Special Bulletin

Action Alert!
Stop the Anti-Bicycling Bill!

Councilmember Madeline Provenzano, sponsor of anti-bicycling bill Int. No. 497

A draconian anti-bicycling bill, Int. No. 497, was recently introduced to the New York City Council by Councilmember Madeline Provenzano.

If passed, Int. No. 497 would require every bicycling New Yorker over sixteen years old to obtain bicycle license tags from the NYC Department of Transportation. The bill stipulates that those who do not display such tags on their bicycles would be subject to up to 15 days imprisonment in addition to hefty fines and bicycle confiscation.

T.A. needs your help to defeat this appalling bill. Please send a fax to Councilmember Provenzano now using the form below!

Practically speaking, Int. No. 497 would criminalize bicycling, create more incentives to drive, and erect yet another obstacle for those seeking to do their part to reduce congestion, clean our City's polluted air and stay healthy.

If passed into law, Int. No. 497 would reduce the number of people who bike by as much as 50%, erode the "Safety in Numbers" effect, and make biking more dangerous. Research in multiple cities has shown that tripling the number of bike riders on the street cuts motorist-bicyclist crashes in half. Conversely, reducing the number of bikers will increase crashes. Indeed, as biking has grown in New York City over the past ten years, annual motorist-bicyclist crashes have decreased--in 2003, 13 bicyclists were killed by motorists. Int. No. 497 would turn back the clock a decade to the days when 20-30 NYC cyclists were killed by motorists each year.

Councilmember Provenzano's staff explained that her intent is to make it easier for law enforcement agencies to hold reckless cyclists accountable. However, according to her staff, the bill is not informed by formal conversations with any law enforcement personnel.

This bill is a malicious attack against people who ride bikes in New York City. It is aimed at stopping bike riding. Int. No. 497 must be stopped.

Under Int. No. 497 those bicycling anywhere within the city limits without their registration number tag would face stiff civil and criminal penalties including:

UP TO 15 DAYS IMPRISONMENT and
$100 - $300 criminal fine and
$100 - $300 civil fine and
a misdemeanor charge and
confiscation of one's bicycle.

Take Action!

Please fill out the form below and click "Send my fax!". Since some e-mail programs do not allow form submissions, we recommend you visit this page in a web browser to participate: http://www.transalt.org/press/askta/041116bikebill.html.

Subject:

Dear Councilmember Provenzano:

I strongly oppose Int. No. 497 and urge you to withdraw it without delay. This bill, which would require bicyclists over the age of 16 to register with the NYC Department of Transportation, would discourage bike riding, an activity that is excellent for New Yorkers and excellent for New York City. "Safety in Numbers" research has shown that tripling the number of cyclists makes motorists more cautious and cuts the vehicle-bicycle crash rate in half. If passed into law, Int. No. 497 would significantly reduce the numbers of cyclists on the streets, thus making bicycling much more dangerous. For the safety of New York City’s 112,000 daily bikers and the 2.5 million New Yorkers who occasionally ride, please withdraw Int. No. 497. Thank you. Sincerely,

Name:
Street address:
City:
State: Zip:
E-mail:

Please include your full contact information so that your message will be treated as official correspondence! Your message will be faxed to Councilmember Provenzano and e-mailed to Transportation Alternatives.

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