On the last Friday of each month in San Francisco, the cyclists of Critical Mass embark on an unrehearsed crosstown jaunt that — for a few hours — transforms the urban landscape.
And, of course, those stuck in their cars are pissed at the anarchy.
But it is the future, it has to be, more people must be allowed to bike through cities without the fear of death. That means either new infrastructure or change to existing infrastructure, but current transportation patterns in North American cities, where the gas-guzzling vehicles rule, is not sustainable.
But there doesn’t yet seemed to be a model. Montreal has, apparently, set a target where cyclists are never more than a kilometre from a bike path; other cities have effective bike routes and trails, some of them pretty scenic. But is there a model that will encourage automobile drivers to park their cars on the edge of town and bike in? Haven’t heard of it.
But it will happen because it has to and city planners are beginning to understand that. Critical Mass is an example (the story is here).
