It works like this: people meet at a central location in the afternoon, and then bike together as one large group along a route. In some cities where the turnout is huge, the group is one large mass of people taking up the entire width of the road. In other places where the group is smaller, the cyclists share the road with the cars, staying to the right of the road going single-file along the route.
Whether we have 10 people, 100 people, or 1000 people show up, this would be a great activity to have in Youngstown.
But it doesn't have to be on a Friday afternoon. It can be held during the weekend, when perhaps more families can attend. We can take a slow pace weaving around the park and the downtown. Perhaps everyone who attends can meet up somewhere in the city for a meal or a drink after the ride. The police can even join in, alerting the public to our presence for safety. And everyone gets out of the house and gets a good workout. This is an activity that requires little cost, and has a variety of benefits.
Here is a beautiful poster that was posted at the movement's 10th anniversary website, as created by the San Francisco artist Mona Caron:
Much thanks to guv from the Cleveland Walks! blog, who emailed me the Google Maps Pedometer website, asking me to post my latest ride I wrote about in this blog.
Well, click HERE to check out a map I made online of the journey!
What a cool little program.
So here is an interactive activity and challenge I pose to my readers:
Go to www.gmap-pedometer.com and choose a 10 mile or so route around Youngstown that would be ideal for the first "Critical Mass Youngstown" ride.
Things to consider:
- level of difficulty for beginners (uphill)
- scenic beauty
- historical architecture and neighborhoods
- width of roads
- sharing space with automobiles
POST your IDEAS and MAPS in the comments section of this blog entry! I'll do a follow-up story in a few weeks.
2 comments:
hey cool:
here is one I made in about 2 minutes. That program is neat!
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=268557
Saturday, July 22nd, there will be a large Block Party on Park Avenue along Wick Park. There will be local artists and artisans, Hip-Hop, Rock, Poetry, Food, and other Street Vendors. This would be a great place to promote the potential Critical Mass evnt. If you have any questions about the event you can call me--dominic@330.518.5708.
One Love...
gattino
Pro-Yo
***Sorry for the late notice, but there is also a Jazz Fest on East Federal tonight, Friday, July 21st***
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