By Howard Manly

Newsday, August 12, 1987

Thousands of bicycle messengers and cycling enthusiasts opposed to MayorEdward I. Koch's ban on bikes are expected to take another slow ride throughmidtown Manhattan today.

Organizers of the ride said the demonstration was designed to forcenegotiations with the Koch administration over its plan to ban all bicyclistsfrom three midtown avenues during weekdays to protect pedestrians.

Nobody has talked with us yet, said Robert Wyatt, president of LightspeedMessenger Service. If the city does not respond to us after today's ride,we will have another one next week, but this time during the day. We'llshut the city down. [CORRECTION: Robert Wyatt, president of LightspeedMessenger Service, was quoted in a story in the Wednesday editions of NewYork Newsday that previewed plans for a demonstration at day of New Yorkbicycle messengers. The article should have made clear that the remarkswere made on Aug. 5. Wyatt did not participate in the Wednesday demonstration.2 C 8/15/87]

Today's demonstration is scheduled to begin with a meeting at 5 p.m.at Houston Square on Sixth Avenue and Houston Street. At 6 p.m., the ridewill begin, proceeding up Sixth Avenue to 57th Street, and then down FifthAvenue to Washington Square Park.

Koch announced on July 22 his plan to ban all bicyclists from Park,Madison and Fifth Avenues from 59th Street to 31st Streets on weekdays.Effective Aug. 24, the restrictions will apply from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Violators would be subject to fines of up to $60 and repeat offendersmay have their bicycles impounded.

The proposed ban area has been the scene of 51 pedestrian-cyclist collisionsin the first five months of this year  -  more than half of allsuch incidents in midtown, according to the Police Traffic EnforcementDivision.

Immediately after the mayor's announcement, bicyclists condemned theplan as ineffective and began having slow rides through midtown, whichattracted cheers from onlookers and sneers from frustrated motorists.

Unlike the previous rides, which attracted as many as 400 riders, today'sride is expected to attract thousands, including members from local andnational cycling groups.

Charles Komanoff, president of Transportation Alternatives, a bicycleadvocacy group with about 800 members in the New York City area, said inan Aug. 5 letter to Koch that his ban was a rash, autocratic and ineffectualmove.

The mayor's real policy is to allow motor vehicles to continue theirdominance over New York City streets, Komanoff said.

One of the oldest cycling groups in the country, the League of AmericanWheelman, is sending an attorney to participate in the ride and attemptto work out an alternative with city officials.