Critical Mass
Streetsblog Basics
Upright Citizens: Bikes and Walking Next Best Thing to Teleportation
From a Q&A with comedian Amy Poehler and her improv-mates in the Upright Citizens Brigade, spotted in the current issue of Time Out New York:
September 25, 2008
Charges Dropped Against Mass Cyclist Assaulted by Cop
On Friday, charges were officially dismissed against Christopher Long, the Critical Mass cyclist who was slammed to the ground by NYPD Officer Patrick Pogan in July. After he was knocked off his bike, Long was charged with attempted assault, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
September 8, 2008
Bicycles (Sort of) Banned From the Democratic Convention
You can just see the planning meeting for what organizers are calling the "greenest" national political convention ever. Special perks for hybrids? Check. Biofuel powered buses? Check. Solar powered green area? Check. Bike racks? Nope. Sorry, the Secret Service says they're too dangerous.
August 8, 2008
Help Put an End to Parade Rules and Police Tactics That Target Cyclists
Last Friday's assault on a Critical Mass rider -- and the attempted cover-up that followed -- has heightened public attention on police misconduct against cyclists. If you, or some other cyclist you know, have been the subject of selective enforcement or inappropriate police action, lawyers from the Five Borough Bike Club would like to hear your story. They can be reached at [lawsuitinfo] [at] [5BBC] [dot] [org], and their deadline is Friday, August 8. Here are the details:
August 1, 2008
Cop Assaults Critical Mass Rider. Charges Filed Against Cyclist.
Words fail when watching this clip of an NYPD officer forcibly knocking a Critical Mass rider to the pavement last Friday. The assault was caught on video by a bystander in Times Square. Compounding the injustice, reports Gothamist, is what happened next:
July 28, 2008
At Critical Mass, Reverend Al Calls for NYPD Accountability
The Reverend Al Sharpton, the family of Sean Bell, and an all-star cast of civil liberties advocates joined cyclists in Union Square last Friday for one of the more anticipated Critical Mass rides in recent memory. The gathering, which filled up the south end of the park, came three weeks after the Reverend led hundreds of supporters in an attempt to shut down major bridges and tunnels, protesting the acquittal of the officers who shot and killed Bell.
June 2, 2008
Opposition Mounts to NYPD Assembly Rules; Rally Tonight
As the City Council takes up legislation to lift NYPD rules against public assembly, cyclists and advocates will hold a rally and press conference before tonight's Critical Mass ride.
March 28, 2008
Mendez Bill Would Overturn NYPD Parade Rules
A cyclist is ticketed during Critical Mass last spring
March 27, 2008
The Battle for Britain’s Roads
The whole hour is well worth watching, but here are some highlights:
January 15, 2008
Gridlock Sam’s Compromise Plan
As if we didn't already know it, last week's Traffic Mitigation Commission hearings revealed that opposition to Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan among outer borough and suburban legislators may very well be intractable. Even in traffic-crushed districts where one would almost certainly find a majority in favor of some form of congestion pricing, we didn't see a single state legislator willing to stand up for the Mayor's plan. While support for congestion pricing was surprisingly strong among citizens and civic groups that showed up to testify, elected representatives' timidity was no surprise. As a Transport for London spokesman told me a while back, "If congestion pricing had to go through a legislative process it probably wouldn't have happened."
November 5, 2007