Manhattan cyclists, be warned — obey the rules of the road or else.
The NYPD has declared war on reckless bicyclists, slapping cyclists with summonses for everything from riding on the sidewalk to near-misses with pedestrians to disobeying traffic signals and other rules of the road.
On the Upper East Side, cops issued 360 summonses from July 8 to Aug. 8, or about 11 a day, police said.
During the previous 30-day period, cops slapped cyclists with 240 summonses, or about eight a day. Reckless cyclists are the No. 1 quality-of-life complaint in the area, police said.
“The elderly pedestrians feel like they are taking their lives in their hands, even when they have a green light,” said a top police official.
The summonses require a court appearance, and the fines are set at the discretion of the judge — but they usually begin at about $50 for first offenders.
Christopher Reid, 40, of Brooklyn, said, “There are lots of kids and strollers, and it’s reckless for bikes to be on the sidewalk.” Deliverymen are the worst offenders, he said.
But Sara Williams, 34, of the East Village, described the crackdown as “unfair.”
“I feel bad for these delivery guys,” she said. “Would you want to ride in the street with these crazy cabs?”
Citywide, police have issued 15,455 summonses to cyclists so far this year.