Kidical Mass meets on the third Friday of the month to bring
people together and demonstrate bike safety as we ride through the city. It is
a family event. Last month our group met at the Park Blocks in downtown Portland--a motley
group of families on bikes ranging from wooden scooters to bakfietsen like mine. We listened
to the organizer explain the evening ride through the city. Everyone gave a loud cheer. And
then...on your mark…..get set….. PEDAL!
Except pedal slowly, wear bright clothes and helmets, stop
at the stop signs, stay in the bike lanes, and use hand signals.
There is a safety leader for each ride, and both kids and adults have a good time.
This is Kidical
Mass, a polite nod to the Critical Mass
bicycle events where bicyclists take
over the streets to ride hundreds strong through the city, slowing and
even stopping traffic along the way. Both events make the presence of
the bike and bicyclist
known, but otherwise they are completely different. Kidical Mass is unique to families, is law-abiding, and teaches safety skills to families.
It's not Critical Mass, but it is a critical mass.
In Portland, instead of one large ride, it has evolved
into several smaller rides, each one close to the neighborhoods from which the
riders come. For the October downtown ride, twenty-four of us rode the downtown ride
through the city, bells ringing and lights blinking.
Angela is the effort behind our ride. She brought the Kidical
Mass idea up to Portland from Eugene, OR,
where others had started it. She and her family are avid bicyclists and live
car-free. Her daughter was at the ride tonight and was a model youth rider.
Angela works at the Bicycle Transportation Alliance where the mission is to
make bicycling safer, more convenient, and more accessible to Portland and SW
Washington since 1990.
Angela works this BTA mission through her work with Kidical
Mass which changes the perception of bikes; shows that bikes are effective and viable modes of transportation;
promotes the ease of city travel; and demonstrates the ease and safety with
which young people can ride.
Again, I was impressed with the attention and kindness of
the drivers in this city. Drivers went out of their way to keep a safe distance
and were not in the least bit bothered by a herd of kids going through the
intersections, one at a time. In every case where there was a car-bike
interaction, the driver just smiled and waved.
The next ride is November 21. Mark your calendars now!
Angela would love to see the event grow. As she states, “[Kidical Mass] is my
way of making the world a better place for all of our kids.” To get on the Kidical Mass mailing list for all neighborhoods, or for questions, email Angela. The BTA blog can be slow to update, so getting on the email list is your best bet.
Meet up for downtown is usually
5:30 pm at the play structure across from Emerson school. Come join us. Bring
your family and friends.
Coming up...CRANKSGIVING!