Report: De Blasio Ignores Rise in Pedestrian Injuries by NYC Cyclists

The number of pedestrians injured by cyclists in New York City has risen this year, according to recent reports.

“Injuries are up 12 percent this year, rising to 127 through June 30 from 113 over the same period in 2018,” according to the New York Post.

“Since 2011, bicyclists have injured more than 2,250 pedestrians — including at least seven who died,” the report said.

In 2014, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio adopted Vision Zero, a strategy that seeks to “eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all.”

However, since adopting the strategy, de Blasio has reportedly ignored the threat to pedestrians and has only criticized electric-bike riders who use the bicycles primarily for food-delivery, blasting them for “going the wrong way on streets and riding on sidewalks.”

The most recent pedestrian death in the city occurred on July 31 when Manhattan real estate broker Michael Collopy was struck by a cyclist while walking to work. His head hit the pavement and reports said he died five days later at Bellevue Hospital due to his injuries.

Now, Collopy’s family are demanding that city officials take more aggresive action.

Reports said that family members “provided a statement saying the city needs to aggressively address the dangerous interactions between pedestrians, bicycles, and cars… All three groups are seen breaking traffic laws every day,” according to CBS New York.

However, reports stated the New York Police Department (NYPD) have increased their efforts to enforce laws pertaining to cyclists.

“Cops issued 19,949 moving violations to cyclists this year through June 30, up from 18,148 over the same period last year, a 10 percent increase,” reports said.

Despite the recent tragedies, many New Yorkers are still choosing to use bicycles as a mode of transportation, according to NPR.

The report said:

More people are choosing to cycle for a variety of reasons — concerns about their impact on the environment, frustration with public transit and desire to improve their physical health. The city has also been instrumental in encouraging people to bike, including the massive rollout of Citi Bike bike shares.

“Over the past few years, the city has on average built 62 miles of bike lanes each year — the largest increase anywhere in the country. But, in a city with more than 6,000 miles of streets, fewer than 1 in 5 has a bike lane,” the report concluded.