Bicyclist Run Over in Greenpoint
The North Brooklyn bicycle lane wars took a tragic turn this weekend. Just hours before biking activists staged their mock wake for the painted-over lane in South Williamsburg on Sunday, a popular DJ was run over by a truck on what newspapers are describing as a crowded stretch of Nassau Avenue (though it doesn’t look…
The North Brooklyn bicycle lane wars took a tragic turn this weekend. Just hours before biking activists staged their mock wake for the painted-over lane in South Williamsburg on Sunday, a popular DJ was run over by a truck on what newspapers are describing as a crowded stretch of Nassau Avenue (though it doesn’t look that crowded in this older image from Google Maps) that lacked a protected lane for cyclists. According to newspaper reports, 33-year-old Solange Raulston, who was known as DJ Reverend Soul, was riding west on Nassau Avenue near McGuinness Boulevard at around noon on Sunday when she was struck by a truck; she was taken to Bellevue Hospital where she died. The Post reported that the driver was not charged in the incident.
Soulful DJ Solange Raulston Killed After Being Struck [NY Daily News]
DJ killed on bike in Brooklyn [NY Post]
Cyclist killed by trucker in Greenpoint! [Brooklyn Paper]
DJ Killed In Greenpoint After Struck On Bike [Gothamist]
as a life long resident of Greenpoint, I have seen many bike riders disobey the traffic laws they are required to follow. Yes, bike lanes are helpful but I often see bike riders riding the opposite direction of traffic or even outside of the bike lanes. If they are there, how come they are not being utilized 100%?
Like others, I drive and bike and find this a tragic story.
But I’ll put a bit of a different spin on the dynamics. A few years ago, there was a study of traffic patterns. One of the conclusions was that if one in eight cars were to be equipped with dynamic cruise control eliminating the need for driver reaction to deal with changing traffic flow, the flow of traffic would be improved dramatically. What this implied was that less than 1/8th of drivers are actually aware of what’s going on and adjusting for changing conditions. As to bikers following the rules, I as a normally rational law abiding citizen have at times gone the wrong way down a one way street or run stop lights and I expect that will be true of every other biker. And don’t get me started on pedestrians. So what we have is less than 12% of drivers on the road being competent and 0% of bikers following the rules all the time. Actually makes me surprised accidents don’t happen more often.
Stevie, I haven’t looked into this in depth, but my sense is that the laws are on the books, but it’s a matter of selective prosecution. I’m also a motorcyclist, and there are far too many stories circulating in the riding community of riders getting killed, and the motorist at fault gets charged with some minor moving violation like failing to yield right of way, even though the prosecutors have vehicular homocide or manslaughter as an option.
And as I said, the law is of little consequence at the moment of impact between a 4,000-lb SUV and 175-lb me on a bicycle or motorcycle.
Regarding visibility, I believe that bright clothing and running lights are good, but it’s really a matter of human perception. People tend not to see what they don’t expect or what they’re not looking for. This is what’s behind the phenomenon of doing a double-take, and there are some interesting, and scary, experiments showing how oblivious people can be. Here’s a famous one: http://nudges.wordpress.com/watch-out-for-cyclists/
Sparafucile, don’t you think that the laws in the city should be made more stringent in protecting bikers. I think urban biking is the most environmentally sound, healthy, and pleasing way to get around the city.
My condolences to the rider’s friends and family.
As an urban cyclist since childhood, I have long since internalized the concept that even if the law is in my favor, physics aren’t. Therefore I ride defensively, with a premium on anticipating situations. I ride under the assumption that nobody sees me, and that if they do see me, they’ll try to hit me.
It’s up to me to anticipate when someone might make a lane change without signaling, run a red light, open a door, etc. So far, so good. I’ve been doored once, had a clueless pedestrian step into my path once, and that’s it.
“I feel my life is in danger whenever I am out biking in the city.”
No shit. I feel the same way. People have no disregard for bikers.
“I feel my life is in danger whenever I am out biking in the city.”
It is.
“No disrespect Northsloperenter, but as far as the double parking excuse goes…that is a load of horse shit.”
No disrespect taken, as I was describing what is, what not what I think should be.
You see, no matter how much horse shit it is, double parking is going to continue.
You can bitch, moan, complain, flame all over the internet, froth at the mouth, and chew your own foot off, but the guy delivering paper goods to the bodega on the corner is still going to double park.
If police start ticketing more aggressively, the delivery guy will increase his costs to the bodegas to cover the tickets and the bodegas will increase the cost of toilet paper for their customers, but the double parking will go on.
This should be obvious to anyone who knows anything about human behavior.
I can’t believe the driver is not in jail!?
The drivers in this city are so careless; I feel my life is in danger whenever I am out biking in the city. There should be bike lines installed everywhere in the city.
The taxi cab drivers are the worst!