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[UPDATES] In Reversal, NYPD Wants To Charge 5 Boro Bike Tour Almost $1 Million
By
Lauren Evans
Published Apr 1, 2013
Modified May 5, 2013
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By
Lauren Evans
Published Apr 1, 2013
Modified May 5, 2013
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[UPDATE BELOW] The 5 Boro Bike Tour may have ironed out its kinks from years past, but now the NYPD is reversing a tradition stretching over three decades to mandate the use of its officers to the tune of $1 million. Court filings from organizers Bike New York show that for the first time in the popular ride's 35-year-history, NYPD has deemed the tour a "non-charitable event," thus entitling the department to foist their $967,534 services upon the ride—you know, for traffic management and crowd control.
The issue appears to stem from the police suddenly taking issue with the fact that Bike New York is its own benefactor. Richard Leland, the attorney representing Bike New York, said the impetus behind changing the status of the non-competitive ride from "charitable" to "non-charitable" is a mystery. If the security fee doesn't obliterate the non-profit altogether, it would at least ensure the destruction of several programs—including its free bike education classes like Bike Basics, Street Skills and Learn to Ride.
The NYPD's reversal might mean that they won't have anything to protect: Bike New York CEO Kenneth Podziba told the Daily News that the exorbitant fee could bankrupt the entire organization. An initial court date is scheduled for Wednesday, April 10, less than a month before 32,000 participants are expected to flood the streets for the the May 5th ride. In the meantime, organizers have requested the city to issue a parade permit that would exempt it from paying the hefty fees.
Update: The City Law Department claims that the "non-charitable" status was assigned to Bike NY in response to a newly adopted rule, and that until this year, the organization was simply undefined in the eyes of the NYPD. It also issued the below statement:
It is difficult to understand how Bike NY, which runs a purely recreational event for those who pay to participate, can argue that the event's purpose is to raise money for charitable donations. We believe the lawsuit is without merit.
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