Critical Mass Panic

Please Forward! Dear New York City Bicycling Community There is a growing movement for safer streets taking shape in Brooklyn, involving new legislation, motorist education and a call for cycling community input by NYPD. The death of cylcist Jasmine Herron on September 11th profoundly affected those involved on the scene that night, including 77th NYPD precinct Community Council President James Caldwell. Caldwell has mobilized elected officials from Brooklyn , including Council Member Letitia James , State Senator Eric Adams , and Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, with the 77th Precinct to the cause for safer streets for cyclists and pedestrians. This started several weeks ago with a prayer vigil for Jasmine, and has continued through community meetings. These politicians have all spoken eloquently, recognizing that bicycles are a viable and growing form of transportation in NYC, and that the culture of our streets desperately needs an overhaul, starting with motorists. I ...

It is the end of bike month, and I am pretty sick of it. But not as sick as I am of hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil being pumped into the ocean everyday. Not to mention millions of tons of greenhouse gases emitted by automobiles. And of course I am very sick of the disrespect bikes (and pedestrians) get on the streets of NYC. But certainly I am not as sick of it as I am of cyclists, pedestrians and motorists being killed or maimed by cars everyday here. I am sick of the police wasting tax-dollars to harass Critical Mass riders, but not as sick as I am over the hypocrisy of Bloomburg's "green" NYC. The truth is, it has been a beautiful bike month. This spring has brought so many more bicyclists, both new and old, it is hard to not have hope. More group rides, more community, more courteous and safer riding. Every time a three or four or even a massive five find themselves waiting together at an intersection, I realize that I am seeing the future of traffic. It is ...