'Critical Mass' - With Cars?

In this op-ed, a bicycle commuter advocates ignoring certain traffic laws and putting cyclists in cars for "critical mass" rides, in order to draw attention to the need for better bicycle facility planning.

1 minute read

April 12, 2006, 6:00 AM PDT

By Michael Dudley


"A lot of cyclists are involved in an event called Critical Mass, where a large group of people ride bikes together. Drivers don't take this seriously; they see it as a temporary nuisance. If we really want to build an appreciation for what bicycles do then let's consider changing Critical Mass from bike-riding to car-driving. On the first workday of every month, every cyclist would drive a car into the city, to show the government how many cars aren't on the road when people ride their bikes.

One press release I read estimates there are more than 930,000 cyclists in the greater Toronto area. If only 10 per cent of those were willing to participate, that's still 93,000 cars being added to the traffic -- that should attract some attention. This, I hope, would get commuters screaming and governments seem to listen to commuters more than to cyclists. To really illustrate the point, you might put a sign in your car window that says "When you build a bike path then I'll ride my bike."

Tuesday, April 11, 2006 in The Globe & Mail

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