Memphis Social Bicycle Club (MSBC) 2nd Annual Critical Mass Noon, Sunday, November 9
Join us for Memphis Social Bicycle Club (MSBC)’s second annual family-friendly bike ride to advocate for safer streets in celebration of community and car-free transportation!
Memphis is infamous for being the worst city in the country for pedestrians, according to Smart Growth America’s 2024 “Dangerous by Design” report. We are also last on the list of Tennessee cities from People for Bikes’ city ratings, scoring lower than suburbs like Germantown and Collierville, and small towns like Troy and Athens! How did we get here? Decades of policy decisions that favored fast driving instead of connected communities.
Even so, there are over 300 miles of “bike lanes” in Memphis, but only 38 of those are separate greenways and 19 are protected with a physical barrier. Recent investments like the new protected Park Ave. bike lane, the Heights Line, and the yet-to-be-funded Memphis Safety Action Plan are encouraging. These wins are worthy of celebration, but is it enough? We deserve a safe and enjoyable bike network that abides by the “8-80” rule: if everything we do in our cities is great for an 8 year old and an 80 year old, then it will be better for all people.
We need a new policy direction that prioritizes safety and connected communities. Last year, Nashville voted to fund $3 billion worth of transportation and mobility projects in the new “Choose How You Move” program, which funds a priority sidewalk network, upgrades traffic signals, improves transit service, and provides increased road safety for all users. We, as Memphians, need to follow their example to show up for safer streets in our city and demand better – NOW.
Critical Mass 2025 will be a short, family-friendly 5 mile ride around downtown Memphis. We will gather at 12 pm at Wiseacre Downtown HQ, 398 S B.B. King Blvd. The ride will leave at 1:00 pm. Last year brought out over 200 participants and we hope to bring out even more this time!
We encourage everyone to bring a helmet to join us to advocate for safe streets and a more bike-friendly Memphis. If you don’t have a bike, download the Explore Bikeshare ‘BCycle’ app and grab an e-bike from a nearby station. This is our chance to show that we have a robust bike community in Memphis and that we deserve to be safe when
we’re on two wheels. Following the ride, we will have a celebration at Wiseacre Downtown HQ!
Who We Are:
Memphis Social Bicycle Club hosts a weekly Thursday evening ride around midtown and downtown Memphis. We average 50+ cyclists and newcomers are always welcome! We occasionally host additional casual weekend rides and encourage people to keep up with us through our Instagram.
This blog was written by Kelsey Huse & Brooke Shannon
Kelsey Huse and Brooke Shannon are members of the Memphis Social Bicycle Club. They are both affiliated with the University of Memphis and believe in a more connected Memphis that is safe for cyclists of all levels.
