Lack of New York Bike Racks Makes Case for Legal Gathering of Critical Mass Participants

The NYPD has lost another round in attempting to outlaw the ever popular Critical Mass organized bike rides, designed to raise awareness regarding transportation alternatives. U.S. District judge William H. Pauley denied NYC's request for an injunction preventing Critical Mass cyclists from gathering and riding without city permits.

Justification for the outlawing of the gathering rested heavily on the police department's claims that the group of riders broke city laws by illegally locking their bicycles to signs, lampposts and street fixtures. Transportation Alternatives' amicus curiae brief, however, effectively negated the police department's justification for seizing hundreds of bicycles that were locked this way. In its argument, Transportation Alternatives illustrated that there are 6375 miles of street in New York City and just 3400 bike racks, essentially making for one legal bike rack every two miles, or one legal bike rack for every 33 cyclists. In New York, TA argued, if a cyclist can't lock his bike to a lamppost, then he can't lock his bike at all. The argument led to the compelling argument that the NYPD is essentially arguing for the criminalization of cycling, and the case was summarily dismissed.