Fueled by the expansion of protected bike lanes and bike-sharing systems like Citi Bike, cycling is increasingly becoming a preferred mode of transportation for many New Yorkers.
According to data from the NYC Department of Transportation, the number of daily cycling trips rose 64% between 2013 and 2023. A survey from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene found that more than 762,000 New Yorkers ride a bike regularly.
However, as Lenore Arons, chair of the Pedestrian and Bike Safety Committee of Good Neighbors of Park Slope (GNPS) — an all-volunteer, aging-in-place nonprofit — told Brooklyn Paper, members have grown increasingly concerned about pedestrian safety. She cited frequent traffic violations by cyclists, particularly e-bike riders, as well as mopeds and motorcycles running red lights and riding on sidewalks.
“Members were increasingly scared of crossing the street, anxious about walking on the sidewalk,” Arons said. “We felt that we needed and wanted to do something constructive to help the public understand the nature of the problem, but more so, how we could work together to resolve it.”
In 2024, the organization launched a comprehensive effort to improve pedestrian safety in shared public spaces. In addition to supporting legislation aimed at protecting pedestrians, the group proposed a public service campaign to run on LinkNYC kiosks throughout the neighborhood.
GNPS designed a community-based education campaign, “Rules of the Road,” intended to educate cyclists about existing traffic laws and promote safe riding practices to make city streets safer for all. The initiative was created in collaboration with Council Member Shahana Hanif’s office, the Worker’s Justice Project, the Park Slope Civic Council, Transportation Alternatives, the Fifth Avenue BID, Community Board 6, and NewYork-Presbyterian.
The campaign launched at a Feb. 18 press conference at Fifth Avenue and Second Street in Park Slope.
LinkNYC kiosks across City Council District 39 — which includes parts of Kensington, Borough Park, Windsor Terrace, Park Slope, Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, and the Columbia Waterfront — will display NYC biking laws in English, Bangla and Spanish. The messages reinforce key safety rules: yielding to pedestrians, obeying red lights, staying off sidewalks, riding with traffic flow, and adhering to the 15 mph speed limit for e-bikes.
Arons and fellow GNPS member Kathy Ruopp emphasized that the campaign is focused on education rather than punitive measures such as issuing traffic violations.
“If you’re over 12 and bike on the sidewalk, the fine is $250, but no one’s enforcing that, and we found the only enforcement options were kind of cruel or punitive. And that’s not what we want to do. We just want to give everyone the opportunity to act predictably, which makes us all safer,” Ruopp said.
“There’s a belief that if you educate and you try to prevent things [from happening], people respond because they want to know, and they see that now they have the tools to bike and walk safer,” Arons added. “We hope to change the culture. That’s the phrase we often use, ‘change the culture of bicycling in the city.”
Council Member Hanif, who represents the 39th District, noted that while the rapid growth of micro mobility had brought about positive changes, such as cleaner air, reduced congestion, affordable transportation, and jobs for delivery workers, the increase also highlighted the need for traffic safety education.
“This campaign is about making sure cyclists understand rules of the road and how to keep themselves and other pedestrians safe crossing the street, so that we can all share the space responsibly by placing these graphics on LinkNYC kiosks,” Hanif said. She noted that many cyclists in the district are delivery workers, immigrants and working-class New Yorkers who “deserve both dignity and safe working conditions.”
“Partnering with groups like Worker’s Justice Project ensures this campaign uplifts safety without stigmatizing the workers who keep our city running,” Hanif said.
Ligia Guallpa, executive director of Worker’s Justice Project and co-founder of its Los Deliveristas Unidos campaign, which advocates for app-based delivery workers, said street safety remains the top priority for the city’s 80,000 app delivery workers.
“We are excited to see a community that is committed to educate, to build a safe space for neighbors, including deliveristas, to feel welcome and to really look for a community approach where we’re looking to stand hand in hand to make sure that deliveristas not only ride safe, but actually stay safe on the streets of the city of New York,” Guallpa said.
Elizabeth Adams, deputy executive director of Transportation Alternatives, said the organization is committed to creating safe streets for everyone.
“We want it to be possible for people to walk across the street, to hop on a bike to get where they need to go, and that comes with a shared understanding of the rules of our road,” Adams said. “When we know better, we do better. We can take care of each other in a better, safer, more compassionate way, and that comes to education campaigns like this, that really think about how we look out for one another.”
Donna Stein, president of the Park Slope Civic Council, told Brooklyn Paper that the number of people who said they had been hit, nearly hit or knew someone who had been hit was “staggering.”
“This is such important work. We have to raise the consciousness of people about bicycle safety,” Stein said.
