Advocacy & Safety - Arrests at April NYC Critical Mass

Face it, the NYC CM during the RNC was hijacked by a bunch of anti this and anti that, who wanted to get arrested to make a political statement and get in the news. The police way overreacted to that situation and are now in a pissin contest with the regular CMers.

I wonder, did Times Up organize the first NYC CM. If not, why have they also hijacked your CM?

Is your CM about Bicycling or is it about anti something?

I hope for 2 things for your CM, first that the police can regain some common sense and second that you may be able to turn your CM back to being about Bicycling.

ahh enough, do you see what I am saying?

Yes... but you see, there isn't just one bowling alley.
I don't HAVE to ride with CM. I ride to work everyday. I do my part 25 miles a day rain or shine. I can ride ANYWHERE I want. And honestly, CM's been going on so many years without problems. You have to agree to some point that all this didn't happen until a bunch of people decide to hijack CM during the RNC.
Yes, this is another aspect of our rights being slowly eroded away but this is absolutely nothing compared to some of the scary sh*t in the USAPatriot act that we somehow allowed to get passed. Our rights are constantly being eroded away on a daily basis, that's not the problem. The problem at hand, as the topic says, is arrests at CM, which as far as I can see, really didn't happen until CM was hijacked during the RNC.

My analogy to the only bowling alley is that these are our streets, the only streets, you don't have to ride in the CM but the cops are arresting anything they catch in the nets on Friday nights.
I was not at the RNC ride, I was out of the country listening with pride as the ride was reported on internationally. the estimate of 5000 is as I said more than double the, at the time, 2000 or so usual riders. So yes there were quite a bit more people on the ride at the RNC, who were they? Where were they from? I don't know I wasn't there. Now nine months later, the ride is still under an expensive attack by the NYPD (and people from Honolulu, have you ever ridden here CB and seen the miniscule fingerprint Times Up puts on the ride?).
The ride is not politicized as you all are claiming. I worry that when people are ready to come back to the ride when the politics are squashed from it, there will not be any ride. Slvoid, for example, I know that you have been hit by cars, and in one of those circumstances if there were 2 or 3 of you the car may have not u-turned in front of you. The NYPD is hell bent on writing their own rules to make riding in a group of 2 or 3 illegal. This speaks to all our safety and well being on these threatening streets. i.e. Laika, Yoshi and I being told that "You can have the (Prospect) Park." by Borough Commander Fox, when the park was ours and closed to car traffic. I feel this is the way the police will go if we do not hold ground here.
Again the ride is not the RNC political protest. Again, I rode ONE block, waited for a green light and was arrested for Parading with out a Permit and Disorderly Conduct.
I would like to respectfully suggest that saying you are waiting for the ride to become neutral(?) or only about biking is now an excuse. You certainly don't have to ride in CM, but you do have to ride on these streets. And that is where you are involved in this fight, like it or not.

My analogy to the only bowling alley is that these are our streets, the only streets, you don't have to ride in the CM but the cops are arresting anything they catch in the nets on Friday nights.

I thought it was only with the CM riders on friday nights in the area where CM starts. Otherwise, I commute in the morning and evening every day and I've never been hassled by the cops. I run red lights all the time (when there aren't any cars coming down the street) with police cars waiting at the red and they don't even blink. My experience might just be singular but to me it feels like cops only go on the attack the last friday of every month around the union square area. If they truly were like this all over the city, I'd probably get pulled over 3-4 times a day along with hundreds of other bikers.

Now nine months later, the ride is still under an expensive attack by the NYPD (and people from Honolulu, have you ever ridden here CB and seen the miniscule fingerprint Times Up puts on the ride?).
The ride is not politicized as you all are claiming. I worry that when people are ready to come back to the ride when the politics are squashed from it, there will not be any ride.

That's the problem is that 9 months ago, someone pissed off a bunch of republicans and they've held a grudge ever since. I too worry about the ride cause a lot of people are already choosing to stay away. Give 2 years of this and there won't be any more ride.

Slvoid, for example, I know that you have been hit by cars, and in one of those circumstances if there were 2 or 3 of you the car may have not u-turned in front of you. The NYPD is hell bent on writing their own rules to make riding in a group of 2 or 3 illegal. This speaks to all our safety and well being on these threatening streets. i.e. Laika, Yoshi and I being told that "You can have the (Prospect) Park." by Borough Commander Fox, when the park was ours and closed to car traffic. I feel this is the way the police will go if we do not hold ground here.

I had 27watts of light up front on and he still missed me. He was probably the type of person you hear about on tv who rear ends a police cruiser with full lights and sirens on and claims he didn't see them. It's not just safety, it's borderline absurd. It means that if Jane Q. Mother and John Q. Father and little Suzzie and Bobbie Q decided to go for a family ride in the park on sunday morning, they would be arrested on the grounds that their sunday morning ride was "illegal".

Again the ride is not the RNC political protest. Again, I rode ONE block, waited for a green light and was arrested for Parading with out a Permit and Disorderly Conduct.
I would like to respectfully suggest that saying you are waiting for the ride to become neutral(?) or only about biking is now an excuse. You certainly don't have to ride in CM, but you do have to ride on these streets. And that is where you are involved in this fight, like it or not.

I didn't once say this ride is a political protest. I'm saying the reason why all the cops are out there is a lingering backlash from the RNC. I can't say for my own experiences since they obviously disagree with others who seem to get arrested or hassled by cops much more than I do but maybe someone else can offer their opinion on whether they get hassled every day or if it's just around union square every last friday during CM.

Article in the villager

http://www.thevillager.com/villager_105/criticalmasstriesnew.html

Critical Mass tries new tactics, but not the police
By Lincoln Anderson
The Villager | 04-May-2005

The monthly Critical Mass started out differently than usual
last Friday night. There was a rally for cyclists' civil rights,
followed by a blessing of arrested cyclists. And instead of
one big departure from Union Sq., the riders left from four
different sites. But the city's response didn't change: Police
showed no signs of backing down from their hard-line stance,
making 34 arrests.

The night also saw what some called a "standoff" between East
Villagers and riot-gear-clad police officers at E. Sixth St.
and Avenue A, where police handcuffed and briefly arrested a
New York Times reporter.

Before the ride, a "Still We Speak" rally was held in Union Sq.
in response to the city's recent court action to try to bar four
members of the Time's Up! group from publicizing Critical Mass.

"We submit bike riding without a permit is not unlawful," said
civil rights attorney Norman Siegel at the rally.

Siegel said they plan to file a counterclaim in state court next
month against the city's lawsuit against the bicyclists. The
city is arguing that Critical Mass needs to get a permit to ride
and a permit to gather in the park. Siegel said they'll continue
to hold rallies before the monthly rides.

"We have to say, 'No way. We have a right to be here. We have
the right to speak,'" he said. "Critical Mass will not stop."

Councilmember Margarita Lopez, who represents Union Sq., the
riders' usual departure point, and other areas of Downtown that
the unscripted Critical Mass events often travel through,
announced she is introducing four pieces of legislation to close
administrative code loopholes police are using to arrest the
bikers.

"We know that in this country selective use of the law is not
acceptable," Lopez said. "All of these pieces of legislation I'm
looking into have one thing in common -- it's protecting the
Constitution, the right to ride bikes, the right to stand in
here [Union Sq., a city park]. The right to private property --
you can't even lock your bike [without police cutting the
lock]." Lopez vowed not to allow "a single loophole" to remain.

In blessing the cyclists, Reverend Billy preached, "You're
pedaling your bodies out into a city that has forgotten the
First Amendment." He prayed to "the goddess that knows how to
fix bicycles" for their safety.

Police presence around Union Sq. was heavy. But the cyclists had
already planned to split up and also depart from three other
points -- Tompkins Sq., Washington Sq. and Madison Sq. Word got
out that police were waiting out of sight around Union Sq. and
planned to "arrest everyone with a bicycle" in the square. A
line of police mopeds were parked in front of Barnes and Noble
on 17th St. as a loudspeaker truck warned riders they would be
arrested for "riding in a procession without a permit."

The group of cyclists that left from Madison Sq. cruised east
then down through the East Village and across to the West
Village. Moods were high as police were nowhere in sight. There
was some opportunity to enjoy spinning through the city and
comment on the scenery, though not all of it inspired positive
reactions.

Zack Winestine, a Greenwich Village community activist, could
be heard fuming about a "monstrosity" as the group passed the
new, mirrored-glass Gwathmey-Siegel tower on Astor Pl., angrily
muttering that a version of it was now being slated for the
Greenwich Village waterfront.

"This is where Edgar Allan Poe got his morphine and laudanum
fix -- the Northern Dispensary," announced Matt Levy, as they
whizzed along Waverly Pl. "It's my job to know this stuff. I'm
a tour guide," said Levy, sporting a kaiserlike moustache and
a Tyrolean hat.

Joel Pomerantz, a mural organizer from San Francisco, said he
delayed his flight to Europe for an extra day so he could ride
in the New York City Critical Mass. He's been riding in the San
Francisco Critical Mass since its start in 1992, he said. About
five years ago, police there gave up trying to rein in the ride
and realized it was easier to just let it happen, he said.

"They just have a few police ride along at the end -- to show
they have some control," he said.

The group spread out across avenues, forcing cars to slow down
for several blocks, then peeled off onto sidestreets. But as a
bus came up behind them, there were yells of "Bus! Left! Left!"
and they opened a way for mass transit to get through. The
rides block traffic to send a message that bikes have a right
to safety on the road, and to feel powerful, too. There was a
report of one cyclist being rammed by an angry motorist during
the event, but the biker was uninjured.

On Hudson St., the Madison Sq. group merged with the Washington
Sq. group to cheers -- the bikers communicate by cell phone
and text messaging to keep track of their own and the police's
whereabouts. Then they headed Uptown, all the way to Columbus
Circle, which they rounded twice, while shouting "Stop Shopping!
Start Biking!" as they flew past the Shops at Columbus Center in
the AOL Time Warner Building. "Stop Eating! Start Biking!" they
called out while speeding by restaurants.

But things began to be less fun in East Midtown after three
undercover officers on bikes tailing the ride radioed for police
mopeds to cut off and trap the Critical Mass at 46th St. and
Madison Ave. The pack was broken up and smaller groups of riders
headed back Downtown, with arrests being made as police picked
off riders at various locations.

Obert Wood, a banker who lives in the East Village, said when
they fled the police at 46th St., the officers yelled at them,
"What are you doing, girls?" Not very professional, he and a few
other riders with him who had managed to elude arrest, thought.

Earlier, Colin Moynihan, a Times reporter, was arrested after
he had been standing at E. Sixth St. and Avenue A interviewing
someone while covering the story. According to John Penley,
an East Village activist who witnessed the event, an officer
shoved Moynihan as police were clearing the corner and Moynihan
asked for the officers' badge number three times, after which
a group of officers threw him on top of a police car trunk and
handcuffed him.

Moynihan, who was released without any charges, declined
comment.

Penley claimed he had started things by yelling at police after
he saw them walking an arrested biker up Sixth St. Penley said
right before that he'd seen three vans full of police roar up
Avenue A and almost hit people, and he became indignant at the
idea of hundreds of police chasing around the cyclists. Soon a
crowd of East Villagers were shouting at the police, he said.

"Actually, it was me that started the whole thing going over
there," Penley said. "I started yelling at the cops about what
a waste it was of our tax dollars to have vanloads of cops and
helicopters following people around the neighborhood -- and that
people like the bikers in the neighborhood. It was just yuppies
and old ladies yelling about it. People clearly see it as a big
waste of time and money and don't support it." Apparently some
police might agree: "A white shirt [supervising officer] came
over and told me, "I'd rather not be doing this," -- Penley
said.

Penley said three or four vanloads of police came in quickly and
cleared the corners, during which Moynihan was "shoved pretty
hard."

Meanwhile, Alina de Laforcade, an artist whose boyfriend runs
Holyland grocery store on St. Mark's Pl., said that in Paris --
as in San Francisco -- the city is taking a more cooperative
approach to a mass, human-powered event. Every Saturday in
Paris, she said, "20,000 people" rollerblade around the city,
up and down the Rue St. Germain and Champs Elysees, in a giant
pack and that police facilitate it.

"The police, like, stop traffic so this group can go and
rollerblade," she said, as she showed some of her psychedelic,
black-light murals to Noah Rider, a member of the St. Mark's
Pl. Art Commune. "So you have a car, you have to wait five or 10
minutes. But it's fun to see -- 20,000 rollerbladers. C'mon,
hello!," she said, as if to say this was obvious.

But New York isn't Paris, it's not even San Francisco, and
under the Bloomberg administration the police are still chasing
Critical Mass.

Speaking of Bloomberg, Bill DePaolo, a Time's Up! member, was
giving out stickers at the start of the ride: "I Bike and I
Vote," they said.

My experience with police is that they don’t do anything unless someone complains. I think that there are some powerful, rich complainers who don’t like the symbolic nature of CM. Those people must think of themselves as more equal than the rest of us.

Sure the CM gains support by being “anti” but so do most groups.
Anti spending, Anti progressive tax, anti gay, anti “other”. But CM is also gaining participants by being pro-bike, pro-civil liberties, pro-environment, pro-safety, and pro-bike-commuters.

Sometimes you can’t just sit in the arm chair and expect to change things.

Critical Mass has been going on for over 10 years. Could you provide some examples of positive change that can be credited to CM activities? If not, then how much longer will it take for CM to effect "increased bike access"?

I think that people who do stuff are more likely to affect change then those who only talk about it. Rarely can you quantify the changes caused by protests of any kind. I stated that CM could be more effective in getting non-bikers to understand what bikers want and why that would be better for all.

As it stands CM is to a degree usurping the symbolic elements of biking to serve an agenda. I am amused by that but it is also dangerous for biking. The idea here is that if CM can be successfully vilified, then you'll have bikes=smelly, weird liberals. Then what newbie will want to buy a bike and possibly be identified with the SWLs? If only Hilton sisters and INSYNC would be photographed riding bikes.

But since the Hitlon sisters are not signing up to promote biking what can we do? Id rather ride with CM then sit back and debate it. I think that biking and biking disputes in NYC have been around a long time and will outlive CM. If a bounch of clean cut, young republicans and preachers where out there on the last Friday of the month I would happilly still be there.

I think that jsut arresting htem is illegal...being arrested for vehicular infractions is extremely out of propeortion...isn't a ticket the standard procedure?

I'm not a lawyer, but this screams foul.

If 100 drivers in their cars got together and for an organized protest and drove through the streets of manhattan regularly at 10 mph, and then did this every month, the drivers would probably be arrested.

If 100 drivers in their cars got together and for an organized protest and drove through the streets of manhattan regularly at 10 mph, and then did this every month, the drivers would probably be arrested.

Perhaps it's not a protest, but it happens everyday, twice a day. They call it the 8 o clock and 5 o clock rushes.

Perhaps it's not a protest, but it happens everyday, twice a day. They call it the 8 o clock and 5 o clock rushes.
Beat me to it. If CM is going to get arrested, I want to see cops down on Varick Street pulling commuters out of cars when they block intersections.

If CM is going to get arrested, I want to see cops down on Varick Street pulling commuters out of cars when they block intersections.
Pepper spray 'em, cuff 'em, take 'em away, book 'em and impound their cars indefinitely... :rolleyes:

Why not emphasise how nicely, quietly, and pleasently a large number of people can move by bike, with CM? Traffic only moves about 10 MPH in the city anyway so it should be fairly easy to not slow down traffic much, if at all. Why not get some video type people up on vantage points and put together a CM movie, showing orderly, friendly, CM bikers getting where they're going more effeciently than the same number of solo drivers in cars would, and put said movie on the net?

Sally Soccermom and Gary Golf Clubs are about to take a huge hit when their "castle" depreciates in the coming real estate crash, and gas is going to be $4 a gallon before we know it, why not do the kind of demonstration that shows "middle of the road" people like them how great biking is?

I've never ridden a CM, but all I hear about is how the CM'ers seem to rub a lot of folks the wrong way...... either someone's going at it wrong or GM, Ford, etc are putting their folks in there to mess it up.....

Perhaps it's not a protest, but it happens everyday, twice a day. They call it the 8 o clock and 5 o clock rushes.

Those drivers are not really organized. They are simply trying to get to and from work. They don't intentionally get together to impede traffic. And if they did get together intentionally and they did drive 10 mph up an avenue, even at rush hour, that would cause traffic jams.

iana you dont seem to understand, they do cause traffic jams, and it is accepted behavior, its called rush hour. (and "simply" does not belong in a sentence about driving in NYC) We seem to have given ourselves a burden as bikers that we have to appease car drivers all the while they are grossly depreciating our quality of life, and not just on the street; I feel we must consider the global impact of car commuting in this country. CM as an event, proves that cars are not necessary and can be held at bay if need be.

And Slvoid, the happy family breaking the law, yes, that is the point I am trying to make. This city does almost nothing to encourage cycling, and this city is perfect for it, if cops can write their own laws to conveniently sideline cycling, they will- I mean, are.

Lilhinault check out http://criticalmassrides.info/stillweride.html

Face it, the NYC CM during the RNC was hijacked by a bunch of anti this and anti that, who wanted to get arrested to make a political statement and get in the news. The police way overreacted to that situation and are now in a pissin contest with the regular CMers.

I wonder, did Times Up organize the first NYC CM. If not, why have they also hijacked your CM?

Is your CM about Bicycling or is it about anti something?

I hope for 2 things for your CM, first that the police can regain some common sense and second that you may be able to turn your CM back to being about Bicycling.

Were you in NYC in August? I was, and I can assure you: nobody wanted to get arrested. Many people wanted to make political statements, sure: mainly the thousands of Republicans who flew in specifically to punch New Yorkers in their metaphorical nose by holding a hatefest at MSG. Some CM riders wanted to make political statements, too... luckily, the Bill of Rights guarantees their freedom to do so.

Times Up does not organize CM, and did not do so at the time of the first CM.

Critical Mass is about different things for every rider. I myself ride because I've never been able to get the police to take accident reports when I've been hit by cars, and I think it's insane that just because I'm a cyclist, I'm a second-class citizen in the eyes of the cops who are paid to protect me.

Those drivers are not really organized. They are simply trying to get to and from work. They don't intentionally get together to impede traffic. And if they did get together intentionally and they did drive 10 mph up an avenue, even at rush hour, that would cause traffic jams.

I know plenty of people who commute to manhattan by car everyday rather than take public transportation. They prefer the "comfort" of their suv even if it means being stuck in traffic. They complain that the seats on the buses are too small for their large rears. They talk on the phone and shove food into their faces as they inch along in traffic using their overpowered speaker systems to listen to talk radio. And they are the problem. They are the ones causing the traffic jams.

I've never ridden a CM, but all I hear about is how the CM'ers seem to rub a lot of folks the wrong way...
On a Critical Mass ride, live and in the street, with the exception of a very few motorists prone to road rage, almost all of the feedback from motorists is invariably positive. So, typically, the overall mood is positive and celebratory, unless or until the police crash the party :eek: ...and then the media gets to spin it their way :rolleyes: ...of course, as they say in Hollywood, there ain't no bad publicity ;)

there's a good idea: critical drive....CMers in their cars going a fixed route.

What are they going to do it's jsut a bunch of people in cars...so long as they are non-descript and aren't visibly/audibly showing they are connected with each other, they really don't have much to say about it.
After all if they stop a motorist who had no part in it, oh god the media frenzy would be fun to watch.

but agian ti's kinda defeating the prupose.

there's a good idea: critical drive....CMers in their cars going a fixed route.

What are they going to do it's jsut a bunch of people in cars...so long as they are non-descript and aren't visibly/audibly showing they are connected with each other, they really don't have much to say about it.
After all if they stop a motorist who had no part in it, oh god the media frenzy would be fun to watch.

but agian ti's kinda defeating the prupose.


Years ago there was a story about a group of college kids that tried an experiment on a highway during rush hour. The speed limit at that time was 55 mph on this highway, but everyone regularly drove about 65 to 70 mph. The college students all got into their cars (I don't recall how many, but I know it was more than 20) and took up all 3 lanes heading towards the city. They drove at exactly 55 mph. The mess and the fury of the drivers that were locked behind them at 55 mph was apparently amazing. It made the news and the students got in some trouble. I wish I could recall why, because they were going the speed limit, but the authorities argued that it was an organized event meant to impede traffic. I know it was done again a few times after that by other groups. I really don't remember much more about it, but it was very interesting. If anyone has some info about it, please report it. There were some similarities to how cm participants are treated today.

Years ago there was a story about a group of college kids that tried an experiment on a highway during rush hour. The speed limit at that time was 55 mph on this highway, but everyone regularly drove about 65 to 70 mph. The college students all got into their cars (I don't recall how many, but I know it was more than 20) and took up all 3 lanes heading towards the city. They drove at exactly 55 mph. The mess and the fury of the drivers that were locked behind them at 55 mph was apparently amazing. It made the news and the students got in some trouble. I wish I could recall why, because they were going the speed limit, but the authorities argued that it was an organized event meant to impede traffic. I know it was done again a few times after that by other groups. I really don't remember much more about it, but it was very interesting. If anyone has some info about it, please report it. There were some similarities to how cm participants are treated today.

It's called 'obstructing traffic' when you intentionally block the flow of traffic. Even if you drive the speed limit it's still an offense. There is usually a law that slower traffic must stay to the right. Sound familiar? The same principle applies to cars as well as bikes.

It's called 'obstructing traffic' when you intentionally block the flow of traffic. Even if you drive the speed limit it's still an offense. There is usually a law that slower traffic must stay to the right. Sound familiar? The same principle applies to cars as well as bikes.

But how can it be obstructing traffic if they are driving the speed limit?

I've never ridden a CM, but all I hear about is how the CM'ers seem to rub a lot of folks the wrong way...... either someone's going at it wrong or GM, Ford, etc are putting their folks in there to mess it up.....

People riding their bikes on the street rub a lot of people the wrong way. That is why things like CM are so important.

People riding their bikes on the street rub a lot of people the wrong way. That is why things like CM are so important.

Exposure is good and all... but I have this odd feeling that CM just means more bikers rubbing more people the wrong way.

But how can it be obstructing traffic if they are driving the speed limit?

They have that law here in California, too. The only people allowed to regulate the flow of traffic are law enforcement. If you're going slower than other traffic by doing the speed limit, you have to pull into a lane to your right and let them by.

But how can it be obstructing traffic if they are driving the speed limit?

Because they were obstructing the flow of traffic. The fact that there was a long line of cars behind them is proof enough. If they wanted to drive 55 mph, they certainly could have driven one behind the other so as not to block others. Instead they chose to drive side by side to prevent others from passing them. That is obstructing traffic.

Years ago, the California Highway Patrol decided to take measures to slow down motorists driving between Los Angeles to Las Vegas. They got two patrol cars to drive side-by-side the entire way to the state line at 55 mph. They did this for several weekends. In the end they decided that the ensuing traffic jams were a bigger safety problem than the speeders so they returned to traditional methods of traffic enforcement.

I think there are several things people are confused with here.

In NYC, not elsewhere, rush hour traffic usually averages right around 5-8mph with moving traffic at a min of around 1mph to a max of around 20mph.
So the average during rush hour is right around 5-8 mph or maybe LESS.

The only thing is, on friday night during CM, it's not rush hour and traffic averages around 15-20mph with min of around 10 and max of around 30-35.

To see, seeing CM moving at 10-15mph through the city is painful if that were my commute. For example, if I were going down bedford avenue, the cars are usually moving 30-45 mph. During certain sections, I will get into the lane and flow with traffic up to around 35 or so depending on how winds are. Beyond that, I duck out and get on the side, not because I have to but because I can see a huge gap opening up behind me and a long line of cars behind me in my lane. At this point, it's not about whether I "own" the lane or not, it's just common courtesy. If I see an obstruction, I look behind me, signal, gear up, and take the lane. I don't want someone doing 10mph in front of me blocking my way anymore than I want myself going twice as slow as the car behind me.

I often wave drivers pass if I'm taking it easy doing 10mph and I notice the driver behind me actually has a soul and is pacing right behind me while the car in front of me is 2 blocks away. They often appreciate this along with the drivers behind them and give me a lot of room when they pass. But if there's traffic moving the same speed, you bet I will take the lane (hey, free draft) and stay in it as long as I'm keeping up.

There are certain things about CM that I won't agree with but what I will agree with is the fact that the public needs to understand and accept the rights of cyclists more. The way CM accomplishes this with their tactics is up for debate but that's my opinion.

There are certain things about CM that I won't agree with but what I will agree with is the fact that the public needs to understand and accept the rights of cyclists more. The way CM accomplishes this with their tactics is up for debate but that's my opinion.
I agree with this statement entirely, I am not sold on what and how CM does, but I still think that it is a fun and important ride for cyclists (beginners and experienced) and that the NYPD should not be arresting and impounding for Violations.

Slvoid, I almost always agree with what you post, and the bit on you lane taking etc, is basically my practice as well. I have said it before, I bet you and I would ride very well together. In my experience, Friday night at 7-730 the rush is not over and traffic is not driving that fast, you have people leaving the city and people entering the city, unlike any other night of the week. The rush is not flushed out and people 'going out' are starting to come in. When we are in Midtown the ride usually gets caught in car traffic itself.
The example of riding on Bedford in this discussion I feel, does not apply, (I agree with it though) the drivers in the outer boroughs are MORONS, they are a type of aggressive exponentially greater and more stupid than when driving in Manhattan. This is a good example that if you were riding in numbers you would be and feel safer. If you had 3 other bikes with you and you were making 18 to 20 mph, would you be pulling over on Bedford, given all the two lane sections that cars can pass in? And again, what do we owe cars that are blatantly speeding and endangering neighborhoods and not as obviously endangering our long term health and mental state?

http://www.carfreebedford.com/

WWW.NYPRESS.COM MAY 11, 2005
SMOLKED OUT
AARON NAPARSTEK
http://www.nypress.com/18/19/news&columns/aaronnaparstek.cfm

Last month's Critical Mass bike ride ended in 34 arrests. Even the New York Times, no big fan of pesky bike radicals clogging up midtown traffic, has begun to notice that something has gone extremely wrong with the NYPD's approach to the once-peaceful monthly ride. Perhaps that's because this month Times reporter Colin Moynihan got shoved by a cop, jacked up against a car and cuffed for the crime of conducting an interview on the corner of E. 6th Street and Avenue A.

It was refreshing to wake up on Saturday morning and see the Times finally putting a name and a face to the inept and unlawful police crackdown: Assistant ChiefÊBruce Smolka, former boss of the disgraced and disbanded Street Crimes Unit, the cops who put 41 bullets in Amadou Diallo. The Metro section carried a prominent picture of Smolka in action, roughly dragging a young woman off the street by the collar like some kind of caveman. If it's the same woman described in the news story, she is being arrested for trying to walk away from Union Square with her legs straddling her bike, her feet on the sidewalk. According to Smolka, that's illegal.

Just imagine all the arrests he could make in Portland, Oregon.

My friend Clarence Eckerson recently returned from a trip to Portland, and it sounds like his next visit may be on a one-way ticket. It would be a shame for New York City to lose Eckerson, one of the best bike advocates we've got. Fighting the colossal government bureaucracy, powerful corporate machinery and profound cultural inertia that keeps the city's automotive apparatus rolling (albeit slowly and with much horn-honking), can really run a man down. Eckerson, however, is like Prozac on wheels, perpetually enthusiastic and making things happen. In his spare time he produces BikeTV, a bi-weekly program that airs on public access channels in New York City and around the country. (Wednesdays on Manhattan Neighborhood Networks channel 57, 9:30 p.m.)

The next episode of BikeTV features Portland. Eckerson was blown away by what he found over there, especially the "bike boulevards." These, according to Portland City Bike Coordinator Roger Geller are "neighborhood streets with low traffic volume that generally work well for bikes but have been redesigned and engineered to work even better." Bike boulevards are "traffic-calmed" to force motorists to drive more slowly or avoid them altogether. In the places where bike boulevards intersect with busy arteries, the city installs special bicycle traffic signals, extends the curbs, and generally takes extra care to ensure that cyclists and pedestrians can cross streets safely. Portland puts so much love and attention into its bike infrastructure, the city workers who paint the bike lanes started adding funny hats and hair-dos to their cyclist stencil. I wonder what the New York Post would have to say about that?

Geller describes the features found on Portland's bike boulevards as "just simple things." Yet, many of his DOT counterparts here in New York City would consider bike boulevards to be impossibly complicated to set up. So, how does Portland do it?

"We integrate all modes of transportation into every project that we do," Geller says. "Even if someone is working on a traditional roadway project they are still incorporating bike designs into it."

In fact, state law mandates that every road project include designs for pedestrians, bikes and transit users. The state has even set aside a special fund to pay for it. Not only is this unimaginable for Albany, of the 4,257 employees at New York City's DOT only four are dedicated to working on bike projects. Far from being fully integrated into the agency, they are ghettoized.

Eckerson's camera lingers lovingly at a bike lane that crosses directly in front of a busy highway on-ramp near downtown Portland. The spot is reminiscent of the BQE on-ramp below the Manhattan Bridge in Brooklyn where Transportation Alternatives' bike project coordinator Noah Budnick had his disastrous crash a few weeks back. Rather than forcing cyclists to ride a circuitous route away from the on-ramp as is done at the Manhattan Bridge, a high-visibility blue bike lane and large signs warn motorists not to speed onto the highway without first yielding to bikes. It works, and not just because Northwesterners are so polite. There is enough bike infrastructure and cyclists using it that Portland motorists have learned to look out for and live with bikes.

"Look at New York City," Eckerson says. "Our DOT puts cars first. In Portland, their DOT clearly goes through a thought process that puts pedestrians and cyclists first."