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Re: [BIKE] NY judge allows Critical Mass rides to continue

Hal
Thu, 28 Oct 2004 18:03:58 -0700

> Judge lets the bikes roll
>
> By LARRY NEUMEISTER
> Associated Press Writer
>
> October 28, 2004, 6:32 PM EDT
(snip)
> He said several thousand cyclists "cannot simply go wherever their wheels
> take them month after month without someone getting hurt."
>
> He suggested that the bike routes be coordinated with police for
everyone's
> safety.
>
> "In the end, Critical Mass is people, not an event, and they need to take
> responsibility," Pauley wrote said.
>
(snip)
> City lawyer Sheryl Neufeld said the city was disappointed by the ruling
and
> was considering an appeal.
>
> "Unless the group works with the police department, its Critical Mass bike
> rides will likely continue to cause traffic and safety problems in each
> successive month unless a parade permit is secured and the NYPD can
properly
> police the event," she said in a statement.
>
> Police Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said the ruling does not stop the
> police from enforcing the law or seizing unattended bicycles that obstruct
> vehicles or pedestrians.



Very interesting about the parade permit, I never really thought of a
traffic jam as a parade...

I wonder if Mr. Siegal could bring some form of mandamus order force the
police to enforce those same rules evenly.
Logically, if you ticket bicyclists for riding in the road, you should also
ticket motorists who are parked on the road during traffic jams?

Based on the police language
it sounds like you should requiring NY Football fans headed to the
Meadowlands to get a parade permit
since those drivers cause foreseeable traffic congestion and safety
problems.
Aren't NYC drivers heading to the tunnels and bridges also "organized" and
"heading to a location", so they should need a parade permit?

Hal

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