BAD BICYCLING? FINE BUSINESSES

by dan rivoli

business owners in the city may get hit with the fines their deliverymen receive.

in an attempt to curb bad bicycling behavior, a group of east side elected officials want to pass a law that would shift the burden over to the city's companies that employ bicyclists who ignore traffic laws.

in new york, restaurants are likely to be hit the hardest.

the two most common pedestrian complaints about bicycles are riding on the sidewalk and bicycling against the flow of traffic. the bill's supporters believe this kind of riding will be reduced if owners are saddled with their deliverymen's tickets. owners would be encouraged to educate deliverymen on bicycling laws.

"by putting the onus for penalties on the businesses that employ delivery riders, we give them extra incentive to ensure that their employees are being responsible on the road," said council member jessica lappin, who sponsored a "home rule" message that allowed the state legislature to pass a bill changing new york city's law.

state sen. liz krueger, who sponsored the legislation in her chamber, added in a statement: "the issue of sharing our streets among pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists is one of compromise."

the bill, which has cleared the state senate, would also require commercial bicyclists in the city to carry an identification card and display the name of their business. the bill passed 57 to 4, with all upper west side senators voting in favor.