Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Bicycling

Upstate NY Mayor: People Who Bike in the Winter “Should Be Arrested”

2:57 PM EST on January 6, 2014

Mayor Jeffrey Graham of Watertown, New York (population 27,000), has an interesting way of expressing his concern for people out on the streets in these wintry conditions. Speaking on a local radio show, Graham let it slip that he doesn't think too highly of folks who travel without a car in the snow.

Mayor Jeffrey Graham of Watertown, New York told a local radio program winter cyclists "should be arrested." Image: ##http://www.watertown-ny.gov/index.asp?nid=81## Watertown, New York##
Mayor Jeffrey Graham of Watertown, New York, told a local radio program that winter cyclists "should be arrested." Photo: ##http://www.watertown-ny.gov/index.asp?nid=81##Watertown, New York##
Mayor Jeffrey Graham of Watertown, New York told a local radio program winter cyclists "should be arrested." Image: ##http://www.watertown-ny.gov/index.asp?nid=81## Watertown, New York##

At about 1:45 into the sound clip above, a caller leads Graham to digress from a discussion about shoveling sidewalks and describe what he thinks should happen to winter cyclists:

I know I'm gonna get in trouble for this: People who are on bicycles out on streets like this -- they should be arrested. I mean, that is a clear and present danger that is being created and if you're gonna sit there and make the argument that texting while driving is reckless, doing that is reckless and it creates a danger for them and the motorists.

Unfortunately, they've got their -- quote -- rights, so they can do it.

The New York Bicycling Coalition responded on its Facebook page:

So if you live in Watertown and you don't own a vehicle, and therefore you have to bike to work in order to provide for your family, you deserve to be arrested.

In case you're wondering, the mayor's comments came in response to a reference to a child riding a bike. It's amazing that local police haven't rounded up the reckless little tyke and thrown him in the slammer yet -- in the name of public safety, of course.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Wednesday’s Headlines Are Too Fast, Too Furious

When it comes to speeding, why don't regulators and automakers save drivers from themselves?

November 29, 2023

Reader Roundup: What the Demise of the Intercity Bus Station Means for Passengers

Here's just a few of the horror stories we heard from readers who are struggling with the inter-city bus industry's latest push for "curbside" loading.

November 29, 2023

Highway Boondoggles 2023: Is the BQE the Queen of All Boondoggles?

New York City set to squander a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix a polluting and outdated highway.

November 29, 2023

The Price Is Right for Tuesday’s Headlines

If congestion pricing works in New York City, City Lab predicts that other U.S. cities will quickly follow suit.

November 28, 2023

Top NJ Lawmaker Proposes Major Reforms to Fight Temporary License Plate Fraud

The new legislation follows a seven-month Streetsblog investigation that found widespread fraud involving temp tags, with car dealers abusing weak state regulations and selling paper plates illegally to drivers using them to evade accountability on the road.

November 28, 2023
See all posts