A Harlem bicyclist is suing the United Parcel Service (UPS) after claiming that their truck drivers routinely block his daily commute by parking in the biking lanes.
According to DNAinfo, 28-year-old Alex Bell has filed two lawsuits with the Manhattan Civil Court against UPS, who he says continually block the bike path that he sometimes rides to work on. He claims that he usually sees at least five to six trucks parked in the designated lane. As a result, Bell complained that he was often forced to take the subway due to the trucks in the bike lanes.
“I am trying to annoy UPS,” Bell says. “If you annoy them enough, they’ll change maybe.”
Bell previously filed a lawsuit against the company back in June for the same reason. During this suit, Bell demanded $999 from UPS for making his bike commute more dangerous. However, he was unable to give proof of the complaints he made to UPS or the MetroCard receipts to back his claim of taking the subway.
A study in the spring of 2014 showed that the number of people who have started cycling within the last 12 months amounted to 67.3 million people. With more citizens choosing to ride their bikes rather than drive to work, bike lanes have become imperative to city residents who don’t want to take their cars or use public transportation. Despite this, delivery trucks have continued to ignore these lanes, making it more dangerous for cyclists to take their bikes.
A spokeswoman from UPS said that the company drivers are supposed to look for appropriate parking spots, according to CNBC. However, many drivers have difficulty finding enough spots, especially in busy cities such as New York City. She noted that New York State law does allow trucks to double-park for a short period of time if they are attempting to make a delivery.
