Open Letter to the City Council

Mayor, Council Members, and City Staff,

The attendance of Tuesday's City Council meeting by just over 50 Critical Mass (CM) participants, with 33 entering public comments, indicates the broad base of support for Santa Monica Critical Mass (SMCM.) As always the rule that "for each supporter in attendance there are many supporters who are not" holds. (see story)

Hopefully now you all have a clear picture that SMCM, while disruptive to motor traffic, has a deeply positive effect within the cycling community. While SMCM is horizontally organized ("leaderless") in my judgment there is a strong consensus to seek a solution which mitigates the city's concerns and preserves the integrity of SMCM's traditional methodology. I think that SMCM desires a peaceful, even amicable, relationship with police.

Police attention to SMCM has been objectively inconsistent. The department was clearly aware of the ride but largely ignored it until July 2007, and since that time the degree of attention has varied wildly. Although the Council reminded us last night that they "cannot instruct police" the pattern of attention from the Police Department is not one of a department acting independently.

There are many major cities which have conflicted with a large CM and subsequently worked out a politically peaceful coexistence. Many SMCM participants have researched this by speaking with activists in such cities. Of particular note are Los Angeles, San Francisco, Brooklyn, London, Melbourne, and Manhattan.

Since losing a class action law suit in 2000, Los Angeles takes a "hands off, move the ride through quickly" approach. In San Francisco, Brooklyn, London, and Melbourne, CM is escorted by police who close intersections to allow the ride to proceed through as quickly as possible. In Manhattan the city council, after being ordered by a federal judge to cease harassment of CM, passed an onerous ordinance banning certain types of group processions. The result is ongoing conflict with CM and acrimonious relationship between police and cyclists. I urge you to contact city officials and police departments in these cities.

I was impressed with the range of options discussed by the council after public comment. City Attorney Moutrie and Councilman McKeown noted that the City makes special exemptions from traffic laws, particularly lights, for certain events such as funeral processions. I look forward to hearing what options the City staff consider for SMCM.

Ride safely,

Alex Thompson
Santa Monica Critical Mass Participant