‘Bicyclists Off Balance’

The New York Sun’s editorial, “Bicyclists Off Balance” explored the contentious nature of Critical Mass bike rides, but it overlooked the fact that biking in groups make people feel safe from vehicular traffic, and the reality that the daily experience of New York City bikers is far from safe [November 5, 2004].

To relieve tension between bicyclists and City Hall, Mayor Bloomberg needs to make streets and vehicular traffic as safe for the solitary biker as they are for a mass of riders.

He must fix long-standing problems like dangerous bridge and greenway access, no guaranteed building access for tenants with bikes, haphazard police enforcement of dangerous drivers, and poor bike-lane conditions.

This fall and winter, Transportation Alternatives will release a series of reports on improving biking in New York City.

We hope Mr. Bloomberg will bear in mind the city’s 112,000 daily bike riders and take action to make biking safer and easier.

NOAH BUDNICK
Projects Director Transportation Alternatives Manhattan Transportation
Alternatives is an advocate for bicyclists, pedestrians, and sensible transportation.

‘Bicyclists Off Balance’

I rode the Critical Mass on Friday, obeying all police directions from the start at Union Square up Park Avenue, across East 55th Street and down Fifth Avenue, all with police escort blocking all cross traffic [“Bicyclists Off Balance,” Editorial, November 5, 2004].

At Madison Square, the printed NYPD route was south on Broadway, returning to Union Square.

Instead, the police barricaded the southbound Broadway side of Fifth Avenue and misrouted all cyclists west on 23rd Street.

After the ride, other cyclists confirmed the same story; somewhere after 55th Street, they were directed west off the approved Fifth Avenue route by police officers.

The NYPD deliberately acted to divert and scatter the group across Manhattan’s West Side. There is much more to the route diversions than has been reported.

STEVE FAUST
Brooklyn
Mr. Faust is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners

‘More Sunlight’

I basically agree with Thomas Fitton as to Senator Kerry releasing all his military records [“More Sunlight,” Opinion, October 21, 2004] but disagree with Judicial Watch’s stance as to Vice President Cheney’s “Energy Task Force.”

This particular issue was elaborately and repeatedly portrayed by Mr. Fitton’s predecessor, Larry Klayman, recently a United States senatorial candidate for the state of Florida.

It was precisely Mr. Klayman’s choice of malevolent prosecution – repeatedly exhibited in the Judicial Watch newsletter – that turned this writer away from being a donor to that organization. And, moreover, although I wrote several times requesting that Mr. Klayman et al. discontinue forwarding material to me, he and they persisted.

This is an issue on which conservatives disagree: the Limbaugh brothers, for instance, both of whom I admire. David Limbaugh, the constitutional scholar, opined that the vice president should have come forth with the information sought. Rush Limbaugh, the commentator, agreed with this “Ditto-Head.”

However, at no time, did David Limbaugh show disrespect for Mr. Cheney – citing only his own interpretation of the Constitution as the basis for his decision.

Mr. Klayman, on the other hand made numerous ad hominem attacks on the vice president – which turned me away from Judicial Watch permanently.

I am personally unfamiliar with the “[p]arts of Bush’s National Guard records [that] have yet to be released,” recalling some mention of dental records as being held back, although I may be wrong.

However, the “Energy Task Force,” as I understand it, was populated by a group of volunteer experts – who were promised privacy, to provide their knowledgeable opinions for the benefit of this nation. To this writer, a documented military record – not kept under secrecy for national security purposes – should not be judged under the same rubric.

However, “Freedom of Information” is most welcome in most instances – and a far more democratic approach to political contributions, otherwise referred to as “full disclosure,” than Senator McCain’s bill – now law – governing such important political speech.

I can only wonder why Mr. Mc-Cain did not follow his own commendable action as to his military records – with the public’s right to learn who, when, and how much is donated to political campaigns – rather than placing dictatorial mandates on such guaranteed freedom of political expression.

NANCY JOYCE JANCOURTZ
Brooklyn

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