Any sensible New Yorker knows the difference between a bicycle and a mother scooter. A bike moves by pedaling, while a scooter is a type of motorcycle with an engine. The latter vehicle is much more powerful and can go faster.
Clearly, scooters are motor vehicles that do not belong in Manhattan’s bike lanes. But many scooter riders have a different view. And bike riders often pay the price.
Dangerous scooters on the Queensboro Bridge
The problem is especially bad on the Queensboro Bridge, where scooters regularly mingle with bike riders and pedestrians. In December, a woman was walking across the bridge when a scooter hit her and knocked her down, according to the New York Post. Fortunately, she was not seriously hurt, though the crash has scared her into taking the bus to work from now on. But a scooter recently hit a bike rider and gave them a brain injury severe enough to require surgery, according to the rider’s friends.
One of those friends noted that due to the curve of the Queensboro bridge, riders often find themselves going about seven mph up an incline. Meanwhile, a scooter might bear down on them going as fast as 40 mph in the opposite direction. Imagine the violence of the possible impact. Whether they are wearing a helmet or not, the person on the bike could easily be thrown several feet and land hard on the pavement, breaking bones or suffering even worse injuries.
The city has taken steps to protect riders on the bridge, including banning Revel electric scooters from using the bike lane. But the Post recently observed dozens of scooter riders using the bike lanes over two separate hours. The danger clearly remains.
