Dear Reader, Each spring I notice more and more people cycling. More cyclists lead to more political support for more bike facilities, which leads to more bicycling. It's a virtuous cycle. Though this is a most welcome and encouraging trend, bicycling on most New York City streets is still marred by danger and frustration. Safe routes around the city are still painfully scarce; there is much left to do. Recently, preventable crashes made unwilling martyrs of Jerome Allen and Brandie Bailey and a near martyr of Noah Budnick-- some of New York City's most beloved, experienced and well-known cyclists. When will transportation that is clean, healthy and efficient be as safe and convenient as transportation that is not? When will we see justice on our streets? Only when you take action. Take a moment now to make a special contribution to T.A. to support our forceful campaigns to make bicycling safe, secure and convenient. And take some time to get involved with these campaigns. If you only have a minute, send a fax or an email, if you can offer more time, attend a meeting in your community or volunteer for T.A. This e-bulletin is chock full of suggestions to get you started. Let's kick the virtuous cycle into high gear. Sincerely, Paul
Steely White We’re Moving!
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3 Ways to Win Better Biking Right Now  Bike Month 2005 is in full swing. Over 150 rides, events with elected officials and bike themed film and art showings are all adding up to one clear message: New Yorkers care about bicycling. Because Bike Month brings cycling to the forefront of our elected officials’ packed agendas, now is an opportune time to make an even greater impact. Here are three quick actions you can take to capitalize on the current swell of pro bike sentiment and help T.A. win key improvements to New York's cycling environment. For those of you who would like to do even more to win safe cycling please see the articles below. Together we can show that we not only care about bicycling, but that we care enough to act.
1) Act to Win Protection from Reckless Driving There is overwhelming evidence that red light cameras and speed cameras make streets much safer. In the United Kingdom, speed cameras saved 100 lives last year and reduced speeding by up to 78%. To their credit, Mayor Bloomberg and the Department of Transportation are renewing their efforts to get the state legislature to pass new laws allowing NYC to expand its successful red light camera program from 50 to 100 cameras and to put speed cameras on NYC streets for the first time. Send an e-fax to New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and urge him to support pending legislation to put life-saving Red Light Cameras and Speed Cameras on NYC streets. Red light runners and speeding motorists pose a grave threat to all road users, particularly cyclists. Until these critical enforcement tools are in place, reckless drivers will continue to maim and deter cyclists and pedestrians. 2) Act to Win Bicycle Access to Buildings The Bicycle Access Bill, currently being considered by the New York City Council, would require commercial buildings to allow tenants and tenants’ employees to bring their bicycles into their workspaces. Councilwoman Madeline Provenzano has pledged to hold a hearing on the bill. Now is the time to ensure this bill moves forward.
3) Act to Stop Illicit Bike Clipping and Impounding Untold numbers of bikes are clipped each month because the New York City government has no policy to deal with abandoned bikes. In recent months this lack of policy direction has also given the NYPD a pretense to clip and confiscate bikes. To put an end to reckless clipping and confiscation of bikes, T.A. is pressing the City to adopt a policy to deal with abandoned bikes. The City should designate one agency to run an abandoned bicycle removal program. Today, the Police, Fire and Sanitation Departments periodically clip abandoned bikes en masse without any notice (the Parks Department usually tags bikes before clipping them). After the bikes are clipped, there is no way for owners of legitimately locked bikes to know what happened or retrieve them. The DOT is the most rational agency to take the lead on this, since they have the clearest jurisdiction over the sidewalk. Email the DOT Commissioner Iris Weinshall and urge her to adopt a rational abandoned bike policy: www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/maildot.html Fix Times Square and Canal Street! Biked or walked on Canal Street and in Times Square lately? If you have, then you are likely not to return anytime soon unless you have to. The sidewalks are suffocating, car and truck traffic is noisy, smelly and dangerous and it is a struggle just to move forward. Take action to reclaim these landmark New York City areas for walking, shopping and biking! Attend two events and speak up for your right to bike and walk safely and comfortably! 1. Times Square Pedestrian Plan –- Wednesday, June 1 Presented by the Times Square Alliance and featuring the Central London Partnership Please RSVP by Friday, May 27 at www.timessquarenyc.org/londonnewyork/
Tuesday, June 7, 2005 OR Wednesday, June 8 Radically Reeducate Errant Motorists It happens all the time: A car door flings open directly in front of you.
A motorist grazes your arm hair as he speeds
past you. A truck driver double parks, blocks the bike lane and
forces you to veer into traffic. Now you have an alternative: serve the errant motorist with a take-home
lecture on cyclists' rights. Download copies
today or email info@transalt.org
for a batch of 12 cards mailed directly to you. |
Volunteer for the
Tour de Brooklyn
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