Advocacy article in Seattle Times

[MillCreek]

In today's (10/22/06) edition of the Seattle Times, the lead article in the Pacific Magazine is an article about Seattle bicycle advocacy and safety: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw10222006/2003310777_pacificpcycle22.html

[sbhikes]

Nice, positive, upbeat article. Thanks for sharing that.

[bmclaughlin807]

Wow, great article!

[N_C]

Good article but I'm not sure I'd view CM as a good thing in some cases.

For one a lot of the people participate for the same reasons people involve themselves in riots. Because others are doing it & they have the follow the crowd mentalitity, etc. They do not know, care about or believe in the reasons behind it they are there because they can be. Then there are those who are trapped there, not wanting to be, have no way out because of the large crowd & are the ones you see on TV getting nailed by the police.

Those that believe CM is a good thing need to understand while their message is good they are sometimes going about getting it out the wrong way. They ride through the streets, often times not following the traffic laws, some of which are arrestable offenses, & they expect motorists to undertand where they are coming from, etc. Motorists see them disobeying traffic laws & get angry about it. Can't say I blame the police for arresting them. There is also the issue of often required credentials to hold such an event, the credentials are often called "parade permits". If there is an ordinance requiring something like that then it needs to be obeyed, especially if the participants are going to run red lights, stop signs, etc.

If those that participate in CM want to get their message out then when the event takes place all participants need to know what it is about, why they are there & to follow all traffic laws. If that means riding single file or at most only up to 2 abreast & stopping at all traffic control devices, then that is what it means & how it should be done. Otherwise I think it can do more harm then good.

Or if CM participants want to run red lights, ride more then 2 abreast & pretty much take up the entire roadway then they need to proper credentials to do so.

[Bekologist]

have you ever ridden a critical mass, N_C?

this article did a fairly accurate job describing the issues facing the seattle bicycling community and the directions and trends in bicycling in our city here in the Northwest.

The cover photo of the sunday magazine was of a local bikeshop owner riding a tall bike, in defiance of the local helmet and open container ordinances, Pabst beer in hand, in the middle of the Critical Mass going uptown from the Pike Place Market!!! it was fokkin' beautiful)

using Critical Mass as the main story backdrop was helpful but a bit overweighted to it. it was the article's main vehicle so can't fault the writer for that though. the issue of the bogus arrrest by road raging sherrifs deputies has been on the minds of bicyclists and the community at large.

road rage runs high in Seattle.

[joejack951]

They ride through the streets, often times not following the traffic laws, some of which are arrestable offenses, & they expect motorists to undertand where they are coming from, etc.

When is the last time you saw a driver of a motor vehicle get tackled and arrested for a traffic violation?

I agree that critical mass could be more effective if they actually followed the traffic laws. Think of how long the line of bikes would stretch if they all rode single or double file through the streets. The fact that they try to keep the pack together for safety demonstrates that the riders participating don't see themselves as real traffic, contrary to what their motto wants everyone else to believe.

[Bekologist]

'riders don't see themselves as real traffic' is NOT the mood on a mass ride! I'm laughing just thinking about that...

have YOU ever ridden a critical mass?


(crappy photscan courtesy of the Seattle Times)

[ctyler]

When is the last time you saw a driver of a motor vehicle get tackled and arrested for a traffic violation?

You hit the nail on the head. Drivers speed, run red lights, tailgate, run people over, and walk away from court with a slap on the wrist. A news story this morning out on Madison about a gut injuring four people in a traffic accident and was charged FOR THE 8th TIME with driving while impared. And yet, bicyclists are such a danger to society that they have to be arrested for riding a bike.

[San Rensho]

Why do riders in critical mass have to violate traffic regulations? They will get their point across even better by simply following traffic regulations. You can't be arrested for riding your bike on the street even if it slows traffic.

[sbhikes]

The thing I liked most about the article was the phrase "change the culture of the road." That's the benefit of bike/ped/complete streets facilities. Changing the culture of the road.

[ngateguy]

I think the article about bike advocacy was good. How CM got tied into I do not know. All of the bike improvements being fought for are because of Bike Alliance of Washington and Cascade Bike club. I disturbs me to see these so called "commuters" Drinking beer while riding in traffic. Where is the safety factor in that.

[joejack951]

'riders don't see themselves as real traffic' is NOT the mood on a mass ride! I'm laughing just thinking about that...

have YOU ever ridden a critical mass?


(crappy photscan courtesy of the Seattle Times)

I've never been a part of a critical mass ride. I might consider it if the rides were organized differently, as in riding according to the traffic laws and taking up a lot of roadway legally. I have this wonderful vision of the "normal and reasonable" speed on a roadway at that time and place being 10-15mph (bike speed) because there are 20 cyclists and one motorist. I'd love to be in the 10th (or 50th) row of cyclists stacked up 2 abreast at a traffic light, possibly even intersecting a road where all the lanes are filled with cyclists too. When the light turns green, there is nothing but some pedal clicks and a lot of chain whirs. Beautiful stuff. Sadly though (for me at least), this is not how Critical Mass is conducted and the way it is conducted does not agree with how I like to ride.

[closetbiker]

The part of the article that I think needed improving was a pivitol one. The safety presentation.

After giving some injury info there's a bit of speculation that unreported injuries are significant. I say, if an injury goes unreported (or untreated - doctors make reports on their treatments) chances are, it's insignificant. I've been hit by cars 3 times, reported it once (serious) and the other times it didn't harm me or my bike in any way so there was no need for a report. I've never made a report when I've tripped at home and banged my shoulder against the door either. Is there any difference?

I also have found it's how you ride that makes a big difference in collisions. My experience is similar to David Smiths' and I think the majority of cyclists that don't ride in a similar manner to him are the majority of cyclists that do end up in collisions. How are the results of riding a bike poorly any different than driving a car poorly?

It's good that David Hiller mentions, "Riding bikes is not killing people, heart disease is killing people. If everybody rode their bikes you'd see a startling decline in the rate of cycling fatalities, and you'd probably look at a startling decline in heart disease, too!"

[sbhikes]

How does an injury get reported? I had a motorcycle accident not too long ago and I really didn't want to get hauled off on the ambulance so I said I was fine. The EMT took one look at my leg and said, yep, you're gonna have a nice bone bruise there. Sure enough, it took a year for the bruise and the dent in my leg to fade. There was a police report because it was an accident with an injury but was the injury actually logged anywhere as a statistic that anybody can use for anything?

[SingingSabre]

'riders don't see themselves as real traffic' is NOT the mood on a mass ride! I'm laughing just thinking about that...

have YOU ever ridden a critical mass?


(crappy photscan courtesy of the Seattle Times)

Woah! He's riding a tall Xtracycle! Crazy!

I really liked this article. I do think that they talked about CM a bit too much in it, but I liked the different perspectives on everything else. Well written, fair, and logical.

[Keith99]

When is the last time you saw a driver of a motor vehicle get tackled and arrested for a traffic violation?



How about the last time one ran instead of pulling over. Over half of the now popular car chases on TV start with what should have been a routine traffic stop, except instead of stopping the driver bolts. At least some of the CM stops are the same thing.

[N_C]

When is the last time you saw a driver of a motor vehicle get tackled and arrested for a traffic violation?

I agree that critical mass could be more effective if they actually followed the traffic laws. Think of how long the line of bikes would stretch if they all rode single or double file through the streets. The fact that they try to keep the pack together for safety demonstrates that the riders participating don't see themselves as real traffic, contrary to what their motto wants everyone else to believe.

No I have not, thankfully. There is NO need for CM in my area, again thankfuly. I have no problem with the reasons behind CM it is the way the protesting is conducted I have an issue with. What sense does it make for a group of people to get their message out by breaking the law? All that will accomplish is unwanted attention from the police & it will piss off motorists & give the rest of the cyclists who want nothing to do with CM a bad name. The next time a motorist pissed at cyclists because of CM events because it delayed him or her because the participants were breaking the law, not stopping, etc, comes upon a solo cyclist it could get real ugly & cost the cyclist his or her life.

[genec]

The thing I liked most about the article was the phrase "change the culture of the road." That's the benefit of bike/ped/complete streets facilities. Changing the culture of the road.

I agree, and the telling quote for me was:

"Almost 40 percent of the population doesn't drive," says Barbara Culp, head of the Bicycle Alliance, "including disabled, elderly, children, those who can't afford it. So we have a car culture that ignores a huge percentage of the population. When we talk about Complete Streets, what we're really talking about is transportation equity."

That quote points out that car culture has been given carte blanche for quite a while in our culture, while excluding others that are not car equipped.

Changing this culture is the key to making all forms of transportation acceptable.

[closetbiker]

How does an injury get reported? I had a motorcycle accident not too long ago and I really didn't want to get hauled off on the ambulance so I said I was fine. The EMT took one look at my leg and said, yep, you're gonna have a nice bone bruise there. Sure enough, it took a year for the bruise and the dent in my leg to fade. There was a police report because it was an accident with an injury but was the injury actually logged anywhere as a statistic that anybody can use for anything?

As far as I understand, almost any "professional" keeps records of what they do for reveiew for themselves and others to learn from later.

If you were to fall down and get up and go, there would be no report but if you were to fall down and get helped up by an EMT, they would log it as would the police, doctor or insurance company.

I'm sure cyclsits fall all the time, but I'm also sure it's very rare that the fall needs medical attention and as so goes unreported.

[sbhikes]

I agree, and the telling quote for me was:

"Almost 40 percent of the population doesn't drive," says Barbara Culp, head of the Bicycle Alliance, "including disabled, elderly, children, those who can't afford it. So we have a car culture that ignores a huge percentage of the population. When we talk about Complete Streets, what we're really talking about is transportation equity."

That quote points out that car culture has been given carte blanche for quite a while in our culture, while excluding others that are not car equipped.

Changing this culture is the key to making all forms of transportation acceptable.

Yes, that quote struck me, too. I used to work with people who had mental disabilities and could not drive. It was heroic how they got around by bus. The system is messed up and needs to change or else we'll just get more of the same: diabetes, heart disease, more and bigger cars, more sprawl, more consumption, global warming.

[joejack951]

How about the last time one ran instead of pulling over. Over half of the now popular car chases on TV start with what should have been a routine traffic stop, except instead of stopping the driver bolts. At least some of the CM stops are the same thing.

And usually that driver (along with the police) endangered the lives of many people by racing through the streets. A cyclist sprinting from a cop at 25mph just isn't a huge threat to anyone. I don't agree with running from the cops though and for the record, the reports of police violence I read about were targetted at cyclists who were not running from the police.

[flipped4bikes]

The CM I would love to see is one that obeyed the letter of the law. You know, single-file, ride to right as practicable, heed all traffic signals and signs. Then you'll have this string of 500 cyclists going through town. And yet I can imagine they'll still get arrested...

[genec]

The CM I would love to see is one that obeyed the letter of the law. You know, single-file, ride to right as practicable, heed all traffic signals and signs. Then you'll have this string of 500 cyclists going through town. And yet I can imagine they'll still get arrested...

With each one of those 500 cyclists stopping individually for each 4 way stop...

It would be classic.

[joejack951]

The CM I would love to see is one that obeyed the letter of the law. You know, single-file, ride to right as practicable, heed all traffic signals and signs. Then you'll have this string of 500 cyclists going through town. And yet I can imagine they'll still get arrested...

Oh, I just can't help but nitpick :) Two abreast riding is legal just about everywhere as long as faster traffic on the roadway is not being impeded. If the majority of traffic is slow moving cyclists, it would be tough to prove that just the two cyclists in front of the lone motorist were causing him to be impeded.

[joejack951]

With each one of those 500 cyclists stopping individually for each 4 way stop...

It would be classic.

I would ride single file just for that purpose though. I'd also unclip both feet. Look both ways then both ways again. Then proceed.

[donnamb]

With each one of those 500 cyclists stopping individually for each 4 way stop...

It would be classic.

A regular ride like that might generate some support from motorists for bike slow-and-go stop sign laws. :D