By Gus Saltonstall
A new public safety campaign aimed at cyclists and bikers recently went up across much of the Upper West Side. And it is difficult to argue against its catchiness.
“Slow Your Roll, Respect the Stroll.”
The messaging now appears on hundreds of LinkNYC kiosks across State Senate District 47, which runs along the west side of Manhattan from around West 12th to 100th streets.
The district is represented by State Senator Erik Bottcher, who previously oversaw the same public safety campaign in the West Village, Chelsea, and Hell’s Kitchen, and has now brought it to the Upper West Side.
The “Slow Your Roll, Respect the Stroll” campaign reminds cyclists and bikers to yield to pedestrians, stay off the sidewalks, stop at red lights, and ride with the flow of traffic.
“The campaign returns as concerns continue about dangerous riding behavior, particularly involving illegal e-bikes and high-speed e-bikes operating on city streets and sidewalks,” reads a news release from Bottcher’s office.
In the past month, there have been several high-profile bike and scooter accidents and injuries on the Upper West Side and in New York City, including two in Central Park, where one woman out jogging was left in a coma, and another where a 17-year-old boy e-bike rider died after ramming into a car near City Hall.
“Most cyclists ride responsibly and simply want a safe, efficient way to get around our city,” Bottcher wrote in a news release. “Pedestrians deserve to feel safe, and so do cyclists.” He added that “consistent enforcement of our traffic laws” was also a key part of the solution, as well as establishing “appropriate licensing and registration requirements for higher-speed e-bikes that are, in reality, much more like motor vehicles than bicycles.”
The “Slow Your Roll, Respect the Stroll” message will appear on kiosks in both English and Spanish.
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good luck with that.
“Most cyclists ride responsibly and simply want a safe, efficient way to get around our city,”
I just spit my afternoon espresso out all over the café window when I read this.
I would have given anything to be in that meeting. How many adults did it take to come up with a slogan that wouldn’t offend cyclists? How about, ‘stop breaking the law?’ 🙄
Yeah. This is really going to make a difference. Really. I swear.
Slow Your Roll, Respect the Stroll. Cute. Just like signs on every single tree in this neighborhood, pleading with people not to let their dogs pee in tree beds (and kill trees/plants), Respect the stroll….. Cyclists, PLEASE……
Also needed: “Its no fun when you stab someone”
Strangely City DOT and NYC tourist office proactively messaged to encourage World Cup tourists to bicycle.
No proactive message to walk and use core MTA bus and subway.
Unbelievable