Cyclist Greg Lowdermilk, who was hit with a $140 ticket for speeding in Central Park this morning, sent us video of his experience with the cops this morning. One cop explained, "We've had a really high increase in accidents involving bicycles."
Lowdermilk, a disabled Iraq war veteran who works for FEMA, turned on the camera attached to his bike and kept it on for over 11 minutes. There are some sound issues, so here are the main highlights: Around the 1 minute mark when you can see a cop use a radar gun to pull over a cyclist—Lowdermilk, the just-pulled over cyclist and a third cyclist complain/joke about the insanity of the situation, pointing out they were going down a hill, and "If [the speed limit is] 15 mph, then there's no point in coming here" and also ask the cops if vehicles have to abide by the 15 mph rule (they don't!). And at around 6 minutes, when the cops explain why they are going after cyclists, "We've had a really high increase in accidents involving bicycles, hitting people. Bike on bike. Bike on pedestrians. It's really been a concern for the city... We're trying to cut down on the accidents... We're trying to make sure people follow the rules."
The biggest source of confusion seems to be the 15 mph speed limit— the Central Park Conservancy's website says the suggested speed limit is 25 mph, but there are signs inside the park that do indicate a 15 mph limit...though one traveling at even 5 mph would be hard-pressed to see what the limit is. In the video, Lowdermilk makes the point to the cops that if the limit were 15 mph, then the NYPD should have been mentioning that at the meetings with cyclists, because then other cyclists will find out. To further muddle things, Councilwoman Gale Brewer (D-Upper West Side) heard from the Central Park Conservancy this afternoon, "Captain Wishnia stated to [the CPC's Doug] Blonsky that there will be no more ticketing in CP for speeding due to the fact that the speed limit for bicycles is indeed 25mph." Well, we guess we'll see in the morning!
As astounded as Lowdermilk was about the ticket, he was empathetic with the police; he told us earlier today, "There are a lot of cyclists who break the rules in Central Park but the ones who use it for training are the ones suffering. Pedestrians walk right in front of us, they let their dogs run loose without leashes, and then you have cyclists going the wrong way and that makes us all look bad. I told the cops it must really suck to have a job like yours, and one cop said this is the last thing he wants to be doing. I mean, how embarrassing being out there pointing a radar gun at cyclists?"
And one of the cyclists ticketed this morning told us, "I was one of those ticketed this morning. Police just paid me a personal visit (7:55pm) and provided a personal apology that there has been some mistake over what the officers thought was the speed limit (they thought 15mph) to that of what is outlined in Central Park’s rules which is 25mph. I am excited to report they revoked my ticket..."
Hundreds of cyclists have been ticketed (such as one fined $270 for running a red light) in Central Park during the NYPD's crackdown this year.
