Heeding calls from City Council Members Mark Levine and Helen Rosenthal, the city has changed the speed limit on Riverside Drive from 103rd to 135th street to 25 mph from 30, according to Streetsblog. Most of the rest of the neighborhood (and much of the city) is already at 25 mph, as part of the mayor’s Vision Zero plan.
“Sometime in the last few weeks, DOT installed 25 mph signs on Riverside south of 135th Street. DOT said the speed limit will be lowered to 25 mph from 135th Street to 165th Street before the year is out.
Through October of this year, drivers injured nine pedestrians and seven cyclists on Riverside Drive between 103rd Street and 165th Street, according to DOT crash data. Thirty-three motor vehicle occupants were injured on that segment of Riverside during those 10 months, a sign that motorists are colliding at high speeds.”
Photo at 116th street and Riverside Drive by Mark Garbowski.
Let’s hope the cyclists can stick to 25 MPH as well!
And stop running red lights (we can only dream).
While I agree bicyclists need to better follow the rules, no bicyclist has killed anyone in the city this year. I can only roll my eyes at the same tired gripes posed by you two.
Mark says: ‘..no bicyclist has killed anyone in the city this year.’ Mark is wrong 2 women were killed by racing cyclists in Central Park this year. Also other non-fatal injuries were suffered by cyclists crashing into pedestrian park walkers, including a small child in Riverside Park this summer. Which is to say concerns about king of the road bikers are unmisplaced and need direct intervention campaigns reinforcing rules on the books as they apply to universal pedestrian right of way.
Hi Mark
While it is true that there are few direct bicycle-pedestrian fatalities, I know of several people including our pediatrician, who were hit by cyclists and had major injuries. And one person who was elderly and never really recovered.
There are fewer bicycles than vehicles on Manhattan streets but it seems to me that most Manhattan cyclists are pretty egregious in blowing through red lights.
Thats really unfortunate and sad about your pediatrician.
Nobody is trying to say that cyclists shouldnt be safe. No accidents are acceptable.
Perhaps, however, we should look at what causes the most harm, and puts us at the most risk. While I feel for your Dr, we dont have to name intersections for victims of cycling crashes. We dont have to see article after article about cyclists who kill people and then are let go with “no criminality suspected.”
Cyclists who act in an unsafe manner should be ticketed. It pisses me off too. But there are bigger fish to fry.
Will you also roll your eyes when I tell you about my female friend who was knocked to the ground by a speeding cyclist and didn’t stop to help her? Her shoulder is still painful after 2 months of physical therapy.
I support the lower speed limit of 25mph on Riverside Drive. Unfortunately, it probably won’t be enforced.