A recent video posted on Reddit's r/NYCbike community has shown the dangers cyclists face on city roads. The post shows a cyclist's chaotic commute through New York City's Ashland Place contraflow bike lane. The lanes are meant to protect cyclists on the road — but this biker's POV shows they are more than falling short.
The cyclist maneuvers through the contraflow lane, only to encounter vehicles parked in the lane, cars veering too close, and pedestrians seemingly unaware of the dedicated bike path. At one point, a car dangerously cuts into the bike path, barely missing the cyclist.
Reddit users were quick to share their outrage. One of the top commenters summed it up by saying, "Wow that's terrible." Others point out that the bike lanes are ineffective, as drivers are either unaware of them or outright ignoring them. Also, violations aren't being enforced, leaving cyclists in danger.
Cycling is an affordable, eco-friendly alternative to driving. Bikers can save money on gas, parking, insurance, and other costs related to driving when they choose to bike. It's also great exercise and gets you from A to B without emitting harmful gases. For anyone looking to save money on transportation, they can learn how to ride a bike instead of driving, explore public transit options, or level up to an electric bike.
However, the absence of protected infrastructure, improper enforcement of bike lane policies, and car domination on city roads make commuting by bike a dangerous gamble in many places.
In addition to protecting bikers, better cycling infrastructure can have loads of benefits. If more people were comfortable biking, it would lessen traffic, reduce harmful gas emissions that are bad for our health and the planet's, and boost community health.
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But, without stronger policies for protecting bikers and promoting driver awareness, ineffective biking infrastructure will continue to endanger cyclists everywhere.
People shared their frustration in the comments. One said, "This stretch has been terrible for a while. I've ridden by when the construction crew across the street just routes cars into the bike lane without a flagger."
Another pointed out the need for stronger, safer infrastructure, saying, "Just a bad idea for contraflow for bikes here. It's just an accident waiting to happen. Lines on cement aren't going to prevent bad actors here, simple as that."
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