More than 1,000 cyclists took to the streets Friday night, pedaling roughly 10 miles from Koreatown to downtown Los Angeles before lying down together in a die-in to protest traffic fatalities. The ride began around 7:30 p.m. near Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue and ended at Gloria Molina Grand Park, where riders remembered recent victims of traffic violence.
The event, known as L.A. Critical Mass, is described as a cycling ride and die-in protesting traffic fatalities, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. Cyclists gathered in Koreatown before setting off on the multi-mile route through the heart of the city, eventually converging on the downtown park for the demonstration.
A Ride Rooted in Grief and Frustration
Once the group reached Grand Park, participants staged the die-in, lying on the ground in a visual protest meant to underscore the human toll of traffic crashes. Cyclists used the moment to remember recent victims of traffic violence, including Hernan Martinez, Benjamin Montalvo, Daniel Castillo and Gage Weida.
The ride and die-in fit into a broader pattern of demonstrations that have unfolded across Los Angeles in recent years. A February 2024 post from BikinginLA described a similar die-in staged at City Hall as the city fell further behind its Vision Zero safety goals.
Ridership Climbing as Safety Concerns Persist
The protest arrives against a backdrop of rising bike ridership paired with troubling safety data. Los Angeles saw its bicycle ridership climb 22% between 2017 and 2022, according to an analysis published by drafteducsb.substack.com. The same analysis points to a 2023 UC Berkeley traffic study finding that Los Angeles County often records the highest number of bicyclist injuries and fatalities anywhere in the state.
That same reporting notes that Measure M, passed by voters in 2016, was meant to help address the infrastructure gap, allocating $860 million annually toward improvements that benefit both bicycle and pedestrian safety. The analysis also credits CicLAvia, the open-streets cycling event, with mobilizing 1.8 million participants since it began.
Part of a Longer Pattern of Advocacy
Friday's die-in is not an isolated gesture. A Streetsblog Los Angeles piece discussed traffic deaths, a subject that has continued to surface in local advocacy circles. More recently, a Mar Vista Voice article addressed SB 79.
