NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — New York City police have been taking their ticketing blitz to bikes.

According to the New York Post, the NYPD have doled out 230 tickets this year to bicyclists who run red lights in Central Park. The riders have also been ticketed for other violations.

Police defend the move, saying a bicycle is a vehicle and when it’s riding around the 6-mile loop in the park, traffic laws apply.

Tom Laskey, the former president of the NY Cycle Club, said stopping at red lights in the park ruins the riding experience.

“What’s the fun in that,” Laskey told the Post. He made the remark after getting a $270 ticket for running a red light.

It’s not the first time the NYPD has targeted bicyclists. In October of 2010, they launched a ‘Rogue Rider’ ticketing blitz in Park Slope.

Tickets have long been a controversial topic for the NYPD – they’ve been accused of having quotas.

The addition of bike lanes to New York City streets has also stirred intense debate.

Should bicyclists be able to ride uninterrupted around the Central Park loop? Sound off in our comments section.