Cops Park In Bike Lanes As NYC Cyclist Fatalities Increase

NEW YORK — A massive spike in bike fatalities spurred the NYPD to crack down on drivers blocking bike lanes — but some cyclists say cops are a large part of the problem.

"It’s kind of a slap in the face of bicyclists that pass by and does indeed send a message that we don’t really care about you," said Marco Conner, the co-deputy director of the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives.

The NYPD pledged Tuesday to ticket drivers who block bike lanes and commit other traffic infractions in a three-week citywide blitz. A ticket for parking in a bike lane comes with a $115 fine.

The enforcement effort is a response to a recent spate of cyclist deaths — 15 bikers have died in traffic incidents so far this year, up from 10 in all of 2018.

But cyclists say they frequently encounter police cars parked in bike lanes even though cops are supposed to enforce the law against blocking them.

The problem is especially prevalent near police stations, some cyclists say. Liz Marcello of Washington Heights, a competitive cyclist who trains and commutes on her bike several times a week, said she often passes at least three precincts where cars are parked in bike lanes "all day every day."

"If it (the NYPD) can’t even police itself, how is it going to police private citizens who park in bike lanes?" said Marcello, who is an urban planning doctoral student at Columbia University.

Pictures of NYPD cruisers in bike lanes abound on social media — there's even a Twitter account dedicated to the phenomenon.

Marcello tweeted a photo of a police vehicle parked in a Washington Heights bike lane separated from traffic by plastic bollards on Tuesday — the same day the Police Department touted its efforts to crack down on dangerous driving and parking.

"It’s an inauspicious start to operation bike safety," said Jon Orcutt, a spokesperson for the cycling nonprofit Bike New York.

Cars force cyclists to swerve into traffic when they block bike lanes, which can have deadly consequences, cycling advocates say. Orcutt pointed to last year's death of Madison Jane Lyden, who was fatally hit by a truck on Central Park West when she went around a cab parked in a bike lane.

Asked about the issue Tuesday, Police Commissioner James O'Neill said cops should only park in bike lanes when responding to an emergency that endangers someone's life or property. An officer who blocks a bike lane could face a reprimand, he said.

"This is a message that we send out constantly," O'Neill said. "In New York City, it is a congested city, there’s no doubt about it. But ... we’re the ones responding to calls, we’re the ones that have to be responsible also."

But cyclists said the presence of cop cars in bike lanes is a big contributor to the lack of trust that cyclists have in the NYPD's ability to keep them safe.

"I think it shows that most police officers who are tasked with enforcing these safety laws to protect New Yorkers in traffic actually don’t take that job seriously," Conner said. "If they did, they themselves would not be doing this."

Conner said he thought O'Neill's position showed that he grasps the extent of the dangers that cyclists face on city streets. But Orcutt said the commissioner could have been more forceful. To Marcello, his stance sounded like "a bunch of hot air."

"When the cops do something illegal, it’s corruption," Marcello said. "Sure, it’s like petty lunch money corruption, but it’s definitely illegal and it should be something that’s paid attention to by the mayor and other law enforcement people above the NYPD."