By Kevin Flynn

Newsday, April 13, 1987

The city has dropped its plan to ban the use of bicycles on three Manhattanavenues because midtown accidents between bicyclists and pedestrians aredeclining, Transportation Commissioner Ross Sandler announced yesterday.

But citywide, police statistics show, the problem of bicycle accidentshas far from disappeared. The number of deaths of pedestrians hit by bicyclesincreased last year as did accidents between bicyclists and motor vehicles.

The city had been set last August to impose a 90-day ban on bicyclingalong Fifth, Park and Madison Avenues, between 31st and 59th Streets, duringmidday hours in an effort to curtail accidents caused by speeding bicyclemessengers. The courts, however, blocked the city, ruling it must go throughthe formal, more lengthy process of amending traffic regulations.

The matter had been in limbo until yesterday when Sandler announcedthe proposed ban would be discarded until police find there has been asignificant rise in accidents. He credited the drop in bicycle-pedestrianaccidents to increased enforcement by police, who issued nearly 7,000 moresummonses for violations last year than in1986.

Citywide, the number of bicycle-pedestrian accidents dropped from 640in 1986 to 510 last year. In midtown, there were 30 such accidents duringthe first three months of this year, down from the 44 accidents duringthe same period last year. But citywide, accidents between bicycles andmotor vehiclesincreased from 2,900 in 1986 to 4,200 last year. And 14 pedestriansdied after being hit by bicycles last year, compared to only 9 in 1986.

[CORRECTION-An article in the April 13 issue of New York Newsdaycontained incorrect statistics for the number of fatal accidents in NewYorkCity involving bicycles and pedestrians. According to police statistics,an average of two pedestrians died from such accidents each year. (4/21/88p 2 C)]

Sandler, a bicyclist himself, said the city would push forward withother efforts to curtail accidents, including proposed legislation to regulatemessenger companies and their bicyclists through licensing.