Res. No. 129

Resolution calling upon the New York City Department of Education to carry out instruction in bicycle safety in all New York City schools.

By Council Members Bottcher, Joseph, Brooks-Powers, Ossé, Dinowitz, Marte, Abreu, Farías, Hanif, Hudson, Brewer, Sanchez, Stevens, Schulman, Riley, Menin, Narcisse, Ung, Barron, Restler, De La Rosa, Williams, Krishnan, Nurse, Avilés, Brannan, Gutiérrez, Moya, Hanks, Richardson Jordan, Louis, Won, Powers, Gennaro, Cabán, Lee and Paladino

Whereas, Over the past two decades, New York City has seen tremendous growth in cycling, according to the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT); and

Whereas, According to the NYC DOT website, approximately 773,000 New Yorkers ride a bike regularly, with estimates that over 530,000 cycling trips are made each day in New York City-more than triple the amount taken 15 years ago; and

Whereas, This increase in cycling is a result of NYC DOT’s efforts to expand the city’s bicycle infrastructure, including both conventional bicycle lanes and protected bicycle lanes; and

Whereas, According to DOT’s Cycling in the City webpage, there have been 1,375 miles of bike lanes and 546 miles of protected bicycle lanes installed in New York City as of 2020, and the Citibike program has grown to 19.5 million bike trips in 2020 alone; and

Whereas, Given that cycling is a convenient and affordable way to get around, reduces air pollution, improves public health, and fights global climate change, cycling in New York City should be promoted; and

Whereas, In recent years there have been positive changes in cycling safety, due to efforts such as the creation of designated bicycle lanes and the introduction of the City’s Vision Zero program in 2014, which was designed to eliminate all traffic deaths and serious injuries on New York City streets by 2024; and

Whereas, Despite these efforts, in 2020, the latest year for which data is available, there were 5,175 cyclists injured and 24 killed in crashes with motor vehicles, according to NYC DOT’s 2020 Bicycle Crash Data Report; and

Whereas, City officials must increase efforts to improve cycling safety beyond the infrastructure changes and enforcement efforts currently employed; and

Whereas, Education is essential for safety and, along with protected, interconnected cycling infrastructure, providing instruction in bicycle and traffic safety would be helpful in efforts to reduce crashes and other bike safety incidents; and

Whereas, New York State Education Law §806 already requires that all students be provided “instruction in highway safety and traffic regulation which shall include bicycle safety, to be maintained and followed in all the schools of the state”; and

Whereas, However, neither New York State Education Law, nor Regulations of the Commissioner of Education specify the amount or duration of such instruction; and

Whereas, In fact, the DOE already participates in at least one bicycle education pilot program, in partnership with the NYC Department of Transportation and the non-profit Bike New York, to teach middle school students bike safety skills; and

Whereas, However, it is clear that most schools are not providing bicycle safety instruction as required; and

Whereas, Providing instruction in bicycle and traffic safety in schools, starting at an early age and continuing to reinforce such instruction throughout students’ years in school would be an effective measure to both promote cycling and prevent bicycle accidents and other safety incidents; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the Department of Education to carry out instruction in bicycle safety in all New York City schools.

LS# 7981

JA

4/4/22