San Fran cyclists hail decade of rolling protests
Date: 30-Sep-02
Country: USA
"More bicyclists on the streets every day means really better air quality for all of us, less traffic congestion, less parking problems," said Leah Shahum, executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, a cycling advocacy group.
"Every person on a bike is one more parking space for those people who are driving."
Launched in 1992 by several dozen bicyclists as a "spontaneous" demand for more city bike lanes, Critical Mass quickly became a fabled - and feared - San Francisco phenomenon as cyclists flood the streets after work on the last Friday of each month to show their collective power.
Advocates say the mass bike rides, which shut down key intersections and leave car-bound commuters fuming, have spread to hundreds of cities around the world.
"I think the positive things that have occurred is that there is much more awareness about bike riders and I think a better relationship with drivers," cyclist Mary Nilan, a participant in Friday's celebration, said.
Not everyone is convinced.
Critical Mass stops at red lights, but if the light turns green, the cavalcade doesn't stop until the last cyclist is through - making for nightmarish traffic jams once a month just as city drivers ready for the weekend.
The monthly bike brigade has irked more than a few San Franciscans. In 1997, after a particularly large ride, Mayor Willie Brown denounced the cyclists for showing "ultimate arrogance" in tying up city traffic to push their political point.
But the rides have also brought some bike-friendly changes to San Francisco, including new bike lanes.
Witnesses estimated that several thousand riders took part in Friday's 10th anniversary ride, whizzing down the city's main thoroughfare cheering, chanting and blowing whistles.
Shahum of the Bicycle Coalition said that over the years Critical Mass had helped to demonstrate how easy it is to hang up the car keys and get around by bike.
"There's about 30,000 people biking every day in San Francisco, that's about 4 percent of the population," Shahum said. "What Critical Mass has achieved in doing is shown those numbers and kind of given bicyclists a sense of strength and security in numbers."
While the sometimes testy relationship between drivers and Critical Mass riders had mellowed over the last decade, the bike parade left more than a few car commuters were left grinding their gears in frustration.
"It's kind of hard. You're afraid you might hit somebody. They're everywhere," said driver Cecilia Villegas as she waited for the cyclists to pass.
