Here are some selected shots from a new set I’m working on : Charting Time with my Specialized Rockhopper. Crash on November 20th :

Today saw the most frigid commute of the year, and of the winter so far. Around 14 fahrenheit when I left the house this morning.

Pedaling down 8th Avenue I fought the cold and used my lens of justice to capture bike lane violations as I normally would. The morning ride culminated in hitting the back of a taxi at Columbus Circle and bruising the left knee.

Later that day saw this hydrant had caused a big icy mess @ Times Square. Liam Quigley signing off.

As both an avid cyclist and NYC public high school student, I am writing to approach the issue of encouraging the use of the bicycle as a true means of transportation for the public. I commute daily, to school, to work, in and out of Manhattan. Daily I experience a complete lack of respect many motorists exhibit towards cyclists. Bicycle lanes, widely proliferated in recent years, are tread on as if they do not exist. I’m sure you are well aware that it is a violation of NYC traffic law to stop, stand, or park in a bike lane in NYC. This law is lax-enforced at best, and consequently, cyclists like myself are put at risk everyday.
Before cycling can be truly encouraged by bicycle renting services as in Paris, we must do more to reduce bicycle lane intrusion rates. This can be achieved by a number of things :

• A partial elimination of the Stipulated fine program in situations where safety is at risk (parked in bike lanes, parked blocking a hydrant)
• Increased fines for bike lane violations
• Increase traffic officer presence near bike lanes to discourage violations
• Set aside parking for delivery trucks so drivers do not feel ‘forced’ to use the bicycle lanes.

I am confident that these changes will develop in the coming years. As we as a people are forced to deal with the impact on our planet of our excesses and sprawl, cycling will become a hub for change and positive growth in our city. We now have a chance to better facilitate the coming changes by protecting the safety of the rapidly growing number of citizens who choose to use the bicycle to get where they need to go.

Shot from the 42nd floor of the Empire State Building in Late December. © Quigley

My 2007 Cyclopathic history

Mileage goal was 5000, actual was like this :

• January 274.76
• February 399.02
• March 438.94
• April 306.56
• May 567
• June 653.4
• July 1141
• August 1011.8
• September 558.6
• October 290.4
• November 333.7
• December 218

For a total of 6193.18 miles, hindered rarely by weather and mostly by sickness and crashes resulting in two cycling-related ambulance rides, 1 in March and 1 in November.

Longest day : 130 Miles
Races total : >25, too lazy to tally them.

• Times crashed by taxi : 1
• Times crashed by road conditions : 1
• Times crashed by other riders : 1