NYC Mayor: I'd Ban Bikes on Subways
I was disappointed, but not surprised to learn of the Mayor's opinion of bikes on NYC subways, after reading this article in Wired, where the mayor says he would ban bikes on subway trains if he could.
I tend to agree that bikes can get in the way when riders are clueless about bike etiquette or are just inconsiderate. But when cyclists are respectful and stay in the end cars only, they pose much less of a nuisance to other passengers. I agree that biking and mass transit go hand in hand, and we sometimes need the train to make the bigger connections. I sometime take the train from Park Slope to the George Washington Bridge so I can bike in New Jersey.
Other cities provide bike racks in the front of their public busses. There is a lot that can be done to make taking mass transit better for everyone. Creating ban times, e.g. rush hour, might be warranted. But thinking that cyclists have no right to bring bikes on board when things like strollers, rolling cellos and the like are allowed, seems unfair. I'm disappointed that the mayor's opinion doesn't see the bigger picture here.
