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Central Valley | Arts + Action

Critical Mass in Sac: growing like our bike lanes...
by Mo
Sunday Sep 30th, 2007 2:07 AM
CM on Friday September 28 had the biggest turnout yet with over 50 riders. As we rode we noticed bike lanes being added throughout Midtown. Our movement is intended to raise awareness and make bicyclists throughout Sac feel comfortable to ditch their cars and share the roads on their bike.
cm.jpg
cm.jpg

CM on Friday September 28 had the biggest turnout yet with over 50 riders. It may have been the cool Fall weather or the publicity (we were featured on Good Day Sacramento) but we saw many new faces. As we rode we noticed bike lanes being added throughout Midtown. While this is something to be applauded there is much work to be done. Our goals are long-term ones not short-term. Some find it trivial or even a nuisance that we take over a "car" lane to make a statement. And this view is popular and understandable. But it's short-sighted. Cars, traffic, and wide-roads cutting through and dividing communities have taken priority for too long. The psychological and physical damage inflicted upon communities has been tremendous. We share the road to remind drivers that this belongs to us. The residents of this growing community. We want to walk and ride our bikes without fear of drivers both sober and drunk running into us or harassing us. We want to engage with one another not behind metallic and glass walls but in the open on the streets of our community. We want to live better connected and less stressful lives. Every participant in our small CM rides in Sacramento can attest to the feelings of excitement, joy, and connection we feel during the ride. Please join us next month as we ride in costume in the spirit of Halloween. You can come without a costume. It'll be the last Friday of the month, October 26 at 6 pm this time to give riders more time to make it.
See these continuously updated sites for more info:
http://www.youtube.com/0geek0
http://www.nothingsharper.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=9450
http://saccriticalmass.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/sacramentocriticalmass

Comments  (Hide Comments)

Catholic Mass vs Critical Mass
by HALO
Monday Oct 1st, 2007 3:00 PM
I like the way somepeople refer to Critical Mass simply as Mass. When it is put like that it sounds like something religious or spiritual and maybe that's not far from the truth. There's even a new religion that makes Critical Mass part of its mission.

Matrixism
Yes to Mass
by Jumpin' JellyBike
Saturday Oct 13th, 2007 11:18 AM
It is so heartening to hear this news from Sacramento.

The comment about "Mass" bringing forth a sense of the sacred or religious reminds me of "Father Theresa," a grandmotherly priest who came to the Oakland Critical Mass following a violent incident in Berkeley to say she wanted to be a spiritual force for Critical Mass rides, decrying what "young people are facing today with global warming" and more, and saying we who ride mass are "very brave."