Motorists often crash into bicycles because of negligent actions like speeding, following too closely, not paying attention and driving drunk. But road conditions can also cause terrible bike accidents.
Despite the huge number of cyclists in Brooklyn, the borough’s surface streets are notoriously unfriendly to bikes. A lack of dedicated bike lanes and an emphasis on motorized traffic and parking often puts riders in dangerous situations. Even a relatively minor mistake from a driver can trigger a bike wreck under these conditions.
Two deaths at the same intersection this year
Tragically, a particular intersection in East New York was the scene of a fatal bicycle accident late in August. The victim, a 43-year-old man, was riding his motorized bike on Pennsylvania Ave. when a tractor-trailer ran him over in the crosswalk. The truck driver was attempting a right turn onto Linden Blvd. Six months before that, a woman was killed while walking in a crosswalk at the same intersection.
Prioritizing cars over people
Pennsylvania Ave. and Linden Blvd are both very wide, highway-style streets. Linden Blvd. has 11 motor vehicle lanes and Pennsylvania Ave. has seven. The executive director of the safety advocacy group Transportation Alternatives said that prioritizing cars, trucks and SUVs over pedestrians and cyclists this way will continue to put lives at risk. A spokesman for the New York City Department of Transportation said that Eric Adams’ administration has invested $900 million “toward redesigning our streets” to improve safety for bicyclists, pedestrians and mass transit passengers.
For now, at least, riders will be forced to risk their lives on many of Brooklyn’s intersections and roads. If they are lucky enough to survive getting hit by a car, they could still end up with catastrophic injuries.
