The NYPD is making at least a decent show of cracking down on misbehaving motorists, yesterday issuing a spate of tickets to trucks double parked along an Upper West Side bike lane. The Post, however, is disgusted that delivery drivers are being cruelly punished for something as frivolous as blocking a bike lane. Who even uses bike lanes?
"The controversial bike path from West 110th Street down to West 77th Street claimed a lane of traffic — even though it is parallel to more preferable cycling routes on Riverside Drive or in Central Park," the tabloid reports. "Trucks are forced to double-park in the middle of the avenue to make deliveries, and the companies are paying the price."
It's a perplexing argument, since the bulk of the bike lane is actually protected—in this case, rows of parked cars act as a barrier between cyclists and the road. "It looks like the Post is trying to reignite a debate that is already settled," said Transportation Alternatives Communications Director Brian Zumhagen. "I'm not sure what they're going for—do they want the lane removed?"
The tabloid also extended its ire to tickets issued for blocking fire hydrants, as burning buildings are a nuisance for drivers.
Deliveryman Rubin Estevez said he's happy to walk an extra block if parking is available, but the Post has other ideas about what that means.
"Often, there’s none, just an empty lane for cyclists who are nowhere in sight," it says. But isn't this the same bike lane that just months ago was plunging the city into mass chaos?
