Due to the construction at Harriman State Park between Kanawauke Circle and Tiorati Circle and the opening of Lake Welch Beach on Memorial Day weekend, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission will not approve a suitable course for the TT. The TT will take place at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, New York. TT PLACINGS COUNT TOWARDS BOYD CUP POINTS AND TEAM CUP POINTS.
More info or to sign up
Our next club race is this Saturday with a scratch race finishing at West 96th Street. The draft race roster has been posted here. Please double check your eligibility to race and that you are listed in the correct field. Marshaling assignments are listed here.
Races this week start at 5:45 and registration opens from 5:00. Please arrive early and when lining up for registration, know your race number, have your release form unfolded and exact change for the race fee. This will help us move everyone through registration as quickly as possible.
Members generally continue to adhere to the Central Park Rules and the Club's Code of Conduct, but please remind yourself of these rules. Rule violations will continue to be strictly enforced.
Release forms are available here or for sale at registration (proceeds support the junior development team)
For marshaling questions, please contact marshal@crca.net
For membership questions, please contact membership@crca.net
For general questions, please contact president@crca.net or secretary@crca.net
The Bear Mountain Seven Lakes Time Trial is scheduled for June 4,2011. The time trial is expected to go forward. However, the same road construction that has effected the Spring Bear Mountain road race will impact the time trial. The Board is working on an alternative course with the Park and as soon as the course is finalized, the Board will update bikereg.com and notify the membership.
Members: The Board has received many emails complaining of changes made for the Bear Mountain Spring race. The Board completely understands the frustrations and disappointment. We are just as upset with our final decisions. However, understand the races scheduled for Bear are the result of much consideration and debate.
The Board has done the best under restrictions placed on CRCA by the Park, the road construction and our current financial status. Safety and financially responsible decisions were painfully necessary in pursuing CRCA’s overall goal of promoting racing in the New York City area. We believe we have met those needs the best with the present race program.
The Board invites any CRCA member to contact us to receive a detailed explanation of the multiple deliberations involved in this year's race. We, though recognizing the many negatives of our final decision, feel this final program is the most practical solution.
However, hearing the personal stories of anger and disappointment by those affected negatively is not easy to endure. The hope is these difficult decisions in the short term will allow for better and more inclusive racing in the future.
The 2011 CRCA Board of Directors
The draft April 23rd race roster has been posted here. If you are planning to race this Saturday, please verify that you are on the appropriate roster.
In order to help members identify any license or other issues that would preclude them from participating in a club race, going forward we will publish the draft race rosters on Thursday prior to each race here. The roster also highlights members who are currently suspended as a result of missed marshaling dates. Members who have recently upgraded or have not previously raced this season should check the race roster to ensure they appear on the race roster as expected.
Rosters are finalized at noon on Friday so any outstanding issues with your USAC license information must be corrected before that time and reflected in our system. We obtain an updated feed from USAC on Friday mornings and the race roster is based upon that information.
Please do not show up to a club race expecting to race unless you appear on the race roster - its is your responsibility to ensure your details are correctly reflected.
As a reminder to all members, your USAC license must state your licensed Club is CRCA. If this is not the case, this can be corrected online by visiting www.usacycling.org, accessing 'My USA Cycling", selecting the 'License Info' and requesting a reissue of your license.
For help resolving any issues, please email both secretary@crca.net and membership@crca.net before Thursday 10pm to allow sufficient time to resolve.
In light of the last race, the Board would like to thank the Membership for adjusting to the new age of Central Park and the new demands imposed on racing cyclists. The Membership’s behavior before, during, and after the race, adhering to all rules, whether CPC, CRCA, or USAC was excellent. The Club Membership even received outside compliments on their race event.
We hope this will continue and, the 2011 racing season will be a positive experience for both the Board and the Membership, regardless of what lies ahead.
Thank you.
The 2011 Board of Directors, CRCA
To help stop police officers ticket cyclists in central park, we created an easy way for you to contact the Mayor, DOT, or your City Council Member to ask them to put an end to the harassment. Just copy and paste the letter below into your email.To contact the mayor, you can do this via an email form online at www.nyc.gov
You should also write your City Council Member asking him/her to pressure the mayor to stop the crackdown by NYPD. (If you don't know who your Council Member is, go to www.council.nyc.gov and click on the "Council Members" button on the left side.)
You can contact DOT here http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/maildot.html And if you live or work in Manhattan, write the Borough President, Scott Stringer, at bp@manhattanbp.org.
It only takes a few minutes to make a difference.
LETTER:
I am writing regarding a recent "crackdown" by NYPD on cyclists in Central Park. I have heard numerous accounts of cyclists receiving tickets for as much as $250 for running red lights in the Park.
I am an avid cyclist who easily logs several thousand miles each year in the Park. I belong to a cycling club in the City that has hundreds of members who use the park regularly - often during the early morning weekday hours. While I have been spared ticketing so far, this new effort by the City is disturbing for several reasons.
I, like almost all cyclists I know, take safety seriously. We are constantly on the lookout for reckless drivers, unaware pedestrian tourists, and careless taxi patrons. We are also aware that there are some dangerous cyclists in the City, including but not limited to the ongoing problem with delivery persons (particularly those that now ride motorized scooters). The NYPD crackdown seems to be an attempt to make the Park safer. However, the enforcement seems quite unfair. I have friends who have received tickets early in the morning or late at night when the Park is closed to car traffic and foot traffic is scarce. There are dozens of traffic lights on the Central Park loop. To target and ticket cyclists in a largely empty Park that is closed to cars (partly so cyclists and other pedestrians may enjoy safer riding) seems unreasonable.
If I were to enter the Park, at perhaps 6:00am or 7:00pm, and stop at every light, a formerly pleasant spin would be a worthless chore. Even worse, I have heard of bike commuters (who reduce congestion and pollution) who have been ticketed on the way to work. Shockingly, the enforcement is selective in nature. Pedestrians, skaters, and joggers who run red lights and/or jaywalk are exempt.
If I may propose one potential solution - during car free hours the city can put the traffic lights in the park on flashing yellow with "press to walk" buttons for pedestrians. This would allow cyclists - particularly those of us who use the park during the wee morning hours when foot traffic is extremely sparse - to continuing using the park in a safe manner without having to stop at red lights that are essentially not in use.
I'm not sure who initiated this new policy and for what reason. I would kindly request that your office look into this matter. Safe recreational cyclists want to work with the City to make the park safer and the City as a whole a more pleasant place to live. I am certain that with rational discussion an amicable solution can be found for all of the parties involved.
?
In support of safe cycling and pedestrian use of Central Park, Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez is introducing the "Flashing Yellow Light" bill to City Council. It has been submitted for Introduction at the next Stated meeting scheduled for next Wednesday, March 23rd. Council Members Gentile and Brewer have joined as lead sponsors for the bill. A press conference will be held at 1:00pm on the steps of City Hall. You can show your support by attending the Press Conference. Please be sure to arrive before 12:45pm.
Our first club race is Saturday March 5 with a traditional Cat’s Paw Hill Scratch Race starting at 6:30am. I am looking forward to another great season of racing in Central Park and am excited about some of the new races we are offering this year to add some variety to our events. I am also pleased to announce that we have decided to reinstate the Boyd Cup for the Men’s B field. If you plan on racing this Saturday but did not receive your race number in the mail, you should login to the membership area on crca.net to ensure your are “good to race” and show up extra early to collect your race number – expect lines at race registration and number pick up.
A quick reminder that all racers must sign in at race registration and provide a legible, signed release form. C Field riders please note: there is a USAC imposed limit of 50 riders in this field. If you arrive to race after this maximum has been reached, you will not be able to race. Please show up early to guarantee your start.
I want to take a quick moment to remind you that racing in Central Park is a privilege we enjoy, but it is by no means a right. The current environment in New York City means that we need to be particularly sensitive to other Park users at all times, but especially when conducting our races. We cannot afford to have any issues arise that would put the club in a bad light.
Historically we get complaints about riders riding or standing in the jogger’s lane after the completion of the race, riding in the reverse direction and riding on the paths in the park – including the path from the toilets to the start area.
To that end, I ask for your co-operation in complying with the Club Race Protocol, the Code of Conduct and the Central Park Rules. Board members, marshals and race staff will be enforcing these rules by recording race numbers of those who do not comply. The Board will determine the appropriate sanctions for the riders involved, but these may include:
- suspension from the club
- disqualification from the race (and forfeiture of any Boyd and Team Cup points)
- team disqualification from the race (i.e. forfeiture of all Boyd and Team Cup points)
- assignment of additional marshaling duties
Of course, we hope that no action will be required – but I want to be clear that the level of tolerance has significantly decreased.
On a more positive note, I would like to encourage you to take advantage of our coaching clinics – the details of which are regularly updated on our website. These are a great way to improve not only your fitness, but also your skill level. Safe racing is our goal in Central Park.
All the best of luck for your 2011 road racing season and as always, please feel free to email me or any of the Board Members with your comments or suggestions.
Regards
Dave Jordan
CRCA President
646-919-2453
