September 28th, New York City hosts The Battle of the Bike Ban in The Great Hall at Cooper Union, FOR FREE.
Sponsored by Economist-Activist, Charles Komanoff and NYC’s Direct Action Environmental Organization, Time’s Up!, the event is partially billed as a Reunion for participants in 1987‘s rolling street demonstrations opposing Mayor Ed Koch’s decision to ban bicycles on the main central avenues, Fifth, Park and Madison, 10-4 weekdays. Mayor Koch, in his most well-meaning intent, was no doubt out to solve why so many people rode backwards too fast, scaring pedestrians, and frustrating traffic-stuck drivers, jealous their vehicles couldn’t get through like the bikes.
The Event starts with an in tandem-ish Six O’Clock Ride with that evening’s last Friday of the month Critical Mass Ride. To commemorate that inspirational time, noteworthily remembered for peaceful demonstrations.
At 9 PM in The Great Hall, The, As Advertised, Vintage, courier-centric documentary, Fifth, Park and Madison has its 25th Anniversary to celebrate the real forward progress bicycling has made from before, and since, Mayor Koch’s watershed event provided visibility to battle the bike ban.
I may have only gone to two demonstrations in 1987, because after I noticed Dragan, with the camera, for the second day in a row, I offered to write something. He decided I was his intern and I logged all the videotape at night and wrote the script on the inside steps of the Madison Avenue entrance to 42nd Street’s Lincoln Building. No one appears in the documentary as much as I wanted for them to be, because the downtown festival appearance Dragan arranged, allotted 40 minutes.
I would like to extend a warm welcome to our noble NYPD, as, in attempting to have the documentary present many points-of-view, forebears in the department said very interesting things.
I am personally grateful for the work that went into making Fifth, Park and Madison’s inclusion in The Battle of the Bike Ban festivities possible. Documentary Producer, the artist, Dragan Ilic and I hope everyone thoroughly enjoys our part inthe show.
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From The Bicycle Blueprint, by Mary Frances Dunham – “Fifth, Park and Madison” care of Transportation Alternatives.
Charles M. Fraser offers essays back through May and returns weekdays to Journal Block, September 10th.
This is The Review of The New York Times Review of PREMIUM RUSH: A Film About In A Hurry – A Major – bike courier– Motion Picture.
And now, the documentary, Fifth, Park and Madison, cued at 19 minutes, 20 seconds. Distinctive for representing apeaceful relationship between police and protestors.
Messenger Memorial Site
Lower East Side Folk Historian, Observer of Fifth, Park and Madison's production in Dragan's Williamsburg warehouse.
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