critical mass
News: Critical Mass for the Kiddies
What do Eugene, Oregon, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Pecs, Hungary, have in common? If you guessed small people on bikes en masse, you guessed right. Kidical Mass, a family-friendly, law-abiding alternative to Critical Mass, is an idea that's come of age - and one that's growing on a global scale.
Launched in 2008 by Shane Rhodes, a cycling advocate and the program manager for Eugene's Safe Routes to School program, Kidical Mass has grown from a monthly ride, attracting a handful of cyclists in a single city, to a worldwide monthly event where kids and their families - and the occasional rider who thinks he's come to a Critical Mass ride - are all made to feel welcome.
Jen Watkiss addresses riders before setting off on the Critical Manners Ride in Vancouver, Aug 14, 2009
News: Inaugural Vancouver Critical Manners Ride
VANCOUVER, BC — As a regular Critical Mass participant, and as a researcher currently conducting an ethnographic study of Critical Mass in Vancouver, I felt I needed to better understand what the inaugural Vancouver Critical Manners ride (Friday August 14) was all about. Two of my helpful and brave research assistants met me to interview riders and participate in the ride.
On July 30, the day before the July Critical Mass ride, and just as media criticism of Critical Mass was peaking, Jennifer Watkiss announced her intention to start a Critical Manners ride. On her blog (http://criticalmanners.wordpress.com) she explains that after the VPD’s announcement encouraging motorists to not drive to or through downtown on Friday evening, she “thought a peaceful, purposeful and above-all respectful bike event was exactly what we needed.”
Swerple Goes to Critical Mass Vancouver
It was a dark and rainy night. With swerple faithfully snapping pics (e.g. Davie Street, VAG Christmas tree), I joined Critical Mass Vancouver for about 13 km of their November ride. Riding in the rain on streets safeguarded by the police on bikes and on motorcycles is exhilarating! Such a contrast from "normal" Canadian reality where we are hemmed in by cars hunkered down for self survival! And the wetness and the darkness are not a problem if you are prepared with some inexpensive rain gear and about $CAN 30 of lights.
To get a feel for the ride, check out my soggy video after the jump.
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San Francisco Cycling Agents of Change
Dave Snyder
Claim to Fame: Founder of modern-day San Francisco Bicycle Coalition; Dave reignited the SFBC in the 1990s after it had been dormant for most of the 1980s. He served as Executive Director for 11 years. Dave also founded Livable City, an organization working to create more bicycle habitat by creating a city less reliant on automobiles.
What inspired you to re-ignite the SFBC?
The desire to act locally and in the self-interest of my own community, and at the same time have a positive impact on an important global project - reducing the USA's imperial impulses.
UBC Arch
Posted September 1st, 2007 by Amy WalkerA group of UBC architecture students are heading off on bikes to explore and create short movies about Vancouver's neighbourhoods.
You Never Bike Alone
Since Return of the Scorcher, we have seen a number of bike documentaries on the theme of Critical Mass. Some, such as San Francisco’s The Truth Is Out and, more recently, Still We Ride from New York City, are simply an attempt to highlight police crackdowns. You Never Bike Alone is much more than just another Critical Mass documentary. It’s a well constructed, historical sequence of events spanning the last 15 years of bicycle advocacy and activism in Vancouver, BC and surely just the first chapter of a colourful history of bike culture community development.
