New Yorkers who love their takeout, but not the rogue cyclists who deliver it, can look forward to a new menu of city regulations intended to crack down on the two-wheeled terrors.
Mayor Bloomberg plans to sign into law a package of bills that subjects commercial cyclists to a series of new or strengthened safety regulations passed yesterday by the City Council.
One bill requires that businesses force their delivery cyclists to take a safety course. The city Department of Transportation must post information about the course on its Web site.
Another mandates that bikers wear reflective vests bearing their companies’ names so residents who witness them speeding or running red lights can call their bosses to complain.
The council also passed a measure giving the DOT the power to issue civil fines of at least $100 to bikers who do not wear helmets and vests and do not carry identification. Presently, only the NYPD can enforce those rules through criminal charges, and cyclists are largely unregulated.
Violations would be set at $250 if the same offense occurs 30 days after the original summons.
The DOT has a six-person team charged with patrolling the city for delivery bikers breaking these rules.