Gothamist interviewed Steve Vaccaro about sidewalk cycling and efforts to win safer alternatives.
Here is lesson number 2,889 in an exhaustive series entitled “Cops, Bikes and You.” Patrol cars will often park awkwardly in the street, prompting cyclists to seek temporary respite on the sidewalk. Do not do this. This is a trap.
Steve Vaccaro, an attorney who specializes in cyclist’s rights, said when it comes to obstructions in the road, the fact remains that riders should always seek the option that does not involve biking on the sidewalk, whether that means pulling into the street, or begrudgingly dismounting and walking the bike.
What about making the road safer for cyclists?
“It’s incumbent on the city to create efficient routes that link the different parts of New York,” he said, adding that Queens in particular is difficult to traverse without at least some time spent on a major road. “Whether the right way is to take on a ‘Boulevard of Death’ and tame it is a tough question—it’s a heavy political lift.”
Vaccaro added that though installing a bike lane on Queens Boulevard would be a “tricky engineering task,” it is certainly possible.
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