Many New Yorkers might have ducked out of the way as a delivery biker careened down a street, rushing to make a delivery on time.
In an effort to make street users safer, the Department of Transportation announced today that they will give 1,500 cyclists safety gear.
The safety initiative, called SaferHood, will distribute bells, bike lights and reflective vests.
The equipment will be given out at forums around the city, where business owners and cyclists can learn about bike safety laws.
Many people have complained that some delivery cyclists can be reckless as they rush to fill orders.
DOT instructors visit businesses – 3,530 since July, according to the city – to tell them that they must provide helmets, bikes, vests and identification numbers to all delivery bikers.
Fines for not following these requirements can be as much as $250.
About 57 percent of businesses comply, according to the DOT.
Beginning in April, DOT employees will enforce rules requiring delivery cyclists to complete an online safety course covering the laws.
“New Yorkers want their deliveries in a New York minute, but the businesses that employ bike riders need to be as up to speed safety as they are on making fast deliveries,” DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan said.
The eight forums will be in Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn beginning Feb. 21, with a 3 p.m. event at the Brooklyn Arts Exchange.
