Bicyclist Deaths In NYC Hit High In September: Report

NEW YORK CITY — Seven bicyclists lost their lives pedaling along New York City's streets in September, according to a new report.

It's most single-month bicyclist deaths since Mayor Bill de Blasio took office in 2014, the New York Daily News first reported.

The deaths stretched across the city — three in Brooklyn, three in the Bronx and one in Queens — and underlined safe streets advocates' long-standing calls for greater protections for the city's cyclists.

Transportation Alternatives responded to the report by tweeting a passage highlighted dissatisfaction with de Blasio's efforts on street safety in the coronavirus pandemic.

Another recent report, this time by the New York Times, found cycling overall increased in the pandemic. Women in particular seem to be choosing the bicycle over other modes of transport — bicycling increased among them by 147 percent, according to the Times.

De Blasio has touted his Open Streets initiative, which closes stretches of roadway to car traffic, as a way to support bicyclists and pedestrians in the pandemic. And his Vision Zero program calling for no pedestrian or cyclist deaths continues.

But advocates have criticized de Blasio for not fully committing to bike lanes and other safety features.

Read the New York Daily News report here.