Cyclists rule on the High Level Bridge if only for a few minutes

Edmonton cyclists shut down the High Level Bridge Friday afternoon if only for a few minutes.

Cyclists put the call out earlier this week to meet at city hall and ride to the bridge in a campaign to raise awareness and respect for pedal-powered commuters.

"An individual cyclist is basically lost in the onslaught of traffic," said Peter Adamski. "In Edmonton we live in a car-centric city. The car rules."

The protest, or critical mass, was also an opportunity to encourage those who plan bike routes to make them more safe and more useful to cyclists, said Victor Dorian.

For instance, the High Level Bridge has become hazardous for pedestrians and cyclists after the suicide barriers were installed, with the steel fencing encroaching upon the shared-use path, he said.

Ironically, the first critical mass protest for cyclists in Edmonton took place in 1994, in an effort towards making the High Level Bridge safer for cyclists, organizers say.

The following year the bridge's sidewalks were widened, making it more attractive to cyclists.