Edmonton Critical Mass

 

WORDS + IMAGES

Why I ride in Critical Mass

By Meredith James

For every person who participates in critical mass, there is a different set of reasons. I can't answer for everyone about why they ride, but I can tell you about why I do my best to be at City Hall at 5:30 on the last Friday of every month.

First, it's about my rights; to transportation, a healthy environment, and to ride without fear. As a cyclist, I have as much right to be on the road as a motorist. Unfortunately, our city is built around the car as the primary mode of transportation. Critical Mass is an opportunity for us to remind the city that bicycles are traffic too and we need a place to ride safely.

Although it's not it the constitution (yet), I believe that we all have the right to a healthy environment with clean air and water. Behaviours that negatively impact the health of others should be mitigated and phased out. In this case, the number of cars on city streets should be decreased and their efficiency increased. There are a number of ways to accomplish this, but perhaps the simplest is to increase the number of bicyclists on the road. For this to happen, however, we need to build the infrastructure to make cycling a viable option for everyone; not just some (perceived to be) crazy hippie people.

Second, it's about my community; in critical mass the cyclists of the city of Edmonton have a chance to experience a vision for the future for an hour each month. Its not always easy being a cyclist in Edmonton, it feels good to know there are other people out there experiencing and meeting the same challenges. We can meet and laugh and it seems easier to keep going despite the setbacks and continue living the way I want to, and advocating for a sustainable future.

Third, it's about celebrating my vision for a future in which our streets are not dirty and clogged with cars, when people are not scared to walk or bike through down town, and when we have reclaimed our city for the people, not the cars. Critical Mass gives me hope that another world is possible (clichéd as that sounds), and that I am a part of it. Being able to hear the river, the birds, and my friends as we bike across the bridge is an uplifting experience that I wish everyone could have and appreciate.

As with most things worthwhile, there are some risks in Critical Mass. In other cities, police have confiscated bicycles and set-up mass arrests. Here, the major danger seems to be the irate motorist trying to make up a couple seconds by speeding past us. One motorist came within inches of hitting me at speed. When he reached the red light about 30 seconds later, we asked him if getting somewhere faster was worth killing someone - he said "Yes!".

What kind of world do we want? One in which we get somewhere sooner at the cost of lives not so much here in Edmonton, but all over the word as we exploit other nations to maintain our consumptive lifestyle? Or one in which we live within our means, sustainably, and celebrate people who are trying to create positive change? I know which world I want, and I know what I'm doing to get there– do you?

I am alternative energy,

Meredith James