10,000 bicycles could lead to more injuries, fatalities and increased legal claims
City
Comptroller John C. Liu today released a comprehensive plan to help
ensure the City’s Bike Share program, “Citi Bike,” is safe for cyclists,
pedestrians and
motorists alike. Nearly a month before the first 7,000 bicycles are
set to hit the City’s streets, Liu put forth the recommendations
designed to increase safety and reduce the City’s exposure to lawsuits.
Liu’s report titled “Bike Share in the City: A Comprehensive Safety Plan” can be found at
www.comptroller.nyc.gov, and
outlines a number of recommendations to ensure the physical health of riders and the fiscal health of the City.
“In
the rush to place ten thousand bicycles on our streets, City Hall may
have pedaled past safety measures, a move that risks significantly
exacerbating
the number of injuries and fatalities of both bikers and pedestrians,
especially those most vulnerable like young children and seniors,”
Comptroller Liu said. “Aside from the human toll, there is a real
possibility that the Bike Share program will increase
the number of legal claims against the City.”
Comptroller
Liu announced his plan at a news conference in his office in Lower
Manhattan, just blocks away from one of the City’s most dangerous
intersection for cyclists, Delancey and Essex Streets.
Research
has highlighted the dangers of bicycling in New York City.
Specifically, recent studies have found that over a third of bicyclists
run red lights, bike lines
are blocked 60 percent of the time by cars, trucks, and taxis and that
New York City is one of the most dangerous cities in the United States
for bicyclists.
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