I am writing in reference to Tony Dokoupil’s article about Critical Mass ["Spinning Their Wheels" March 1-7]. I find it a little appalling and quite humorous that Mr. Dokoupil feels that there is no groundswell of community activism around cycling in New York City. I couldn’t help but notice that he made absolutely no reference to Transportation Alternatives, one of the most successful bicycle activist organizations in the country. Not only do they have an open and productive dialogue with the city of New York, but they are also well recognized within the cycling community as the source for information and political action related to bicycles. Anybody who actually rides a bike in New York has heard of them.

I couldn’t really figure out what the writer was advocating for in this article, but it seemed that he was demanding some kind of political action through Critical Mass, which is laughably off the mark. Critical Mass is not, and never has been, a source of tangible reform.

It is a statement, in the same way that a peace rally is a statement. You could travel to any city in the country and they would tell you the same. Although I tend to agree that Time’s Up is a bit antagonistic (and rightfully so), I salute their efforts to build a community around Critical Mass and cycling in general. But regardless, I can guarantee that if Time’s Up were to disappear tomorrow, Critical Mass would continue unphased.

Colin Weatherby