Photo above shows a bike and a car stopped at red light when another bike comes along and fails to stop, running the light. The police officers take no action. The bike rider can clearly be seen looking up Inman street to see if there is oncoming traffic that needs to be avoided. The police did pull over a car for a traffic violation, but none of the bikes that ran the red light.
The photo shows the other police officer observing the traffic at the intersection. He sees the bike running the red light but takes no action. He informed me that only bike officers ticket bike riders. I then called the desk and was informed that the police were assigned to Mass Ave and Inman to enforce traffic laws, but not to enforce them on bikes, only cars. He told me they were assigned to do cars, not bikes.
(Photos taken June 20, 2008, at 5:23pm and 5:26pm.)
So, what message does this send bike riders? You can run the red light right in front of Cambridge Police officers, who will give you a nod?
1 comment:
Below find my response to:
Why bicyclists need to obey traffic signals
via Universal Hub by adamg on 7/22/08
Remember one of our endless discussions a few days back when some bicyclists said they shouldn't have to stop for red lights?
Hedgehog reports:
... While escorting a couple of grad students to my car to go to a testing session, I waited patiently at the curb in front of MIT's main building until the chirping walk signal appeared, stepped into the incredibly well-marked and signaled crosswalk, and was promptly clobbered by some young woman on a bicycle. POW. Like something out of a cartoon.
Fortunately I seem to have escaped without major injury, although my shoulder joint is awfully sore from where I attempted to stop 160+ pounds of woman and bicycle moving at 25 MPH with my puny girl-bicep. OWIE. ...
Sorry to hear about another pedestrian hit by a bike. This is a serious problem, especially when the victim is a senior or a person with a disability. Seniors cannot easily recover, and can even die from such a mishap, by throwing a blod clot. So, a broken bone or blood vessel for a senior can be a life or death issue.
Some on bikes just do not understand that yelling at seniors to "give way" is silly. Seniors cannot be expected to jump out of the path of moving bikes. They are just too slow, and cannot move that fast. Assuming, that is, they can even hear the call, or understand it. Hard of hearing problems are common for seniors.
Seniors have repetedly requested that bikes not be allowed, nor permitted to run the red lights in front of the Senior Center right across from City Hall, 795 Mass Ave, at the complicated intersection of Inman, Mass Ave and Pleasant St. However, the Cambridge Police continue NOT TO COOPERATE.
Here is a recent post from my blog, complete with photos,
http://votekathy.blogspot.com/2008/06/cambridge-police-permit-bicycles-to-run.html
that shows bikes running the red light right in front of police officers, that ticked only cars.
Those who ride bikes shoud not be alowed to decide to put others at risk, especially seniors in front of the senior center.
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