Time’s Up for a Chat

Every month on the last Friday evening a group of these people meet and decide to travel to together around the city. They slow down traffic wherever they go. They happen to ride bikes and belong to a group called Time’s-Up. They also make a lot of noise because no one listens to their plight. Last Friday, 34 of them were arrested by the NYPD.

Imagine a group of people who go a little against the grain. They want to change the world one step at a time. They want to set a good example for sustainable transportation for others to follow. However, everyday they risk their life and limb navigating NYC’s car clogged streets without the protection of even basic traffic safety lines. They have their property impounded because of inconsistent policies on parking. And they can’t even voice their displeasure by riding together on New York’s streets without getting tackled while in motion by the police.

http://peakoilnyc.blogspot.com/2005/07/times-up-for-chat.html

I think it is high time that the city actually listened to some of the very reasonable demands from the cyclist community best summed up in these lists by Time’s Up and Transportation Alternatives. They really aren’t asking for a lot that would cost much money and would do much to improve the quality of life for the thousands of New Yorkers who bike to work, thus reducing traffic congestion and making room on mass transit for more riders.

Please write to your local city council person and Mayor Bloomberg to tell them to start a dialogue with the cyclist community now.