Two press releases, beginning with the Bay Area version
and finishing with the Sacramento version.



(1) Bay Area Version:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 2, 2001

KRISS LEADS RIDE TO SACRAMENTO

Riders and supporters will gather for interviews and photos on the front steps of Berkeley City Hall at 8 AM. Berkeley City Hall is located at 2180 Milvia Street, between Allston and Center, just one long block west of the Downtown Berkeley BART and AC Transit hub.

Riders will take BART from Berkeley to the Pittsburgh/Bay Point station to regroup at 9:15 AM with riders from San Francisco and elsewhere. A BART strike does not cancel the ride.

The ride is approximately 65 miles in distance. Support vehicles will be on hand in case of breakdown or other difficulty, so no one will be left behind.

Another Bay Area group will take Amtrak on the Capitol Corridor to Sacramento, gathering at 1:30 PM at the Emeryville Amtrak station. All participants may return by 8 PM on Amtrak, return in support vehicles, or ride back under their own power.

The rally and ride coincides with Sacramento Critical Mass, which has recently been initiated in the State Capitol. Although the rides have been peaceful and legal, police have been very heavy handed. Sacramento, like Berkeley, has one of the worst bicycle and pedestrian safety records in California and devotes only a tiny fraction of resources to traffic patrol. Yet the recent Sacramento Critical Mass experienced a massive police turnout. Numerous false citations were issued. Many such charges have already been dismissed by the District Attorney. Complaints regarding discrimination, service, false citations and more have already been filed with the Office of Police Accountability (OPA). Videotape exists proving the claims.

The Bicycle Civil Liberties Union is leading a campaign to protect the rights of Critical Mass riders to ride peacefully and legally on public highways. By bringing the Critical Mass to the State Capitol steps and coinciding with a rally for alternative transportation, the BCLU hopes the police will reconsider their attitude towards bicyclists and begin to focus on real benefits to the community such as discouraging dangerous behavior by deadly motorcars (which are over 1,000 times more dangerous than bicyclists).

"There's a Critical Mass of cars everyday," said one participant, "what's wrong with a group of bicyclists sharing our roads?"

Critical Mass is an international phenomenon which started in San Francisco in Sept. of 1992. The Sacramento Critical Mass meets on the first Friday of each month, now in its new location. Critical Mass is "just a bike ride" despite its many political and cultural ramifications. There are no leaders and everyone is welcome to participate. http://www.critical-mass.org/

CONTACT:

 Kriss Worthington, Berkeley Councilmember & Assembly candidate, (510) 981-7170
 Jason Meggs, Director, Bicycle Civil Liberties Union, (510) 720-2818 (pager)




(2) Sacramento Version:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 4, 2001
 
 
NEW TAKE ON SACRAMENTO CRITICAL MASS
 
Rally in Support of Alternative Transportation on the Capitol Steps
Bay Area supporters to arrive by train and by bicycle
 
On Friday, September 7, a new, positive approach to Sacramento Critical
Mass will be launched, beginning with a rally in support of alternative
transportation on the Capitol Steps from 5-6 PM followed by a "critical
mass" bicycle ride through downtown.  The rally is being convened by the
Bicycle Civil Liberties Union, http://www.bclu.org/.  
 
Although Sacramento is becoming more bicycle-friendly, no one can deny
that much work needs to be done to accommodate the comfort, convenience
and safety bicycling needs and deserves. Grassroots activists have hit the
streets with flyers and word-of-mouth outreach to promote the "new and
improved Critical Mass".  This is a citizen effort watch-dogged by the
BCLU and others who are concerned that the discrimination against
bicyclists has reached an all-time high.
 
Critical Mass was recently reborn in the State Capitol.  Although the
rides have been peaceful and legal, police have been heavy handed in their
response. Sacramento has one of the worst bicycle and pedestrian safety
records in California and devotes only a tiny fraction of resources to
traffic patrol.  Yet the recent Sacramento Critical Mass experienced a
massive police turnout.  Numerous false citations were issued.  Many such
charges have already been dismissed by the District Attorney.  Complaints
regarding discrimination, service, false citations and more have already
been filed with the Office of Police Accountability (OPA).  Videotape
exists proving the claims.
 
The Bicycle Civil Liberties Union is leading the campaign to protect the
rights of Critical Mass riders to ride peacefully and legally on public
highways.  With Critical Mass' move to the State Capitol steps coinciding
with a rally for alternative transportation, the BCLU hopes the police
will reconsider their attitude towards bicyclists and begin to focus on
real benefits to the community such as discouraging dangerous behavior by
deadly motorcars (which are over 1,000 times more dangerous than
bicyclists). 
 
"There's a Critical Mass of cars everyday," said one participant, "what's
wrong with a group of bicyclists sharing our roads?" 
 
Two delegations of support will travel to Sacramento from the San
Francisco Bay Area, where bicycle and pedestrian safety and improved
transit service are issues at the forefront of local concerns.  One group
will take Amtrak and the other will arrive by bicycle.  The ride is
approximately 65 miles in distance, and will be lead by bicycle-friendly
Berkeley City Councilperson and candidate for Assembly, Kriss
Worthington.  Support vehicles will be on hand in case of breakdown or
other difficulty, so no one will be left behind.
 
Critical Mass is an international phenomenon which started in San
Francisco in September of 1992.  The Sacramento Critical Mass meets on the
first Friday of each month, now in its new location.  Critical Mass is
"just a bike ride" despite its many political and cultural
ramifications.  There are no leaders and everyone is welcome to
participate. http://www.critical-mass.org/
 
September is "Car-Free Month" and September 20 is "World Car-Free Day".
 
CONTACT:
 
Kriss Worthington, Berkeley Councilmember & Assembly candidate,
(510) 548-8796, kriss-AT-dsp.com
Jason Meggs, Director, Bicycle Civil Liberties Union, (510) 720-2818
(pager), jmeggs-AT-bclu.org