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Bicyclists assemble on the southwest quadrant of Public Square for this Critical Mass ride in August 2012. On Friday, three cyclists at the latest Critical Mass ride in Cleveland were ticketed for going through red lights.

(Gus Chan, The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Police and leaders of Cleveland's biking community will meet in the next few days in hopes of avoiding a repeat of the situation last week in which several cyclists in the swarm rolling through Cleveland on a Critical Mass ride were ticketed for running red lights.

Critical Mass is held in cities nationwide on the last Friday of the month, a social event that is also something of a political statement meant to convey bikers' rights to the road and bicycling safety.

"It began as a movement to sort of say, 'Hey, we're here and we belong on the street,'" said Christopher Lohr, a bike advocate and research assistant at the Center for Economic Development at Cleveland State University.

In Cleveland, the ride attracts hundreds of bicyclists who depart from Public Square in a stream that can extend several miles. The route varies each month, heading to a Cleveland neighborhood or suburb.

At intersections, some of the group's most experienced riders act as "corkers," blocking traffic from side roads so the bikers can proceed through red lights without interruption. Riders at the front of the group will stop the procession if they reach a red light. But if the light turns when only part of the group has made it through the intersection, corkers keep traffic at bay until all bikers have cleared.

The practice has long had the tacit approval of Cleveland police, biking advocates say.

Friday was different. A portion of the ride wound through downtown Cleveland during early evening traffic, which was especially heavy because of a Cleveland Indians home game. Three bicyclists got tickets from traffic officers for red light violations.

"These riders failed to obey traffic signals and created a hazardous situation for themselves, motor vehicle operators and pedestrians. While we welcome and encourage the participants of this event, we remind them that the traffic laws must be obeyed by allin order to ensure traffic safety for all," the city of Cleveland said in a statement.

The citations stirred up debate online, where members of a Critical Mass group on Facebook weighed in. Some complained that the city of Cleveland shouldn't have it both ways -- touting Cleveland's bike friendliness and ticketing riders.

"How 'bout this drivers: You guys all stop driving drunk, reduce annual fatalities from drunk driving from 10,000 to zero, and I'll talk to all the cyclists in the country and get them agree to never break a traffic law," Angie Schmitt, who writes for Streetsblog USA, said in a post. "We'll call it even. Deal?"

Jacob VanSickle, executive director of Bike Cleveland, said he expects to meet with Cleveland police officials and others later this week or early next to talk about the incident.

"Part of it is to have a conversation about what the police position is" regarding corkers, VanSickle said. In Chicago, police on bikes join the Critical Mass ride and help restrain traffic at intersections so bicyclists can get through as a group.

Jenita McGowan, sustainability chief for Cleveland, has been actively promoting a bicycling culture for Cleveland, including adding another 70 miles of bikeways and exploring whether to set up a bike-share system.

Lohr, a member of Bike Cleveland's advocacy committee, said most drivers are friendly and supportive when they encounter cyclists. But a few are hostile.

A Critical Mass group in Cleveland usually clears intersections in five to 10 minutes when a warm weather-turnout has attracted hundreds of bikers. And while that does cause a short delay for drivers, it's a small concession to support the monthly gathering of two-wheelers, Lohr said.

"In the grand scheme of things, congestion is caused by cars, not cyclists," he said.