“Bike Every Workday!”
CRITICAL MASS BICYCLE DEMONSTRATION ON CAR FREE DAY 2006
Budapest, Hungary

On the occasion of Car Free Day 2006, Critical Mass Budapest is organising a large scale bicycle demonstration to raise awareness and bring the public's attention to the mass demand for better conditions represented by bicyclists, who choose this environmentally friendly form of transport as an alternative to motor vehicles.

DATE: Friday, 22 September 2006
TIME: 6:00 PM (assembling starts at 5:30 PM)
ROUTE:

GOALS:

Much like in other parts of the world, the goals of Critical Mass Budapest are to raise awareness on the benefits of bicycling and other alternative means of transportation, and to assert cyclists' right to the road.

Alternative Transportation
Critical Mass Budapest is a mass demonstration aimed at bringing the public’s attention to the crisis caused by motor vehicles in terms of traffic jams and environmental pollution. It promotes the bicycle as a healthy, fast, cheap and environmentally friendly alternative mode of transport. The organisers of this event would like to encourage the local population to use their bicycles for transportation whenever possible, and not just for recreation or sports.

Lobbying and Advocacy
Critical Mass Budapest is also meant to influence decision makers and city planners toward creating more bicycle paths, designing better and safer bicycle lanes, and providing facilities for bicycle storage and transport. These are meant to result in reduced smog and traffic, thereby improving the quality of life in the city.

Independent, non-affiliated
Critical mass is completely independent of any political parties, organisations or movements. It is not a registered organisation, but rather an “organised coincidence” (as it is often called in other places).

Peaceful
While offering an opportunity for cyclists to make a statement, socialise, and celebrate cycling, Critical Mass is non-confrontational toward motorists and attempts to minimise the level of inconvenience the rides cause for all those who are not involved: pedestrians, public transportation, and individual drivers.

OTHER PROGRAMS:

The 2006 Carr Free Day ride is part of a series of Hungarian events in cooperation with the European Mobility Week (http://www.mobilityweek-europe.org), including related gatherings and public performances on Sunday, 17 September on Andrássy Boulevard, Budapest. (http://www.budapest.hu/engine.aspx?page=automentes06 , http://www.budapest.hu/resource.aspx?ResourceID=mobilitas2 , PDF in Hungarian)

THE ORIGIN OF CRITICAL MASS AND THE STORY BEHIND THE NAME:

Critical Mass originated in 1992 in San Francisco, and it quickly spread to many other cities. Its name comes from Ted White's 1992 documentary film "Return of the Scorcher". The film covers a typical scene in China, where cyclists need to congregate in large and dense groups – a critical mass – to be able to cross certain high-volume streets where there are no traffic lights. For more info please visit: http://critical-mass.info/origin.html

CRITICAL MASS BUDAPEST:

Background
The first Critical Mass ride in Budapest was organised on Car Free Day, September 22, 2004, though it was preceded by at least 50 similar bicycle events initiated either by organisations, groups of bicycle couriers, or other pockets of non-affiliated individuals. The September 2004 ride, however, was significant in that it combined almost every previous organiser into one mass of cycle enthusiasts and concerned citizens. That event drew a surprising 4000 participants. By Earth Day 2005, the number of Critical Mass participants reached 10,000, and doubled again for the September 2005 event, reaching 20,000. On Earth Day 2006 an international record of 32,000 participants was reached.

Accomplishments
The 2005 Critical Mass rides constituted a real breakthrough for they directed continued media attention toward the events and related issues. Top Hungarian celebrities made statements in support of Critical Mass (http://criticalmass.hu/?q=node/7, in Hungarian) and several other Hungarian cities and municipalities began organising their own rides.

Negotiations began with the Budapest City Council, resulting in an increase in the length of bicycle lanes and paths constructed (going from a yearly average of 1-2 km to 30 km this year). The planning process now incorporates consultation with experts involved in Critical Mass. Similarly – the Hungarian Ministry of Economy and Transport has recently created the post of Ombudsman of Bicycle Affairs, and has appropriated a substantial budget for establishing bicycle routes nationwide.

In a March 2006 ride organised in light of upcoming Hungarian Parliamentary elections, Critical Mass participants stopped by each of the four parliamentary party headquarters, lifted their bikes above their heads, and delivered a petition containing recommendations for improving bicycle transportation in Hungary. The event was called “Tour de Voks” (“Tour de Votes”), and each party responded to the petition with its own bicycle program. Critical Mass plans to hold the winners to their promises.

The April 22 2006 Critical Mass / Earth Day demonstration attracted an estimated 32,000 cyclists, including László Sólyom, president of the Republic of Hungary, who rode along with the participants, rendering unprecedented esteem to an unprecedented turnout in Hungarian as well as international terms.
http://www.budapestsun.com/full_story.asp...
http://www.budapestsun.com/full_story.asp...
photos: http://plog.uw.hu/keptar/criticalmass/zs-_cmpano4_web.jpg http://index.hu/cikkepek/0604/kult/bringa//.gdata/gp_17.jpg

Possibly the greatest accomplishment is the fact that the number of people using their bicycles on a daily basis in Budapest has doubled for the second year in a row, a growth rate unmatched anywhere else in the world.

We believe that we are slowly building a cleaner, more liveable, and bicycle friendly Budapest.

Critical Mass in other Hungarian Cities
Baja, Debrecen, Eger, Győr, Kaposvár, Miskolc, Orosháza, Pécs, Sopron, Szászhalombatta, Szeged
http://criticalmass.hu/og

RELATED MATERIAL

NEWS ARTICLES
April 27, 2006 - A critical mass critique - By Greg Spencer
April 27, 2006 - It's critical
April 21, 2006 - Critical Mass: Two Wheels Good, Four Wheels Bad
September 29, 2005 - Critical time for City Hall - By Eszter Balázs
September 22, 2005 - It's critical: On your bike, please.
April 19, 2005 - Pestiside PSA: Critial Mass Budapest 2005

MASTER’S THESIS
Challenges to Making Cycling a Key Element of Budapest’s Transport System
By GREG SPENCER, 2005
http://www.zoldmedia.hu/gspencer/

For further information please visit: www.criticalmass.hu

or contact:

Gábor Bihari
Volunteer Organiser
gabor@zoldmedia.hu
+36 30 516-8731