A Route To Celebrate Car-Free JFK

JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park is now permanently car-free! On Tuesday, April 26, the SF Board of Supervisors voted to pass Mayor London Breed’s plan, with ammendments to ensure accesibility and equity.

To celebrate, I am proposing a route thru the “JFK Promenade” which also traverses other important bike routes still requiring serious people-first safety improvements: Market St, Valencia St, The Wiggle, and The Great Walkway.

You can also follow along via digital map:

• Ride with GPS
• Google Maps
• jfk-xerox.gpx track

To that end, I am reviving the classic Critical Mass tradition of “xerocracy,” i.e. leadership through photocopied leaflets, at least for today. I figure it’s a fitting first post for this new site and a way to pay homage to SF Critical Mass’s founders and history. As a newcomer and outsiders who’s greatly enjoyed Critical Mass since first coming less than a year ago, I’ve spent a good amount of time thinking about Critical Mass’s present and future role in San Francisco. And I’m very optimisitic; I think the future is promising.

The Promising Future of Critical Mass

I recently talked with one of the original founders (Hugh D’Andrade) and he echoed a bit of a curious cynicism also found in the old sfcriticalmass.org blog posts of decades past. That SF Critical Mass has lost its political relevance and deservedly earned a reputation as a band of confrontation-seekers. The most recent dot org blog post directly about SF Critical Mass is from August 31st, 2013; pessimistically titled “Lost Etiquette, Growing Incoherence”. In the most recent June 5, 2020 post “George Floyd Memorial Ride”, critical mass originator Chris Carlsson laments:

I haven’t been to Critical Mass in San Francisco for about a year, and only went intermittently in the few years before that… it has long ago lost its purpose, its joy, and its function as place to meet, discuss, and imagine a better world.

…

Maybe Critical Mass as a monthly event has passed its time (not such a big deal, after 28 years!)… but it’s great that the tactic was on the shelf ready to be embraced by thousands of San Franciscans who know how to do it!

In many ways Carlsson is right. In the last decades the political roles that SF Critical Mass perhaps held have transfered on to other organizations. The SF Bike Coalition seems to have gained some teeth and, along with newer organizations such as Kid Safe SF, Walk SF, SafeStreetRebel, etc., were instrumental in Car-Free JFK’s success.

Meanwhile bike parties (in SF and around the bay) have provided alternate large celebratory group rides for the past decade or so. Although these rides are certainly Critical Mass-adjacent and do not exist in a political vacuum (many people fighting for safer streets attend), they are mostly apolitical. Interestingly, when I first rode with Critical Mass it did not feel any more politically principled than Bike Party—it seemed to just be a Bike Party but with a bit less music and a bit more chaos.

SF Critical Mass attendance is also certainly lower than decades ago, with counts in the several dozens rather than several thousands. When I first attended I was surprised by how old the demographic was, and that perhaps I (in my mid 20s) was the youngest person there. But that’s not so surprising knowing that SF Critical Mass will be celebrating it’s thirtieth anniversary in September of this year, 2022. But that is no excuse: Carlsson admits in the August 2013 post, “It’s not exactly a revelation to speak about how poorly we Critical Massers have managed to transmit our culture to the new generation(s) over the past decade and a half.” There he was mainly referring to etiquette, but now it certainly applies to attracting new massers at all.

But the current state of Critical Mass is a great opportunity and cause for optimism. The current groups of 50-100 are stil enough to form a safe, fun critical mass of bikes (and better than thousands for meeting new friends!). And I don’t see people seeking confrontation trying to fight cars. Mostly just smiles and waves to and from curious onlookers.

Of course no action takes place in a vacuum: reclaiming the streets on bike is no doubt political. But beyond that, on the ride I’ve met many friends fighting for positive change in San Francisco, especially among the younger generation. It isn’t as outwardly visible as the pamphletting (though that seems to be coming back!) but it’s gotten me to participate in bike actions and the bureaucratic process.

As Critical Mass contiues, we (the massers) can make it an even better force for good. Nowadays I don’t think Critical Mass has much of a bad reputation… or in fact much reputation at all. Many think it a relic of the past (if they are even aware of it at all). Including the founders, who have left the Critical Mass accounts mostly abandoned. But no, it’s still here, it’s a lot of fun, come join us! Hope to see you at SF Critical Mass!