RISE OF THE MICRO-MACHINES
Who’s in Charge Here?
Micromobility is going to bring new conflicts to New York City’s crowded streets, sidewalks, bike lanes, and intersections. If you’re wondering who has the right of way, remember that with great speed comes great responsibility. Here’s who should be in charge:
Pedestrians
Everyone yields to people walking and using a wheelchair, no matter what. It doesn’t matter where they are — jaywalking, rolling in the bike lane, crossing midblock — pedestrians always have the right of way.
Human-Powered
People on bicycles, skateboards, and kick scooters move slower than anything else on the road, and should have the right of way over everyone but pedestrians. This includes their electric-powered brothers and sisters in the bike lane.
Small and Electric
Small electric vehicles like e-bikes, e-scooters, and e-skateboards should be ridden in the bike lane and on the street, not the sidewalk. Since people on small electric vehicles will be sharing the fringes of the city with human-powered vehicles, but at a faster pace, it’s the job of people with electric power to yield.
Public Transit
Buses, cars, and trucks all travel at the same pace, so with public transit, yielding becomes about benefit versus harm. A city bus moves fifty times as many people as a car, so buses should always get priority over cars.
Shared Rides
While ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft are responsible for a dramatic increase in traffic congestion in New York City, taxis and ride-sharing services still represent a potential for opening up the streets by encouraging people to ditch their cars. That, and the professional drivers behind the wheel, elevates their right to the road above private cars and trucks.
Cars and Trucks
People driving private cars and trucks on city streets cause the greatest general harm to the city’s citizens in the form of pollution and congestion, and have the greatest potential to cause specific harm in the form of death and injury. Private cars and trucks are most responsible for safety, and should have the most restricted right of way.
For further reading on this topic, check out How We Take Back the Streets and Micromobili-What?
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