It was once hard to imagine bicycles in New York City because cars and taxis claimed the streets of the city. Where once only the hardened cyclists braved the chaotic traffic lanes, NYC has now become a biking world. Biking has become part of New York’s commuting infrastructure.
Today there are more than 450,000 daily bike trips in the city, up from 170,000 in 2005. About one in five of these bike trips is done by a commuter. Although bicycle commuters remain only a small part of all commuters, New York now has more bike commuters than any other city in the U.S.
New York is part of a booming bicycle movement that has swept across the nation. Cities are now beginning to recognize the rise in the number of bicyclists on their streets. As such, they have started to invest in bike infrastructure and in improving the safety of bike routes.
New York’s Commitment to Its Bicyclists
The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced its plans to add 50 miles of regular bicycle lanes and an additional 10 miles of protected lanes to the city every single year starting in 2017. The DOT stated that it plans to focus its safety efforts in areas with high number of accidents and fatalities, including in three neighborhoods in Queens and seven in Brooklyn.
The city more than doubled the number of bike paths over the past ten years, from 513 miles of lanes to now approximately 1,133 miles across the city. Physical barriers protect approximately 425 of the city’s current lanes, with the rest marked out with paint lines. In 2016, the city installed a record 15 miles of protected lanes.
Common Bicycle Accident Injuries
Although the city has taken many steps to protect the safety of bicyclists on its streets, accidents still happen. Bicycles offer little in terms of protection during an accident. This lack of adequate protection can, and often does, lead to serious and fatal injuries.
Common injuries suffered in bicycle accidents include:
- Traumatic brain injury and other closed head injuries
- Broken or fractured bones
- Back and neck injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Loss of limbs
- Internal organ injuries
- Death
We Can Help You If Your Are Injured
At Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C., we understand the ramifications that bicycle accidents have on the lives of victims and the lives of their loved ones. When you are injured in a bicycle accident, you need to hire an experienced New York bicycle accident attorney to protect your legal rights.
The attorneys at Gersowitz Libo & Korek P.C. have more than 30 years of experience and knowledge to aggressively fight for your rights and get you the full extent of monetary compensation that you deserve. To schedule a complimentary consultation with one of our New York bicycle accident attorneys, please call 1-800-529-9997.