Central Park Speed Limit To Be Lowered

The speed limit in Central Park will be reduced to 20 miles per hour and new barricades will be installed in four areas.  (photo: NYC Park Advocates) click on image to enlarge

Manhattan

By Geoffrey Croft

The De Blasio administration will lower the speed limit in Central Park as part of the Vision Zero plan NYC Park Advocates has learned.

The speed limit will be reduced by 5 miles per hour to 20mph.

The move comes after two people were killed and three suffered fractured skulls this year alone as a result of being struck by cyclists in the park. 

Police in the park have dramatically increased bike enforcement and education.

The Central Park Pct. has so far issued 865 tickets to cyclists this year compared to 212 over the same period last year as of November 12th.  

The top four categories for tickets issued: 386 for Failure To Yield To Pedestrians,  164 wearing head phones,  117  biking on pathways, and 94 summons for running red lights. 

Some people were stopped for multiple infractions but given only on summons according to police.




Last week two off-leash dogs were run over and killed in the park by motor vehicles.  

Starting on November 7th the speed limit on all New York City streets was lowered to 25 MPH unless otherwise posted as part of Mayor De blasio's Vision Zero plan in an effort to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries in the city.  

In the early 90's police briefly enforced a separate speed limit for cyclists in Central Park under then parks commissioner Betsy Gotbaum, who instituted a 15 m.p.h. limit.  

Issues involving speeding go back to when the park first opened in the 19th Century as horse-drawn carriages accidents were prevalent.

NYC DOT, NYC PARKS DEPARTMENT, NYPD, AND CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY ANNOUNCE SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS ON CENTRAL PARK LOOP DRIVE

New items include park-wide speed limit reduction from 25mph to 20mph, barricades further separating pedestrians from cyclists and enhancements to key crosswalks

The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, NYPD, and the Central Park Conservancy today announced immediate safety enhancements along the Central Park Drives. In addition to a reduction of the speed limit inside Central Park from 25 to 20 MPH for all modes of transportation, four key crossings across the park will receive substantial enhancements, including highly prominent “Pedestrian Crossing” warning signs at the intersections, advisory 10 MPH speed signs, and advance pedestrian crossing signs before each intersection.  The advance signs will be reinforced with roadway markings near the sign locations, refurbished crosswalks and clearer lane use markings.

Barricades will also be installed to shorten pedestrian crossing distance on the West Drive at two crossings (at Sheep Meadow, near W. 68th Street, and at Heckscher Ballfields, near E. 63rd Street) where the drive is significantly wider than typical. The barricades will be placed in the west-most motor vehicle lane during car-free hours. At Delacorte Theater (near W. 81st Street), a barricade will be installed between the pedestrian and bicycle lanes to better guide pedestrians to the crosswalk and to improve their sightlines to cyclists.

           

The Central Park Precinct will continue its public awareness campaign in the park to inform every one of the rules and regulations as it relates to traffic and pedestrian safety.  Individuals found in violation of the rules will be cited accordingly. 

        “Central Park is for all to enjoy in a safe and enjoyable manner, no matter how you choose to experience it,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “These immediate safety enhancements, worked out in partnership with our sister agencies, augments that experience by calming traffic, improving crosswalks and further reinforcing the appropriate lane assignments for all users.”

“Public safety is our highest priority and the new safety enhancement measures being implemented in Central Park will surely provide its millions of visitors with a safer experience,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver.  “I commend the NYC Department of Transportation, the NYPD, and the Central Park Conservancy for partnering with us to ensure enhanced safety conditions for all of the park's pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists.”

Police Commissioner William J. Bratton said, “The New York City Police Department is committed to ensuring the safety of all those who use Central Park as a means of transportation and recreation.  We will continue to collaborate with our partners from the Central Park Conservancy, NYC Department of Transportation and the Parks Department to make our streets safer for all New Yorkers and visitors alike.” 

                                                           

“There’s no question; slower traffic will mean a safer park” said Doug Blonsky, President and CEO of Central Park Conservancy. “We applaud the DOT’s leadership role in lowering speed limits and adding signs and barricades, and we urge all  park users to know the new rules of the road.”

The four locations to receive these treatments include:

•       West Drive at Delacorte Theater (near W. 81st Street)

•       West Drive at Sheep Meadow (near W. 68th Street)

•       West Drive at Heckscher Ballfields Crossing (near E. 63rd Street)

•       East Drive at Terrace Drive (near E. 72nd Street)

The agencies will follow up the enhancements with stakeholder outreach and will be distributing DOT’s Bike Smart Brochures and Central Park-specific brochure geared toward cyclists and pedestrians.

Read/View More:

 City cuts Central Park speed limit to 20 mph after fatal collision

 New York Daily News  - November 19, 2014 -  BY Erin Durkin

City Unveils Plan To Lower Speed Limit For Bicyclists In Central Park

CBS - November 18, 2014 - By Dave Carlin 

Central Park speed limit cut to 20 miles per hour

New York Daily News  - November 18, 2014 -  BY Erin Durkin

Central Park speed limit cut to 20 miles per hour

WCBS 880 -  November 18, 2014 -  by  Alex Silverman

City to reduce Central Park speed limit to 20 mph

New York Post  - November 19, 2014 - By Amber Sutherland and Yoav Gonen 

Central Park's Speed Limit Will Fall To 20 MPH

gothamist -  November 18, 2014 - Christopher Robbins

Bono Injured In Central Park Bike Accident

Manhattan

The lead singer for the Irish band U2 was injured in a bicycling accident.

Paul Hewson, better known as Bono,  took a spill while riding in Central Park that will require surgery the band announced on its website on Sunday.

"It looks like we will have to do our Tonight Show residency another time - we're one man down. Bono has injured his arm in a cycling spill in Central Park and requires some surgery to repair it. We're sure he'll make a full recovery soon, so we'll be back! Much thanks to Jimmy Fallon and everyone at the show for their understanding."

The singer lives across the street from Central Park in Steve Jobs’ old penthouse apartment at the San Remo.

Central Park: Cyclists Hit Pedestrians 35 Times This Year So Far

Last month police officers stationed near the crash site in Central Park handed out safety pamphlets and urged cyclists to slow down and obey traffic rules.  (Photo: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates) 

Pedestrians in Central Park have been hit 35 times by cyclists so far this year.  The NYPD dramatically beefed up bicycle enforcement in the park after recent accidents. More than 200 tickets have been issued to cyclists in the park since Jill Tarlov was fatally struck on September 19th.  Officers have given out 810 summonses this year as of Sunday,  police wrote just 195 summonses for the same period last year. 

According to NYPD stats 52 percent more pedestrians were struck in 2014 than the 25 who were hit in 2013.  


Manhattan

Central Park bicyclists have hit 35 people so far this year while only one person was hit by a car, a top police official said, according to DNAinfo. 

The lone car crash occurred on May 12 about 8 a.m. at West Drive and West 67th Street and the pedestrian suffered only a minor foot injury, according to Deputy Inspector Jessica Corey, commanding officer of the Central Park precinct.

In the 35 bike collisions, however, the crashes between pedestrians and cyclists led to two pedestrian deaths and three fractured skulls, Corey told Community Board 7 members Monday night at a meeting about Central Park street safety.

In recent months, a 59-year-old mother was killed by a cyclist along West Drive near West 62nd Street and a 75-year-old male jogger was killed by a cyclist near the East Drive Loop at East 72nd Street, sparking concern among residents about the safety of pedestrians and runners using the park's roadways.

Corey would not go into more detail about this year's crashes, nor the injuries sustained by cyclists, but she said they happened at all times of the day.

Several crashes happened in the early morning, about 6 a.m., when there's a perception that there are fewer walkers in the park, she added.

The precinct is trying to curb crashes by educating cyclists and pedestrians about the park's traffic lights and by handing out summonses to cyclists, Corey said. Officers are particularly focused on cyclists who fail to yield to pedestrians and run red lights, she said.

"We've issued more than 800 summonses [to cyclists] for the year," she said. 

But police typically don't know if a bike is speeding because judging cycle speed is difficult unless someone is recorded with a radar gun, Corey explained.

The hot spots for cyclist-pedestrian crashes include West Drive in the West 70s and near East 72nd Street along East Drive, she noted. 

Though only one car has been involved in a collision this year, Community Board 7 members said they see a car-less Central Park as a potential solution to the crashes because it would give cyclists and pedestrians each more space in their respective lanes.

"I like the idea of trying to introduce more of a separation between the users," said board member Meisha Hunter.

City Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal has proposed a bill calling for a trial car-free Central Park from June through September next year, followed by a DOT study of how that affected surrounding traffic patterns.


A police officer writes a cyclist a summons in Central Park on Tuesday — near where Jill Tarlov died after being hit by a speeding biker. (Photo: Robert Miller/NY Post)

Read More:

Central Park Cyclists Hit Pedestrians 35 Times This Year, Police Say

DNAinfo - October 22, 2014 - By Emily Frost

Injuries, violations up as bikers make Central Park dangerous

New York Post - October 22, 2014 - By Rebecca Harshbarger, Kirstan Conley and Daniel Prendergast  

Central Park Bike Summonses Explode By 260%
A Walk In The Park - September 23, 2014 - By Geoffrey Croft

Bike Activists Post 20 MPH Signs In Central Park After Cyclist Death

Members of a bike advocacy group,  Right of Way posted unofficial 20 mph signs in Central Park on Tuesday in an effort to help raise awareness for pedestrian safety and the need to slow down. Official traffic signs in the park are 25 mph. The group also held a moment of silence for Jill Tarlov, who died after being hit by a bicyclist last Thursday in the park.  (Photo: Ken Murray/NYDaily News)
















Manhattan

There’s no need for speed in Central Park — at least according to the activist bikers who put up unauthorized signs Tuesday night that shave 5 mph off the limit, according to the New York Daily News. 

“20 is plenty,” said signs put up by Right of Way, a biking group advocating for pedestrian safety. 

 “We’re trying to slow people down. The existing laws don’t work,” said group co-founder Charles Komanoff.  

A half-dozen activists’ covert op involved a metal ladder and plenty of zip ties to affix 10 faux speed limits to light poles.  

The group held a moment of silence near W. 63rd St. to remember Jill Tarlov, 59. Seriously injured by a biker last week, the mother and wife died Sunday.

Read More:

20 mph signs pop up in Central Park to encourage bikers to slow down

New York Daily News - September 24, 2014 - BY Kerry Burke 

Central Park Bike Summonses Explode By 260%

A Walk In The Park - September 23, 2014  - By Geoffrey Croft

Jill Tarlov Dies From Injuries After Being Struck By Cyclist In Central Park

A Walk In The Park - September  22,  2014

Woman Critically Injured After Getting Struck By Cyclist In Central Park ­
A Walk In The Park - September 19, 2014   

Woman Critically Injured After Getting Struck By Cyclist In Central Park ­

NYPD examine the scene in Central Park where a pedestrian was struck by cyclist Jason Marshall, 31  on Thursday afternoon. Jill Tarlov, 59, suffered severe head trauma after being struck and hitting the ground  as she was walking across a crosswalk in the park on the west Drive near W. 63 St. around 4:30 p.m.  (Photo: David McGlynn)

Manhattan

The wife of a CBS executive suffered a critical head injury when she got slammed by a cyclist in Central Park on Thursday afternoon, cops said, according to the New York Post. 

Jill Tarlov, 59, who lives in Fairfield, Conn., was in a crosswalk near 63rd Street when cyclist Jason Marshall, 31, came barreling along West Drive and yelled for her to get out of his way, law-enforcement sources said.

Tarlov, whose husband Michael Wittman is a senior vice president at CBS, was rushed to New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she was declared brain dead, sources said.

Marshall, an accomplished baritone saxophone player, was riding on a $4,000 Jamis Eclipse racing bike when he spotted the woman in the crosswalk at an intersection controlled by a traffic light, sources said.

“He was riding in the car lane and yelling: ‘Get out of the way! Get out of the way!’” one source said.

It was unclear who had the light, but Marshall — who remained at the scene — “admits to being in the wrong lane,” the source added.

A family member said that Marshall was taken to the hospital.

Cops were talking to the Manhattan DA’s Office about possible charges.

Law-enforcement sources said Marshall was among a number of athletic cyclists who routinely ride in the car lanes so they can go faster through the park.

“These guys think that they have entitlement and they don’t ride in the bike lanes,” one source said.

Witness Phillip Fenton, 21, who’s visiting New York on a geography field trip from the UK’s University of Exeter, said Marshall was “speeding,” adding: “It didn’t look like he tried to stop.”

“He was yelling for her to get out of the way, but I don’t think she heard him and then they just collided,” Fenton said.

Fenton’s pal Tom Longman said Marshall was hunched over the brakeless “aerobars” attached to the handlebars of his high-performance, yellow-and-black ride.

“He couldn’t break because he was leaning down,” Longman said. “She went down pretty hard. The right side of her face looked very bad. There was blood all over her.”

Read More:

Woman brain dead after getting hit by cyclist in Central Park  

New York Post - September 18, 2014 - By Larry Celona, Erin Calabrese, Kirstan Conley and Bruce Golding 

Pedestrian Critically Injured In Accident With Cyclist In Central Park 

WCBS - September 18, 2014

Lawyer Sued For Assaulting Cyclist In Bike Lane By Central Park

Courtney Fullilove sued lawyer Marshall Feiring this week as a result of a June 13 incident when she was riding in a bike lane near W. 108th St. & Central Park West where she was allegedly assaulted. 

Manhattan

In June, Courtney Fullilove, an assistant professor of history at Wesleyan University, was riding her bike in the bike lane on Central Park West when she was allegedly assaulted by Manhattan-based attorney Marshall Feiring, who resides near the park. Feiring was charged with two counts of assault and harassment, and it's still unclear what may have motivated his alleged actions. But Fullilove believes she did nothing to provoke Feiring before he allegedly grabbed the security chain tied around her waist and violently yanked her off her bike, according to gothamist.

According to a civil lawsuit against Feiring, Fullilove was seriously injured in the crash, "suffering a severe concussion, memory loss, psychological trauma, fatigue, loss of vision, recurrent disabling headaches, spinal derangement, contusions to the right hip, abrasions to the nose and face, and other injuries, requiring emergency treatment at a hospital, and additional medical care and assistance thereafter. Fullilove sustained pain, suffering and mental anguish due to these injuries."

The crash happened in the bike lane near the intersection of West 108th Street and Central Park West around 7:45 p.m. on June 13th. Fullilove lost all memory of the incident due to head trauma, but her lawyer, Steve Vaccaro, says bystanders witnessed the assault and have given statements, and police responding to the scene arrested Feiring, who lives near the park. His attorney, Sanford Talkin (visit him at TalkinLaw.com!), declined to comment on what his client's motivation may or may not have been, telling us only that Feiring "maintains his innocence and looks forward to his day in court."

Feiring's next court appearance is in December. In a letter to Manhattan DA Cy Vance, Fullilove's lawyer urged the DA to "vigorously prosecute Fiering," arguing that his client "was wearing a helmet but still sustained a severe concussion, and continues to suffer the apparently permanent effects of traumatic brain injury. The circumstances of the assault bespeak malice. There is no evidence that Fullilove... violated any traffic law or otherwise threatened or provoked Feiring. Indeed, Feiring illegally entered the bike lane to reach Fullilove."

Her civil lawsuit against Feiring seeks unspecified damages, and also serves as a reminder of the media-amplified tension between pedestrians and cyclists in the park. One month after Fullilove's crash, a legally blind lawyer was jogging in Central Park when he was hit by a cyclist—he suffered a fractured pelvis and hip, and lost some teeth—he also couldn't get out of his hospital bed for two days. In the wake of that high-profile accident, the NYPD started handing out brochures to remind cyclists that the speed limit in the park (25 mph) also applies to cyclists.

Read More:

Manhattan Lawyer Sued For Allegedly Assaulting Cyclist By Central Park  

gothamist - November 28, 2012  - By John Del Signore

Teed-off tax attorney wrenched cyclist to the ground near Central Park and gave her severe concussion that derailed her academic career, lawsuit claims
New York Daily News - November 28, 2012 - By Stephen Rex Brown

Wesleyan history professor ‘pulled from bike’ sues Manhattan lawyer
New York Post - November 29, 2012 -  By Dareh Gregorian and Kirstan Conley

Teens Knock Cyclist Off Bike In Prospect Park - Hospitalized For Two Days

On Tuesday evening around 5:15 p.m. a 33-year-old adjunct professor and writer who lives in Windsor Terrace— was biking through the Prospect Park loop when a group of youths knocked him off his bike near the zoo, sending him crashing face-first into the pavement, according to gothamist.

The NYPD said the unidentified victim was sent flying after the youths kicked his rear wheel, "causing him to fall off of his bike hitting his head on the ground and breaking his nose."

The victims's wife said he was hospitalized for two days after the incident, and has no recollection of what happened. "We're still piecing everything together. He has a bad concussion, a broken nose and a lot bruising. The only thing we know from the police was that the kids kicked his bike wheel and knocked him off, then they ran into the woods."

"I was about 50 yards behind the guy and was focused on the group of kids because they were spread out all over the road walking against traffic, which was a somewhat belligerent way to move through the park," a witness said.

"I saw the guy go down but then focused on getting through the kids without them attacking me (nobody tried anything). There was another cyclist there ahead of me, and a girl got there a second after me and called 911."

gothamist also posted video it said was taken moments after the assault.

"It was that big kid," someone responds.

A jogger asks, "Which one."

One of the kids can be heard in the distance cursing at the concerned group.

Unfortunately the person capturing the video did not get closer.

Police said no arrests were made.

Read /View More:

Teens Knock Cyclist Off Bike In Prospect Park Just For Laughs, Break His Nose

gothamist - April 20, 2012 - By John Del Signore

Another Cyclist/Pedestrian Collision In Prospect Park

Another cyclist collided with a pedestrian on the accident-plagued Prospect Park roadway near the Lincoln Road entrance on Tuesday night. The accident comes after several near-fatal bike-pedestrian collisions and a ticket blitz against cyclists on the park’s well-used loop. It’s unclear exactly how many crashes have occurred on the roadway, but The Brooklyn Paper has tallied at least five in the past nine months.(Photo: Courtesy of Stephen Brown via The Brooklyn Paper)

Brooklyn

Another cyclist collided with a pedestrian on Prospect Park’s accident-plagued roadway, where the city plans to remove a lane of car traffic to bring order to the street, according to the Brooklyn Paper.

A male biker in racing garb hit a young woman near the park’s Lincoln Road entrance on Tuesday night. Neither was seriously injured, according to park-goers and city officials.

Two police vehicles responded at around 8:30 pm on the west side of the street, in a lane where park-goers have long complained abouthazy right-of-way rules.

Cops at the 78th Precinct did not immediately have details about what caused the crash or who was at fault.

The accident comes afterseveral near-fatal bike-pedestrian collisions and a ticket blitz against cyclists on the park’s well-used loop. It’s unclear exactly how many crashes have occurred on the roadway, but The Brooklyn Paper has tallied at least five in the past nine months.

In response to the accidents — one of which landed a park volunteer in a medically induced coma — the city first installed cones to slow cyclists then unveileda roadway redesign plan that will remove a lane of car traffic to grant cyclists, walkers and cars a roughly equal amount of space.

Prospect Park Spokesman Paul Nelson said the roadway design would be installed by early May.

“We think it’s an opportunity to improve safety,” said Prospect Park administrator Emily Lloyd.

Read More:

PROSPECT PARK BIKE CRASH Cyclist and pedestrian collide in Prospect Park … again

The Brooklyn Paper - March 23, 2012 - By Natalie O’Neill

Prospect Park Cyclists Ticketed After Several Near-Fatal Bike-Pedestrian Crashes

A Walk In The Park - March 17, 2012

New park lanes won’t curb the real problem — speeding

Brooklyn Daily - By Geoffrey Croft

Prospect Park Cyclists Continue To Ride At Unsafe Speeds Despite Recent Accidents

A Walk In The Park - November 27, 2011

Woman Hit By Cyclist In Prospect Park Sues City For $3M

A Walk In The Park -November 18, 2011

Enforcement, Rule/Design Changes Sought For Unruly Prospect Park Cyclists After Spat of Serious Accidents

A Walk In The Park - November 17, 2011 - By Geoffrey Croft

Woman Struck By Bike In Prospect Park In Coma

A Walk In The Park - November 9, 2011 - By Geoffrey Croft

Prospect Park Cyclists Ticketed After Several Near-Fatal Bike-Pedestrian Crashes

NYPD and PEP officers issued cyclists 188 tickets in Prospect Park over the past four months compared to zero over the same period last year. The public has been calling for greater enforcement after several near-fatal bike-pedestrian crashes on the popular roadway. (Photo: (Vitaliy P.).

Brooklyn

Riding a bike too fast in Prospect Park can cause some serious damage — to your wallet.

Park cops slapped cyclists with a whopping 188 tickets over the past four months compared to zero over the same period last year after several near-fatal bike-pedestrian crashes on the popular roadway, according to the Brooklyn Paper.

“Cyclists need to know that a ticket is a very real possibility,” said Prospect Park Alliance President Emily Lloyd.

Parks Department officers wrote summonses ranging between $50 and $200 for “failure to comply with bicycle restrictions” including running red lights, speeding, and riding against traffic as part of a ticket blitz intended to improve safety along the loop, according to city officials.

(Photo: Debbie Egan-Chin/New York Daily News)

The summons figures obtained by The Brooklyn Paper are the first concrete evidence that the city wasn’t just spinning its wheels when it promised to crack down on rogue cyclists in November.

But some bike riders say stopping at every red light is unnecessary and difficult, especially when riding downhill.

“It’s hard — they’re asking us to screech to a halt,” said cyclist Anthony Lowe.

“Pedestrians are part of the problem, too.”

Others cyclists who train for races on the loop say the lights should be set to blink yellow all the time — letting pelotons cruise through without facing the risk of tickets — because there are few other places in the city where they can train.

Too much enforcement, they say, could morph Brooklyn’s backyard, and the outdoor culture it attracts, into what feels more like a Singapore-style police state.

Park activists, however, contend serious enforcement is necessary because the roadway was not designed to be used as a velodrome.

“The very first concern must be for the safety of the public,” said Geoffrey Croft of NYC Park Advocates. “A number of cyclists [are] moving way too fast.”

The bicycle crackdown comes on the heels of several high profile crashes, including one that landed 54-year-old walker Linda Cohen in the hospital in a medically induced coma.

Those collisions sparked an impassioned movement to make the roadway less chaotic, starting with a controversial effort to slow cyclists on a dangerous downhill by funneling them into a narrow chute lined on both sides by traffic barrels. Workers yanked the barrels before a panel of city officials and park advocates unveiled a plan to redesign the roadway that promises to give less room to motorists and more space to pedestrians and cyclists — but also calls for more outreach and enforcement along the drive.

The ticket blitz pleases Nancy Moccaldi, a close friend of Cohen, who suffered brain damage after a cyclist hit her in the park.

“It will make people more aware,” she said. “These laws exist for a reason.”

Read More:

Stats prove Prospect Park bike crackdown is real

The Brooklyn Paper - March 12, 2012 - By Natalie O’Neill

Cops Really Did Crack Down On Prospect Park Cyclists

gothamist -March 12, 2012 - By Garth Johnston

New park lanes won’t curb the real problem — speeding

Brooklyn Daily - By Geoffrey Croft

Prospect Park Cyclists Continue To Ride At Unsafe Speeds Despite Recent Accidents

A Walk In The Park - November 27, 2011

Woman Hit By Cyclist In Prospect Park Sues City For $3M

A Walk In The Park -November 18, 2011

Enforcement, Rule/Design Changes Sought For Unruly Prospect Park Cyclists After Spat of Serious Accidents

A Walk In The Park - November 17, 2011 - By Geoffrey Croft

Woman Struck By Bike In Prospect Park In Coma

A Walk In The Park - November 9, 2011 - By Geoffrey Croft