Is lane splitting legal in NYC?
No, although it’s common and it’s generally safer to cut to the front of the traffic at a light than get stuck between two cabbies who just spotted the same fare. While it’s rare to get popped for lane splitting on city streets, cutting in and out of traffic at speeds significantly higher than prevailing traffic is Darwinism at work. Remember that this isn’t a city of drivers who use their mirrors, respect lane markings or use their turn signals. The exception: NYPD Highway are ballbusters about lane splitting, and they’ll often pad the ticket with other points citations like “reckless driving”, “failure to signal”, and so forth. In other words, be careful about lane splitting on the FDR, West Side Highway, BQE, etc. • Is it safe to park my bike on the street? NYC is not only a city of bike thieves, it’s also a city of idiot cagers who won’t think twice about knocking over your bike if it means widening a potential parking space. Unless you like riding a ratty looking bike, the annual
