More than 100 people gathered with bikes outside Observatory Hill Dining Hall Friday to participate in the University’s first Critical Mass Ride. The event was organized by fourth-year College students Dyanna Jaye and Alex Wolz in collaboration with the Climate Action Society.
Critical Mass Ride, a phenomenon present across the country but especially popular in San Francisco, aims to promote biking as a form of transportation by flooding streets with bicyclists.
“Some people just do it because it is fun and empowering to bike together,” Jaye said. “I feel [like] there is a purpose that is more than social. I think that we need to, as a culture, recognize cyclists more, as well as cycling as an important mode of transportation.”
Students and community members showed up in costume to celebrate Halloween and participate in the Critical Mass Ride. Jaye, Wolz and students from Climate Action Society put the event together and said they were surprised at how many people showed up.
“The coolest thing to me was how [the ride] organized itself,” second-year College student Hannah Beaman said. “We decided the date a while ago and it started on its own. People from the community came as well; there were a lot of people cheering us on.”
Climate Action Society, an activist society promoting solutions to climate change at the local and national levels, worked hand in hand with Jaye and Wolz to organize the Critical Mass Ride as a way to encourage alternate forms of transportation.
“Especially for cyclists, [the University is] one of the best universities for transportation mainly because our campus doesn’t have space to allow students to drive,” Jaye said. “U.Va. has one of the highest percentages of students who walk or bike to class. We can definitely can do a lot more in regards to our energy consumption, but there are a lot of good people working on things. I am excited to see what U.Va. does this year; we are definitely in a transition state.”
By promoting biking as a form of transportation, members of Climate Action Society hope to create a safer environment for bikers on Grounds.
“I think we can be more conscious of the safety of bikers alongside cars in traffic,” third-year College student Jennifer Natyzak said. "I hope people start to feel more encouraged to fight for their right to bike … and see it as a good way to live."
For Jaye, Wolz and members of Climate Action Society, the Critical Mass Ride was a way to raise awareness of the University’s energy consumption and encourage further efforts toward resource conservation.
“For me, [Critical Mass Ride] is a moral thing and it is very important to know where your energy comes from and understand the effects,” Jaye said. “It is also important to do justice to that and use your energy wisely. Energy is not free; it comes from mountains in West Virginia. I think there are a lot of benefits to U.Va. taking bold steps and being more consciously minded. When we start paying attention to our carbon emission, I think it shows other places that it is possible and it sets a high standard.”
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