Source: https://brooklynbridgebikerent.com/nyc-biking-rules/
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 04:16:04+00:00

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Join the more than a million New Yorkers who bike, and please do so safely. Safe cycling in New York City means knowing NYC biking rules and the rules of the road that apply to cyclists. Not only will following the NYC biking rules keep us safe and traffic-ticket free, but it will also have a positive impact on the overall safety of the streets. The following information is provided by Bike Rent NYC and aggregated from public information provided by the NYC Department of Transportation (NYCDOT), the NYC Department of Mental Health and Hygiene, Transportation Alternatives, and the Biking Rules website.
The following safety guidelines will make your bike ride in New York City safer and prevent unwanted consequences.
Wear a helmet. Children 13 or younger have to — everyone else should.
Ride with the traffic, not against it.
Ride on the street, not the sidewalk (except children 12 or younger).
Use marked bike lanes or paths whenever possible.
Be seen and be heard.
Use front and rear lights when traveling after dusk.
Use a bell or horn and reflectors.
Avoid riding in drivers’ blind spots.
Make eye contact with drivers and pedestrians when riding through intersections.
Leave extra room riding near buses, trucks and parked cars.
Use hand signals before you turn or change lanes.
Don’t weave in and out of traffic.
Don’t text or talk on the phone while riding.
Don’t wear more than one earphone — it’s best to use none.
Bicyclists have all the rights and are subject to all the duties applicable to drivers of motor vehicles. This includes obeying all traffic signals, regulating signs and pavement markings. Bicycle riding is permitted on arterial and local streets throughout the City even though no designated route exists. Bicycle riding is prohibited on the roadways of certain bridges, expressways and highways. Often a separate path exists on these facilities for bicycles. Download NYC Department of Transportation Biking Rules and Regulations.
§ 4-01 (b) Definitions: A bicycle is defined as every two- or three- wheeled device upon which a person or persons may ride, propelled by human power through a belt, a chain or gears, with such wheels in a tandem or tricycle, except that it shall not include a device having solid tires and intended for use only on a sidewalk by pre-teenage children.
§ 4-02 (a) Compliance with and Effect of Traffic Rules The provisions of N.Y.C. Traffic Rules are applicable to bicycles and their operators.
§ 4-07 (c)(3) Restrictions on crossing sidewalks No driving bikes on sidewalks unless sign allows or wheels are less than 26 inches in diameter and rider is twelve years or younger. See also Administrative Code §19-176.
§ 4-08 (e)(9) Stopping, standing and parking prohibited in specified places No parking, standing or stopping vehicles within or otherwise obstructing bike lanes.
§ 4-12 (e) Driver’s hand on steering device Driver of a bicycle must have hand on steering device or handlebars.
§ 4-12 (h) Reporting accidents by drivers of other than motor vehicles Rider involved in accident resulting in death or injury to person or damage to property must stop and give name, address, insurance information, etc., and must report to Police Department.
§ 4-12 (o)(1) Use of Roadways NYC Department of Transportation Division of Traffic Operations 55 Water Street, New York, NY 10041 www.nyc.gov/dot Bicycles are prohibited on expressways, drives, highways, interstate routes, bridges and thruways, unless authorized by signs.
Bicycle riders must use bike path/lane, if provided, except for access, safety, turns, etc.
Other vehicles shall not drive on or across bike lanes except for access, safety, turns, etc.
Bicyclists may use either side of a 40-foot wide one-way roadway.
§ 4-14 (c) Restricted areas of parks No person shall ride a bicycle in any park, except in places designated for bike riding; but persons may push bikes in single file to and from such places, except on beaches and boardwalks.
§ 102-a Definition of Bicycle Lane: A portion of the roadway which has been designated by stripping, signing and pavement markings for the preferential or exclusive use of bicycles.
§ 102-b Definition of Bicycle Path: A path physically separated from motorized vehicle traffic by an open space or barrier and either within the highway right–of-way or within an independent right-of-way and which is intended for the use of bicycles.
§ 375(24-a) Equipment Rider cannot wear more than one earphone attached to radio, tape player or other audio device while riding.
§ 1231 Traffic Laws Applicable to Persons Riding Bicycles Bicyclists are granted all rights and subject to all duties applicable to operator of vehicle except where not applicable.
Bike must carry only number of persons for which it is designed and equipped.
§ 1233 Clinging to vehicles No attaching bike or person to another vehicle being operated on the roadway.
No more than two abreast. § 1235 – Carrying articles Rider must keep at least one hand on handlebars when carrying packages.
Reflective tires and/or other reflective devices required.
Rider can use either hand to signal a right turn.
A child under age one is not permitted to ride on a bicycle.
A child one or more years of age but less than five years of age must wear an approved helmet and be carried in a properly affixed child carrier.
A child five or more years of age but less than fourteen years of age must wear an approved helmet.
Vision Zero is the belief that no New Yorker should be killed or injured in traffic.
Bike Rent NYC supports Vision Zero and bicycle safety in NYC. Let’s stop saying “accident” today. Take the #CrashNotAccident pledge.
2014 marks the formation of Vision Zero Now, a coalition of individuals, community organizations and New York City businesses that seek an end to traffic violence on New York City streets. In a platform of recommendations, New Yorkers are demanding the transformative changes that will make Vision Zero possible.
We, the members of the Coalition to End Traffic Violence, see the progress of Mayor de Blasio’s Vision Zero initiative as critical to protecting the human rights of people of the City of New York, and necessary to maintain a humane standard of living in our city.
In 2015, the following projects will help achieve Vision Zero, and make our city a safer place for every resident, commuter and visitor.
Rebuild all of New York City’s arterial streets with “Complete Street” redesigns that include wider sidewalks, safe crosswalks with pedestrian islands and dedicated signals, protected bike lanes and dedicated bus lanes.
Empower NYPD officers, District Attorneys and DMV policymakers to aggressively seek justice in response to crashes that kill and maim New Yorkers, in the form of more prolific enforcement, stricter consequences and more thorough prosecution of reckless drivers.
Set benchmarks to measure the City of New York’s progress toward Vision Zero and report annually on progress, sharing data across agencies and with the public, and revising initiatives to respond to success or lack thereof.
Develop curriculums for the DOE, NYPD Academy and DMV that enforce Vision Zero philosophy, creating youth leaders for safe streets, educating the next generation of police officers to the importance of traffic safety, and enacting driver education programs that reflect on-street realities.

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§ 375

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 § 1235