Letter Campaign to Stop the Arrests of Cyclists in New York City
www.worldcarfree.net

STEP 1: Print out the letter on the next page (change it if you wish and add any information about group rides in your city). 

STEP 2: Send it to the following addresses and fax numbers. Letters and faxes receive more attention that mere emails. (Don’t forget to include your city and country, so they know how far this has spread.):

Hon. Mayor Michael Bloomberg		    	Police Commissioner, Raymond W. Kelly
City Hall, New York, NY 10007 USA	        		1 Police Plaza, New York, NY 10012 USA

	Fax: ++1-212-788-8123				Fax: ++1-646-610-5865

STEP 3: Go to the following two links and send the salutation and the first paragraph using the online forms. (E-mails are often not viewed as seriously as paper letters and are used mainly for statistical purposes, so be sure to do step 2 as well): 

STEP 4: Send a short e-mail to freenyccyclsts@yahoo.com so that we can document the success of the campaign for journalists.

Police Commissioner (limit 150 words) -- http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mailnypd.html

Mayor (limit 300 words) -- http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html

[letter on next page]

DATE 

YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
CITY AND COUNTRY 

To: Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
      Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly

Dear Mayor Bloomberg, Dear Commissioner Kelly:

I am writing to ask you to take immediate steps to end the unjustified arrest and harassment of cyclists in New York City. I am appalled that over the past year, more than 500 cyclists have been arrested for participating in Critical Mass community bike rides and hundreds of bicycles have been seized by the New York City police. I am deeply concerned by this blatant infringement of internationally recognized civil rights, including equal rights to use public streets. 

By now, people all over the world have watched video images of the arrests of cyclists in NYC and seen how official video recordings were edited by police to exclude evidence that cyclists had committed no crime. Many people have also read about the city's lawsuit against the environmental group Time's Up!, forbidding them to even discuss the rides. NYC's violation of cyclist’s rights and freedom of speech has gone on for more than a year. It is a shocking infringement of civil rights and a blemish on the reputation of New York City in the eyes of the world. 

Group rides are not illegal. By your own laws, cyclists have the same rights and are subject to the same traffic rules as drivers of motorized vehicles. In addition, none of the New York City Traffic Rules forbid cyclists from riding in a group. Therefore, the arrests of cyclists involved in Critical Mass are unjustified and unlawful. 

People in over 300 cities around the world participate in monthly Critical Mass bicycle rides, promoting non-motorized transport. Critical Mass is a joyful, creative and healthy community activity for people of all ages. Community bike rides are a benefit to cities, not something to be suppressed by the police. Rather than punish bike riders, NYC should join the world in recognizing that cycling contributes to a sustainable quality of life for all. It is time for New York to take its place among world-class cities by improving its sustainable transport, safe bicycle lanes and pedestrian areas. 

Sincerely, 

YOUR SIGNATURE