Long Beach is about to reach “Kidical Mass”. This event, led by the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association, supported by Bixby Knolls businesses, and sponsored by two City Council districts and the Mayor, encourages young people and their families to participate in a neighborly bicycle ride through the heart of Bixby Knolls.
The event begins on Sunday, May 20th, at Los Cerritos Park at the intersection of Bixby Road and Country Club Drive. Riders will gather at 12:30pm and get prepped for Bicycle Safety Instruction at 1pm. Tony Cruz, our Bike Ambassador and a professional cyclist who competed with the American Team in the 2000 Olympics, will lead the class. After the instruction, the group will ride on a short but scenic tour of the beautiful neighborhoods of Bixby and head to Georgie’s Place, a Greek Restaurant and American Grill at 3850 Atlantic Ave. Georgie’s, who’s entire parking lot will be dedicated to the event, will offer up complimentary ice cream to riders after the trip. As for the route, “It’s top secret.” says Krista Leaders of the BIA with a smile.
You might already be familiar with Kidical Mass, an event growing in popularity nationwide in other bike friendly cities. Or, you might at least recognize its similarity in name to “Critical Mass”. Critical Mass is a monthly group bicycle ride that occurs in more than 300 cities worldwide on the last Friday of the month that encourages the use of bicycles instead of automobiles for transportation. However, Critical Mass has gone through some growing pains in Long Beach and the last time it occurred here, there was a bit of a mix up that got quite a few cyclists cited and bicycles impounded. See Sander’s article about that bewildering event here.
I doubt “Kidical Mass” will have the same problem, considering this ride is supported by 7th District Councilmember James Johnson and former 8th District Councilmember Rae Gabelich. Even Mayor Bob Foster himself will be riding along.
“This is not a rogue event, it’s definitely about having fun, but there’s an emphasis on bike safety so we can teach the kids about stopping and looking and obeying the rules of the road.” Says Blair Cohn, director of the Business Improvement Association for Bixby Knolls.
Traffic is very light in the whole Bixby area on Sundays and riding through the residential areas will be easily accessible for young riders. As well, Blair tells me, there will be four adult monitors charged with looking after sections of the ride. They will not only be “keeping the kids on the correct side of the road, but also making sure they stop at stop signs.”
“That’s part of the fun in all this. There’s kind of an irony in the name a little bit. It’s kind of thumbing the nose at that whole situation. Because here it’s kids in helmets riding, it’s not … getting in the way of traffic.”
The organizers have also successfully partnered with the LBPD for the ride. The North Division police station will have two bike officers out in front, not just watching or marshalling the ride, they’ll be in it.
The event will be a symbol of a new partnership, not only of Bixby Knolls businesses but also of the LBPD, two council offices, and the Mayor, all promoting bike safety and fitness. Doing a ride right, with the right partners, promoting businesses and bike friendly retail districts means this ride can happen “without a swat team being called in” says Blair.
The Bike Friendly Retail District program in Bixby Knolls started slowly about two years ago, first with the installation of new bike racks and the purchase of their cargo bike. It has gathered steam in the past few months though. Now, Bixby Knolls is leading the charge for Bike Friendly Retail Districts as it continues to produce innovative new programs and events for bikes in the area.
The BKBIA has put in some serious work getting the word out, canvassing local schools and businesses. Now, between the Bixby Knolls Strollers, the Bike Saturday Program, and two different bike rides occurring monthly, it seems the community is likely to continue the push to embrace bicycle and pedestrian transportation.
This ride and others like it aim to tie together the strings of the bike and pedestrian mission of Long Beach in a fun way. This is a new group of bike riders. This is not the typical “Midnight Ridaz” or tall-bike jouster. This is a different kind of Mass that has gone Critical. These are kids and families. One thing can be said with certainty, once kids and families are participating in group bicycle rides, it is a sure sign that bicycles have become a social norm. And none of us can complain about that.
As a bike guy, I am thrilled to see the positive moves the city has made all across the board. The willingness to lead family rides like this in an area that, until very recently was not a bike neighborhood at all, is a very good indicator that Long Beach’s hard work is beginning to pay off.
Whether you’re a new bike rider or a die-hard commuter, you should come ride with us on May 20th. Giving kids the opportunity to feel cool and be respected for riding their bikes can only increase the likelihood that they will ride them. Giving kids opportunities to feel skilled and confident at riding their bikes in the street just might give them the power to put less cars on the road in the future. These kids are our future, and that’s a future that I can look forward to.