Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Bicycling

Where There’s a Will, There’s a Subway

The city's Critical Mass crackdown has apparently reduced the number of participants -- or maybe it was the weather. Either way, the spirit and ingenuity of the riders remains intact.

According to BikeBlog, rather than succumb to the scooter cop horde like "lambs to the slaughter," cyclists gathered for Friday's mass decamped from Union Square, walked their bikes to the 4 train, and regrouped on Broadway for an unmolested ride.

Ironically, the group was too small to be in violation of the new permit law, yet officers still pursued the cyclists underground with "erratic fervor" to question them as to whether they had swiped their MetroCards. One rider was reportedly issued a summons for taking his bike through an exit door.

Other than that, we were scot-free.

As we headed up Church St. towards Canal, it seemed that a lot more people knew who we were. There was a lot of friendly supportive honking from motor vehicles and crowd waving. We stayed mostly downtown and our numbers grew a little as others joined in and meet up from Union Square...I still think we were always just under 50...so we were technically legal.

It was a successful critical mass...no tickets, no arrests and no cops.

Video: Time's Up! and Team Spider via BikeBlog

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Congestion Pricing’s Big Winner? Bus Riders

Buses move faster in and around New York City ever since congestion pricing kicked in — spurring MTA officials to tweak some route schedules.

March 20, 2025

DOT Rolls Out Four New 20 MPH Speed Limit Zones

Four more New York City neighborhoods will become 20 mph speed limit zones this year, city officials said on Wednesday.

March 20, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: Bye Bye, MetroCard Edition

The MTA will stop selling MetroCards by the end of 2025 after 32 years. Plus more news.

March 20, 2025

Foot Traffic Data Shows New Yorkers Aren’t Avoiding Manhattan After Congestion Pricing

City data shows that more people, not less, are coming into Manhattan since the launch of congestion pricing.

March 19, 2025

Wednesday’s Headlines: Stand Your Ground Edition

MTA Chairman Janno Lieber still has no plans to turn off the congestion pricing cameras — to hell with Donald Trump. Plus more news.

March 19, 2025
See all posts