Around 500 cyclists gathered in Barcelona on Sunday afternoon for the fifth Kidical Mass event, demanding a city better adapted for bicycles, particularly for children. The procession started at Plaça del Doctor Letamendi in Eixample and covered approximately seven kilometres to Glòries, creating a festive yet assertive atmosphere with participants of all ages.
Attendees called for increased safety on cycle lanes and better parking facilities, especially near educational centres. Marta Casar, a member of the Bicicleta Club de Catalunya (BCC), told the ACN news agency, "We want a city where cycling is possible, especially for children."
Casar argued that cycling should be a genuine option for everyone, without needing "great skill and ability" to navigate the city. She stated, "We ask that everyone can use a bicycle to get around the city," adding that many cycle lanes in Barcelona "are not good enough, are narrow, or are poorly protected." She also criticised the frequent need for cyclists to share road space with motor vehicles. "Especially children, who are more sensitive to the speed and aggression of traffic," she noted, calling for a wider, connected, and safer network.
Making Cycling Accessible for All
Casar also stressed that cycling mobility must be inclusive and accessible for everyone, regardless of their abilities. She explained, "It should be possible to cycle with conventional bikes, tricycles, and adapted bicycles for people with mobility issues or special needs," asserting that "cycling should become an easy and obvious way to get around Barcelona." Casar also highlighted the need to reduce the presence of motor vehicle traffic around schools. "If children cannot cycle from home to school with safe infrastructure, they will not go," she warned.
A Global Movement for Child Cyclists
The Kidical Mass movement began in Oregon, United States, in 2008, driven by the desire to ensure children's right to cycle without risk. In recent years, it has gained significant traction in Central Europe, particularly in Germany, where it started to take shape in 2017. Cologne, which leads the global movement, has helped raise the initiative's profile considerably. In 2022, over 90,000 children, young people, and families from more than 400 cities in Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Norway, Austria, and Switzerland joined the call, solidifying the success of this appeal for road safety for the youngest cyclists.
