Traffic laws in NYC (may be a bit of a strtch for this forum)
The previous mayor of NYC put in a law change to make ebike and bike traffic infractions criminal offenses. Mamdani reversed that and now a group is sueing to reinstated the proceedure. Basically the change makes traffic tickets criminal offences and the person commiting them has to show up in court. This covers pretty much all moving violations.
"They’re pedestrians and conventional cyclists who say that they want a return to a policy that was introduced by Mayor Eric Adams last year. It made traffic violations by e-bikes and bikes criminal offenses. In other words, cyclists had to appear in court if they received a citation. "
So drivers who blow traffic lights and stop signs get a ticket and pay by mail, but a cyclist has to show up in court.
https://pix11.com/news/local-news/new-lawsuit-seeks-to-make-e-bike-traffic-violations-criminal-again-in-nyc/
I think the judge should reinstate the criminal charge and under the equal protection claus, extend it to all motorized vehicles. After all according to one of the law supporters>
“If people know they’re going to be held accountable,” said Peace, “they’re going to change their behavior.”
And cars and trucks are by far the most dangerous vehicles on the NYC roads.
= new reply since forum marked as read
do not need either a license or insurance, and they were simply blowing off the civil citations. While those folks could eventually be prosecuted as scofflaws, they didn't have to worry about losing a license or skyrocketing insurance rates. A criminal summons can be enforced through a bench warrant.
I don't know how often you are in the city, but, for several years, it's been dangerous to step off a curb to hail a cab, to see if a bus is coming, or to simply wait for the light to change given the speed of some e-bike riders. Pedestrians have been killed.
