hey MO: I understand that bike lanes exist for everyone’s safety – especially the bikers! Even with these designated lanes, I’ve see so many bikers who refuse to obey the rules of the road, e.g., running red lights, cutting off pedestrians when turning, and  not using reflective protective gear at night. I’ve seen this most often with food delivery bikers, but casual and recreational riders are also at fault.

Education for bikers should be required just as education for drivers. I also believe we must foster a shared sense of responsibility among everyone who bikes, walks, or drives.

hey you: this is a complex topic—thank you for raising it. It’s true: not everyone consistently follows the rules of the road. Yet people who ride bicycles are often singled out, even as bicycle infrastructure and rules on public roads remain unclear and sometimes contradictory. While we support education, it must go hand in hand with a deeper examination of our infrastructure, policies, and street regulations.

Bike infrastructure is often fragmented. Rules vary by location, change without notice, and can place people who bike at disproportionate risk. Over time, these inconsistencies erode trust and lead many to question the rules themselves.

Even basic rules can conflict—for example, which traffic signal a person on a bicycle should follow at an intersection, or that riding through a red light is permitted in certain cases—something many people don’t know.

Additionally, people who ride—especially delivery workers—face job pressures and impatience from other road users, often pushed to move faster or off the road altogether. This is why people who don’t ride also need to understand bicycle infrastructure—and that rules that seem clear for drivers are often not for people on bikes.

If we want safer streets, we need to rethink how we teach and regulate street use for everyone.

Until then, please refer to these resources:

• Streetsblog NYC: Yes, Cyclists Can Go On Red
• LocaMO: Defensive Riding Class for people who ride bicycles
• Los Deliveristas Unidos: Delivery workers challenges, needs, and requirements
• Sharing NYC Streets: Tips for Driving
• NYC Department of Transportation Bicycle Resources 

This page has been updated for clarity and concision.

*askMO submissions are italicized and published as received. **A version of this post is featured in the The Sunset Post. 

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