A new group, Critical Manners, has emerged after Friday’s controversial Critical Mass ride in Vancouver.
The first Critical Manners Bike Ride will be on Aug. 14 in downtown Vancouver.
According to organizer Jennifer Watkiss, the riders will stay in bike lanes and obey all traffic rules.
“We ride Friday August 14th at 6:00pm through the streets of Vancouver,” Watkiss said on her website.
“We’ll be easy to miss, since we’ll be staying in bike lanes or on the far right side of the road, obeying all traffic signals and otherwise doing our best to share the road effectively with all other vehicles and pedestrians.”
Friday’s Critical Mass ride attracted more attention than usual after police issued a warning to drivers to avoid the downtown core due to traffic disruption. All traffic stops each time the long line of cyclists passes.
This weekend is particularly busy because of the World Police and Fire Games and the Gay Pride Parade.
This led to calls for a crackdown on the monthly event and the revelation that Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson attended a Critical Mass ride last summer and appealed to participants for their vote.
Vancouver councillor Geoff Meggs warned Friday that the event had to change to avoid “serious enforcement.”
Mary Sherlock said Critical Mass, which is one of more than 325 worldwide, is necessary to show the huge challenges cyclists face on roadways.
“Critical mass is when I feel safe,” the 59-year-old said. “On a daily basis I have drivers going around the wrong route in a traffic circle, swearing at me.”
Vancouver police met with ride representatives on Friday morning and told them where road closures had been planned and areas to avoid.
Up to 2,000 cyclists — some donning costumes and bicycles rigged with balloons to keyboards — gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery at 5 p.m. and rode over the Cambie, Granville, Burrard and Lions Gate bridges, ending up at Kits Beach.
Police along with corkers — essentially human shields — blocked traffic for the protesters.
“Aside from a couple of verbal exchanges between cyclists and drivers, it seemed overall there was less tension and more respect between motorists and cyclists,” said Vancouver police Const. Jana McGuinness.
Vancouver police poured out liquor and saw some cyclists smoking marijuana during the Critical Mass bicycle ride, she said.
One woman fell off her bike and injured her arm.
Watkiss said the Critical Manners ride was established in San Franciso in 2007 in reaction to Critical Mass rides that were “getting out of hand.”
niceporch wrote:that fat woman IN THE SADDLE is crushing you in the mountain stage.
nice try.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests