What would make cycling in Sydney easier? Aug 12, 2008
"Critical mass" I think is the main thing that will improve cycling in Sydney (pun intended) ... If people who know about quiet cycle routes spread the word and support others to cycle then we will get the critical mass people are talking about ... There is and has been a grassroots pro-cycling movement for decades, now approaching critical mass as the benefits to the community as a whole become more obvious by the month. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
Sydney needs to wake up to the benefits of pedal power Aug 12, 2008
London has a long way to go but cycling has reached the critical mass stage which makes it safer and easier to ride there. Sydney can get there, too. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
Critical mass: Aug 11, 2008
JOHN R. McCUTCHEN / Union-Tribune Leah Peterson held back traffic at a green light at University Avenue and Park Boulevard during a Critical Mass bike ride ... It's the last Friday of the month, when cycling enthusiasts from throughout the county join in a Critical Mass ride around San Diego ... Definitions of Critical Mass also are fluid and not always complimentary. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
CRITICAL MENACE Jul 29, 2008
Given the traffic havoc that Critical Mass regularly provokes, he might've been hit by a bus. Now the cop is in trouble, and Critical Mass - which hates cars, and so makes a point to create monthly traffic jams all over New York, just for the hell of it - is in full chortle ... It looks like one thing led to another Friday, and the unidentified officer seemingly pushed a Critical Mass rider to the ground as the group snaked through Times Square. (New York Post -- Opinions)
Mob of bicyclists injure motorist in Seattle Jul 28, 2008
SEATTLE A mob of bicyclists riding in Seattle with the monthly Critical Mass demonstration injured a motorist after an altercation ... According to the Critical Mass web site, every month, bicyclists ride to promote bicycle use and assert cyclists' right to the road among many reasons ... Hugh wrote on Jul 26, 2008 6:45 PM:" This quote comes from the Critical Mass website: "CM doesn't hurt anyone, and we've never threatened you, but you can certainly show us how superior you are by threatening... (Longview Daily News, WA)
Cyclists Shut Down the Gardiner May 31, 2008
On the last Friday of every month, Critical Mass participants congregate in an area of the city to make an oft-overlooked petition for more bike lanes, safety and bike-awareness in the city. With on Friday morning, the route last evening was more relevant if not also more dangerous than the usual non-highway fare. (blogTO)
Budapest on bicycle May 26, 2008
In April, some 80000 cyclists rode in Budapest's bike-pride event Critical Mass, a record for the internationally organised event. The Budapest on Bikes programme showed that at last the city was taking them seriously, said Hagyo. (iAfrica.com)
A true bicycle culture remains elusive May 20, 2008
Witness Critical Mass, the monthly protest ride by some of the city's hardest hard-core riders bike couriers, anti-car activists, devoted gearheads ... No one at Critical Mass responded to attempts at contact ... Once, in a display of apparent frustration at their below-the-law, the Critical Mass group rode through the Eaton Centre, slaloming through mall shoppers fast enough to evade security. (Toronto Star)
Can bikes and cars share the road? May 13, 2008
When riders get to a critical mass, thinking will change. Also, poor drivers should get a bicycle instead of a ticket. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Can Boston be a world-class bike city? Mar 23, 2008
A recent squall of Boston Critical Mass postings about cyclists running red lights - comments ranged from "you're supposed to obey traffic signals like a motor vehicle" to "I was in no danger of hitting the poor little pedestrians" - reminded me that our most ardent gearheads are both passionate and a part of the solution. (We'll get into traffic laws later. (Boston Globe -- Sports)
Solemn Bike Ride Memorializes 2 Cyclists Mar 17, 2008
It could have passed for a high-end and very quiet version of Critical Mass. The bikes were the kind that cost four figures instead of two figures, but their vulnerability was no less. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Crime)
Barenboim's big adventure Feb 25, 2008
This fourth (my third) concert was the night the cycle reached critical mass ... 110, but by then the critical mass was surging towards Beethoven's valedictory Op. (Guardian Unlimited -- Arts)
City's two-wheel transformation Feb 9, 2008
Planners hope the changes will encourage a "critical mass" of cyclists to use the routes, creating a safe and accessible environment as well as cutting congestion and pollution across London. "We are aiming to make cycling part of public transport and if we can get even 5% of people out of their cars, off the tubes and buses and on to bikes it will mean 1.7m cycle trips in London every day," said Mark Watts, transport adviser to the mayor. (Guardian Unlimited -- UK)
Signaling for Energy Efficiency Jan 4, 2008
The Zigbee Alliance says that its movement is building critical mass. It not only has enlisted the endorsement of investor-owned utilities in California and in Texas but it has also won the support of original equipment manufacturers, semiconductor makers and technology providers from around the world. (Energy Pulse, CO)
Midnight Ridazz are bound to keep on riding Dec 6, 2007
Along with Critical Mass -- a multi-city bicycle "event" founded in San Francisco in 1992 to promote cyclists' rights by taking the streets once a month at rush hour -- Midnight Ridazz and its growing diaspora of bicycle clubs have been pushing the envelope of what it means to be traffic, to the delight and fury of residents and officials ... So, in diametrical distinction to the politically charged but leaderless Critical Mass, Jensen set the precedent of promoting festively themed outings late... (Los Angeles Times)
SAN FRANCISCO - Bicyclists let good times roll at fundraiser Dec 4, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO / Bicyclists let good times roll at fundraiser / Holiday party, auction benefit Bicycle Coalition. " Browsing through the art and bicycle auction, Wako Takayama, 41, said she volunteered to help out at the event, even though she's too scared to ride her bike in San Francisco. "I've done a lot of long-distance riding, but I'm a big scaredy-cat. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Politics)
Cyclists calling attention to presence on streets Nov 30, 2007
Known as Critical Mass, cyclists take part in group rides beginning at 5:30 p.m. on the last Friday of each month. Other towns in Illinois listed on the Critical Mass Web site as hosting rides are Macomb, Chicago, Edwardsville, Evanston, Joliet, LaGrange, Oak Park and Peoria ... A movement and not an organization, Critical Mass has no spokesman. (The Pantagraph newspaper)
'Exergaming' takes foot Oct 22, 2007
Users competed for the best time rather than engage in live online racing -- there isn't a satisfying critical mass for that yet -- but "these contests have been very successful and we intend to do more of them," notes Brian Button, CEO of Expresso Fitness. Button says his company is planning a new fantasy-oriented route where users chase dragons on a mythical island. (CNN -- International)
Big Apple bike friendly? Award says so Oct 9, 2007
an environmental group that promotes a group bike ride called Critical Mass. Ross said she was once "doored" by a parked car a term used to describe when the passenger door flying open without a thought for bikes. (MSNBC -- Environment)
Boston by bike Sep 25, 2007
The ultimate goal for Prescott, Newell, and other biking enthusiasts is to see Bostonians embrace biking on a large scale, creating a critical mass of cyclists that would in turn encourage others to get out and ride. "When there are more bikes out, it becomes a cause-and-effect thing, where more people become aware of it and want to go out and ride," says Porter. (Boston Globe -- Living)
Hummer hate: Off the road, big boys Sep 8, 2007
"Idiocy reaches critical mass and fuels off itself.". Search the News Search. (Globe and Mail)
Berlin's Bicycle Boom Aug 23, 2007
Critical Mass More than a decade ago, documentary filmmaker Ted White and bicycle designer George Bliss called one variation on this theme critical mass ... Critical mass was in fact a phrase that popped into my head when first seeing the interplay between cars and bikes in Berlin ... The phrase critical mass (there it is again) has come to stand for intentionally disruptive that do demonstrate the concept but put motorists on the defensive. (CBS News)
Ethical living Aug 16, 2007
"If a critical mass of people get on these bikes, it will change the way drivers react to cyclists - it will force the city to put in more cycle lanes," says Alexandre, an IT technician who has cycled to the Champs-Elys;es for lunch with a colleague who hasn't ridden a bike since he was 12. Wisely, they have taken the pedestrian underpass rather than negotiate the ;toile roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe. (Guardian Unlimited)
San Francisco cyclists raising awareness, animosity Aug 13, 2007
A taxi was surrounded as cyclists rode up Lombard Street in San Francisco last month during Critical Mass. On the last Friday of each month, Critical Mass cyclists embark on an unrehearsed cross-town jaunt that transforms the landscape ... On the last Friday of each month, the cyclists of Critical Mass embark on an unrehearsed cross-town jaunt that, for a few hours, transforms the urban landscape. (Boston Globe)
The wheel has turned for Tour Jul 28, 2007
Yes, yes, I know there are certainly still clean riders there - hopefully including all the Australians - but surely the whole thing has now become so rotten that a critical mass has been reached whereby the best thing would be to suspend the Tour for a year or so, until such times as a new testing regime can be instituted and cycling fans around the world can have some confidence that the only thing powering the peloton up the Pyrenees is heart, will and natural strength alone. Lance Armstrong... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
It’s Big, But Not Easy Jul 20, 2007
but until OpenCable gets critical mass consumers again will have to wait. If independence day 2007 is really going to stick, it s now up to TV and electronics makers to make devices that provide access to the full range of cable system services. (Multichannel News)
THE CITY OF LIGHT, AND BIKES / Jul 17, 2007
" Users can rent a bike online or at any of the stations using a credit or debit card, and leave them at any other station. A one-day pass costs 1 euro ($1.38), a weekly pass 5 euros ($6.90) and a yearly subscription 29 euros ($40), with no additional charges as long as each bike ride does not exceed 30 minutes. The first half hour after users pick up a bike is always free, with an extra euro tacked on for the first additional half hour, 2 euros for the second and 4 euros for every extra half... (San Francisco Chronicle)
In France, 'libert' comes with two wheels Jul 16, 2007
"It's the cycling paths but it's also a question of critical mass," Dumesnil said. "The more bikes there are, the more car drivers get used to them and the more care they take.". (International Herald Tribune)
Bike advocacy evolves from Critical Mass to political know-how Apr 29, 2007
But a series of attention-grabbing street protests that started 15 years ago in the form of the monthly Critical Mass rides, which attract hundreds to thousands of cyclists, put bike interests in full public view ... "The movement is no longer battling City Hall to be sensitive.'' Just this month, the alliance claimed victory in its long-fought battle to ban private automobiles along some roadways in Golden Gate Park on Saturdays, ending years of controversy that has played out on the ballot and... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Politics)
Critical Mass pedals politely through S.F. Apr 29, 2007
"Prevent aggressive Massers from ruining our ride,'' said the flyer. It advised riders to avoid confrontations with motorists, to assist cars trapped in the street to get out of the way and to be friendly to pedestrians and welcoming to other bicyclists. Aggressive Massers, it suggested, should be surrounded and told to behave themselves. Many of the cyclists waiting for the start of Critical Mass said they were there to enjoy a safe group ride through the busy streets as well as to send a... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Mayor Newsom warns Critical Mass riders Apr 7, 2007
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said Thursday he will not order arrests of Critical Mass riders but cautioned that another incident could end the monthly event ... In the wake of Friday's clash between bicyclists and a family in a minivan, some have called for Critical Mass to be halted ... After meeting with Police Chief Heather Fong, he said the city may increase the number of officers, but people in the cycling community may also be asked to work as Critical Mass monitors. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Crime)
U.S.-Cuba Thaw Tantalizes Observers Feb 19, 2007
" The committee aims to mobilize the hundreds of thousands of Cubans who have arrived since 1980 and who reject the isolation strategy adopted by exiles who fled after the 1959 revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power. Antonio Zamora, a Bay of Pigs veteran who has parted ways with anti-Castro militants, has formed a group that is pursuing normalized relations. "That we are not engaging with Cuba is very damaging to our future and to the possible influence we can have in Cuba," Zamora said.... (Tampa Bay Online, FL -- News)
Hungary's bikers rally in Budapest for more bicycle roads Dec 3, 2006
Some 3,000 cyclists of the Critical Mass movement rode through Budapest on Saturday in a campaign for better infrastructure for cycling. The activists ended their rally by handing over a petition to a Transport Ministry official, reiterating promises concerning infrastructure projects made by political parties in their campaign before the general elections in spring. (People's Daily Online, China)
Holy Rollers Nov 6, 2006
Since 2004, about six hundred cyclists have been arrested while participating in monthly political-protest rides known as Critical Mass, most notably during the Republican National Convention, when scores were ensnared in nets, and later imprisoned, and their bikes were confiscated as evidence ... The week before, the N.Y.P.D., in a move widely understood to target Critical Mass, had announced new parade rules requiring all groups of twenty or more bicyclists, or thirty-five or more pedestrians,... (New Yorker)
Cycling supporters on a roll in S.F. Aug 22, 2006
"There is broad public support for better biking conditions,'' said Leah Shahum, who runs the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. She said a new poll of 400 likely voters by David Binder Research found that nearly 3 in 4 respondents favored creating more bike lanes in San Francisco. The fact that the monthly Critical Mass ride -- an event organized independently of the Bicycle Coalition at which anywhere from dozens to thousands of bikers take to the streets on the last Friday of the month --... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Politics)
ROBERT PROUDFOOT Jul 6, 2006
For other organizations such as Critical Mass, bicycle usage seems to be more a political lifestyle choice than an argument for efficiency. Why has Transportation Alternatives given bicycle riding such a high priority. (New York Press)
Cycling is a passion - and a mission - for Vinton resident Jun 23, 2006
Bowman invites Vintonites however to downtown Roanoke, Troutville and other venues during the Coventry Commonwealth Games, when a critical mass of cyclists will be in the valley for a series of challenges. Bowman said recently that tight turns, cobblestoned pedestrian street crossings, a number of steep climbs and road closure issues means that Vinton won t be a race venue next month although it could be considered in the future. (Vinton Messenger, VA)
Grab A Bike, Start A Revolution Jun 22, 2006
Later this month, an event called Critical Mass will be taking place in which people around the globe bike together, thrusting the earth's rotation forwards. Transforming themselves into something of modern-day Thoreaus, these self-reliant collectivists commit themselves to actual action, be it practical or symbolic, in an earnest attempt to help mold a better world for human progeny. (The Daily Campus, CT)
Wheeling and dealing May 28, 2006
Critical Ass is a bit like the more well-known Critical Mass event, except that the bicyclists are either nude or in their underwear. Tag and Save. (Toronto Star -- GTA)
Would you spend $14,000 for this bike? Apr 23, 2006
And the number of aging boomers with bad knees who have hung up their running shoes just as they hit their peak earning years has injected a critical mass of wealth and popularity never before seen in American cycling. Around Greater Boston, with its concentration of successful, white, male techies -- who are at the core of this trend, according to market analysts -- the proliferation of high-tech bikes is unusually broad. (Boston Globe -- Local)
Critical Mass Ride Gets Messy Feb 22, 2006
Critical Impasse With arrests growing and two cops hurt, Critical Mass gets messy by Sarah FergusonFebruary 21st, 2006 12:00 PM. Paulette Giguere gets arrested again at Critical Mass ... "They've been playing with fire," says Ryan Kuonen, a volunteer with , the grassroots environmental group that is being sued by the city for promoting Critical Mass. (Village Voice)
Disney applies ESPN model to broadband strategy (Reuters) Jan 1, 2006
For now, Disney makes its money from licensing fees but will eventually layer in advertising as soon as "we get to a critical mass" of subscribers, said Alberg Cheng, executive vice president of digital media for ABC Television. Disney content created for broadband, such as videos, games and archival footage, is not offered elsewhere. (RSS - Yahoo News - Entertainment)
