« It came from the Blogosphere: DEIS | Main | 1,000 Pages of Atlantic Yards Study to Sift Through »
July 19, 2006
What a co-inky-dink!
Gothamist co-founder Jake Dobkin noticed that the date for the public hearings on the NYPD proposal to restrict gatherings of cyclists and pedestrians and the Atlantic Yards Draft Environmental Impact Statment are on the same day, August 23.
The NY Times reports:
The Police Department wants to require parade permits for bicyclists traveling in groups of 20 or more, and any bicyclists or walkers who take to the streets in groups of two or more and disobey traffic laws for things like parades, races or protests, according to a public notice filed with the city.
The department also wants to require a parade permit for groups of 35 or more protesters who restrict themselves to the sidewalk, officially clarifying a regulation that court rulings described as too vague, according to a police spokesman.
Taken together, the three new rules — which the department will discuss at a public hearing on Aug. 23, at 6 p.m. at police headquarters — would redefine the type of protest and the number of protesters allowed to demonstrate in New York City without first applying for approval from the Police Department.
Thank goodness there are two Hagan sisters to cover both meetings. But where's a serious transportation advocate supposed to go?
If the new NYPD guidelines are adopted, Atlantic Yards opponents may be restricted to a mere 34 protesters outside of any public hearing. Also, these new rules could put a crimp on NYC family reunions.
Posted by lumi at July 19, 2006 7:42 PM