Activists blast De Blasio's response on recent cyclist deaths

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - City Councilman Antonio Reynoso and cycling activists blasted Mayor Bill de Blasio’s response to the three cyclists who have been killed in the last week. 

Devra Freelander, 28, became the 15th cyclist to die this year when she was struck by a cement truck in East Williamsburg on Monday. More cyclists have been killed on the roads of New York City this year than in the entirety of 2018.

“We are angry, and we have the right to be. The city has not done enough to show us that we are a priority,” said Reynoso. 

Mayor De Blasio has said the city has an emergency on its hands and has deployed the NYPD to crack down on bad drivers.

“Are we saying that they weren’t enforcing the laws at its bare minimum before this 15th death? Are we saying that it takes 15 people to die before we ask people to simply do their jobs,” Reynoso said.

FOX 5 NY reached out to the Mayor’s office for comment. In response, they detailed what the mayor has asked the Department of Transportation to do, including an aggressive outreach to trucking companies and other industries about cycling safety.