Critical Mass bike demonstrations in Budapest started as a way to advocate for more bike-friendly streets and policies. Organizers found that having a large, peaceful group of cyclists could draw attention to their cause. They reached out to politicians, the media, and various communities to build popularity for their movement. Over time, the goal expanded from advocacy to actual integration of bicycles into the city's transportation system. This resulted in new bike lanes and infrastructure being built, showing that by growing their numbers and coalition, Critical Mass achieved real changes for cycling in Budapest.

1. Development of cycling in
Budapest
Moovement and professionality

2. Create need
• There is no need for biking as a mean of
transport. Transport is the real
„movement” of cars.

3. Find an idea
• There are some people who have new
ideas:
George Bliss noted after his
visit to Peking that cyclists in
China had an understood
method of negotiating
intersections without signals.
Traffic "bunched up" at these
intersections until the backlog
had reached a "critical mass",
at which point the mass
moved through the
intersection.
This phenomena was the start
signal of CM.

4. Find friends
• You can find crazy people everywhere.

5. Organize a group
• Common goal: „more bike on
the street”
• Simple message: e.g. „every
street are bikestreets”
• Activity, demonstration,
(peaceful)
– Don’t be afraid of radicalism
– Say something big and popular
– Use the power of community

6. A „good” statement can be
helpful
• The Mayor of Budapest wanted to
adjourn the Car Free Day from
22nd of September to Sunday in
order that ‘the celebration didn’t
disturbe the transport of the city’.
• Some bicycle messengers were
shocked at it and started to
organize the first CM
demonstration

7. Make your group popular
• Try to involve politicians
• Involve press ( the bigger, the more)
• Use social media.

8. In the middle of subculture
• This is the time to think about your long
term goals and target groups.
?
Participants of
demonstrations:
„bike
messengers and
their followers,
fixie users, all
the rasta
junkies”
The first bike-lifting in 2001,

9. Get competence
• Organize a group of young professionals
• Find a form of organization
• Get autorization from the
moovement
• Learn as much as you can

10. Be a partner…
• …of local and national governments
• Help to get publicity for politicians
• Don’t hesitate to accept
awards from „them”

11. Redefine the target group
Old
subcul-
ture
Trend-
followers
Student
s
Employee
s
Bikers?
People who
use their bikes
for daily
transport

12. Redefine the goal
• Not advocay group only!
• Representing the idea (to integrate the
bike into the transportation-system) and
not the biker!
• And NOT to entertain! In case the
demonsration reached its goal, dont worry
to finish organizing.

13. The way to success
Sports
equipment,
game
Problem to be solved
Solution

14. The result

15. New infrastructures

16. But, don’t forget…
• We need the movement.
• We need the power of mass.
• The organization is nothing without it.