Mortality of cyclists in New York reached a historic high: what's next

As bike deaths hit a historic high in New York, security activists say politicians have finally started talking seriously about this issue. About what the city plans to do for the sake of road safety, the newspaper writes Daily News.

Record cyclist mortality rate

As of the end of December, 2019 people died while cycling in New York in 29. Of these, 28 were hit by small cars and 25 by large trucks, buses, SUVs or minibuses. A total of 18 of these people were killed in Brooklyn.

This is the largest number of cyclist deaths in a city in a calendar year since 1999, according to data from the city's transport authority. It is also almost three times more than 10 cyclists who died in the city for the whole of 2018.

All this happens simultaneously with a record number of cyclists on the road. A report published by the Department of Transportation data (DOT) this year showed that nearly 500 cyclists roam the streets of the city every day.

“Unfortunately, we will still have difficult years like this,” DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said last week during a press conference that addressed the issue of road traffic deaths this year. "But from the point of view of the Department of Transport, and I think so, this will only spur more activity and creativity on our part."

What has been done for the safety of cyclists

In July - after the death toll of cyclists since the beginning of the year reached 15 - hundreds of protesters staged a "death demonstration" in a park in Washington Square to draw attention to the problem.

Two weeks later, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new program called The Green Wave. It provides for updating infrastructure on key streets, which, according to him, will help protect cyclists. In particular, city officials ordered an increase in the number of protected bike lanes in five districts of New York.

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“We've seen the conversation about street safety change, both at the mayor's level and with Council members,” said Joe Cutrufo, spokesman for the street safety advocacy group at Transportation Alternatives. “We are still in a situation where, unfortunately, this administration requires death or multiple deaths or serious injuries to take action. However, we are seeing many big changes in the last calendar year. ”

What else will be done for security

Joe Kutrufo said that the approval by the Council speaker Cory Johnson of a “street map,” which would require the DOT to equip more than 80 kilometers of protected bike lanes every year since 2022, is another positive step forward.

However, the mayor continues to rebuke the city's bicycle community, even during fatal incidents. In September, he promised that the police would continue to expand the requirements for cyclists, because "they must follow the rules." This comment angered road safety advocates and those who have lost loved ones due to unsafe driving.

Trottenberg, in turn, publicly distanced herself from this point of view.

When pressured at a press conference last week to accuse lawbreaking cyclists of the increased death toll, she said the danger of a multi-ton vehicle is difficult to compare with the danger of a 13-kilogram bicycle. “This is a conversation I had with many motorists who complain, 'Okay, but pedestrians and cyclists are jumping out (onto the road - Ed.),' And I always have the same answer: New York streets are crowded. They can be chaotic. The unexpected can happen, ”Trottenberg said. "Whether you feel in the right or wrong position when you are driving is a question for you."

Controversial moments

Even if the behavior of drivers changes, some experts believe that the number of deaths of cyclists will not reach an acceptable level until the city changes the way it builds bike lanes.

“One of the real disappointments of the year is that this comes at a time when the city is still building protected cycle lanes where trucks and cars can easily park,” said Jon Orcutt, head of the human rights group Cycling New York "and former director of DOT.

In his opinion, "we need places separated from cars." Orcutt also added that when you ride a bicycle in traffic, even a small vehicle speed can make a huge difference.

Kutrufo estimates that a secure bike lane combined with more predictable driver behavior could prevent the death of 25 cyclists this year.

But Transportation Alternatives CEO Danny Harris said the problem is much wider than bike lanes. He argued that only public outcry could make the city streets safe.

“The question for lawyers is not how many people have to die for change to occur, but how many of the 8,6 million New Yorkers will begin to realize how much traffic has made their lives worse,” he said.