It has been a bad year for cyclists in the Big Apple. In all of 2018, there were 10 cyclists killed in traffic accidents on the streets of New York City. This year, that total has more than doubled to 29. The sharp increase has brought activists to begin advocating for more laws and roadway changes to protect the city’s cycling population. Mayor Bill DeBlasio and city planners have taken steps to address the issues. These steps include increased enforcement of traffic laws, allowing bicycles to proceed with pedestrians at traffic signals, and plans to expand the city’s bike lanes. These efforts come too late for the 29 cyclists killed, which include a pediatrician who was recently killed in Central Park, as NYC Streets Blog reports.
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The crash occurred at about 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning. 50-year-old pediatrician Dr. Daniel Cammerman was biking within the park on the transverse. As he biked eastbound, he was struck by a yellow school bus that was also traveling eastbound. The bus had 14 children on board at the time of the accident.
A police spokesperson would only state that there was no criminality suspected at the time. It was reported that Cammerman hit a patch of ice on the roadway and slid or skidded into the path of the bus.
Dr. Cammerman was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Cars are more or less not permitted within the park. However, they are allowed to drive on the crosstown transverses that crisscross the park at major streets.
The East Side of Manhattan is particularly perilous to cyclists because there are no bike lanes west of Second Avenue. Many cyclists opt to take Fifth Avenue, where they are frequently struck by drivers.
There have been 302 reported crashes on 5th Avenue between 110th to 59th Streets. These crashes have injured 15 cyclists, 17 pedestrians, and 25 drivers.
2019 has been the deadliest year for cyclists since 1999.
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