Critical Mass Pedals Awareness, but Bikers Need to Pump the Brakes, Critics Say
John Greenfield / www.gridchicago.com
Critical Mass route proposals, like this one, are voted on by participants the day of the event, and can often change mid-ride.
Critical Mass pedals awareness, but bikers need to pump the brakes, critics say
BY ALEX E. WEAVER
JAN 26, 2012
"Corking" is a technique used to block drivers from driving through the cyclists. It's intended as a safety precaution, but it's illegal.
Hundreds of bicyclists will swarm downtown streets during peak rush hour Friday, all in the name of pedal-pusher awareness. But some experts say this traffic-snarling “party parade on wheels” does more to hurt its cause the bigger it gets.
“Illinois requires cars and bikes to share the road. Motorists often don’t get that,” said Brendan H. Kevenides, a Chicago attorney who focuses on bike-related accidents. “But Critical Mass is not sharing either. It is bikes taking over the streets in a sort of ‘in your face’ way.”
Critical Mass, in Chicago and worldwide, is intended to be a demonstration, a visual representation of how many bikers actually exist in any one place, tangible proof that bikes are traffic, too.
Though there is no formal hierarchy, no appointed leaders or official organizers, safety in numbers seems to be the favored vehicle of change for month after month of Critical Mass rides.
“It was definitely one of my first introductions to biking in the city and with a group of people where I felt safe,” said Julie Hochstadter, owner and director of Thechainlink.org, an online community for regional cyclists. “If anything, it is showing cars that there are a lot of cyclists in the city.”
Critical Mass pedals safer bike conditions by becoming a force of traffic itself, comprising a range of participants month to month, from as few as 100 in the cold winter months to well into the thousands when the weather warms.
Steven Lane has been involved with the ride as a participant and volunteer for the past 12 years. The September ride of 2007 – the event’s 10th anniversary in Chicago – saw more than 5,000 riders, according to Lane. This September will mark its 15th anniversary.
No matter how many riders turn out, the atmosphere is one of spontaneity and free will. The route isn’t decided until just before the first kickstand goes up and can often change mid-ride.
“That's the beauty of it,” Hochstadter said. “If you can convince people, anything can happen. There are no rules.”
According to some experts, this may also be its greatest undoing.
Illinois state law requires cyclists to adhere to the same traffic laws as cars, meaning stop signs and red lights hold the same weight whether you’re steering a Trek or a Toyota.
Promoting such awareness is one of the main charges for the Active Transportation Alliance, a Chicago nonprofit cycling advocacy organization. But the approach Critical Mass takes isn’t one they fully support.
“While we support the goals and spirit of Critical Mass, we can’t overlook breaking traffic laws that are designed to keep everyone on the streets safe,” said Ethan Spotts, marketing and communications director with the Active Transportation Alliance.
It’s a contradiction that has nipped at the wheels of Critical Mass for years. How can cyclists advocating safer streets and bicycle awareness choose to compromise the very rights they’ve worked so hard to earn?
“If they’re not obeying traffic laws, it is an issue,” said Steve Schlickman, executive director of the University of Illinois at Chicago Urban Transportation Center. “It can be counterproductive to other people’s attitudes towards bikers.”
The riders’ defense is that keeping the mass together requires running red lights, and a fractured group is less impactful than a consolidated one. But when the group grows too large, the effect on commuting traffic is palpable.
“Corking” refers to the technique of select riders blocking opposing traffic while the rest of the riders navigate an intersection. It’s a safety measure, but it can be confusing and annoying for motorists. It’s also illegal.
“It is an unlawful activity and the riders who position themselves in front of vehicles place themselves in a dangerous position,” said Lt. Maureen Biggane, commanding officer of Chicago Police News Affairs. “Our officers are directed when they observe this to instruct the rider to cease this activity and continue riding.”
Gin Kilgore, a local bicycle advocate said, “I like to compare it to a Cubs’ game or Bears’ game traffic … it’s part of the city culture. If we can deal with that, we can deal with Critical Mass.”
Instead of simply dealing with it, is there a way that non-cyclists can get the Critical Mass message without also being inconvenienced?
“[Cars] create rush hour every day,” Lane said. “We do this once a month.”
Views: 1290
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on
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I know they really don't know what to do with us, they block traffic in the loop and allow corking in the early stages but think if we didn't cork or they didn't block traffic for us?
What about the traffic following us!? The drivers would probably ram the group after 15 minutes of doing 5mph.
Before we go talking about breaking laws lets look at what Critical mass really is, a peaceful assembly of bikers, like minded individuals, hmm what's that called again?
"Freedom of assembly, sometimes used interchangeably with the freedom of association, is the individual right to come together and collectively express, promote, pursue and defend common interests.[1] The right to freedom of association is recognized as a human right, a political freedom and a civil liberty."
oh yeah.
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Permalink Reply by Active Transportation Alliance on
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Oh, this Friday is a rager...I didn't realize. Ragers, cagers and bandits, oh my! Happy Friday, Chainlinkers.
Ethan Spotts, Active Trans
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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on
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Freedom of Assembly and the purpose of protest:
There is a really good ASA Animate video that goes into the purpose of protests and mass assembly.
The real reason isn't so much to convey to the non-participants the issues that the protesers have with whatever they are protesting but to help build common knowledge among the protesters themselves. It helps for others to see this and join in but it isn't until the protest reaches CRITICAL MASS where they all become aware of a common goal and interest to change things that they feel empowered to actually press on and change things in society.
Critical Mass will have won when everyone is going to Critical Mass on a daily basis. Or it is big enough that we all are aware that they can't stop us.
And THAT is the very reason the establishment fears and loathes Critical Mass. It signifies change, it signifies self-education of the bicycle-riding community, and it signifies that I know You know it, and You know I know it, and Everyone knows Everyone ELSE knows it.
At that point change becomes inevitable. As a self-aware group we can't be stopped. But as weak individuals all afraid of taking on the car-centric establishment and unaware that there are others like us we are easily handled and force into "not overlooking traffic laws designed to keep everyone safe" when those very traffic laws are designed with cars in mind and are necessary to keep CARS SAFE and where keeping BIKES SAFE isn't necessary.
Traffic laws, by and large, are made for cars and driving in a car-centric road system. We bikes don't need them to be safe. It's the cars stupid.
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Permalink Reply by Zoetrope on
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I'm not interested in piling on, but I actually thought the "rage" in this thread was a real breath of fresh air, as opposed to the usual mind numbing circular logic you usually see from articles like this one. I swear it seems this same exact article gets written every month about Critical Mass. The same thoughts, the token well intentioned blurb from groups like ATA that really doesn't do anyone any good, and the same resulting argument over what Critical Mass "means" or what it's "goal" is. If the goal(s) isn't crystal clear by now, people will never "get it" until the dialogue is seriously revised. The bikers do their part, now it's time for the "journalists" and others to do theirs.
Active Transportation Alliance said:Oh, this Friday is a rager...I didn't realize. Ragers, cagers and bandits, oh my! Happy Friday, Chainlinkers.
Ethan Spotts, Active Trans
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Permalink Reply by ID on
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Thats a bit much. Its an event.
By the same logic, why pay for Bulls or Blackhawks games because the public helped finance their arena? I like basketball, so the Bulls should just let me in to watch?
Events like Bike the Drive open up the opportunity for people to ride bikes in places they can't ride regularly. There are people who probably do BTD and that is the only time they ride their bikes all year.
I think these events and organizations like ATA are a good buffer/bridge between those of us who ride our bikes regularly and the general public who do not.
You have to realize that there has to be a delicate balance between passion, getting your message across and sticking it to the man, otherwise those barking the loudest (rabble rabble rabble rabble) look like a bunch of aggro assh**es to the outside world.
Craig S. said:ATA lost my membership and support the first year they instituted registration checks on Bike the Drive. I realize that event is a fund raiser for ATA, however, I and every citizen in this city own that piece of public way and maintain it with every fee we pay. It's a shame that ATA is so bent on getting theirs that they prohibit local citizens from jumping on for a few miles just to enjoy the morning. I've been riding this event for years and have seen countless families riding as a group for just a few miles and it's great.
Looking forward to the flames of support for closing the Drive to the unregistered public by way of comparison for the closing of other streets to the public for the various street fests around town.
If I ever ride Bike the Drive again it'll be bandit.
My thoughts on Mass; meh, it's fun sometimes and in the grand scheme of things it accomplishes nothing but providing some enjoyment for the people, I typically avoid it and the conflicts it invariable causes.
James BlackHeron said:I think I just decided to make this the last year I am a member of Active Trans.
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Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on
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ditto.
Ian Dinsmor said:Thats a bit much. Its an event.
By the same logic, why pay for Bulls or Blackhawks games because the public helped finance their arena? I like basketball, so the Bulls should just let me in to watch?
Events like Bike the Drive open up the opportunity for people to ride bikes in places they can't ride regularly. There are people who probably do BTD and that is the only time they ride their bikes all year.
I think these events and organizations like ATA are a good buffer/bridge between those of us who ride our bikes regularly and the general public who do not.
You have to realize that there has to be a delicate balance between passion, getting your message across and sticking it to the man, otherwise those barking the loudest (rabble rabble rabble rabble) look like a bunch of aggro assh**es to the outside world.
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Permalink Reply by Michael J Blane on
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I like this idea.
Bike Bloke said:It would be interesting to have a 'ride to rule'. Hundreds of bikes in The Loop, or whatever neighborhood is chosen, all going in different directions, all totally obeying the rules of the road, while doing lots of left turns. Bike gridlock!
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I think the article is very good. And rage is fine for some, I'm just not into it today (and most days).
Ethan, Active Trans
Brendan said:I'm not interested in piling on, but I actually thought the "rage" in this thread was a real breath of fresh air, as opposed to the usual mind numbing circular logic you usually see from articles like this one. I swear it seems this same exact article gets written every month about Critical Mass. The same thoughts, the token well intentioned blurb from groups like ATA that really doesn't do anyone any good, and the same resulting argument over what Critical Mass "means" or what it's "goal" is. If the goal(s) isn't crystal clear by now, people will never "get it" until the dialogue is seriously revised. The bikers do their part, now it's time for the "journalists" and others to do theirs.
Active Transportation Alliance said:Oh, this Friday is a rager...I didn't realize. Ragers, cagers and bandits, oh my! Happy Friday, Chainlinkers.
Ethan Spotts, Active Trans
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Mass#Critical_Manners
Ethan, Active Trans
Michael J Blane said:I like this idea.
Bike Bloke said:It would be interesting to have a 'ride to rule'. Hundreds of bikes in The Loop, or whatever neighborhood is chosen, all going in different directions, all totally obeying the rules of the road, while doing lots of left turns. Bike gridlock!
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I am totally for people spontaneously starting a Critical Manners ride on the second Friday of each month or whatever day people decide to do it.
Go ahead and plan it and make up fliers and start your own thing. It's a free world.
Heck, there is nobody STOPPING you from going to Critical Mass and rousing the rabble to make Critical Mass into Critical Manners. Come one and come all. Just come. It's a free world and Critical Mass is all-inclusive. It's what the people who show up make it. Show up or don't. But you can't make it something that it is not from home.
See you there tonight.
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+1
I like the Critical Manners idea, too.
James BlackHeron said:...Critical Mass is all-inclusive. It's what the people who show up make it. Show up or don't. But you can't make it something that it is not from home.
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Permalink Reply by igz on
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i always wanted to call it 'the ride of responsibility'
James BlackHeron said:I am totally for people spontaneously starting a Critical Manners ride on the second Friday of each month or whatever day people decide to do it.
Go ahead and plan it and make up fliers and start your own thing. It's a free world.
Heck, there is nobody STOPPING you from going to Critical Mass and rousing the rabble to make Critical Mass into Critical Manners. Come one and come all. Just come. It's a free world and Critical Mass is all-inclusive. It's what the people who show up make it. Show up or don't. But you can't make it something that it is not from home.
See you there tonight.
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