CM Menchaca Proposes Bill To Give Bicyclists The Same Right Of Way As Pedestrians

A new City Council bill has been proposed that would allow a bicyclist to cross a street with the pedestrian light — instead of with the vehicle traffic lights, which they currently must do — and local street safety advocates are pushing for the bill to be passed and the changes to become reality.

The change would mean that all intersections would have Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPI) — a 3-7 second head start for pedestrians when entering an intersection with a corresponding green signal in the same direction of travel. Currently, only some intersections have LPIs synchronized in traffic signals.

According to the bill’s sponsors, Councilmembers Carlos Menchaca of Sunset Park, Brad Lander of Park Slope, and Antonio Reynoso of Williamsburg, “LPIs have been shown to reduce pedestrian-vehicle collisions as much as 60% at treated intersections.”

“As a bicyclist myself, this small head start over traffic provides me with an added sense of security that the streets on which I travel are being made significantly safer for bicyclists like me in the city,” said Menchaca. “This bill is part of a larger conversation we are having as a City through the Vision Zero Plan and I invite every New Yorker to join this conversation and these efforts to make our commute safer.”

Community Board 6 board member Joanna Oltman Smith agreed, noting that she “often wish[es she] could proceed through dangerous intersections before drivers have the chance to ignore my right of way. By reducing mid-intersection conflicts between people on bikes and turning vehicles, this bill, if enacted, is certain to reduce injuries and fatalities on our streets.  It is an elegant, no-cost way to further NYC’s Vision Zero goals.”

If enacted, the LPIs would go into effect within 120 days of the bill’s passage.