ISSUE IS HEADED FOR A JUDICIAL PANEL

By Susan Bickelhaupt,
Boston Globe, September 11, 1987
 

The verdict is still out on whether New York City will stick to itsban of bicyclists on midtown streets.

Apparently, the city has had it with the bicycle messengers who bombtheir way through city streets, despite the fact that that's how OlympianNelson Vails got his start.

The city two weeks ago began banning all bicycles from Park, Madisonand Fifth Avenues in midtown Manhattan between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. for athree- month trial period.

However, last week a judge signed an order preventing the city fromhanding out the $45 tickets until a five-judge appeals panel hears thecase.

Calling the ban discriminatory, John Cornelison, administrator for theLeague of American Wheelmen, said the action "unfairly punishes the almost30,000 law-abiding bicycle riders who make daily use of midtown streetsfor the behavior of a relatively few irresponsible messengers," pointingout that many cab drivers pose a similar danger to pedestrians and cyclists,but no bans have been put on them.

John Dabrowski of Boston, who was a bike messenger here for three years,agreed.

"Control is the important thing," he said. "The law sounds like a desperatemeasure that bypasses enforcement."

Dabrowski said that some places, like Downtown Crossing, are poor environmentsfor people and bikes to mix. "But it's really piecework, so you do havea tendency to speed."