Cycling advocates are pushing Mayor Bill de Blasio to expand bike lanes in the face of looming budget cuts. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, bicycling may play an important role in New York’s recovery after the pandemic, particularly because an increasing number of New Yorkers are avoiding using mass transit for fear of catching the virus. Advocates say the mayor is missing a chance to turn the city’s deserted streets into a haven for bicyclists as people seek alternative ways to travel and exercise during the pandemic.
Cities such as Paris are adding hundreds of miles of bike and pedestrian paths. However, New York City officials have warned they might not even meet a pre-coronavirus target of installing 30 miles of protected bike lanes this year. Biking may help boost the city’s economic recovery as state and city officials gradually lift pandemic-related restrictions in the coming weeks and months. Transportation officials worldwide are looking to bicyclists to help reduce crowding on mass transit as well as curb the use of cars.
While Mayor de Blasio promised to temporarily open up 100 miles of streets to pedestrians and bicyclists during the coronavirus pandemic, advocates say that hasn’t actually happened. Only about 35 miles of streets have been opened to pedestrians and 10 miles of temporary bike lanes have been created in short segments citywide. By contrast, the Paris region is preparing to invest about $330 million to create a 400-mile bike path network as an alternative to commuter rail.
Bicycling Fatalities
As more and more people start using bicycles for transportation, not having the required infrastructure becomes a safety issue and a cause for concern. There were a record number of bicycle accident fatalities in New York City in 2019. More cyclists have died in 2019 than any other year since 2000 in New York City. Overall, traffic deaths increased in 2019 compared to 2018. But, cycling deaths nearly tripled in 2019 compared to the previous year.
According to the New York City Department of Transportation’s Cycling in the City report released May 2019, 24% of adult New Yorkers ride a bike, with a half-million cycling trips completed on a typical day. With the coronavirus pandemic, those numbers may more than double. Bicycle shops in New York City and across the country have reported a significant spike in sales. The sales have been so brisk that bicycle manufacturers are scrambling to meet the demand.
Injuries and Damages
Bicycle accidents have the potential to result in devastating injuries. Some of the common injuries sustained in these types of crashes include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord trauma, broken bones, amputations, internal organ damage, etc. These are all injuries that may require lengthy hospitalization and costly rehabilitation. They may also result in long-term disabilities that prevent individuals from returning to work or pursuing livelihoods.
Injured victims in such cases may be able to seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost income and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. In cases where victims are killed in bicycle accidents, families of deceased victims may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking compensation for damages such as loss of future income, medical expenses, funeral costs, pain and suffering, etc.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle accident, or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent (careless) driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
For over 49 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/as-new-yorkers-flee-mass-transit-during-coronavirus-biking-proves-resilient-11590524873