Read All About It: Margaret Morris Is "Concerned"! The Acting Police Chief Is "Surprised It's A Problem" But The "Guys" Are On It! "Whatever!"

Since the E-bike/pickup truck collision at 1st & Warren on August 12th that put the two-wheeled rider in an Albany hospital with serious head injuries, always involved and busy 1st ward Common Council member Margaret Morris has taken on the issue of E-bike safety, particularly regarding riders who do not obey traffic laws.  She has discussed the matter at the past three informal council meetings following each HPD report, another concern of hers added to her already overflowing, deep and wide bowl of problems in the city that she wants to solve.  With so much to keep an eye on, it's difficult to imagine Margaret can give any one of her issues the proper attention they all need.  

In case you missed it, here is an excerpt of the discussion between Morris (MM) and acting Police Chief/Captain David Miller (DM) at the September informal meeting following Miller's HPD report, edited for clarity and brevity and with my comments in parentheses. Morris began the discussion:

MM:  There have been increasing concerns about E-bikes speeding.

DM: The guys have been stopping people and giving warnings.

MM:  Do you keep track at all of the number of warnings you are issuing?

DM:  I can look that up.  [And do what with that information?]

MM:  That is something that residents in that area are quite concerned about.  (I believe Morris was referring to Front Street.)

DM:  It's surprising it's becoming a problem.   [Really? And your point?]

One month later, the discussion between the soon-to-be Common Council "President" and our acting Police Chief focused solely on a proposed E-bike safety program at local schools (the details of which are laughable but that will have to wait until a later date!).  There was no discussion about Hudson police officer "guys" pulling over E-bikers to issue them warnings; Morris did not ask Miller what he had discovered by "looking up" the number of warnings issued to riders that HPD "guys" had pulled over; and Chief Captain Miller did not offer any information about "warnings" his "guys" had issued to E-bike riders speeding, running red lights or "whatever" in the past two months or hoped to in the future.  

"Whatever" (E-bike on sidewalk,
an increasingly common occurrence
and sight.  Notice the headphones!)

Here is what Morris and Miller had to say to each other at this month's meeting, just two days ago: 

MM:  At this point, have you just been giving people warnings or whatever when you see, you know, someone running a red light or whatever? 

DM:  Lt. Keyser, who is our patrol commander, put out an email to the guys to make sure they make it a priority to stop these individuals that they see.  And they have been.  In addition to the application, they're doing both.  (I don't know what the "application" reference is about.)

In the span of two months, Morris went from asking Miller, "Do you keep track of the number of warnings...?" to asking him, "have you just been giving people warnings or whatever...?"  In other words, over the course of three meeting there has not one bit of progress or clarity on the issue.  It was as if Morris had completely forgotten that she had asked Miller what HPD was doing about the issue -- and how he had responded!!! -- two months prior.  (This is not the first time I have noticed this lack of follow through and/or forgetfulness on Morris' part.)

If HPD can prove that in the past three months one of their guys has issued even one warning or ticket or whatever to one E-bike or E-scooter or E-whatever rider for speeding, riding on the sidewalk, speeding on the sidewalk, blowing through a stop sign or red light or whatever, I will eat my favorite winter wool cap.

In the past three months of discussions regarding Morris' latest concern, not one mention has been made by her or any council member about bicycles, E-bikes and, especially, E-scooters being ridden on our sidewalks.  She and Captain Miller might be "surprised" to discover how bad the problem has become of late and how easy it might be to curtail through actual enforcement by HPD guys. Of course, HPD guys will have to be on foot patrol to tackle this problem, not inside a 3- or 4-ton vehicle roaming around town looking for whatever.

"Whatever!" 
(human-powered bicycle)

As much as I recoil at the sight of riders on any kind of two-wheeled vehicle on a sidewalk (especially those I have to get out of the way of), I can't blame them.  City Hall (HPD, DPW, Mayor's Office, Code Enforcement) doesn't seem to care where people ride, and, honestly, Hudson's streets are so bicycle-unfriendly, full of speedy cars and trucks, damaged, narrow and frightening that it's only natural for those riders wanting to live another day to get the hell off of asphalt and onto the relative perceived safety of concrete.  Of course, the only person knocked over and likely injured or killed in a collision between a bicyclist or E-rider and a pedestrian will be the pedestrian, a reality that no one in City Hall nor on the Common Council has any interest in solving, let alone acknowledging.  

Whatever, indeed!