Family and friends of bike activist who was recently fatally struck by a truck while riding his bike, calls on the city to do more to protect cyclists

Bicycle accidents are unfortunately all too common in New York City, and the recent tragedy that took the life of Adam Uster, a Transportation Alternatives member,  is a painful reminder of the dangers that cyclists face on our streets. As bicycle accident lawyers in New York City, we know all too well the impact that these accidents can have on victims and their families.

In this case, Uster was simply riding home with his bike trailer full of groceries when he was struck by a flatbed truck that made an abrupt right turn without signaling, causing fatal injuries. The fact that Uster was in an unprotected bike lane highlights the urgent need for better protections for cyclists on our streets.

The family and friends of Uster have been calling on the city to do more to protect cyclists, and it’s clear that their voices must be heard. The statistics are alarming: there have been 111 reported crashes on the less-than-a-mile stretch of Franklin Avenue between Lafayette Avenue and Fulton Street since 2020, causing one pedestrian fatality and injuries to 15 cyclists, 14 pedestrians, and 33 motorists.

Uster’s death is the 13th cyclist fatality in New York City so far this year, which is the highest death toll at this point in the year since the start of Vision Zero in 2014. This is unacceptable, and it’s clear that more needs to be done to make our streets safer for everyone.

One solution that has been proposed is the implementation of protected bike lanes, which can help to prevent accidents like the one that took Uster’s life. Council Member Crystal Hudson, who was present at a vigil for Uster on Wednesday night at the location of the fatal accident has spoken out in support of this solution, stating that a protected bike lane on Franklin Avenue could have saved his life.

As bicycle accident attorneys, we fully support the efforts of Uster’s family, friends, and advocates to make our streets safer for cyclists. I urge our city officials to take action to prevent further tragedies like this one from happening in the future.

Read more about the accident in Streetblog

See Below a video of the accident (warning: graphic content)