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East Bay | Environment & Forest Defense

Emeryville Critical Mass Rides Again: Visits Lake Merritt
by Jason Meggs
Sunday May 27th, 2007 2:58 AM
Emeryville Critical Mass visited Lake Merritt in Oakland on May 26, 2007
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Emeryville Critical Mass rode from the MacArthur BART station on May 26, 2007.

The new ride was unusually small due to the holiday weekend. Participants elected to visit Lake Merritt in Oakland instead.

Jason Meggs of the BCLU and Wheels of Change Productions recorded interviews on a cell phone. Sound and image quality are lacking as a result.

WARNING: THIS FOOTAGE HAS BEEN EDITED!! OMIGOD!

Highlights:

1) The 7-person mass is joined by an 8th rider;

2) Discussion of access for bicyclists and pedestrians around Lake Merritt, including a swoop through the center of the southbound portion of the very scary "shortest freeway on earth," various considerations of upcoming plans to redesign the perimeter (mostly not caught on video), as well as an idea for providing bicycle services and rentals oriented towards accessing the lake as a boon for bicycling and economic development in Oakland both;

3) Geese in the road ("Geese Critical Mass" -- without allusion to the similarities between geese and CM);

4) A participant describes being hit by a driver who happens to be a senior citizen within blocks of leaving the May 11, 2007 Critical Mass Berkeley (the ride that ended with the now infamous attack by Mr. Head, who crushed three bicycles and injured at least two riders);

5) The issue of how the undemocratic car-dependent transport system has harmed access for both young and old alike is discussed briefly.

Note that because this was a smaller ride, the demonstrators elected to stay in one or at most two lanes.

Visit to a Tunnel
by Jason Meggs Sunday May 27th, 2007 2:58 AM
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Riders investigated one of the tunnels under the freeway-style roadway at Lake Merritt (not caught on film). To their surprise, the tunnel was not locked this time.

Lake Merritt: speedway first and foremost
by Jason Meggs Sunday May 27th, 2007 2:58 AM
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The area around Lake Merritt is remarkably hostile to pedestrians as it was designed to emulate a "free"way rather than a feature for humans to access and enjoy. Multiple lanes join from all sides, some rising up from tunnels. Severe potholes, grates of death, and ill-considered roadway surface impediments complete the picture of a hostile and terrifying environment. Traffic was very light due to the holiday weekend.

Note that participants did not occupy the entire roadway.

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Religion in the USA and Legal LatitudeMayTRexWednesday May 30th, 2007 8:51 PM