Think of it as a warmer, friendlier, kookier Critical Mass, with fewer anarchists at its helm. Times Up! hosts festivals for folding bikes and Doggie Pedal Parades, and believes that “Bicycles are traffic, and as such they have the same right to be on the road — and travel at their own speed — as other road users. We believe it follows that bicyclists also have the same responsibility as other road users to comply with the traffic laws, including observing such basic requirements as one-way street restrictions and traffic lights.”
In 2006, the New York City grassroots group was voted The Best Activist Organization on Two Wheels by The Village Voice, It’s stood up to ridiculous legislation and lawsuits (like when, in early 2006, NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly tried to outlaw biking in groups of more than two cyclists; the presiding judge ruled that the cyclists weren’t at fault), but maintains its sense of humor. They also offer bike repair workshops, take bike donations, host rides to raise awareness of cyclists, and strive to make New York a “more sustainable, less toxic city.”
Of course, “time is up” not only in New York, but globally. While Hillary Clinton makes a case for an American gas holiday, sensible folk shake their heads. The solution to the nation’s gas crisis isn’t to tap Alaska for oil and destroy the national budget (meanwhile, spewing more emissions into our already sullied air), it’s to hear the essence of this group’s message: time is up, they heyday of cars is over, and it’s time for change. And if it takes Doggie Pedal Parades to make a difference, so be it.
Photos courtesy of Times Up!
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