On Saturday July 25 , the 2nd annual Bay Area Bike 4 Life will be taking place at Lake Merritt 468 Perkins St. Oakland. Bikes for Life (B4L), is a community social enterprise in West Oakland promoting peace and call for a gun truce.

The 21st Fremont Solstice Parade took place on June 20th. Thousands of people turned out to watch the parade. The collective work and creativity that goes into the floats is reason enough to attend the parade. However, the hundreds of naked bicyclists are also very popular with the crowd. Most of the bicyists have painted bodies with elaborate designs. They pass so quickly that it's hard to appreciate the quality of work that the body artists have created.

Michael Steinberg writes: , "On Saturday the third annual Bicycle Music Festival in San Francisco was kicked out of two sites in Golden Gate Park, and then threatened with expulsion in Dolores Park, before finally partying on pedal power late into the night on the SF waterfront."

The Stumptown Joustdown is one of those events in Portland that make this such an amazing city. Today I made my way over to Col. Summers Park in SE Portland with my brother Andrew to take in the action.

Portland's bike culture did not disappoint. The Stumptown Joustdown is absolutely insane. Competitors speed their bicycles, chariots and other wheeled craft straight at each other while wielding a jousting pole with which to pummel their opponent, hopefully to the ground. The action was fast and the impacts spectacular. There is no way I would compete in this event. My hats off to those that picked up the joust and competed today. We saw bicycles, mini bikes, a bride/groom match and chariots but had to leave before the open class. Thanks Portland.. you weirdo. ~H

"Twelve Lanes? That's Insane!" chanted 70 Portlanders as they rallied at Mississippi Avenue, just south of Mason Avenue Sunday evening. The rally was accompanied by a mobile bike-carted sound system, live musicians, and a huge banner unfurled from the roof of a nearby construction site reading "More Lanes=More Cars=More Climate Change. No CRC!" The protest followed a "Pedalpalooza" bike ride earlier in the afternoon - organized by Portland Rising Tide which toured areas of North Portland impacted by the current Columbia River Crossing (CRC) proposal, talking to neighborhood activists opposed to the project. Read More | Photo from Bike Ride Against I-5 Expansion with Portland Rising Tide

On June 5, 25-30 riders set out for the monthly Critical Mass bike ride in drizzle and light rain. In the K st area, an SUV driver deliberately rammed into the ride, striking one rider's bike. Fortunately, this time riders reacted fast enough to avoid property damage or personal injury. Video

Many New Yorkers, upon hearing that the Metropolitan Transit Authority was threatening to hike fares up by 23 percent and cut service that would eliminate two subway and thirty-five bus lines, shook in their boots.

How could the MTA do this in a time of economic crisis, when New Yorkers are retrenching and tightening their purse strings?

While the drastic service cuts and huge fare hikes were toned down in a plan recently passed by Albany, the MTA’s problems don’t end there.

The Indypendent takes a look at the MTA and why it’s a broken agency, with reporting done by Danny Valdes and Arun Gupta.

Valdes and Gupta write, “The next time you purchase a monthly Metrocard, which is slated to increase to $89 at the end of June, think about this: Almost one-third of the money you spend — about $29 — will go to service the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s massive $26.8 billion debt.

This simple fact indicates why the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is in perpetual crisis. The MTA will spend nearly $1.5 billion to service debt in 2009, and it projects debt servicing will swallow up an average of more than $2 billion a year from 2010 to 2012.

Wiley Norvell, communications director for Transportation Alternatives, says the reason for this debt load, reportedly the fifth largest of any state or local government body in the United States, is because the MTA pays for improvements “on a credit card.” Norvell explains that “the city and state have stopped contributing to the capital construction,” leaving borrowing as the main source of funds for new transit projects.

The MTA breaks down expenditures into operating and capital. The capital budget pays for expanding and building subway lines and stations, purchasing new subway cars and buses, maintaining signals and communications and related activities. The operating budget includes salaries, health and pension benefits, fuel and electricity and cleaning trains and stations.”

To read the full article, click on the link to “Why the MTA Is Broken,” below. Also included in this issue of the Indypendent: How New York’s Hudson River problem will soon become Andrews, Texas’ problem; a review of a documentary about William Kunstler, the legendary radical lawyer; and a photo essay from the frontlines of the battle against mountaintop removal in the Appalachians by Antrim Caskey. See below for all the links.

Hudson Contaminates Go to Texas || WBAI Bounces Back || Why the MTA Is Broken || ‘Peace Pentagon’ Faces Uncertain Future || The People’s Lawyer || Community Calendar || Reader Comments || New York Has a Dirty Little Secret || The Revolution Will Be YouTubed || Sri Lanka’s Bloody Conflicts Not Over Yet || World Briefs || Operation Appalachian Spring || Courthouse Rebel: A Review of William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe || Muslim In and Out: A Review of The Islamist: Why I Became an Islamic Fundamentalist, What I Saw Inside, and Why I Left || Re-Forging the Working Class: A Review of Labor Law For The Rank And Filer: Building Solidarity While Staying Clear Of The Law || Colonization TV Reality: A Review of Expedition Africa ||

High Country EarthFirst! kicked off its campaign to stop the Interstate 70 expansion in Denver. A banner over the Colorado Blvd overpass, "Stop I-70 Expansion", was dropped by EF!ers on 5/26/09 during afternoon rush hour traffic. HCEF! read more

Mayoral Green Party candidate Billy Talen, better known as Reverend Billy, took his gospel of an affordable, neighborhood friendly New York City under ground this past Thursday. That is, in an performance-action entitled “F the Fare Hike,” Talen rode the F train from Broadway-Lafayette Street station to Jamaica Street in Queens to Coney Island, preaching all the while against the recently announced public transportation fare hike, and criticizing the tactics of his mayoral race rival, incumbent Michael Bloomberg.

City of Santa Cruz Takes Broadcaster to Court for Chatting at the Metro

Robert Norse writes: "Over six months ago on Sunday November 2nd, 2008, I was approached by a Metro security guard at the Metro Transit Center in downtown Santa Cruz. I was interviewing two homeless men for Free Radio Santa Cruz. The guard insisted I leave. I declined to do so. He called the police."

Fight Tri-Met Cuts! Public transportation is a human right!

We are a group of Tri-Met riders and community activists which was initiated by the Portland Social Forum. In these times of economic disparity, when ridership is up, we believe that cutting services, hiking fares, and possibly even laying off public transportation employees is counter to building a sustainable city. Inspired by the Los Angeles Bus Riders Union, we work to build a long-term program for community involvement and participation in the decisions that affect millions of riders, and like the Bus Riders Union we believe public transportation is a human right. We reject any attempts to cut services or hike fares and strive to work with Tri-Met to build a truly democratic and sustainable city. For questions, comments or contributions please contact us.

After months of pressure for greater transparency in BART policy making by Oscar Grant's family, community members, and activists, BART has scheduled its first public meeting on police oversight for Saturday, May 2nd in Oakland. Activists intend to remind BART that they still question if BART even needs its own police force, as well as to continue to demand that General Manager Dorothy Dugger and BART Police Chief Gary Gee be held accountable.

When: Friday, April 24th
Where: Jefferson Park, Tacoma, WA at 6pm
Meet up at the corner N 9th St and N Madison St. Not sure where to go? Check out the magical Google Maps!

But what is Critical Mass?

Critical Mass bike rides are spontaneous, leaderless rides that begin at specific times and locations in various cities around the world...

On April 9th, No Justice No BART assumed control of the BART Board meeting. Demonstrators took turns voicing their objections to the lack of accountability and the apparent cover-up attempts at BART regarding the murder of Oscar Grant. One demonstrator threw red paint onto BART General Manager Dorothy Dugger. Gabe Meyers was arrested. On April 2nd at the MacArthur BART station, No Justice No BART distributed fliers with campaign demands to over 1000 commuters.

Bike the Pipe event This Saturday will tour parts of the proposed LNG pipeline in the Willamette Valley from the seat post. Ride will be easy-going, informative, and help to forge connections with immediately affected communities and local climate & anti-pipe activists. Pdx ride will gather @ the PGE Park MAX (7:15) & then bike from Hillsboro to the Main Meetup @ Pacific U (9:00). Ride set to end at 4:00.

No Justice No BART held their first in a series of actions at the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland on Thursday, March 5th at 4pm. NJNB intends to continue disruptive protests at various BART stations around the Bay until their list of demands is addressed by BART and other authorities. The Fruitvale station was chosen as the first target as it's where Oscar Grant III was murdered on January 1st. While this action was not a complete shut down of the station because police funneled passengers in and out of the station through a back door, demonstrators did block the fare gates at Fruitvale for two full hours, meaning that BART collected no money at the station during the rush hour commute.

Looking back on the first action, Krystof Cantor of No Justice No BART said the demonstration was a success despite the corporate media's focus on protesters not having fully closed the station... Read More, Pics & Video

On Friday February 20th, The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in the case of the Taxi Workers Alliance et al vs. The Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA). In a 5-2 decision, the court ruled in favor of the Unified Taxi Workers Alliance (UTWA) giving the Commonwealth Court jurisdiction over PPA and offering taxi drivers, as well as cab and dispatch companies, a place to seek redress in regards to PPA regulations. Read more at Media Mobilizing Project's new community blog.

This month's Critical Mass bike ride will start Saturday morning at 10 am February 14th from Government Center. We will be riding through Downtown, Overtown, Wynwood, up into the Design District to Legion Park, hanging for a bit and returning. It will be a good time for all. Hope you can join us.

Metropolitan Transit Authority buses and subways are vital pathways which stitch together New York City's diverse communities. Eliminating or even limiting service effectively isolates sections of the city from one another.

If you are a cyclist in Baltimore, then you must know about Baltimore's newest and only democratically owned bicycle shop. Only a few weeks old, the Baltimore Bicycle Works (BBW) is the newest edition to a city in dire need of pedaled transportation as well as worker ownership. Located at the trail-head of the Jones Falls trail on Falls rd. and Maryland Ave., it is the only bicycle shop that is in Mid-Town, making it it easily accessible. On top of that it is located in one of Baltimore's major transportation hubs. The Penn station, Charles and Saint Paul street, and the Jones Falls Expressway are all within spitting distance.

On January 7th, a rally was held to protest the police murder of Oscar Grant. Protesters gathered at the Fruitvale BART station at 3pm. After dozens of speakers addressed the crowd for about 2 hours, a march began. Hundreds of protesters marched up International Blvd towards downtown Oakland. As the crowd passed the Lake Merritt BART area, there was a brief confrontation where a police car was attacked and a dumpster lit on fire. Within minutes, riot police arrived and shot tear gas into the crowd. The protest continued into the night as dozens of protesters massed and split up repeatedly, smashing windows, lighting fires in dumpsters, and torching at least two cars as police struggled to keep up. Oakland police are reporting that they arrested 105 people for a variety of offenses. Support for arrestees still being detained has been called for Friday, January 9th.

Read More, with Photos and Video | Previous Indybay Feature on Murder of Oscar Grant

UPDATE: January 7th, 2009: Rally and Rage Over BART Police Murder of Oscar Grant

In the early hours of January 1st, BART police shot and killed a 22 year old man, Oscar Grant, on the platform of the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland. Witnesses report that Grant was "lying on his stomach with his hands out in a non-threatening position when he was shot". Police have confirmed Grant was unarmed and have suggested the shooting was an accident. Grant lived in Hayward and leaves behind a 4-year-old daughter.

BART officials have not released the name of the officer who shot Grant. After the shooting, BART police seized several cell phones from people on the platform who said they had used the phones' cameras to record what happened. For the first two days BART officials told the mainstream media that surveillance cameras at the station do not record, but then corrected themselves Friday night saying the cameras did record but didn't show the incident.

There will be a rally to protest the shooting from 3pm till 8pm on Wednesday January 7th at the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland.

Full Video and interview with Karina Vargas | More Coverage

Worcester's bike scene will be temporarily diminished by the upcoming departure of Josh Chadwick who's heading off to join up with the Ginger Ninjas. The Ginger Ninjas have re-claimed the musical genre "unplugged", by seizing the lead position of the bicycle music movement. For them, going on tour means loading up your bicycles with all of your instruments, a 1000 watt human-powered PA system, a change of clothes and your toothbrush. You can check out their video here. Josh has been a key part of bike culture's growth in Worcester and will certainly be a great East Coast addition to the West Coast Pleasant Revolution. Josh is currently raising funds to support his trip.

If you've ever wondered why there never seems to be an end to road building/re-paving/repair projects, so have I. No matter how bad the economy gets, it seems there is *always* enough money laying around to tear up perfectly adequate streets and re-pave them, to close down perfectly useful on-ramps and re-vamp them, to block lanes and close roads in an orgy of machinery and men in orange vests. A lot of money is flowing through our highway and road projects, and one might reasonably ask why we make this such a priority at the same time we shave the last few cents off programs to help senior citizens and people with disabilities. Governor Kulongoski isn't asking such questions, though. Instead, he's proposing new ways to keep the money spigot flowing toward ODOT projects now that people are buying less gas. And boy, does he have a stupid idea now.

A grand jury indictment is expected to be unsealed Tuesday in the case of a New York City police officer shown in video footage knocking a bicyclist to the ground in Times Square. Officer Patrick Pogan is expected to plead not guilty.

A police officer who was videotaped knocking a man off his bicycle in July during a monthly cycling event in New York City has been indicted, the officer’s lawyer said on Monday.

On December 4th, over a hundred San Francisco school bus drivers who are members of UTU 1741 picketed and protest the illegal firings and union busting tactics by Scottish owned First Student. This company which recently purchased Laidlaw is in a war to bust the unions at these operations by firing bus drivers in violation of the contract and for incidents that have nothing to do with their driving record.

On Monday December 8th, the Berkeley City Council voted to approve the contract for an expanded, street level Bike Station with many more services and features than the existing station to the cheers of a packed council chamber. Bike activists say that this is the culmination of over ten years of work by local advocates.