Appeals court greenlights bike death suit against city | amNewYork

"Olga Cook, who was biking northbound, and the car, driving southbound and turning right across the bike path, had simultaneous green lights, thanks to an outdated system that doesn't meet national street standards known as single phasing. Because of that, the car turned right into Olga Cook, 30, who was biking straight through a green light, believing she had the exclusive right of way."

"The city needs to recognize that timing and phasing of traffic lights is their responsibility, and when they do it, they have to do it in accordance with the proper standards, whether or not it's Chamber Street or any other location throughout New York City."

"In legal filings, the city argues it's not responsible for Olga Cook's death because the state designed the intersection. However, the court sided with Travis Cook's argument that the city can be held liable because it was exclusively in charge of the traffic light's timing at that intersection for at least a year prior to the crash."

Olga Cook was killed in 2016 while biking on the West Side Highway bike path when a car turned right across her path at the West Street and Chambers Street intersection. Both the cyclist and the turning vehicle had simultaneous green lights due to outdated single-phase traffic signal timing that violates national standards. Cook's husband, Travis Cook, sued the city, arguing that proper traffic light configuration with a red right-turn light would have prevented the collision. The city initially claimed it was not responsible because the state designed the intersection. An appeals court ruled the city can be held liable because it controlled the traffic light timing at that location for at least one year before the crash.

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