NYC Population Reaches Record High

And I believe that's not including growth in tourists.

Although if you look at State populations, Florida recently surpassed New York to move in the number 3 spot and Florida Texas and California appear to be growing much faster than New York.

It's not a good thing.

Too many people, too many cars, and especially too many BIKES. If it continues the city will be totally unlivable.

Unfortunately, you do not want it other way round either as there will be fewer people to support pensions. Subways are indeed getting more and more crowded.

Agree re: too many bikes and not enough enforcement of traffic rules for bikes. Bikers riding on sidewalks, against traffic, and speeding through red lights are a menace. If the mayor wants to continue introducing more bikes and encourage bike use in the city then bikes should require licenses.

A couple of years ago, I stood on the corner for an hour and counted the number of times a bicycle either went through a red light or down a one way street the wrong way. The total was 57. One hour, one intersection. If that many cars did the same thing across the entire city Transportation Alternatives would be calling it an epidemic. The city is giving that lobbying group (which for years had emblazoned across the top of its website that its goal was to rid Manhattan of all cars) way too much input into changing streets in NYC.
Also, the city is subsidizing Citybike to the tune of several million dollars a year in free real estate, and while that program unleashed over 100,000 lawbreakers on to the streets no new enforcement was enacted to go along with it. My proposed solution? Intall chip readers into traffic lights and every time a Citybike goes through a red light or down a one way street the wrong way, issue a $1 fine. Automatically billed to user so collection not an issue. So small no one is going to spend the time to fight it. Will probably bring in millions in revenue per month initially (so it should pay for itself - there are less than 15,000 traffic lights in the city. If half we're enable to do this even if it cost $3,000 each that would come out to $22.5 million). And people stopped offending as a result revenue decrease will be offset by public benefits.

I'm all for automated enforcement. Let's automatically send tickets to drivers every time they go over 25mph, run a red light or push through a crowded crosswalk full of pedestrians. We could also send out fines every time they drive while texting or don't pull over for an ambulance. Let's also charge them market rates for all the free and underpriced street parking that they use.

We could pay for a lot of great bike lanes with all that income!

Go 30yrs! Any interest in running for city govt? I'd vote for you in a heartbeat.

I bet the people whining about bikes jaywalk and own cars.

Bikes are good for making the city attractive to the young but are supposed to follow all traffic rules. The existing rules and fines should be enforced. Wrong way bike is probably the most dangerous to pedestrians. A team of two traffic cops at random intersections for an hour each will give enough tickets to pay for themselves and reduce the issue.

Bikes are also very useful for the areas of the city which are not well connected to the subway.

The are also very useful in Manhattan where they are the fastest and most reliable transportation in many situations, especially crosstown.

I have a love-hate relationship with biking in the city. I was a heavy bike rider about 10-15 years ago before all the dedicated bike lanes were put in. Had two bikes stolen within a year's time and decided to limit my biking to Central Park and the Hudson River. As for safety, neither automobile drivers or pedestrians seem to pay attention to bicyclists. We seem invisible. Now with dedicated bike lanes, the problems are in a way worse as pedestrians are still not paying attention to these lanes which do not have barriers like curbs or walls. Also, these dedicated bike lanes, as well as walking lanes e.g. Times Square and Citi Bike stations, take away lanes from cars and reduce parking spaces which makes traffic jams worse and causes more air pollution.

Other cities have figured dome of this out and physically separate bicyclists from automobiles and pedestrians.

I believe drastic changes are needed such as banning private automobiles from certain areas and creating better regulations of bicyclists especially for messengers and delivery people. For all bicyclists, require registration and insurance just like cars. Camera enforcement is a good idea as well.

Chasing Wamus -
I'm all for equal enforcement - so as long as we plan on doing the same for bicycles, I'm all for it. However your post reeks of whataboutism.

The City krrps talking about adfding protection ffor bicyclists but what about pedestrians?
https://ny.curbed.com/2017/8/1/16079170/new-york-city-protected-bike-lanes-increase

Timely article. Delaware is considering a law that will make it legal for bicyclists to "roll" through stop signs. Idaho has allowed it since 1982. Could it work in NYC?

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/why-its-illegal-to-roll-through-stop-signs-on-your_us_5aba520fe4b0cde6b4f23cf2

"Could it work in NYC?"

We'll soon find out.

"Bike riders in the city can now get a head start on cars at red lights under a new city pilot program.

Cyclists can now ride through the walk signal a dozens of intersections in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan.

The head start signals, also known as Leading Pedestrian Intervals, give pedestrians an extra 7 to 11 seconds to cross the street before allowing drivers to pass through intersections or turn through crosswalks.

"We have seen how LPIs save lives, playing a significant role in New York City's historic 32 percent drop in pedestrian deaths last year. Cycling safety has also improved considerably, but there is still progress to be made," said DOT Senior Director of Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs Sean Quinn.

City leaders say most bicycling injuries and deaths happen at intersections.

They say they hope the head start signals will improve cyclist safety, the way they have improved safety for pedestrians."

http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2018/03/28/pilot-program-gives-head-start-to-cyclists-in-nyc-bike-lanes

Why is it appropriate to apply car laws to bikes? The safety considerations are wildly different.

Chasing, There are currently two set of rules on the road in the city. One for pedestrians and the other for every thing else. This is how the lights and everything else functions. Would you apply pedestrian rules for bikes which are riding on the road rather than walking on footpath? Pedestrian jaywalking at 3-4 miles an hour is a lot less dangerous than a bike riding at 12-15 miles an hour.

I say require registration and insurance for bicyclists and protect bicyclists and pedestrians with physical barriers. Everything else may be overkill except perhaps taking a look at additional regulation of bike rental shops, restaurants that deliver and bike messenger services.

Soon enough, the City will be full of self driving cars communicating with "smart" bikes.

the problem with pedestrians jaywalking is not that they are going to hit someone, but that they will get hit or cause bicycle riders to swerve and crash. Cars are incredibly dangerous, particularly compared to bikes, and so many drivers in the City don't follow the rules of the road (speeding, not yielding, running red lights), yet there all these people outraged about bikes. Creating more regulations and government employees to track registration of bikes is just crazy.

No need to regulate bikes. Cars are far more dangerous. You will very unlikely hurt someone by bike, and both will be hurt so it's a form of MAD.

I don't have a grudge against bikers as I am one myself. But I have seen a lot of problems when bikers, pedestrians and cars are all sharing the same space. My friend was run down by a bicycle messenger who fled and she went to the emergency room. Even if the messenger stayed, he would not have had any insurance.

Has anyone bicycled, skated, jogged or simply walked along the Central Park loop? Did you see the ambulances that hang out along the side of the road? Bikers think they are in the Tour de France and all it takes is an unsuspecting tourist or inattentive in-line skater to get in front of them for someone to be badly - and I mean badly - hurt. I have seen some pretty nasty accidents. The problem isn't their attitudes necessarily. It's the fact that they are forced to share space they shouldn't be sharing.

No fault insurance assumes its not always someone's fault that there is an accident. But someone needs to pay for hospitalization and vehicle damages nonetheless.