Brooklyn Bridge Pedestrian Traffic Managers
October 4th, 2011
Starting on October 1, the city is required to keep data on bicycle accidents. According to the latest data betweeen 1996 and 2005, there were 11 pedestrian deaths as a result of crashes with cyclists. From 1996 to 2003, there were 12,412 non-fatal accidents between bikers and pedestrians. “Pedestrian Traffic Managers” have been stationed on the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge and Williamsburg Bridge until 7pm daily, hired by the city to keep bridge walkers safe (for $38/hr per the Brooklyn Independent Television clip above).
Will bicyclists and pedestrians on the Brooklyn Bridge and other East River crossings get along better?
(via BRIC Arts Media)
October 4th, 2011 at 6:08 pm
I think it is a great idea! Especially on the Brooklyn Bridge. Last year I had a young girl jump off the fence into the bike lane, on the narrow Brooklyn side, and I went down needing 12 stitches across my chin. Hopefully this program will protect both riders and walkers alike.
October 4th, 2011 at 10:14 pm
So this is what those loafers were doing on the Brooklyn side of Manhattan bridge bike path this morning?! I’ll give them that I didn’t see any pedestrians coming from their side (plenty were coming from Manhattan), but $80k a month would buy a lot of signage, paint, soft barriers, etc.
October 4th, 2011 at 11:47 pm
For two years I biked the bridge daily to work, now I walk the bridge daily to work. I’ve been on both sides of biker-pedestrian clashes. Putting crossing guards there during the daytime is a waste of money. Where will the guards be after 7 pm, when the sunset picture-taking is heaviest? It’s going to cost $24K a month just for the Brooklyn Bridge. Just one month’s salaries could pay for an LED strip to be installed down the middle of the bridge. It’s yellow during the day, and glows at night), and flexible plastic lane dividers. The second month’s salaries could pay for well-designed signage at both entrances, and rumble strips on the biker side, to prevent dipping into the pedestrian side.
October 5th, 2011 at 1:02 pm
$38/hr is a great deal compared to how much the city spends to keep automobiles from killing pedestrian, cyclists and each other. I think that having a human security presence on the bridge makes people more likely to obey than just good signage and hopefully brings other benefits too such as crime prevention, first response and probably tourist info. We all raised such objections when the MTA took employees out of booths and off of platforms, let’s not be too hasty to call for human-free solutions.
October 5th, 2011 at 1:11 pm
What about some kind of enforcement prohibiting certain bikers from wearing lycra shorts?
October 5th, 2011 at 1:56 pm
I think this is a good idea for the short term. The girl at the end of the clip was right, that the paths right now are just too small to accommodate both walkers and cyclists. I avoid biking over the Brooklyn Bridge because it’s SO frustrating at the amount of people wandering in the bike lane. By the time I’m over it I’m fuming and am in a bad mood.