Article in Newsday about NYC Critical Mass

NYC bike riders say they still face uphill battle.

By LARRY NEUMEISTER | Associated Press Writer
August 30, 2008
NEW YORK - It has been four years since the Republicans staged their national convention in Manhattan, but the experience is fresh on the minds of bicyclists who say they are still getting a bumpy ride from police.

With a lawsuit in U.S. District Court, the Five Borough Bicycle Club is fighting new Police Department rules that the cyclists say were drawn up to retaliate against people participating in Critical Mass, a monthly ride that sometimes draws hundreds of two-wheelers to busy city streets.

The regulations, adopted last year, require groups of 50 people or more traveling together on a public way to get a parade permit from the police department.

The legal fight is the latest in a string that began during the 2004 Republican National Convention, when police arrested more than 260 cyclists during a Critical Mass ride.

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