Critical Mass is an event that occurs on the last Friday of every month where bicyclists spontaneously come together to ride throughout the city's clogged streets. With an aim to draw attention towards the rights of bicyclists and pedestrians, an expected consequence has been their own share of some highly-publicized incidents with the NYPD. Regardless, the group pedals forward, seemingly gaining more riders each and every time.
Being it the last Friday of October, the group meets tonight at 7pm on the north side of Union Square at 17th Street and Broadway. It's also Halloween, so expect riders to be decked out in full costume! While some (cough, cough NYPD) might see the group as a problem to public safety, a spokesperson explains in a recent notice, "Although some obstruction of normal traffic occurs, we are only seeking to raise the profile of cycling, and put cycling and transport issues on the agenda so that they will not be ignored."
So if you're driving around tonight and happen to get stuck in Mass traffic, lay off the horn and enjoy the costumes, as in reality, they've got pedestrian interests at heart. And if you've got a bike, feel free to join! Membership is open to anyone. To get a feel for things, Flickr has a ton of great pictures from past Critical Mass Halloween rides, so click here to check them out. Their costumes are really spokey! (Get it? Spoke-y?! Happy Halloween!)
