Cycling Goodwill Ambassadors Remind Motorists and Other Cyclists to "Give Respect and Get Respect"

Event Begins @ 6:00 PM on Thursday, August 24, 2000
2nd Avenue and 14th Street (southeast corner)

On Thursday evening, advocates from Transportation Alternatives and neighborhood cyclists and pedestrians, will join with police officers from the 9th precinct to remind sidewalk cyclists and reckless drivers to follow traffic rules. The group will visit a busy, restaurant filled, stretch of 2nd Avenue where there are complaints about delivery cyclists on sidewalks, and motorists driving in the bicycle lane.

Participants will walk their bikes down Second Ave. to Houston Street, and distribute leaflets in English, Spanish and Chinese advising riders to stay off sidewalks, and to always yield to pedestrians. Meanwhile, those drivers spotted ignoring traffic rules, blocking the bicycle lane and crosswalks or otherwise endangering walkers and cyclists will be issued mock summonses.

"Our message is simple," states Susan Boyle, Bicycle Program Director for Transportation Alternatives (T.A), "motorists have to slow down and share the street with cyclists, and cyclists must respect vulnerable pedestrians by staying off the sidewalks and yielding at crosswalks." This is the 10th Give Respect/Get Respect campaign event organized by T.A. and is part of our overall mission to improve the quality of life on our neighborhood streets.

T.A.'s Give Respect/Get Respect campaign calls on motorists to:

• Obey NYC speed limits
• Respect bicycle lanes by not parking, or driving in them
• Yield to cyclists and pedestrians

The campaign asks cyclists to:

• Walk bikes on the sidewalk
• Ride with traffic, not against it
• Always yield to pedestrians