The Hudson River Greenway sees more bicycle traffic than any other path in the country. It’s a daily route for commuters, recreational riders, delivery workers, and tourists. With this volume, certain parts of the Greenway consistently produce a high number of crashes. These trouble spots share the same problems: poor sightlines, flawed design, unpredictable foot traffic, and vehicles entering or crossing the path.
City records, DOT data, and rider reports all point to predictable danger zones. Intersections like 72nd Street, the 103rd Street access point, and the area around the Intrepid each show long-standing safety issues that the city has attempted to address through redesigns.
If you were hurt in one of these areas, you may have a claim against a driver, another cyclist, or even the City of New York for maintaining a hazardous layout. A bicycle accident lawyer in Hudson, NYC, can help determine who may be legally responsible and protect your rights. And if the city is involved, you have only 90 days to file a Notice of Claim.
If you want clear guidance on your options, call us at (866) 771-4988 for a free and confidential consultation.
Key Takeaways for Bicycle Accidents on the Hudson River Greenway
- Certain Greenway hotspots are known danger zones. Intersections like 72nd Street and areas near the Intrepid Museum have design flaws that contribute to a high number of accidents, meaning your crash was likely predictable and preventable.
- The City of New York may be liable for your injuries. If a dangerous design or poor maintenance on the bike path contributed to your accident, you may have a claim against the city itself under premises liability law.
- You have only 90 days to act if the city is at fault. To sue a government entity like the City of New York, you must file a Notice of Claim within 90 days of the incident, a deadline that is much shorter than the standard three-year statute of limitations.
Why NYC’s “Safest” Path Is So Dangerous
The core problem is the sheer volume of people, as there has been a massive increase in ridership in recent years, according to the data from the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT). You have seasoned commuters hitting speeds of 20mph, tourists on heavy Citi Bikes who are unfamiliar with the route, delivery workers on e-bikes weaving through traffic, and pedestrians who wander into the bike lane. This creates significant speed differentials and unpredictable movements, all within a narrow, confined space.
Accidents rarely happen on the long, straight sections of the path. They occur at the choke points, such as intersections, access ramps, and tourist-heavy zones, where the blood flow of the city crosses the artery of the Greenway. At these junctions, the path’s design fails to safely manage the convergence of different users, leading to foreseeable and frequent collisions.
The Big Three: Analyzing the Greenway’s Worst Hotspots
Data and rider reports point to three specific areas where the risk of an accident skyrockets.
The 72nd Street Intersection (The Primary Offender)
Vehicles turning off the Henry Hudson Parkway or from local streets are required to yield to cyclists, but they frequently fail to do so. Drivers are frequently aggressive, focused on merging into traffic, and their sightlines of the bike path are poor.
The continuous flow of bicycles and pedestrians makes it difficult for a driver to find a safe gap. Instead of waiting, many drivers inch forward or turn suddenly, cutting off cyclists who have the right-of-way.
The 103rd Street Access Point
The access point at 103rd Street presents a different but equally hazardous scenario. The design of the entrance ramp, including its slope and the angle at which it merges with the main path, creates a serious risk. Cyclists entering the Greenway here find it difficult to get up to speed and merge safely with cyclists already traveling along the path.
This design leads to side-swipe collisions and sudden braking that causes chain-reaction crashes. Reports indicate a significant increase in accidents at this location since 2020, as more riders have taken to the Greenway for commuting and recreation.
The Intrepid Museum Zone (Hell’s Kitchen/Midtown)
The section of the Greenway near the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is a perfect storm of hazards, as it combines high cyclist volume with heavy tourist foot traffic. Visitors, often distracted by the sights, wander into the bike lane to take photographs or cross without looking. The separation between the pedestrian path and the bike path is poorly defined and frequently ignored by the public.
In this chaotic environment, cyclists are forced to make sudden stops and sharp turns to avoid pedestrians, which leads to falls or collisions with other riders.
Notably, the NYC DOT has initiated various redesign pilots and programs to limit vehicle access and improve safety in some of these areas. This is a clear acknowledgment by the city that these spots are dangerously designed, a legal concept known as foreseeability.
Who Is Liable? It’s Not Always Just the Driver
After a bicycle accident, it’s natural to assume the person who hit you is the only one responsible. However, in the context of the Hudson River Greenway, liability is often a web rather than a straight line. Depending on the circumstances, responsibility might fall on a driver, the City of New York, or even another cyclist.
Scenario A: The Vehicle Driver
When a car or truck is involved, the driver’s actions are central. Every driver has a legal duty of care to operate their vehicle safely and avoid harming others. This concept is the foundation of negligence law.
Under New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1231, cyclists are granted all the rights of a vehicle operator. This means drivers must yield to you when you have the right-of-way. If a driver turned into you at an access point like 72nd Street, they likely violated that duty.
Scenario B: The City of New York (Premises Liability)
When the layout or condition of the Greenway plays a role in a crash, the City of New York can share responsibility. Premises liability applies when the party that controls a property fails to keep it reasonably safe for the people who use it.
With the Greenway, that often comes down to whether the city was aware of a recurring problem and failed to address it. Long-standing blind spots, confusing merge points, poor sightlines, and access ramps with a history of collisions all fall into this category. If the city had notice of a pattern of accidents in a particular area through complaints, prior incidents, or its own studies, and it did not take steps to correct the hazard, it may be liable for the injuries that result.
Scenario C: Other Cyclists/Pedestrians
With the rise of e-bikes and scooters, cyclist-on-cyclist collisions are becoming more frequent. The same laws of negligence apply. If another rider was traveling at an unsafe speed, weaving recklessly, or not paying attention, they could be held liable for your injuries. Even pedestrians who negligently step into the bike lane without looking could bear some responsibility.
Determining who is at fault requires a thorough investigation. A personal injury lawyer helps sort through the evidence to identify all potentially liable parties.
What If I’m Partially to Blame? Comparative Negligence
One of the most disheartening things after an accident is being blamed for your own injuries. A police officer at the scene might make a quick judgment, or an insurance adjuster may call and suggest you were “speeding” or “should have been more careful.”
The legal reality in New York is not so black and white. New York follows a legal doctrine called Pure Comparative Negligence. In essence, what this boils down to is that the law recognizes that fault in an accident may be shared. Even if a judge or jury decides you were partially responsible for the collision (perhaps you didn’t have a flashing light on your bike), you are still able to recover the remaining percentage of your damages from the other at-fault party.
Insurance companies and their adjusters know this rule well. Their goal is to protect their bottom line, and one way to do that is to shift as much of the blame as possible onto you. If they convince you that the accident was 100% your fault, they have a basis to pay you $0. Our role is to keep them accountable. We gather evidence, such as traffic camera footage, witness statements, and expert analysis, to build a case that accurately reflects the other party’s primary negligence and minimizes any percentage of fault unjustly assigned to you.
The Ticking Clock: Why You Cannot Wait to Act
After an accident, you are focused on healing and dealing with paperwork and legal deadlines is the last thing on your mind. However, the law imposes strict time limits, known as statutes of limitations, for filing a personal injury claim.
For a typical personal injury lawsuit against a driver or another cyclist, you generally have three years from the date of the accident to file. But there is a major trap that many people fall into, especially in cases involving the Greenway.
The 90-Day Rule
If the City of New York or another government entity is potentially at fault, for instance, due to a poorly maintained path or a dangerous intersection design, you must file a formal Notice of Claim within 90 days of the incident. This is a mandatory first step before a lawsuit is filed. If you miss this 90-day window, you could lose the right to sue the city forever, no matter how strong your case is.
At Rothenberg Law Firm LLP, we handle all of this administrative work for you. We identify all potential defendants, determine which deadlines apply to your case, and ensure every piece of paperwork is filed correctly and on time.
FAQ for Bicycle Accidents on the Hudson River Greenway
Can I still claim compensation if I wasn’t wearing a helmet?
Yes. While helmets are always recommended for safety, New York law does not require them for adult cyclists. Not wearing one does not prevent you from filing a claim. However, the defense may argue that the lack of a helmet contributed to the severity of a head injury, which could potentially reduce your compensation under comparative negligence rules.
What if I was hit by a Citi Bike?
These cases are complicated. Typically, you would have a claim against the individual rider for their negligence. In very rare instances, if a mechanical defect with the bike itself caused the crash, there might be a claim against the operator. We help investigate the circumstances to identify the correct liable party.
Who pays my medical bills if the driver fled (hit-and-run)?
If you were injured in a hit-and-run, you may be able to access compensation through your own automobile insurance policy, even though you were on a bicycle. This is done through Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage or through New York’s Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation (MVAIC).
The police report puts me at fault. Is my case over?
Absolutely not. Police reports are typically based on incomplete information gathered in the chaotic moments after a crash. An officer’s initial opinion is not the final word on legal liability. We frequently handle cases where we successfully challenge the conclusions of an initial accident report with more thorough evidence.
Is the Hudson River Park Trust different from the City of New York?
Legally, yes. The Hudson River Park is operated by the Hudson River Park Trust, a partnership between the state and the city. Determining which entity owns and is responsible for maintaining the specific stretch of pavement where you fell is important to get your claim off the ground. We handle this to ensure the right entities are properly notified of your claim within the strict legal deadlines.
Don’t Let a Design Flaw Define Your Financial Future
Our firm understands the specific hazards of the Greenway, the complex liability issues involving the city, and the short 90-day municipal deadlines that end a case before it begins. A New York City personal injury attorney from our team knows how to navigate these challenges and protect your claim. We also know how to counter the arguments from insurance adjusters who claim you “should have seen” the car coming or “should have been more careful.”
We are ready to listen to your story and help you move forward. Call Rothenberg Law Firm LLP today at (866) 771-4988 for a free, no-obligation consultation.
