Cops Ticketing Cyclists For Running Red Lights

NEW YORK (PIX11)—
"I'm a careful bicyclist. I stop when I need to stop," said JC Rodriguez, who has been riding a bicycle as his main mode of transportation in the city for the past three years.

However, according to the New York Police Department, that is not exactly true. At least, it wasn't on a couple of dates this year, when officers slapped the cyclist with fines for running red lights. "I was somewhat surprised," said Rodriguez, who admitted he ran the red light.

He was even more surprised to realize he's racked up a $1,500 tab with the DMV in bicycle violations. "It just seems to me the amount of fine for the offense is way out of balance," he said.

When we asked Rodriguez, "How do law enforcement officers protect our community if they can't enforce these kinds of laws?" Rodriguez responded, "I don't think the enforcement is going to stop people from running red lights."

That includes Rodriguez himself because, he says, the benefit of being a bicyclist is that he has the freedom to move about the city at his own pace and risk.

Now, it is not like Rodriguez feels like he's above the law, it is just that he says cyclists have their own rules of the road, ask any bicyclist, he says, so we did.

We stopped John who was riding by on his bicycle and asked him, "A green light goes yellow then red, what do you do?" and John answered, "Well, I look. If traffic is safe, I go." John also owes the DMV nearly $200 for running a red light, but it is not exactly going to change the way he rides. "Not absolutely," he said.

That is because the way they ride is not about getting caught, but about being safe. "The last thing I want to do is get in an accident. I have the most to lose," said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez is appealing all of his violations. His next court date is in September.