"In a city made for cars, why are bicycles getting places faster?"
Los Angeles, CA (May 12, 2008) — Beginning in April, as commuters were mired in the typical Friday rush-hour traffic logjam, members of an organization calling itself CRIMANIMALZ [krim-an-i-muhlz] have taken to two of Los Angeles' busiest freeways on bicycles in a flash mob-type protest aimed at raising questions about transportation. Weaving in and out of choked traffic, cyclists surprised frustrated motorists with a spirited sprint on the region's most clogged and polluted arteries. More rides are planned.
Friday, April 18th, 2008
The time (5:30 p.m.) and day (April 19) were carefully chosen after considerable research and scouting over a two-week planning stage. Based on unverified data and rider speculation, motor vehicles were moving at a speed between 5 and 10 mph. There was no strategy on what to do when actually on the freeway, as the group's riders agreed to an "every rider for themselves" approach in regards to possible police retaliation.
Starting in Santa Monica, 15 bicyclists boarded the Cloverfield on-ramp (Santa Monica Fwy/I-10) and rode 0.87 miles to the Centinela off-ramp. They re-entered the 1-10 Fwy at Bundy and rode 0.44 miles to the I-405 N on-ramp and rode another 1.56 miles to the Santa Monica Blvd. exit. The ramp to the I-405 N was a steep grade and 0.65 miles in length. Riders spanned a total of 2.87 freeway miles.
Media Information
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YouTube
CRIMANIMALZ - If You Rode A Bicycle You'd Be Home By Now
http://youtube.com/watch?v=4NLmiuyLa98
Website
http://www.crimanimalz.com
Vimeo Channel (Videos)
http://www.vimeo.com/crimanimalz
FLICKR Pool (Photographs)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/crimanimalz/
IBIKEU Wiki (History)
http://www.ibikeu.com/wiki/index.php/The_Freeway_Traffic_Jam_Ride
To view California Highway Patrol Reaction to the Freeway Traffic Jam Ride
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU
MUSIC:
"Ride" - The Vines
http://www.thevines.com
Tags: bikers bike fixed gear freeway 405 10 highway route fast crazy sick ill mass los angeles midnight ridazz bicycle hustle
