it is already); but for regular folks? Nah.
All it would do is discourage people from riding. That would be, on the whole, a bad thing for safety and a bad thing for the environment.
I am not a cyclist myself, but I am a fan of safer streets and a cleaner earth/city.
I’ll never understand the bike hate — though things really do seem to be changing for the better. Each year this conversation seems less divisive than the one before.
I hope that continues, and maybe the conversations it fosters, in the final analysis, will generate more light than heat.
Not to be picky, but if I’m going to be represented by this person then I’d really appreciate if she’d get herself some English lessons:
“…so that there presence is more easily identified by pedestrians…” Umm, did we mean **their** presence, perhaps?
“…and unnecessary and dangerous accidents more likely to be avoided.” This is a good idea — let’s not try to avoid those *necessary* accidents. And of course the *safe* accidents are good, too; it’s only the “dangerous” ones we need to worry about.
“Restaurants must be required to license their delivery men and wear clearly identifiable vests.” This will be an interesting sight indeed: restaurants wearing clearly identifiable vests! What will they identify?
But hey, new representative, you bought the seat, now go get ’em!
THANK YOU, CATO !!!
“Good catch,” as they say in the (sadly, disappearing) proof-reading biz!
Hilarious.
Yes, look at that reflective black jacket CM Rosenthal is wearing.
I don’t particularly care about reflective vests but would like to see bicycles be registered and their riders licensed/insured, just as cars and drivers must be. Perhaps then those cyclists who choose to ignore the rules of the road could be held accountable, and the pedestrians they hit covered.
The vests idea will never fly, but I’ve been at a loss to figure out why helmets haven’t been mandated for bicyclists. I suppose that will come under consideration when the first CitiBike rider that hits a pothole and lands on their noggin sues both the City and the Citi.
If the bicyclists don’t want to wear the orange jackets, then I propose an alternative: require all pedestrians to wear them, so that the bicyclists won’t hit them. See? Solved!
Who gives a crap? How about they confront some of the real issues in the neighborhood likes the rapidly multiplying homeless shelters and dozens of vacancies along Broadway they are a direct result.
Cyclists wearing neon jackets? Groundbreaking and important stuff here.
Who gives a crap? How about they confront some of the real issues in the neighborhood like the rapidly multiplying homeless shelters and dozens of vacancies along Broadway that are a direct result.
Cyclists wearing neon jackets? Groundbreaking and important stuff here.
Nice to see our council representative focused on stuff that doesn’t matter.
I would be much more appreciative if she could spend her valuable time figuring out how to encourage more small businesses to open north of 96th Street or how to get the marauding mass of homeless people and vagrants who populate Broadway off the street. Hey, maybe we can put them in cute little orange jackets and bike them over the rarified air of the Upper East Side.
Maybe pedestrians could manage to see cyclists without them looking like hunters?
Ditto for drivers?
What a stupid idea coming from someone who rides bikes. If you’re NOT wearing a vest you can ride anywhere on the street, except in a protected bike lane? But to ride in a bike lane, you need a uniform? This, of course, will discourage cyclists from riding in the safest place for them… a protected bike lane. Brilliant.
So I can see them coming before they run a red light and kill me???? Really..!!!
Yes! Let’s have vests and offer advertising on them.
Meh. I always wear bright colors when I bike. But my neon yellow jacket hasn’t stopped pedestrians from stepping into my path when they have a “don’t walk” sign, or cars from trying to run me down even though I’m obeying all the traffic rules. And I’m not crazy about being forced to invest in an ugly orange vest (especially when I wear bright colors to ride anyway).
If she loves bikes, that’s great, but I’d like to see her focus on getting CitiBike up here before she worries about making people wear vests. In addition, I’d rather see people focus on watching and obeying lights, than having them wear vests and continue to run lights and knock into each other.
Good luck with that one, Helen. Are you going to provide these vests? Do they come in many sizes? Are they government sanctioned? Is this how you’ll be spending your time in office? Hmm
But isn’t that just the point of a protected bike lane, to protect the cyclists. What next? Will you created bike inspection stations to make sure all bikes are road ready and registered? Oops- hope I didn’t give you an idea.
Oh please, Helen. Why don’t you focus your energies on something really important, like the homeless shelters, masses of panhandlers, increasing crime rate and resulting deterioration of the West 90’s & 100’s that Gale Brewer left behind?
It’s admirable that Council Member Rosenthal supports bikers. I’m very interested in hearing her plans to ensure enforcement of the traffic laws that are so frequently ignored by bikers here on the Upper West Side and in the rest of New York City.
Ms. Rosenthal – any comment?
Bike lanes on the UWS are always empty. They just make life harder for pedestrians, drivers, and especially pedestrians trying to get into taxis.
People going N/S should just use the bike path along the Hudson.
If we’re stuck with the stupid bike lanes, then the few people using them should be required to obey the law, instead of running red lights and endangering pedestrians.
So, sure, make them wear neon clothes, flashing lights, and a big sign that says: Count me, I’m one of the only people using this lane.
Have you been on the Hudson Path?
It is not just a bike path, it is full of runners, rollerbladers and walkers. There is bad behavior by all parties on the path. People often walk two and three abreast making cyclists, runners and rollerbladers go into the oncoming lane to get around them, many walkers glare at you or ignore you if you’re on your bike and ask to get by. Many runners run on the biking portion of the path despite the designated area for runners in several places. Rollerbladers glide from side to side blocking an entire lane and like many others (runners, walkers and cyclists)on the path are wearing earphones and can’t hear you when you ask to pass them. Many bikers ride two abreast and/or at speeds way too fast for a mixed use path. I stopped riding on the path on weekends unless I could get out by 8:00 a.m. as riding was more stressful than fun.
Although as a pedestrian I have been angry at bad bike behavior when I am trying to cross the street when I have the right of way, I have also seen plenty of pedestrians who couldn’t care less about staying out of a crosswalk when a cyclist or a delivery person has the right of way.
I agree that bike lanes on the UWS are not so crowded as midtown, for instance, and for obvious reasons. But with Phase II of Citibike (if/when it happens), I suspect we’ll be thankful for those dedicated lanes.
the bikers should learn to ride.
More in favor of requiring and enforcing helmet use than vest use. I’d rather see enforcement of delivery men on bikes not riding on sidewalks or against traffic than vest wearing.
Seriously this is what she focuses on? And I thought Nannies Bloomberg and Brewer were bad.
How about making everyone wear name tags? This would be great, it would make the UWS more friendly. Hi John, Hello Susan….
Just another counter productive over reaction. A poorly thought through nanny state idea from the self righteous new council woman for the upper west side. Get use to it, neighbors. I have a feeling she has a trunk full of them. Hey! Maybe I’ll get a bright orange jacket that reads “Defeat Helen Rosenthal” written on it!
The problem is not visibility of bikers in bike lanes; that is what the bike lanes themselves are for: to visually alert pedestrians and cars that they should look for bikes in that location. The problem is that no one actually looks before walking/turning into that lane. That problem will continue to exist even if cyclists are wearing neon vests.
That said, as a cyclist who obeys traffic laws, it is extremely annoying to see other cyclists riding the wrong way in bike lanes and on the street, in addition to the myriad other ways many cyclists ride unsafely and break the law. It makes it very difficult for cyclists to get any respect!
@Steven: you clearly don’t commute or run errands on a bike. Riding on the Hudson bike path is great if you happen to live far west and happen to be going somewhere on the west side (or if you’re just going for a joy ride), but to have to ride several avenues over to the Hudson then several avenues back to your destination adds significant time to your commute. It’s just not practical. Luckily, I live near Riverside, and over the distance I ride to work in Union Square, it’s worth it for me to go over to the Hudson bike path. However, if I’m running an errand on Columbus on the UWS for instance, I’m obviously not going to ride west to the bike path just to ride east back to Columbus. I’d still be riding on side streets in any event to go east and west, and most of those don’t have bike lanes at all.
K8,
Well said. I think you hit on some very important points. I don’t agree with all your comments but I am a pedestrian so I see things through that lens. I agree that “bad” cyclists harm the communities reputation and that there are many “good” cyclists. I do think there are a lot of cyclists that forget that pedestrians have the right of way. Full stop. Even Transportation Alternatives a primarily bicycle advocacy group acknowledges the pedestrian right of way as the bottom line in its literature. I have seen many bike/bike accidents pedestrian/bike accidents and sadly the most dangerous bike/car accidents.
It is clear that “cyclist” is a stereotype in the same way we stereotype all sub-cultural groups. There are the Lance Armstrong wannabes decked out in every piece of the most expensive gear for a ride through Manhattan where the might gain 85 feet of elevation. I thought of these poseurs as I watched a cyclist ride over the Kebler pass in Colorado. Then there are bike messengers. We all pretty know that one. And there are great cyclists. People who stop at stop signs have lights when they’re needed. And seeming to have found a Zen state while riding. I love them.
Not having a helmet law for bikes is pretty much the same as not having a helmet law for motorcyclists. Foolhardy. I hate to think about the potential for traumatic brain injury in a bike crash. I have worn a cycle helmet since the original Bell helmets hit the market in the eighties.
My perception and talking with my cyclist friends is that the prevailing attitude is along the lines of “We have to be defensive. We know what is safe and what is not and when. We will make the right call.”
My wife and I have had too many close calls with bikes blowing lights or going the wrong way on a one way street AND then against the light. We have each had minor brushes from bikes a few times. Luckily know one was hurt but I have seen pedestrians in perfectly lawful spots get pegged by bikes.
And yes, I understand the frustration with pedestrian tourists who walk four abreast down a shared path.
What it all boils down to is that everyone must obey the rules of the road. I even gave up Jay Walking 3 years ago.
Oh and as far as the blaze orange vests. I wear one in the summer when I am walking down the trail along the Hudson River Park.
Might be nice if she found out what her constituents desired before going public.
she made the statement during the CAMPAIGN. She was not an elected official at that point.
So much unnecessary invective against Helen Rosenthal! You wouldn’t know that she is extremely popular on the UWS… and that the vast majority of voters agree with her progresive stances.
She is not “focusing” or concentrating on this idea, as anyone who has watched her statements and activities since her election knows. This was simply an idea that she put forward in response to a questionaire. This answer was one of 40 (!) questions; Avi (West Sider) links to the original in his posting above. She clearly states that her PRIORITIES are inequality; affordable housing; the survival of middle class families; cuts to social service programs and public school overcrowding.
this particular answer was to the Q, “Is there more that can be done to protect pedestrians in the neighborhood?”
some of the “comments” rhetoric is way way over the top. why?
Old people don’t like change.
I have to ask the West Side Rag: did you cover Helen Rosenthal’s MAIN initiative since the election?
She played an important role in trying to introduce transparency into the Council Speaker’s race. She did this by coalescing with 3 other new progressive councilmembers to sponsor well attended “debates” or open forums for speaker candidates. she almost immediately became a “player” in the Council by doing this.
i didn’t notice coverage in the Rag of this initiative. But maybe i missed it — if so, “props” to you and my apoligies.
Great idea if the bikers actually used the bike lanes
I agree with the other comments about how the bike lanes are infrequently used, and improperly used. Though they are theoretically a clever idea, they are also a nuisance, and there are plenty of viable alternatives for the few who ride bikes as transportation on the UWS. I work in midtown and the dedicated bike lanes are really just car-free alleys for tourists and smokers.
It seems there are so many more issues we have to deal with in 2014 than the trifling matter of a bike lane. Such as economics and housing, sustaining small business and making sure that Helen doesn’t become a tool like Gale Brewer was.
more gratuitous nastiness. Gale Brewer won the UWS in the BP race with unprecedented majorities. I guess not everyone considers her a “tool.”
I think special clothing would be hard for tourists who use the bikes, but…that said, I think they should have some form of insurance. I know many people who have been run down and hurst by cyclists and there is no recourse. The insurance companies, or credit card companies could automatically provide that when someone who doesn’t have it puts their card into the bike machines.
Might be better to have pedestrians wear orange as the Lance Armstrong-types hardly notice them when they go through red lights, ride on the sidewalk and generally cause a lot of problems for people who simply want to walk on our streets and in our parks. Where are the proponents for pedestrians? Does anyone care that there a hell of a lot people who don’t ride bikes but now have become targets for them? Rosenthal should spend more time walking around the neighborhood and asking what her constituency prefers — safe streets or bikers.
Safe streets designs benefit everybody. The statistics are very clear on this.
And from what I have seen, Helen cares about everybody on the Upper West Side: pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists.
There really is a lot of anger around this, and I can’t help but feel that it is very, very misplaced.
It’s New York. Maybe black vests or perhaps charcoal grey.