Working towards a motorcycle friendly New York
The New York Motorcycle & Scooter Task Force works for motorcycle and scooter riders in New York. Our mission is to interact with city and state agencies and lawmakers to promote laws, regulations and policies that improve the quality of life for all motorcycle and scooter riders, and defend against actions adverse to the motorized two-wheeled community.
Thanks
to everyone in the Task Force for their hard work, and thank you to all of
the people who came to our booth at the 2012 Progressive International Motorcycle Show
at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City! We are
exhausted but exhilarated.
We are gradually re-organizing our web site to make things simpler and easier to find. Please use the Site Map or the Search links to find what you are looking for while we move things around. Please disable your pop-up blocker for this web site to take our survey.
Upcoming Event: Drinks and Dakar at Bar Matchless
Hang
out with us on January 16, have a beer, a burger, and watch fresh videos of the
Dakar Rally! We have arranged for a big screen, and all the stage videos
to play, and some great deals on food and drink. Join other NYC
enthusiasts as we watch recaps and highlights of the 2012 Dakar. No
lectures, no worksheets -- just video, friends, drinks, and motorcycle chat.
If you are not familiar with the Dakar Rally, it is the biggest, most audacious Motorsport spectacle in the world! For two weeks in January (every year since 1977), cars, trucks, quads and (yes!) motorcycles race through the deserts and environs of South America, from Mar Del Plata on the Atlantic coast of Argentina to Lima, Peru. If you watch it once, you'll be hooked!
Proceeds from ticket sales help fund the NYMSTF's work benefiting New York City's motorcycle and scooter riders. Click the photo on the left for more information and advance ticket sales. Space is limited so reserve now!
Upcoming Event: Adventure Workshop at Bar Matchless
Have
you ever wanted to just sell everything you own, hop on your motorcycle and see
the country, another country or the world? Or maybe the weekend warrior
routine has grown old and you need to get on the road for a two-wheeled
sabbatical.
Learn from the experiences of seasoned motorcycle travelers! Join us at Bar Matchless on Monday December 19 2011, from 7pm to 10pm. Proceeds from ticket sales help fund the NYMSTF's work benefiting New York City's motorcycle and scooter riders. Click the photo on the left for more information, advance ticket sales and a PDF flyer to give to your friends. Space is limited so reserve now!
New map of motorcycle washing facilities launched
One
of the drawbacks to urban apartment living is the difficulty of washing your own
vehicle. You can't ride a motorcycle or scooter into a mechanized car
wash! Not unless you're auditioning for the next season of Jackass.
So we have begun mapping where New York City's motorbike owners can go to
wash Gotham's grit and grime from their favorite two-wheeled transportation.
Click the picture for a map and list of motorcycle-friendly car washes and self-service coin-op vehicle washing facilities in and around the five boroughs. If we're missing any, please let us know! You can instantly add new locations using the links just above the map on that page.
Generous offer from Metropolitan Motorbikes
In
anticipation of Hurricane Irene,
Metropolitan Motorbikes has offered to provide
free temporary storage for vulnerable motorcycles and scooters, space allowing.
Go to their web site and give them a call to reserve a space through Monday.
And remember that Governor Cuomo announced all public transportation will be
shutting down at noon on Saturday, so plan your travel accordingly.
The NYMSTF wishes everyone well. We all hope this hurricane blows over without incident.
Motorcycle traffic enforcement blitz
New
York City's usual end of the month rush to meet ticket quotas performance guidelines
resulted in at least FOUR motorcycle-only traffic checkpoints in the last two
days of June 2011. These checkpoints include flatbed trucks to efficiently
tow dozens of motorcycles and scooters, and they pull over everyone on a two
wheeled motorized vehicle regardless of any suspected wrongdoing. The checkpoints often materialize at the
Williamsburg, Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge exits and up and down the FDR, but
frequently appear elsewhere too.
We would like to remind everyone that the NYMSTF provides a free service that allows anyone capable of sending a cell phone text message to warn fellow motorcyclist and scooter riders about targeted checkpoints. It is called the Checkpoint Alert System and it is very easy to use. Click the orange RSS icon on the top of this web page or on the caption picture to find out more.
Parking WIN at LGA!
Thanks
to
more than a year and a half of efforts by the NYMSTF, LaGuardia Airport now features
free dedicated motorcycle parking for air travelers and airport visitors.
Follow the LGA airport signs to the Marine Air Terminal A, P7 (parking lot #7).
Look for the ten motorcycle parking stalls outside the P7 fence just off Fiorello Lane,
300' west of Marine Terminal Road, adjacent the P7 toll booth exit lane.
The airport shuttle bus to the other terminals is just a few yards away.
Before this welcome development, most motorcyclists were forced to park outside the airport. In 2010, an employees-only motorcycle parking area was installed at the Delta terminal. We applaud the Port Authority for their help in making provisions for motorcycle riders!
Don't knock me down, bro!
Most
of us have been here before. You’re walking back to your bike after work.
About half a block away, you can already tell something doesn’t look right.
When you arrive, it’s on its side leaking fuel, or worse. Your brake lever
is snapped off, and your plastics are scratched. There’s no note.
There’s never a note.
It’s enough to make you want to kick someone. Or, enough to make you want to park on the sidewalk next time!
There’s no sure-fire way to prevent an inattentive driver from backing into your baby. However, there are a few things you can do to minimize the possibility! Click HERE to read more...
Justice for fallen motorcycle and scooter riders
Justice
in grisly motor vehicle collisions can be a tricky proposition.
Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcycle riders - the most vulnerable people on the
nation's roadways - often pull the short straw from the grasp of Lady Justice as
well as from the laws of physics. Motorcyclist and scooter riders seem to
carry particularly little favor in the hearts of judges and jurors. Even
when a defendant's negligence is obvious and proven, even gratuitous, somehow
the sentencing ends up absurdly light in spite of the needless deaths and
horrible injuries.
The best way to change this is to get involved. The NYMSTF can save you the hassles of digging for news articles and spelunking through court web sites to follow the progress of cases involving fatalities and serious injuries of motorcycle and scooter riders. We now maintain a page of ongoing court cases including the dates and locations of upcoming appearances. Please click HERE or on the scales of justice to open the case page.
Fellow motorcycle rider gunned down
An
editorial by NYMSTF President Cheryl Stewart on the senseless shooting of
Representative Gabrielle Giffords. Congresswoman Giffords is an avid motorcyclist,
sponsors pro-motorcycling bills in Congress, belongs to the Congressional Motorcycle
Caucus and chairs the United States House of Representatives Motorcycle Safety Caucus.
Please click on the photo on the left to read Cheryl's editorial.
NYMSTF moves discussion groups from Google to phpBB
When
the NYMSTF first took shape, we utilized Google Groups' free discussion group
service for members to communicate with each other and with the NYMSTF staff.
Our members never became 100% comfortable with Google Groups so we have launched a
newer, much more advanced forum that operates more like other popular business,
enthusiast and recreational on-line forums. Click on the phpBB logo or the
Forum link on the left to open the new forum! Use the forum's REGISTER link
to create a new account and we will approve your access to the forum right away.
We encourage existing members of our Google Group to register on the new forum as soon as possible, and we invite everyone else, whether you are a NYMSTF member or not, to join up as well and help promote motorcycling in New York.
A great time was had by all at our party at Vespa Soho!
We
would like to thank everyone who came out to party with us at Vespa Soho.
It was great meeting newcomers and we enjoyed reconnecting with those of you
we've already met. The amazing swag courtesy of Cycle Therapy and Vespa
Soho, the refreshments courtesy of Piaggio, the fabulous cake courtesy of
Alicia, Heike and Saramit, and the fun and games courtesy of our Games Mistress
Jillian, were just as good as the company. If you didn't attend you missed
one helluva party. We're already looking forward to doing this all over
again, and even better than the first time! Go ahead and click on the
picture to see more.
WHOOPS! NEW DATE FOR NYMSTF PARTY!
Due to predictions of torrential downpours, high winds and generally perilous motorcycle riding conditions on September 30 we are re-scheduling our party back one week to October 7th. Come join us at the Vespa SoHo store on Thursday October 7th from 630pm to 930pm. There will be plentiful refreshments and many valuable giveaways courtesy of the great folks at Piaggo USA, Cycle Therapy and the American Motorcyclist Association. Pass the word to your friends and remind everyone them about the new date!
COME PARTY WITH THE NYMSTF!
First,
some great news: Manhattan Community Board #2 has approved six more of the
dedicated motorcycle parking areas we requested! The NYMSTF thanks the
members and residents of CB2, the NYMSTF parking committee and all the members
of NYC's motorcycling community who came out to support us!
We're so pleased with our progress that we've decided to THROW A PARTY! Come join us at Vespa SoHo on Thursday October 7th from 630pm to 930pm. We'll have refreshments, contests and prizes including a $100 gift card for BikeBandit.com courtesy of the American Motorcyclist Association. Click HERE for the party flier - no invitation necessary - tell your friends!
Queens College harassing motorcyclists on campus
Queens
College has had a long-standing policy of allowing motorcycles to park
in specific out-of-the-way areas on campus, free of charge. On the morning
of September 2 2010 the Queens College Office of Public Safety sent an email to
students titled "Motorcycle Parking and Evening Decals", instructing: "Effective
Fall 2010, all motorcycles are required to purchase a decal in order to park on
campus. Motorcycle decals cost $150.00 for the entire year. Failure to purchase
a decal will result in a ticket and/or immobilization of the motorcycle."
Just seven hours later, approximately twenty motorcycles around the Queens
College campus were issued $50 summonses - payable to the bursar - for not bearing the required decals.
The NYMSTF is investigating the legality of Queens College's sneak attack on its motorcycle riding students. We also feel that their newly chosen price for motorcycle parking is disproportionately high relative to the space required, and that it may have the unfortunate side-effect of compelling some riders to resort to automobiles instead of fuel- and space-efficient motorcycles and scooters. Watch this space for further developments!
NYMSTF work the focus of AOL Autos article by Honey Berk
The news item Motorcyclists Claim Discrimination - New York City Group Fights Back (link opens in a new window) includes interviews with the NYSP's infamous Lt. Halvorsen - who now leads country-wide efforts to deploy motorcycle enforcement checkpoints - as well as with members of the AMA and the NYMSTF. The Mayor's office, the NYC DOT and the NYPD declined to comment. Read the article and feel free to share your thoughts on AOL's web site.
New dedicated motorcycle parking arrives in New York City!
The
NYMSTF is proud to announce the installation of New York City's first dedicated
motorcycle on-street parking since the removal of the city's very last
motorcycle parking area at South Street Seaport. On August 5th we reported
the first area at the
intersection of Christopher Street and Waverly Place in Manhattan. We are
delighted to announce the addition of another spot at the intersection of Grand
and Crosby Streets in SoHo, near our good friends at
Vespa SoHo. These
are the first
of what we anticipate to be many more parking areas designed to offer motorcyclists
safe, space-efficient parking while relieving neighboring motorists of the
anxiety associated with parking near motorcycles.
Stay tuned here for announcements of more motorcycle parking zones. We will publish a map page on this web site once the NYC DOT gets a few more of the approved zones installed.
We wish to extend our thanks to the members and constituents of Manhattan's Community Board #2 for their supportiveness. We also offer our congratulations to the area's motorcyclists who came out to support the NYMSTF's efforts. Go team!
NYMSTF executive Jesse Erlbaum on WNYC Radio with Jim Colgan
WNYC's Jim Colgan tells WNYC's Isaac Davy Aronson about the thrills and trials of scooter-riding in New York City. Interviews include the NYMSTF's very own Jesse Erlbaum as well as our enthusiastic friends from Transportation Alternatives and scooter riders from across the city.
"There is a fixation on three modes of transportation in the city - you can walk, take mass transit or you can ride a bicycle. And those are all fine ways of transport. But so much single mindedness that it's to the exclusion of a scooter or a motorcycle." Referring to our rider's survey of parking damage, Jesse mentioned: "About 58 percent of all riders of scooters and motorcycles in 2009 had their vehicles knocked over at least once, so we're talking about nearly 60 percent chance in one year of getting knocked over. If that was the level of damage for automobiles, there would be riots in City Hall."
Click the picture to play the 3-minute video or double-click it to open a larger version in a new window.
Where are your papers?
At
a time when our nation is embroiled in controversies over national IDs, the
rights of police to randomly question people in Arizona over their citizenship
and the ability of the NYPD to stop and frisk people in poor neighborhoods,
the NYPD is now issuing papers to motorcycle riders caught up in their motorcycle
-targeted checkpoint details. But only on Puerto Rican Day!
We find this practice questionable to say the least. Someone in the NYPD probably sincerely thought we motorcyclists would appreciate this idea by making it easier to get through multiple checkpoints. But if you think more deeply, what is really going on is that someone in the NYPD thinks it is OK for motorcyclists to get stopped multiple times per day. Click on the picture on the left for more info.
Yet more improper tickets, now equipment related.
Noticing a trend here? We have been informed of many tickets being
issued in NYC for Violation Code 71, "Inspection Sticker Missing", when the
sticker is present and current but not located on the lower section of the
motorcycle's fork leg. If you received such a summons in NY, your rights have been violated.
NYS Vehicle & Traffic Law § 306 (b) states: "No motor vehicle shall be operated or parked on the public highways of this state unless a certificate or certificates of inspection, as required by this article, is or are displayed upon the vehicle or affixed to the registration certificate for the vehicle as may be determined by the commissioner." The Commissioner in NYCRR § 79.20 (c) (6) (i) (g) which governs the application of inspection certificates to motorcycles instructs: "affix the motorcycle inspection certificate to a permanent structural member on the left front side of the motorcycle visible when approaching the vehicle from the operator's left." The regulation used to require placement on the left lower fork leg but that was amended back in 2003.
Document and fight those summonses, complain by certified mail to the NYC Department of Finance and the NYPD Traffic Control Division, and submit your complaint to the NYC Civilian Complaint Review Board as well. The CCRB conveniently accepts complaints by mail, phone and web.
We're not done yet. We were recently shown this document called "Taking the Mystery Out of Motorcycle Enforcement" (PDF, 2MB) which was published by the New York State Police. In that document NYCRR Section 54.11 (Eye Protection) is mis-quoted, and the document insists that compliant eyewear "will have “Z87” on the frames and lenses." This is in direct conflict with ANSI Z87-1989 which only requires a manufacturer's logo on the lenses, and still in direct conflict with ANSI Z87-2003 which requires the Z87 marking on lenses of goggles and face shields but not on the lenses of spectacles. Since neither version of the Z87 spec requires markings indicating the version (year) of compliance, law enforcement cannot rely on lens markings of eyewear of any kind, for determining ANSI Z87 compliance.
The abovementioned document also includes a letter from the NYS DMV's Technical Services Bureau stating that the inspection stickers may be affixed to plates bolted to the front left side of a motorcycle.
More improper tickets written against legally parked motorcycles.
If you received parking summonses in NYC with VC (Violation Code) 61 ("parking other than parallel to curb or opposite the direction of travel") for parking with your front wheel to the curb, or with VC 53 ("standing or parking in a safety zone") for parking between a stop line and the crosswalk, your rights have been violated.
NYC Code Title 34 Section 4-08 (m) (3) expressly permits motorcycles to park at an angle to the curb with one wheel touching the curb. The law does not dictate which wheel must touch the curb, nor does it mandate angles with respect to the curb or the roadway's direction of travel.
The area between a stop line and a crosswalk is not a safety zone according to the NYS Supplement to the national Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, which is incorporated into State law via Title 17 of the NY Codes Rules & Regulations. Safety zones are "channelizing islands, established for pedestrian protection, where traffic may pass on either side."
Document and fight those summonses, complain by certified mail to the NYC Department of Finance and the NYPD Traffic Control Division, and submit your complaint to the NYC Civilian Complaint Review Board as well. The CCRB conveniently accepts complaints by mail, phone and web.
NYMSTF launches RSS and Twitter feeds for police checkpoint alerts.
In
response to New York's practice of conducting police checkpoints and pulling
over only motorcyclists, the NYMSTF has created an RSS feed and a Twitter
account that anybody can
subscribe to, and that anybody with a cell phone can contribute to. If you
don't wish to get caught up in one of these checkpoints, subscribe to the feed
and check it before your commute, or
follow us on Twitter to
receive updates on your cell phone. Anyone who encounters a checkpoint
should pull over someplace safe and use their cell phone to send a text message
about its location to 347-410-MSTF, starting that message with the word
checkpoint.
AMA issues Action Alert to promote dedicated motorycle parking.
As
we mentioned on June 5, our parking resolution is now in the hands of the
DOT. The AMA has created an Action
Alert to help keep this project moving. Please click
[here]
or on the AMA logo to open the Action Alert. Use it to contact the DOT and
give them some incentive to act positively and in a timely manner, and also use
the Action Alert to thank CB4 for
their receptiveness.
Manhattan CB4 approves three dedicated motorcycle parking areas!
The full Community Board met this past week and gave final approval to a resolution requesting three areas of dedicated two-wheeled vehicle parking in CB4. CB4 will now request NYCDOT to implement the request. Just as with CB2, this is a small pilot program which we hope will expand in the future.
The approved locations are:
Southwest corner of West 22nd Street and 7th Avenue (28' or 7 motorcycle/ scooter spaces);
Northwest corner of West 28th Street and 8th Avenue (24' or 6 motorcycle/scooter spaces);
Northeast corner of West 38th Street and 9th Avenue (24' or 6 motorcycle/scooter spaces, starting 15' from the fire hydrant).
Many thanks to Jesse Erlbaum and all the members of the Parking Committee for all their hard work!
Reports of motorcycle -only checkpoints in NYC have been flowing in.
Motorcyclists beware! Today at the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge and
two days ago at the Queensboro Bridge. Officers assigned to the NYPD's
Manhattan Traffic Task Force (MTTF) are pulling over ALL
motorcycles and nothing but motorcycles, checking all paperwork and equipment
without any probable cause. The past few years have seen multiple
checkpoints like this operating throughout NYC on the day of the Puerto Rican
Day parade, which is next weekend.
If you believe the NYPD has discriminated against you as a motorcyclist, lodge your complaints with the CCRB and your elected officials, and fill out this complaint form. If officers have created a dangerous traffic condition carrying out their checkpoint you should call 311 from NYC to lodge a complaint.
NYMSTF attends the New York ABATE Freedom Rally in Albany, NY.
Organization
executives Cheryl Stewart and Brad Berson joined New York City motorcycle riders
and hundreds of riders from across New York to demonstrate peacefully on the
steps of the state capitol and remind our elected officials that we motorcycle
riders are also voters. We protested against targeted roadblocks,
the abuse of vaguely worded laws, the ongoing theft of crucial safety funds, the
no-fault insurance disparity, continuing attempts to introduce poorly conceived
laws and more. We promoted motorcycles as green, fuel and space efficient,
environmentally friendly modes of transportation that should be encouraged
rather than discouraged. We and our friends in the Brooklyn Alliance ABATE
chapter wrapped up the day with informative visits to several senators.
Click the pic for more photos.
NYMSTF Executive joins NCOM Convention attendees on blog talk radio.
NYMSTF VP Brad Berson spoke on All Riders Radio to discuss this year's NCOM Convention, how various motorcycling cultures are working together and what effects that has had and will have on the two- and three-wheeled community as a whole.
NYMSTF Executive Brad Berson attends the NCOM Convention in Orlando.
Pictured here are the Board of Directors at their May 6th meeting. The
NCOM
Convention has opened avenues for the NYMSTF to work with Motorcyclists'
Rights Organizations (MROs) nationwide and even globally, to help promote
the rights and safety of New York's motorcyclists. We look forward to
seeing our own efforts benefiting everyone else as well. Thanks to
AIM/NCOM and to the law
offices of Proner and
Proner for their hospitality and generosity! And thanks to all the
club and organization leaders who welcomed diversity with open arms. Click
on the picture for a brief report and many photographs from the Convention.
Our web site now sports a much-needed fresh new look!
Many thanks to Marc Shifflett and Jason King for the coding and artwork behind our terrific facelift. We will be tweaking the appearance for a while but the major transition work is complete. Please utilize our Contact form if you have any suggestions on further improvements or if you encounter any problems with the new web pages.
NYMSTF President Cheryl Stewart featured on WBAI-FM Radio.
Click [here] for a recording of the April 29 2010 interview where Cheryl discusses our recent accomplishments in CB2 and speaks about the necessity for and the many advantages of dedicated motorcycle parking. (Format: MP3, length: 5'48", size: 1,361KB).
The CB2 Transportation Committee has APPROVED our parking pilot.
Plans are going ahead for dedicated motorcycle parking spaces in their district. Thanks to everyone who appeared for last night's hearing! But our work isn't over yet... We still need to get the Board's final stamp of approval and then we'll need to get the DOT to execute the plans. Those familiar with the local politics in that neighborhood should understand that even though we're not done yet, this is a huge achievement, even if it did fall short of our initial wishes.
One of the spots being offered is a major hotspot for unjust parking summonses being written on legally parked motorcycles, simply because of motorists' complaints about difficulty parking between motorcycles. Yes, that is occurring again this year. See the October 22 2009 news entry for details. We encourage victims of this ongoing harassment to attend the relevant NYPD Precinct Community Council meetings to complain. Most of our complaints are in the 1st Precinct, whose Council meets at the precinct house, 630pm of the last Thursday of every month except July and August.
We have valuable forward momentum on our dedicated motorcycle parking initiative now and the CB2 Transportation Committee should be receptive to more parking space requests in the future. What is important now is to keep the momentum and to be positive role models in and for our community. We need good public relations here everyone!
Manhattan Community Board 2 hears our dedicated parking proposal.
Manhattan Community Board 2 heard our proposal last night for a dedicated motorcycle
parking pilot program in their district. Early reports are that
our requests may be approved for motorcycle parking at Crosby and Grand
Streets, and at Waverly Place and Grove Street.
The good news is that our presentation was well-received (thanks also to those who showed up to support us, and to the NYCMAG folks with their information packets) and motorcyclists in CB2 may receive two motorcycle parking areas. The bad news is, we requested parking in a total of seven areas in the CB2 district and only two are receiving consideration. The reason for the other five areas not receiving consideration is noise! Remember everyone, loud pipes lose rights. Pipe down and ride defensively.
ALSO, partial results are in from our parking survey. (see April 11 2010 immediately below) Thanks to all who have participated. We'll keep the survey open a little longer for the stragglers and post final results shortly. We would like to say the results are shocking but sadly we are not surprised. Please click [here] for an Acrobat file of the results.
Please take our survey regarding parking in New York City.
It is only TWO questions and should just take a moment to complete. We are trying to get data on how frequently motorcycles are getting knocked over in and around the city. Even if your motorcycle has not been knocked over, fill it out please!
[http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JQ7XCJH]
The Village of Port Jefferson responds!
On On March 24 2010 we reported that the Port Jefferson Business Improvement District sent out a deeply disturbing newsletter to area businesses which referred to motorcyclists as unsightly and implied that motorcycles were undesirable altogether. The Mayor of Port Jefferson attended the April 6th meeting and both the Village Mayor and the BID President have made statements distancing themselves from the newsletter and its sentiments (visit the link below). Please re-visit our web site's Port Jefferson page for a meeting summary.
[http://www.portjeff.com/cms/unattached/official-statements/]
NYMSTF featured in Backroads Magazine and AM New York.
The NYMSTF was mentioned in the April 2010 edition of Backroads Magazine [ARTICLE LINK] (an excellent regional motorcycle enthusiast periodical) and also in the City Living section of the March 25 2010 edition of am New York [ARTICLE LINK].
In response to the article in AM New York, the NYMSTF would like to remind area riders that it is illegal to remove license plates from motor vehicles and we do not condone this activity. Vehicles without license plates are subject to treatment as abandoned property and may be removed by the Department of Sanitation. The NYMSTF maintains that motorcycles and scooters should be officially exempt from Muni-Meter fees, at least until the city and/or the state installs meters designed to equitably meet our needs.
Port Jefferson is at it again!
As some of you may know, the incorporated village of Port Jefferson - home to the Bridgeport -bound ferry from Long Island's north shore and tourist destination popular among bicyclists, motorcyclists and motorists alike - has a history of trying to make life difficult for motorcyclists. Several days ago the Port Jefferson Business Improvement District sent a newsletter to businesses in the village - a newsletter that contained bigoted language and ideas which as motorcyclists and as citizens of the United States we find shocking.
That association is holding a meeting on April 6 2010. Telephone 1-631-476-2363 for an appointment to attend the meeting or at least email them at info@portjeffbid.com to politely let the Port Jefferson BID members know what you think of their ugly stereotyping and shameful behavior.
The NYMSTF is now on Facebook®!
Some visual improvements to our web site are
just around the corner too. Also,
our first newsletter was emailed to our members a few days ago, describing our work on
parking issues here in NYC, and we have been adding many new features to our web
site including another NYMSTF exclusive - handy motorcyclist tip sheets!
The current round of tip sheets feature information about safe, legal
motorcycle parking in NYC and about motorcycle parking availability in and
around New York City area airports.
New York fixes helmet and eyewear regulations.
The New York Codes Rules & Regulations pertaining to motorcycle helmets and eye protection have been amended! Great news all around for New York's motorcyclists, and proof that organizing and speaking up really can facilitate change. You heard it HERE FIRST! The requirements for reflective materials on your helmets have been dropped, and the additional identification labeling demands also have been dropped. This makes the law more consistent with the NY State Motorcycle Driver's Manual, is great news for folks who paint or airbrush over the exterior markings on their helmets and makes the law more consistent with Federal regulations governing motorcycle helmets. Lastly, references to the obsolete VESC-8 standard for eye protection have been replaced by ANSI Z87.1, so most tested shatterproof eyewear should be compliant.
Epilogue to the 2010 International Motorcycle Show.
Thanks everyone for your outpouring of support at the International Motorcycle Show in New York City's Jacob Javits Convention Center! Thank you for your enthusiasm, your ideas and your help. It was wonderful to hear from our visitors how perfectly on the mark our complaints and objectives are, and we welcome all of our new members who signed up at the show and afterward.
Membership applications can now be submitted on-line.
Please click the Join link on the top of this page to become a part of the NYMSTF! You can help us promote motorcycling and defend your rights and privileges, even if just by receiving our bulletins and newsletters to stay informed about issues affecting you as a motorcyclist in New York.
NYMSTF promoted on the Biker Lowdown show on Internet radio!
The NYMSTF is featured in a twelve minute segment about forty-eight minutes into Biker Lowdown's 11/4/09 one year anniversary show. Listen in here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/American-Biker-X
Did your motorcycle or scooter receive a parking summons on Grand Street?
If you received a parking summons on Grand Street or anywhere else in NYC where individual parking spaces have been marked by painted lines, with violation code (VC) 62, which applies to "standing or parking a vehicle beyond markings on the curb or the pavement of a street which marks a parking space, except when a vehicle is too large to fit in that 'marked' parking space", your rights may have been violated and you should fight the summons and complain to the Traffic Agent's supervisors.
Take photographs which clearly illustrate that your vehicle was parked within the painted lines, as well as photos of the block, and bring those photos with you to fight the summons in person.
You may complain to the Traffic Control Division - the agency to which the TEA agents belong - by phone. For Command 103 and 102 call 212-268-1640 or 212-268-3219 to complain about these fraudulent summonses. For Command 105 call 212-233-0878 and for Command 101 call 212-475-3582.
THERE ARE NO LAWS IN NEW YORK CITY OR NEW YORK STATE PROHIBITING VEHICLES - MOTORCYCLES OR OTHERWISE - FROM SHARING A PARKING SPOT!
We suggest you also make your complaints in writing by certified mail to the NYC Department of Finance and NYPD Traffic Control Division, and submit your complaint to the NYC Civilian Complaint Review Board as well. The CCRB conveniently accepts complaints by mail, phone and web.
The motorcycle shop database is now on-line!
Please click on the Shops link on the left to see the current listing of shops and to add listings of motorcycle and scooter shops you know about, of any size, whether it's just a hole-in-the-wall repair shop, a customization house or a full-blown dealership. We would like to cover shops throughout the metropolitan area so feel free to include shops in Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester and Rockland counties as well as northern New Jersey and southwest Connecticut.
The NYMSTF and its members will be able to use this database to reach out to the owners of those shops when they need to know about local legislation that may affect their businesses. This database is also a great mechanism for folks in the NYC metro area to find shops with unique goods and services that don't necessarily appear in the Yellow Pages or even elsewhere on the Internet.
