Are Cyclists Safe in New York City?

For ages, cyclists and motorists have shared the roads. Unfortunately, this has led to numerous near-fatal and fatal accidents between cars and cyclists over the years.

Big cities often see a higher rate of cyclist traffic, as well. But how safe are these cyclists in reality?

Intentions to improve cyclist safety

New York City’s Department of Transportation discusses new measures put in place in order to increase safety for cyclists. 60 miles of bike lanes got added to the city in the year 2021, with plans to continue expanding these paths over time. Compared to many big cities, New York City takes pride in the space it gives to cyclists.

Current issues cyclists face

However, even with these protected lanes, that does not mean cyclists face no problems whatsoever in the city. First of all, not every street is designed with cyclists in mind. Despite plans to improve bike lane access in every borough, some places still lack safe cyclist crossings or protected lanes.

An increase in the monitoring of cyclist traffic may help the city continue to improve conditions for commuters who cycle, however. The city’s transportation departments now monitor several different types of activity, including bike accident reports, how many cyclists frequent congested areas, and the cycling trends of the city.

Using the information gained from these observations, transportation departments hope to address the biggest areas of risk and continue bringing them down. Through efforts like this, the overall rate of cyclist-involved accidents and injuries continue to drop over the year.

Despite that, it is still crucial for cyclists to pay attention to potential sources of danger, like construction or distracted drivers.