Originally Posted by John E
I remain opposed to Critical Mass, because I think it generally generates bad publicity.
In Chicago, it's amusing to watch the tourists watch Critical Mass go by. The tourists often get big goofy grins on their face and snap a lot of pictures. Of course, the ride often has a lot of eye-candy. A three-piece band pulled by bicycle. A roller-blader playing the trombone. Homemade bikes that are are as tall as buses. I wouldn't call it "advocacy"; I'd just call it "a happy hour with bikes instead of beers."
As a side-note, the City of Chicago is currently looking into a pilot program to have recurring Sundays where the boulevards that join some of the parks together would be closed to car traffic and would be open instead to cyclists, pedestrians, etc. The City apparently likes the idea of having the streets be social places instead of just places for cars to speed through from point A to point B. Of course, a number of Chicago's otherwise fine parks have a design flaw in that they have fast-moving roads cutting through them, which can interfere with people just trying to enjoy the parks. I'm not going to go so far as to say that the City of Chicago was inspired by Critical Mass, but just that the City recognizes that changing the way that roads are used can enhance one's experience of the City.