Over a lunch discussion today, it came to light that not everyone knows what a Critical Mass demo is. Well, there is a chance to find out because, in Luxembourg,
Critical Mass cyclist demos have been around since the early 90's and first began in the hilly city of San Francisco. Since then it has spread to over 300 cities world wide, becoming an effective means of generating awareness of urban mobility issues. Traditionally, cyclists meet on the last Friday of the month at 6 pm, and then just cycle about together. They are usually peaceful and family friendly events. Sometimes even the police on bicycles join in. ....but uh... Not always: It is wise to know your legal rights, and the rules of the road (and teach these to minors). But there's not much to it, and can be a surprising means to discover what a car-free city could look and sound (!) like.
A simple search for Critical Mass cycle demos on google scholar will reveal plenty of documentation. There is also a tonne of footage of Critical Masses over the years in different cities, available on youtube. Here is a small sampling: New York in 2016, Toronto in 2010, London in 2015, Hamburg 2018.
A simple search for Critical Mass cycle demos on google scholar will reveal plenty of documentation. There is also a tonne of footage of Critical Masses over the years in different cities, available on youtube. Here is a small sampling: New York in 2016, Toronto in 2010, London in 2015, Hamburg 2018.
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