Public Advocate candidate Norman Siegel, left, and campaign staffer Matthew Roth of Time’s Up!, rode a tandem bike on the Upper West Side last Saturday.
Siegel cycles for advocate votes
Norman Siegel and 20 cyclists toured the Upper West Side last Saturday in an event called the Siegel Cycle that was part campaigning and part consciousness-raising.
Referring to Hurricane Katrina’s effect on gas prices, Siegel — who is running for public advocate in the Sept. 13 Democratic primary — said, “Especially in light of the tragedy in New Orleans, New Yorkers should consider nonpolluting transportation alternatives. New York should become more bike friendly than it is today. As public advocate, I will push for that.” He supports more bike racks and bike lanes and incentives for businesses to keep bikes indoors, which would encourage more employee bike commuting.
Siegel said he became a serious cyclist during the transit strike in the early ’80s, when he rode his bike to work. His interest focused on the arrests of Critical Mass cyclists during last summer’s Republican National Convention, and he has observed and spoken at their monthly rides every month for a year now. “It’s an honor to be their lawyer,” he added, speaking of the riders he has represented who were arrested in the mass rides.
