MEDIA ADVISORY
1/28/2011
Contacts: Barbara Ross – 917.494.8164, press@times-up.org
Ben Shepard – 917.586.7952
NYPD’s selectively enforced ticketing blitz against cyclists fuels animosity and divisiveness at a time when the nation is seeking civility from its leaders
“Token of Love” Ticketing Blitz
Monday, January 31, 2011, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Manhattan side of the Manhattan Bridge
NEW YORK, NY – On Monday, 1/31, at 9:00 a.m., members of Time’s Up! Environmental Group, dressed as officers of the New York Peace Department (N.Y.P.D.), will be on the Manhattan Bridge handing out “Token of Love” tickets with chocolate coins and chocolate kisses to cyclists, thanking them with appreciation hugs for braving the cold and continuing to commute through the winter. This event is to counter NYPD’s ticketing blitz targeting cyclists, which has resulted in over 1400 tickets issued in the first 2 weeks of January. Many of these tickets, with a fine of $250 or more, have been issued by untrained police officers who are unfamiliar with the traffic laws pertaining to cyclists. On Monday morning, cyclists will be rewarded for the economic and environmental benefits they give back to the City, turning the bike backlash into bike loving.
“NYPD Chief Raymond Kelly along with a small, but vocal group of anti-bike advocates need to stop using heated rhetoric against cyclists that fuels road rage and leaves cyclists vulnerable to angry motorists and instead recognize the benefits of cycling has on business, tourism, community and the environment,” says Barbara Ross, Time’s Up! spokesperson.
“As an alternative to the NYPD’s plan, we support the continuation of the DOT’s more cost-effective and sensible strategies that focus on education and improvements in street infrastructure, such as protected bike lanes than have proven to decrease the number of crashes and provide safer streets for all,” says Bill DiPaola, Time’s Up! Director.
Monday’s Cyclists Appreciation Day kicks off a series of Time’s Up! events designed to bring unity back into the community, concluding with Valentine’s Love Your Lane ride and after-party on Friday, 2/11. Click here for more details.
Photos of prop making for “Token of Love” Ticketing & Love Your Lane Bike Ride & After-party
Video clip of Time’s Up! volunteers overwhelmed by bike love (25 seconds)
###
Time’s Up! is a grassroots environmental group that uses educational outreach and direct action to promote a more sustainable, less toxic city. For more than 20 years, Time’s Up! has worked to educate people about the environmental impacts of everyday decisions, from the food we buy to the means of transportation we use.
