On the Queensboro Bridge, some commuters say close calls are part of the ride, and sometimes it feels less like a bike path and more like a game of chance.
What You Need To Know
Police say Thursday around 8:30 a.m., two men going opposite directions collided while crossing the bridge
Both were taken to the hospital, where they died, according to officials
The advocacy group Transportation Alternatives is backing legislation called “Ride Safe, Ride Right,” a proposal that would ban the sale of certain high-speed scooters and e-bikes capable of going more than 20 miles an hour
“When I see someone come flying past me, when I already feel like I’m going fast, yeah, it’s pretty uncomfortable,” Astoria resident Ryan McGee said.
Police say Thursday around 8:30 a.m., two men never made it across.
According to investigators, a 39-year-old man riding a motorized stand-up scooter, riding westbound on the bridge’s bike lane, collided head-on with a 35-year-old cyclist riding eastbound.
Both were taken to the hospital, where they died.
“I saw the remnants of it this morning,” Long Island City resident Andrew Woolward said. “The bicycle was practically broken in half. I ride the bridge twice a day Monday through Friday, and the things I see on that bridge with those stand-up bikes [are] unbelievable.”
Later in the day, Forest Hills resident Naomi Penida gripped the handlebars of her own stand-up scooter, carefully making her way over the same bridge.
On this day, it was only her second ride.
“It was between this and another scooter that was faster, but realistically, I don’t want to go that fast when I’m standing up on a scooter,” Pineda said.
That question of speed is now at the center of a growing push at City Hall.
The advocacy group Transportation Alternatives is backing legislation called “Ride Safe, Ride Right,” a proposal that would ban the sale of certain high-speed scooters and e-bikes capable of going more than 20 miles an hour.
“It’s really horrible. This is a system, and a situation set up where no one is winning. There are changes [that] we can make. We just need to prioritize safety,” Sledge said.
Advocates say the city’s bike infrastructure was never built for devices moving this fast, especially on congested narrow-points like the Queensboro Bridge.
“It’s incredible that accidents don’t happen more often,” Astoria resident Ava Annaruma said.
“I wish there was a safer path,” Flushing resident Radha Urribarri said.
The NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad is investigating the crash.
Names of the deceased will be released after the group completes its investigation.