NY Metro: City drops suit against bike group

The city quietly dropped a lawsuit against bike advocacy group Time’s Up! last week, after two years of litigation. The lawsuit, filed in state Supreme Court on March 22, 2005, against the nonprofit and four of its volunteers, claimed that cyclists riding in a group, such as the monthly Critical Mass rides, are required to apply for a parade permit. This Friday’s Critical Mass will be the first one under the NYPD’s new parade permit rules that require groups of 50 or more cyclists to get police permission to ride on city streets.

Ride organizers, however, don’t plan to get a permit. “We are going to continue this ride as we have for years,” said Time’s Up! volunteer Judy Ross. “Our motto is ‘Still we ride.’” The group acknowledged cyclists will be subject to arrest, which it believes will result in “more unnecessary taxpayers costs.” According to Time’s Up!, the city’s crackdown on Critical Mass since the Republican National Convention has cost taxpayers more than $1.3 million.