NYPD: Bike Injuries Are Up 43 Percent During Coronavirus Crisis
 

After urging people to bicycle to work New York's mayor didn't do anything to increase space for cyclist and still won't!

According to NYPD data, there were 80 bicycle injuries in the period from Hizzoner’s bike-to-work suggestion last Sunday through this Sunday — an increase of 24, or 42.9 percent, compared to the same week in 2019, when there were 56 bicycle injuries.

https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2020/03/...avirus-crisis/


Two days after Streetsblog called for the same thing, Gov. Cuomo has demanded that Mayor de Blasio create a plan to bar cars on some streets so that residents could have the space so they can move around without fear of spreading the dreaded coronavirus — but the city’s chief executive doesn’t think he can act as quickly as the governor asked.

https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2020/03/...al-distancing/

Mayor Not Ready to Ban Cars on Some Streets, Despite Cuomo Order

https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2020/03/...e-cuomo-order/

MTA drivers have been super aggressive. One guy tried to kill me twice down Lexington yesterday, honking his horn behind me instead of passing, and then cutting me off (driving his bus right into me).

Tell me why I'm not surprised.
A lot of my people are saying the same thing. Unfortunately, it'll probably get a whole lot worse .

Just found this.

Statistics Show Speeding is Out of Control During Corona Crisis

https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2020/03/...corona-crisis/

And it’s not just speeding, I’ve observed much more drivers ignoring stop lights and signs. At the end of my street is a three way intersection with stop signs in all directions. Last week I was riding along and was startled to see a box truck accelerate through the intersection and speed off down the street. On that street was a small flock of turkeys crossing the road. The truck went over the centerline scattering the birds as it passed. In fact it looked like he was trying to hit them. What a world we have become! Very sad indeed.

I've seen the same thing here. More space on the road and the speeds and wrecklessness have picked up dramatically. Lot's of cops out there waiting, but it hasn't slowed people down yet.

Woweee finally closures...a whole 1.7 miles
 

Woweee finally closures...a whole 1.7 miles in total, only 4 days out of the week



https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2020/03/...#disqus_thread

I thought it was just my funk causing me to notice more wacko drivers. If this is the new short-term reality, I'm really bummed.

Every driver I know has noticed the same crazy behavior.

Is it just that people figure cops aren't going to pull them over because they don't want to handle the license and registration or are people just going nuts?

I found it quite ironic that today I came from mere mm of being hit by an ambulance. The good thing I thought was at least it could take me to hospital after it had hit me.:lol:

Thankfully it was only a near miss. I'm considering using a video device every time I go on a mash.

The strange part is the weekday traffic around here is almost as light as a normal pre-virus Sunday morning. But, the number of car accidents seem to more numerous than on a normal pre-virus Sunday morning.

Perhaps it's because with the greatly reduced traffic volume drivers now are paying even less attention to their driving and/or are driving faster?

Cheers

I've noticed a lot more aggressive driving, but if ridership is up by more than 43%, then the rate of injuries, i.e., (number of injuries)/rider, is going down.

Yep, streets around here are nearly empty, and many of those still driving around seem to think they can start going by post-apocalyptic traffic rules. Sad. Cars are actually one of the safest ways to get around here, but these morons are endangering themselves, pedestrians, and cyclists because of their attitude.

Toronto:
Even with nobody else around to blame, bad drivers are still smashing into each other.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toron...unds-1.5515121

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toron...eles-1.5521963

It's pretty funny, except for the fact that they're endangering the rest of us.

The person driving into the Prince's Gate column at a speed high enough to cause the car to explode looks suspiciously like a suicide.

Cheers

The first article did not reference any driver. That is not uncommon in many articles about auto collisions. Normally, I facetiously suggest that those collisions involved self-driving cars and that the occupants were passengers.

Note this sentence "The age and sex of the victim was not released." Again, the occupant was not identified as the driver but as the victim. A victim is normally someone who suffers damage by the action of someone else. That makes me think that it was a murder in which the driver escaped.

I'm cycling in New Orleans again and have experienced the opposite here. Yes, people are still on their phones behind the wheel, and many are distracted by their own thoughts I suppose, but all in all the streets are deserted and the few motorists I encounter are danged polite. About as close as Cycling Utopia as I have ever experienced.

I've seen reports that there are big jumps in alcohol sales during the lockdown. I presume that most is consumed at home; however one has to wonder. With the drop in traffic around here, I still see just as many daily news reports of car crashes.

Don't need a report for believing that. Booze is the only consumable my wife and I severely underestimated our consumption. Thankfully she found an app and we can get all we want, plus snacks (like chips, pretzels, etc) delivered in under one hour. It is amazing! Of course, in New Orleans, we would expect such a thing to exist.

I have noticed that as well Joey.

Three weeks after OP. A little progress.



https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2020/04/...inst-speeders/

There's this as well

Mayor Triples Down on His ‘Adamant’ Refusal to Create More Open Space, But Finally Blames Drivers

https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2020/04/14/mayor-triples-down-on-his-adamant-refusal-to-create-more-open-space/

Don't see any difference on the westbank. Today, plenty of traffic on Barataria. It looks like Easter was the key for people to start getting out again. It was maybe a little lighter a couple weeks ago, but has been creeping back to "normal". I see no more bikes, except some kids on neighborhood streets.

scott s.
.

Here in Metairie the streets are covered up with cyclists of all ages. It is so heartening to see people experiencing the joys of the outdoors and exercise. I honestly didn't know there were but 2-3 kids in my neighborhood. Now I see dozens every day.