Every last Friday of the month, cyclists from around Vancouver gather in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery in downtown Vancouver and take to the streets in a massive show of spirit and strength. The critical mass phenomenon started in San Francisco in the 1990s and quickly spread – critical mass now occurs in cities around the world, with their numbers growing each year. Over one thousand cyclists came out for critical mass in June 2006, Bike Month, the largest turnout to date. Next month promises to be even bigger!
My bike!
This month critical mass cyclists took to the streets in fine form – pirate form in fact. Unfortunately I didn’t make it out to the start of the ride on Friday, but I caught up with the last of the bunch down at Kits beach on my way home – a good two hours later. Here are a few photos:
One less car – sticker courtesy of B.E.S.T (Better Environmentally Sound Transportation)
Sunset at Kits beach
Ocean, sky, mountains…
According to the website, www.critical-mass.org, there are over four hundred critical mass rides around the world, with about 230 of them in North America. See also www.critical-mass.info.
The first critical mass ride took place on September 25, 1992, in San Francisco.
If you are interested in starting a critical mass ride in your community, here are some basic guidelines, but remember critical mass takes different shapes in different places, and there is no central organizing body.
A local Vancouver film producer has produced a wonderful documentary film about critical mass in Vancouver titled, “You Never Bike Alone.” Click to read the synopsis of the film – for more information, visit www.youneverbikealone.com.
To see more photos of the Vancouver critical mass rides, go to www.flickr.com/groups/vancriticalmass
The next critical mass ride in Vancouver will take place on Friday, June 29th, 2007!
For more information about critical mass in Vancouver, check out: www.velolove.bc.ca
For general info about cycling in Vancouver, check out these links.
For a map of bike routes in Vancouver, go to the city website or download the one-page PDF (more detailed versions are available on their website).
Filed under: Vancouver, community, cycling, environment, health, photo , sustainability, Vancouver
