<
https://road.cc/content/news/criminal-summons-red-light-running-new-york-cyclists-313875>
QUOTE:
Cyclists have hit out at a latest New York Police Department (NYPD)
crackdown that will see riders who roll through stop signs or red lights
issued criminal summonses rather than regular traffic tickets, calling
the move ôexcessive, unfair and offensiveö.
Under the departmentÆs new policy, riders who commit minor infractions
such as failing to stop at a red light or stop sign will be required to
appear in criminal court, rather than simply paying a civil fine.
The change is part of the NYPDÆs rollout of a new Quality of Life
Division and will see officers deployed to 14 corridors around the city
where complaints about reckless cycling have been recorded, including ManhattanÆs busy Sixth Avenue.
ôI can understand wanting to step up enforcement but bringing it up to a criminal violation seems excessive and unfair, given the relative danger
of a bike compared to a car,ö cyclist Amanda Tait said.
The NYPD has said the policy was prompted by concerns over reckless
riding, particularly by e-bikes and scooters. Last month, Police
Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the initiative as a response to
rising complaints from pedestrians. However, cycling advocates have
argued that the response is disproportionate and risks exacerbating
existing inequalities.
Ben Furnas, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, said:
ôThis is an obscene escalation from the police department, and not one
thatÆs grounded in real safety, data, or best practices. We know what
works ù building the bike lanes and street improvement projects that
corridors like Broadway need ù not suddenly locking up people on bikes.ö
["OBSCENE"? Really?]
Cyclists have also pointed out the stark difference in treatment
compared to drivers. Paula Richter, a New York local and cyclist, told
Spectrum News NY1(link is external): ôThe cost of transportation is so expensive, biking is sometimes the only option that people have, and to criminalise that for running a red light when you wouldnÆt do that for
somebody running a red light in a car is absolutely offensive.ö
[Who says that the NYPD don't prosecute drivers? I have driven in that
city many times and have always - of course - obeyed the law. But I have
seen drivers pulled over by the police. It is not credible that no
prosecutions take place. And surely the chav-bikers only want equality
with drivers?]
[ ... ]
Concerns have also been raised that the policy could disproportionately
impact communities of colour, low-income workers, and undocumented [ie, illegal] immigrants ù many of whom rely on bikes for essential travel
and deliveries.
Attorney Steve Vaccaro warned: ôSome of these e-bike riders, who are the
target of this initiative, are people in this country without status.
Forcing them to go to a criminal courthouse ù itÆs problematic because
we understand ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] views
courthouses as a place to roundup deportees, to put it bluntly.ö
[And what's wrong with that? The last Presidential election proved,
among other things, that the people of th USA *want* illegal immigrants
to be "rounded up" and deported. It's now official policy.]
The introduction of criminal summonses for cyclists comes amid a broader political climate in New York that has seen increasing hostility toward
bike users and active travel infrastructure.
[That's good - the majority, by definition, cannot be wrong in such
matters of political choices. It's nice to know they are being listened
to. Probably not hard enough and certainly not before time, but it's a
start.]
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)