CBC News: Bike rally to cool tensions between cyclists and drivers - 15 August, 2006

A bicycle store owner in Winnipeg hopes a bike rally next month will help ease tensions between cyclists and drivers. Scott Miller of Olympia Cycle and Ski is one of the organizers of a bike rally planned for September 6. He said Monday it will be different from the controversial Critical Mass rides that have raised the ire of drivers and concern by police. “We want people to realize that all of us are not willing to take back the streets,” Miler said. “We don’t want this to be a power struggle because as cyclists, we’ll always lose against an automobile. We have to get along.”

The Winnipeg Critical Mass group holds a monthly cycling rally through downtown Winnipeg to raise awareness of cycling as an environmentally friendly and healthy alternative to vehicle commuting, and to draw attention to the needs of cyclists who travel on city streets. In May, a group of about 70 protesters associated with the group blocked rush-hour traffic as they rode through downtown streets, sometimes taking up all the lanes in one direction. Seven people were arrested when the rally turned into a scuffle with police.

Wants to dispel ‘negative publicity’

“There’s been so much negative publicity over the Critical Mass rides,” Miller said. “I mean, it’s wonderful to have some sort of publicity, but boy, there’s already such a tension between motorists and cyclists that we don’t need any more of that.” Miller said cyclists on his ride will obey traffic rules, apply for a parade licence, and follow a designated route. He hopes to attract a big crowd in order to show the city it needs to create more bike lanes.