I’ve bumped into the monthly Critical Mass biking event in central Toronto once before, but tonight was the first time I participated for real. It was pretty awesome, we were some 250 people on bikes riding through the city for a good hour and a half, closely watched by a dozen police officers. Nobody crossed any red-lights but we did block a couple of driving lanes pretty much every where we went. People in the streets generally met us with a smile, while some people in cars honked their horns in frustration. An event like this is a fine balance between attracting supporters and annoying people.

The event doesn’t have an outspoken political agenda, but I think most of us participate as a statement to promote biking in a city clogged with traffic. Having heard the mayoral candidates speak their mind on bike lanes makes me shiver. We need more people at these events! Please join me next time. It takes place every last Friday of the month, at 6pm. More information here and here.

Here are a few videos and photos from the event:

We started on Bloor Street at Spadina Avenue, as usual.

Here we're hitting Queen Street coming from the north on University Avenue.

As usual the trumpet was being played.

Before the event The BIXI bicycles were being promoted.