# WARNING: Cops ticketing cyclists on NJ side of GWB



## NYC_CAAD

*WARNING: Cops ticketing cyclists on NJ side of GWB (PICTURES ON POST (4)*

WARNING: Cops ticketing cyclists on NJ side of GWB | NYCC.org


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## NYC_CAAD

From a member



> ...except that the cop, who said he had given out 40 tickets that day, had grown tired of this and only warned us. Much confusion: appreciate Ellen's/the Club's contacts with the Fort Lee Police to clarify. What the policeman told us sounded more dangerous than what we have been doing (i.e., getting into the left lane about a block before the overpass, so that when we go through the overpass we are on the extreme left and can make the turn onto the Bridge as safely as possible).





NYC_CAAD said:


> http://nycc.org/message-board/warning-cops-ticketing-cyclists-nj-side-gwb/57323


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## NYC_CAAD

More info!



> Wish we could clarify a strict Fort Lee Police protocol for this approach but it has become clear that there is none for now.
> 
> Tickets were given to cyclists for making a turn illegal for cars without thought of offering an alternative. In fact talk to some officers and they will tell you that our typical approach is the recommended approach for cyclists.
> 
> 
> 
> We have it anecdotally that there may be some letting up of this 'campaign' due to complaints.
> 
> We'll see what gives this weekend.
> 
> 
> 
> We have our goodwill-building work cut out for us in Fort Lee. The Mayor and Chamber of Commerce will hear from NYCC, in addition to Chief Ripoli.
> 
> We want to make certain the town understands that wanton ticketing such as this shoots the town itself in the foot.
> 
> 
> 
> to be continued......
> 
> 
> 
> Ellen


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## NYC_CAAD

The NJ police was at it again today.. 1 officer had 4 cyclist pulled over. I have 4 pictures including license plate from the unmarked car... Pictures are from today.



Picture (1) 1:45

Picture (2) 1:46

Picture (3) 1:46

Picture (4) 1:47


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## NYC_CAAD

Posted by a member "BGoldberg 2" from nycc.org. He/She was issued a ticket for $140 today!!



> I got $140 worth of Fort Lee PD tickets around 1 PM today coming back onto the GWB from 9W. One for failure to "keept to the right" and one for "unsafe lane change". The funny thing is I just read the laws and they both state you can move to the left and change lanes when making preparing to make a left turn.
> 
> New Jersey Statute Directory - NJSA 39:4-14.2. Keeping to right; exceptions; single file
> 
> New Jersey Statute Directory - NJSA 39:4-88. Traffic on marked lanes
> 
> The officer said I initiated my lane change too early. Well, the law doesn't really say what is "too early", but the officer defined it as two blocks (he said I initated my lane change 3 blocks away). I dont mind paying a ticket when I've done something wrong but geez, the law clearly says you're allow to move to the left when preparing to make a left hand turn. He also said they used to hand out warning but now they're issuing tickets because of public outcry. I really feel screwed.
> 
> I might plea not guilty and fight this in court. When you read the statutes, it clearly says you have a right to move into the left hand lane in preparation for a left hand turn, but a day at the FT Lee courthouse might be more painful that the tickets.
> 
> Either way, be careful out there folks.


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## Bobonli

It seems pretty clear the message they are sending with this selective enforcement: "don't ride here. "

And that should include not patronizing any of the businesses there!


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## NYC_CAAD

Everyone part of the situation should give it some thought and join on Thursday July 19th. At the Fort Lee mayor & council meeting. 

Post by: _*BVan Nieuwenhoven*_ from nycc.org


> 1. There's nothing posted on any signs on this intersection about what's a legal left turn or not, and there's no continuous double-yellow line at that intersection. All current indicators point to the idea that it's a legal turn to a private road + bike path. Just because the road is private/restricted access doesn't mean that no car or bike should be making that turn. (Again, I'd like to see them "ticket" an official PA vehicle making that turn)
> 2. If the bridge is part of a cross-state bike path, and if that intersection is supposed to be a direct connector between segments of that bike path, the Fort Lee police need to work out an access solution that isn't provincial in nature, to say the least.
> 3. The cops can't decide what is a violation or not when it comes to assigning tickets there, which reeks of non-professionalism.
> 4. It's predatory when they KNOW it's a cross-state path and that many of the ticket recipients don't have a reasonably accesible way to attend a proper traffic hearing. This should interest a lawyer who knows of a federal law being broken here. (Gotta be a precedent, right? This is surely not the first time a town has tried a scheme to extort fines from lawful citizens.)
> 
> All things considered, this is still a fight worth fighting. We should compromise on road privileges when it really matters... if cyclists are causing a safety issue, or if a usual cycling pattern is disrupting something or making a city's job much harder (in these austere times). In short, we should compromise to be good neighbors. We should not compromise because we're not respected and we just want to avoid trouble from government bullies who are acting illegally. We have a very good case to be able to ask for a marked, signed cycling route that proceeds directly from Hudson Terrace to/from the bridge AND doesn't put us in harms way or at great inconvenience. They want us to turn at Reynolds? That's fine, but mark the route and put up clear signage and do anything else totally reasonable (sharrows, maybe protected lanes extending from the bridge path!) in exchange for making a route adjustment for the sake of some really questionable traffic enforcement at an intersection with some really, really crazy vehicular driving habits. Fund it with tickets from the hammerheads who are going to make the "illegal" turn anyway - that's a good use for the money, rather than paying overtime to the cop that gets to show up to 900 kangaroo court hearings so that he can install a pool at his house in Passaic County.
> 
> Next Fort Lee mayor & council meeting is Thursday July 19th. We're going to show up and make our totally reasonable case, right?
> 
> P.S. They were out ALL DAY today, from 10am until 1:30pm at least. All of us cyclists making our totally legal left turn were just fish in a barrel for these fishy tickets. Our group did the Reynolds turn, which was notable only for the fact that the intersection is NOT designed to have hundreds of cyclists an hour making that maneuver. And there's no officer helping direct traffic safely there, but there's three cars / six cops writing the tickets a block away. Doesn't matter if we are cooperative or not, they ought to catch some hell for their misguided priorities in this "crackdown".
> 
> P.P.S. Like their NYC tabloid cousins, New Jersey newspapers have slow news days, too. Something to keep in mind...


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## NYC_CAAD

Funny how Capt. Tim Ford of the Fort Lee Police Department has been riding on 9W for 30 years. Hmmmm!



"I've been riding on 9W for 30 years, and it's becoming the most popular bike route in the country," said Capt. Tim Ford of the Fort Lee Police Department. "You see some of the nicest bikes in the world; people who live in Manhattan and don't have cars like to spend money on their wheels."

Bergen County's 9W is a world-class cycling destination - NorthJersey.com


Has anyone contacted Capt. Tim Ford on the issue??


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## Guest

Do you know of anyone inolved in this ticketing blitz that has been riding with GoPro cameras? After reading the article I'd definitely want to ride with one If I ever expected there was a good chance I'd cited for legal activity. That way there would be something more to show in court beyond my word (or the word of one of my riding buddies) vs the citing officer.


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## NYC_CAAD

NO. i don't know of any at the time.. 


PhotonFreak said:


> Do you know of anyone inolved in this ticketing blitz that has been riding with GoPro cameras? After reading the article I'd definitely want to ride with one If I ever expected there was a good chance I'd cited for legal activity. That way there would be something more to show in court beyond my word (or the word of one of my riding buddies) vs the citing officer.


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## NYC_CAAD

The Anti-cyclist NJ Fort Lee Police Department has seriously concentrated most heavily on Manhattan-ers. NYC cyclists, especially the ones coming from Manhattan have become the filtering process of their police department ticket quota system..Spread the news, warning the Manhattan-ners not to go over the George Washington bridge or else you will pay the ultimate price!

_*Added more info*_: I have contacted NY1, 7online, 9news, nbcnewyork, and WABC providing them with pictures and the nycc.org discussion thread...


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## easyridernyc

yeah i saw them giving out a full complement on the way to river road sunday at about noon. i asked the cop what do you want riders to do, so i know, you know. he said the one guy he was giving a ticket to ran right through the red. just as he was explaining, three guys who had come down the hill pulled over to the right of the road, disembarked and walked their bikes across the road. like that. 

so that's what i did on the way back from 9W later that afternoon. they were still giving them out. i stopped and talked to this one lady, she was pissed. i wanted to give her moral support, but she said they had given someone else a ticket doing the same thing, but for "obstructing traffic" earlier in the day. and the cop there just then started looking kinda frustrated, so i figured it best if i just move on....

but 140 bucks is a lot of money, especially behind no clearly marked lanes or arrows, no stoplights or flashing signals. nothing suggesting a coherent policy, i guess we'll see, i think asking channel 7 might be a good idea....


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## Bobonli

This wreaks of selective enforcement. Something triggered it. 

I'm upset. I've been wanting to ride there and now I feel like the trip back across the bridge might be a hassle. Is there local free parking for riders to eliminate the GWB from the route?

Are there any local riders that are attorneys and familiar with VTL? You need someone who can speak to the VTL in front of the council and propose an alternative solution while pointing out how arbitrary the enforcement has been. 

Is Ft Lee broke? No other crime going on there? Too many cops not enough to do?


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## NYC_CAAD

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## NYC_CAAD

June 25, 2012

Capt. Timothy Ford of the Fort Lee Police Department confirmed today that police have been "doing enforcement" near Hudson Terrace and the George Washington Bridge cycling/ pedestrian approach in New Jersey. However, he said the police were "targeting salmoning" --the informal term used to describe cycling against the designated direction of traffic. As for ticketing for illegal turns, he said that some of those turns might have been legal. "Right now we are reassessing" the situation, he said.

Fort Lee police say cyclists being targeted for riding against traffic - New York Cycling | Examiner.com


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## rkdvsm

NYC_CAAD said:


> The Anti-cyclist NJ Fort Lee Police Department has seriously concentrated most heavily on Manhattan-ers. NYC cyclists, especially the ones coming from Manhattan have become the filtering process of their police department ticket quota system..Spread the news, warning the Manhattan-ners not to go over the George Washington bridge or else you will pay the ultimate price!
> 
> _*Added more info*_: I have contacted NY1, 7online, 9news, nbcnewyork, and WABC providing them with pictures and the nycc.org discussion thread...


Just curious, but how would the police know whether you were a rider from NYC or NJ? If I ride into NYC and then leave NYC into NJ, how can they tell whether I'm leaving home or returning home?


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## rkdvsm

NYC_CAAD said:


> June 25, 2012
> 
> Capt. Timothy Ford of the Fort Lee Police Department confirmed today that police have been "doing enforcement" near Hudson Terrace and the George Washington Bridge cycling/ pedestrian approach in New Jersey. However, he said the police were "targeting salmoning" --the informal term used to describe cycling against the designated direction of traffic. As for ticketing for illegal turns, he said that some of those turns might have been legal. "Right now we are reassessing" the situation, he said.
> 
> Fort Lee police say cyclists being targeted for riding against traffic - New York Cycling | Examiner.com


This is good news. Salmoners should get ticketed. Hope this other issue, the one that the FLPD appears to be wrong about gets corrected.


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## NYC_CAAD

Bro! from the reading of nycc.org boards. 99% were NYC residents. I haven't heard of any NJ residents complaining but new yorkers.. 



rkdvsm said:


> Just curious, but how would the police know whether you were a rider from NYC or NJ? If I ride into NYC and then leave NYC into NJ, how can they tell whether I'm leaving home or returning home?


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## bq_or_bust

*RUN for the 'NY' Border*



NYC_CAAD said:


> Bro! from the reading of nycc.org boards. 99% were NYC residents. I haven't heard of any NJ residents complaining but new yorkers..


a better explanation is that the people making the 'LEFT' turn are mainly NYC peeps to get to the gwb entrance.

what jurisdiction do fort lee police on gwb?
i don't think they have any.
do they work with nypd?
not for this trivial thing.

so,.......make a RUN for the 'NY' border.

i'm joking.
no, i'm not.
yes, i am.
no, i'm not

this is just a hypo. please do not take action on this !


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## tednugent

fort lee needs money 

you also get a stiff fine for texting while walking!!!


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## rkdvsm

tednugent said:


> fort lee needs money
> 
> you also get a stiff fine for texting while walking!!!


That explains it.


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## edt12b32

I have a question regarding salmoning. Travelling south on Husdon terrace, right before you reach the underpass, there is a dedicated bike lane (albeit for northbound traffic) and ample sidewalk. I generally cross over right before the underpass (usually when the light is red, but as there is that extra room on the northbound side at this point, I am not in the way of traffic making a left turn). This easily feels like the safest method to me to get back onto GWB. I have made that maneuver countless times and never had an issue, either with traffic or police. 

So, is this salmoning?
Should I immediately change my behavior?

PS. I always am riding solo, never in a group.

Thanks


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## stoked

Skip hudson terrace altogether. Make a left off the bridge and take the park. Better work out from hills and nice tree cover during these hot days. Coming South take the park again and avoid these Ft Lee donut patrol. I worry about getting clocked for speeding down alpine hill 40mph plus.


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## 9W9W

I live a mile down on the river the hill from this spot. Often times, to switch things up a bit I'll make a left out of my building go to route 5 climb that up to Lemoine instead of heading into the park or up Hudson Terrace. I then take Lemoine all the way up to Fort Lee and up through Englewood Cliffs north to 9W.

I was pulled over curbside by the McDonalds there last week. The light was red and I was clearly in the wrong. I stopped, unclipped, there were no cars queued up to make the right onto NJTPK and it was a long red, the weather was nice, I wanted to be on 9W already. I pushed off with my unclipped foot to cross...

He was in an unmarked car facing the opposite direction and made a U turn to pull up behind me. 

I decided to be level with the officer who responded in kind. 
ID? No ID, I ride with phone, water bottle and wrench. 
**Are you from New York? No sir, I live in Edgewater.**
He then proceeded to ask me for my information which I refused to do explaining it would result in a ticket. I pleaded general ignorance of the laws. There was some back and forth with smirks on both of our faces. We agreed that he would run my name and if my record came back clean I'd be good to go. I gave him my information, had to correct him actually so that the computer could pull me up. He turned to me said he's a man of his word and I was good to go. 

FWIW, the other morning I stopped at Dunkin Donuts for my caffeine fix, same stretch of Lemoine, a little south of the bridge. It's a long, long block. I parked my car on the opposite side of the street, waited for the red to cross. I come out of DD and walk in between cars, I'm looking left, I'm looking right to asses a lull in traffic. Unmarked car pulls up in front of me, a window rolls down, the officer looks at me and says "I hope you're not thinking of crossing here", I remarked "Well, how do you expect me to get back to my car?" He rolled up his window and drove off. 

It's bad around here. 

I'm also hesitant about how to navigate the intersection of Sylvan and Palisades Avenue in Englewood Cliffs (Bicycle Club). As I'm heading down Sylvan southbound, I like to cross two lanes and line up on the left turn lane and wait for the light. If I got pulled over because I "swooped" left too early, I'd be upset. As I come over the first crest north of GWB I coast to time the light right before the GWB overpass so that I don't have to come to a full stop. 

My office is on 9W and I pass the GWB entrance every afternoon on my way home. There are a lot of you folks getting pulled over.


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## NYC_CAAD

2 cyclists stopped on Saturday 6/30/2012 heading South! Pic taken at at 1:13pm


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## UKBROOKLYN

So what where they stopped for.. A picture may be worth a thousand words but theres a thousand ways to interpret this one...


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## rkdvsm

UKBROOKLYN said:


> So what where they stopped for.. A picture may be worth a thousand words but theres a thousand ways to interpret this one...


I was a bit confused by the pic...were the two cyclists heading south? Moreover, is the bridge in that pic on the same side of the rode as the two cyclists? It is hard to tell, but it looks that way to me. I guess I am wondering if they were salmoning.


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## bq_or_bust

rkdvsm said:


> I was a bit confused by the pic...were the two cyclists heading south? Moreover, is the bridge in that pic on the same side of the rode as the two cyclists? It is hard to tell, but it looks that way to me. I guess I am wondering if they were salmoning.





UKBROOKLYN said:


> So what where they stopped for.. A picture may be worth a thousand words but theres a thousand ways to interpret this one...


it doesn't matter which direction the cyclist were traveling, you have to cycle properly, especially around the GWB. cyclist are getting busted for running red lights, "salmoning" (going against traffic), not single file paceline, moving into the left lane too early, etc.

i was chilling out near the GWB entrance where the police was monitoring. this is what i saw IN THE PRESENCE of the POLICE. this is what was ALLOWED by this particular officer:

. going south on hudson terrace to get onto the bridge, you can get on the LEFT side of the southbound lane just before the GWB overpass (which has a TRAFFIC LIGHT), yield to northbound traffic and proceed to turn after the overpass.

. some cyclists were more careful and went to the FOLLOWING TRAFFIC LIGHT (Bruce Reynolds street ?), where they waited in the LEFT TURN LANE. once they get their light, they made a U-TURN and then proceeded to the bridge entrance.




edt12b32 said:


> I have a question regarding salmoning. Travelling south on Husdon terrace, right before you reach the underpass, there is a dedicated bike lane (albeit for northbound traffic) and ample sidewalk. I generally cross over right before the underpass (usually when the light is red, but as there is that extra room on the northbound side at this point, I am not in the way of traffic making a left turn). This easily feels like the safest method to me to get back onto GWB. I have made that maneuver countless times and never had an issue, either with traffic or police.
> 
> So, is this salmoning?
> Should I immediately change my behavior?
> 
> PS. I always am riding solo, never in a group.
> 
> Thanks


yeap, CHANGE ASAP. you sir or miss will be ticketed.



Bobonli said:


> This wreaks of selective enforcement. Something triggered it.
> 
> Is Ft Lee broke? No other crime going on there? Too many cops not enough to do?


a friend was waiting for me @ the NJ-side GWB entrance. she was informed by the police officer that a child was hit by a cyclist about 3.5 weeks ago. the child has died.


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## dbrabyn

*paying a bike ticket through njmcdirect.com*

I was ticketed on June 23rd for a left turn onto the GWB. My pay by date is tomorrow. I waited to see if these tickets were going to be voided by the Fort Lee police after reviewing their legality as they suggested (any word on that?) but now I have to pay it.

Does anyone know how to pay a ticket with no license plate number (a bike) online via njmcdirect[dot]com (1st post, links not allowed)? It seems to be a required field.

Of course tomorrow is Saturday and the court will probably be closed.

Thanks.


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## Nielly

bq_or_bust said:


> a friend was waiting for me @ the NJ-side GWB entrance. she was informed by the police officer that a child was hit by a cyclist about 3.5 weeks ago. the child has died.


Interesting because there in no mention of this incident in the news. Hard to believe and contradicts the statement from the Police in this article. Fort Lee police say cyclists being targeted for riding against traffic - New York Cycling | Examiner.com


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## wai2fast

I find cops in the NYC/NJ area are quick to reply with "someone died [xxx] weeks ago" whenever asked why they are ticketing.


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## dbrabyn

FYI, if you need to pay a cycling ticket on njmcdirect[dot]com the default license plate number to use is *123*.


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## bmach

If you feel you were in the right and the ticket is not correct. DON'T be a sheep, fight it and don't let them get away with it! If you are wrong suck it up pay and follow the traffic laws as you make the rest of us look bad.


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## rkdvsm

dbrabyn said:


> FYI, if you need to pay a cycling ticket on njmcdirect[dot]com the default license plate number to use is *123*.


You mean you don't have to put your own license plate number? Won't you get in even bigger trouble for it?


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## dbrabyn

rkdvsm said:


> You mean you don't have to put your own license plate number? Won't you get in even bigger trouble for it?


No, I mean that if you get a ticket as a cyclist, i.e. on a vehicle without a license plate, you should enter *123* in the required License Plate Number field on the payment website. The Fort Lee Municipal Court just told me to do that and it worked.


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## rkdvsm

dbrabyn said:


> No, I mean that if you get a ticket as a cyclist, i.e. on a vehicle without a license plate, you should enter *123* in the required License Plate Number field on the payment website. The Fort Lee Municipal Court just told me to do that and it worked.


Oh I see. Thanks for clearing that up. Man...I wish I don't have to worry about doing that =)


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## tom_o

You can also input 'na' into the license plate spot. The very grumpy lady at the Fort Lee Municipal Court just told me so.

Right, so I obviously was ticketed too (6/16/2012). Failure to keep right and failure to observe traffic signal.

Question - will these count as points against my license?


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## rkdvsm

Wait a minute. So are people still getting ticketed for the being on the left lane in order to make a left turn? I thought they were correcting that and only getting after salmoners.

Edit: I see that the poster above noted the ticket issue date. Still, I am wondering if ticketing is still going on over cyclists doing a legal act.


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## Mergetrio

The other day, as I entered into my neighborhood (Englewood Cliffs a town next to the infamous Ft. Lee) from 9W, I saw a cop with a cyclist apparently pulled over for some violation. I was trying to figure out the reason. The cop made him stand and face away from the street - it looked as if he was getting a "time out." He looked humiliated.


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