Three cyclists were injured in one accident-filled afternoon Tuesday, adding to the alarming uptick in vehicle versus bike accidents.
One cyclist became “logged under a fire truck in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn,” ABC reported. Another cyclist was hit on the Upper East Side at 96th Street when a car turned a corner. Finally, around 4:30 p.m., a cyclist was hit by an MTA bus at 6th Avenue and Central Park South. All the crashes reportedly happened in areas without protected bike lanes.
Outlets are reporting that the victims were able to walk away from the incidents, but sadly that hasn’t been the case for 19 NYC cyclists this year; nearly double the rate of those killed last year. Although biking incidents have been common throughout the entire city, Brooklyn holds the title for the most causalities related to bike deaths. The Department of Transportation (DOT) noted that 71 percent of bicycle fatalities in 2019 so far occurred in Brooklyn.
DOT reported that 24 percent of adult New Yorkers ride a bike, that’s well over one million people.
According to the “Green Wave” plan, 90 percent of bike fatalities occur in areas without protected bike lanes.
Mayor de Blasio started an initiative called “The Green Wave” to help protect cyclists because cyclist-realted deaths and injuries are becoming a reoccurring issue on the streets of New York City. The Green Wave is an initiative that is part of “Project Zero.”
DOT was given $58.4 million to help improve the city for cyclists. The “Green Wave” plans calls for DOT to build 30 miles of protected bike lanes each year. They will also be redesigning intersections to make them safer for everyone. NYPD will amp up enforcement, especially when it comes to high-risk activities such as: speeding, blocking bike lanes, failing to yield, and oversized vehicles.
Other initiatives include: working with truckers to help reduce conflicts between trucks and rides, new policies and legislation to protect cyclists, as well as a new education and outreach campaigns.
Additionally, DOT will be hiring 80 new employees to take on the “Green Wave.”
