Pedestrians

I admire the efforts of the T.A. to implement the Street Code. But pedestrians really need to sign on to this as well. All to often, pedestrians use bike lanes as sidewalks or step into bike lanes as if they don't have to worry about the bikes using them to move along the street. I'm happy to yield for pedestrians who are on a shared path, using cross walks and such. But, I'm less pleased to yield for a pedestrian who is in the wrong place. Since a cyclist can be ticketed for being on a sidewalk or in a designated pedestrain area, can a pedestrain be ticketed when they misbehave?

Meanwhile, I completely agree with a lot of the street code. I'm a new cyclist and I do my best to follow the rules of the road like a car does. I'm stunned by the number of cyclists who don't and end up causing unsafe conditions.

Thanks for this question. Be sure to take a look at a long explanation about why yielding to pedestrians matters here.

The general answer to your question about why Biking Rules puts the majority of the burden of upholding the Street Code on cyclists is that this campaign is written by cyclists and is for cyclists. Every street user is obligated to follow the rules of the road that apply to them. Pedestrians are not exempt from that obligation.

The goal of the Street Code is for cyclists to take the lead in a big way, and to become more flexible in our interactions with pedestrians, because ultimately we all want the same thing: safe passage on our public right of ways.

A lot of the frustration that you describe around pedestrians not being in their designated spaces sounds similiar to frustrations that motorists have when cyclists are not in the bike lane, or even if bikes are on streets without bike lane.

Biking Rules is making a proposition. Our streets can be different, as Broadway in Times Square exemplifies. In order for our streets to be safer we will need to learn how to share our public spaces more effectively. We can only hope for city streets that are more dominated by pedestrians than by private automobiles. Our behavior now can help us achieve the kinds of urban spaces that are more dictated by quality of experience than flow of traffic.

Slowing down, ringing your bell, making eye contact and having a pleasant exchange with pedestrians walking in a bike lane is the Biking Rules Street Code approach to the problem that you present. Working together for safer streets might even mean getting where you are going a few minutes later. But ultimately, riding a bike will always be the fastest and most fun way to get around the Big Apple.


Submitted by jeffadams on May 23, 2009 - 6:06pm.