‘Disturbing’ number of Manhattan cyclists use phones while riding: study
Don’t hold the phone!
Nearly one-third of Manhattan cyclists are distracted by electronics while riding, according to a new study – triple the amount observed by the same researcher six years ago.
The study by Hunter College’s sociology and urban planning departments also found a “disturbing” portion of Manhattan cyclists run red lights and neglect to wear helmets while biking,
Over 22 days of observations at 46 locations in Manhattan between 14th Street and 86th Street this past April, researchers counted 30.2% of cyclists using their cellphones – either directly or via headphones. In 2013, that number was just 10%.
“There’s been an enormous upsurge in the number of people in general who use electronic devices – whether it be pedestrians, drivers or cyclists,” said Hunter sociologist Peter Tuckel, who authored both the 2019 and 2013 studies.
“It’s difficult enough to navigate a city street on a bike in of itself, but wearing an electronic device… could endanger other street users,” Tuckel said.
City traffic laws permit cyclists to wear headphones, but only in one ear.
Other safety metrics are static or moving in the right direction: Fifty-seven percent of cyclists were not wearing helmets, compared to 58% six years ago, and nearly one-quarter ran red lights, compared to one-third in 2013.
However, only 2% of pedestrian injuries are caused by people on bikes, according to NYPD data.
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Among the report’s other findings: Eighty-five percent of cyclists observed were male, a number that dropped to 75% among those on Citi Bikes. Users of the bike-share system made up over one-quarter of all cyclists.
Electric bicycles, meanwhile, accounted for 11% of riders – despite most models being illegal to operate on New York City streets. Thirty percent of e-bikers were observed to be delivery workers, compared to 20% of all cyclists observed.
Cycling is booming in Manhattan’s Central Business District, where it’s often faster to rent a $3 Citi Bike than fork over the money for a taxi. The number of people biking across 50th and 86th streets increased by 8.2% and 10% respectively between 2017 and 2018, according to official bike counts.
City officials have struggled to keep up with that pace.
In the last year, the Department of Transportation installed Manhattan’s first-ever crosstown protected bike lanes in the borough – on 12th, 13th, 26th and 29th streets. More lanes are set to go in on 52nd and 55th streets later this summer.
Cyclists riding in bike lanes were less likely to break the law, Hunter researchers found. Women are also more likely to ride in protected bike lanes, according to city data.
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“You build decent bike infrastructure, you get greater compliance with the rules,” said Bike New York Communications Director Jon Orcutt. “If you let cyclists out into a basically lawless environment, they’re going to get through as fast as they can. People are just trying to get where they’re trying to go.”
The report’s findings are a “clarion call to redouble the effort on protected bike lanes,” Orcutt added.
