Friday

Dear friends,

This Friday, over 2,000 cyclists, drivers and pedestrians will lie down on Blackfriars Road in front of Transport for London's HQ for what will be London's largest ever Mass Cycle Die-In. [1]

A quick glance at the newspapers this week will show you that the MET police, City Hall and political parties are starting to take notice. [2] But to achieve the real change we want to see, we need to keep up the pressure.

By gathering in our masses for peaceful protest, we have a chance to clearly reveal the problem we face: the deaths of those who cycle. It gives us a chance to say 'there is an alternative to this'. This action will help to send a powerful message not just to Boris, but to TfL, Borough councils, and to all Londoners.  The more people that are there, the bigger it will be. The bigger it is, the harder it will be to ignore. I'm going to be there. Will you join me?

Friday, from 5pm, TfL's HQ at The Palestra Building, 197 Blackfriars Road (opposite Southwark Tube Station). Here is all the information you need:
Join the event on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/568751353179586/?fref=ts
Website: www.stopthekilling.org.uk
Use the hashtag: #TfLDieIn

The Dutch didn't just wake up one day with the cycle infrastructure they now have. They organised. They laid down on their streets in peaceful protest. They changed the way that their politicians think [3]. We can do that too.

Look forward to seeing many of you there.

Cycle safe,

Rhiannon

P.S.
The Mass Cycle Die-In is organised by un-affiliated grassroot cyclists who feel the recent tragedies mean that radical action now has to happen quickly to make London's roads safer for all Londoners. This is a peaceful protest.

NOTES:
[1] From 5:00pm, thousands will gather outside TfL Headquarters for a vigil in memory of those cyclists who have died. At 5:30pm, we will lie down on Blackfriars Road in front of TfL's HQ at The Palestra Building, 197 Blackfriars Road (opposite Southwark Tube Station).
[2] Of note, City Hall are hosting a Summit on CS2 tomorrow night: http://cityhalllabour.org/cycling-superhighway-2-safety-summit/ It is open to the public, and Andrew Gilligan will be attending. I'm going along, and have booked extra places - if you want to come along, hit reply to let me know and I'll add you to the Save Our Cyclists list of attendees. Exciting!
[3] Bicycle Dutch, How the Dutch got their cycling infrastructure, http://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/how-the-dutch-got-their-cycling-infrastructure/

Panic changes

Dear Friends,

On Wednesday, the Cycling Commissioner Andrew Gilligan said that campaigns like ours are "not thinking straight", that we're asking for "panic changes" [1].

This is simply not true. We are asking for a costed, time-bound and accurate plan of action. We are asking for transparency. We don't want "panic changes", we just want change.


Tell Boris that we're talking plans, not panic, and share this petition:

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Investing £1 billion in cycling is all very well, but a 10-year timespan is a long time in anyone's book - particularly for a mayoralty that will end in 2015. We need to see some real commitment here, we deserve to see a plan.

Now is the moment for action. There 35,000 of us - we're alreasy pretty loud, but the more of us that sign this petition, the louder we'll be. If each of us can get one more person to sign - just think how much louder we'll be in a day or two. Please share this petition using the links above.

Cycle safe,

Rhiannon

NOTES:
[1] The Guardian, London's cyclist deaths are tragic. But panic changes won't work,http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/20/london-cyclist-deaths-panic-change-wont-work
P.S. Many of you tweeted in for Mayor's Question Time - thank you! Boris got a real grilling, but made no firm commitments. More power to our campaign! You can watch the session here: Greater London Authority, London Assembly: Mayor's Question Time - Wed 20 November 2013,http://www.london.gov.uk/webcasts/34830/asx

Urgent: before 10am today

Dear Friends,

In the last two weeks, two cyclists have died on Cycle Superhighway 2 (CS2) because Boris has failed to make space for cycling.

The longer we wait, the more lives will be lost.

Today at 10am, Boris will be held to account at Mayor's Question Time. We know that there are going to be calls for him to report on CS2 so this is our moment to up the pressure.
Can you tweet the Mayor before 10am?

By tweeting the Mayor in our masses, we can make sure that when Boris walks into the room, he knows we are watching.

We don't want to hear Boris say: "there's no amount of traffic engineering that we invest in that is going to save people's lives" [1]. We want to hear exactly what immediate action Boris will be taking on CS2, and a timeline of when we can expect to see changes that are urgently needed.

Click here to tweet the Mayor

If you don't have a Twitter account, share this message with your friends on Facebook, or forward this email on to friends and colleagues who use Twitter.

Over 32,000 of us are behind this campaign and together we can really ramp up the pressure. So let's make sure that today, Boris gives us answers.

Cycle safe,

Rhiannon

NOTES:
[1] The Guardian, Boris Johnson says cyclists must obey law after fifth death in nine days, http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/nov/14/fifth-london-bike-death-bus-superhighway

Boris: this is your chance

Dear Friends,

Last night, we reached 26,000 signatures! In the past 4 days we have joined, in our masses, to send a clear message to Boris that he needs to act now and save our cyclists.
Our message to make roads fit for cycling is making headlines. Its been on the news, in the papers, in Parliament, in London's pubs and in Boris' own office. [1]

We've got the momentum, so now we just need to make sure Boris can't back-pedal from action.
This Wednesday we have a big opportunity to put Boris on the spot at 'Mayor's Question Time' - and the bigger our petition by then, the bigger the impact we can deliver.

Let's make this huge. Can you share the petition with your fellow cyclists, friends and family? Click on the links below to share:
Share on Facebook 

Share on Twitter

Email: copy and paste this link into an email http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-our-cyclists

Since the Save Our Cyclists campaign launched last Wednesday, there's already been a good response from politicians and those with the power [2]. It's been great to see that cycle safety is finally getting the attention it deserves. 

This is encouraging - but we still need to ask Boris to vastly accelerate his plans, and produce a costed, time-bound and accurate plan for the changes that London cyclists can expect to see over the next 12 months.

I have been overwhelmed by the reaction to this petition; you have signed in your tens of thousands in a matter of days to demand change. This is a great start; thank you for all of your support so far. Let's keep it up:  keep sharing the petition, keep talking about it, tell your friends, flatmates and colleagues.
Finally, my heart really does go out to those families, friends and communities that are dealing with the loss of their loved ones.

Cycle safe,

Rhiannon

------------
NOTES:
[1] BBC, Calls for action over cycle deaths in London, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-24960611 
[2]
> The London Assembly (Boris' own parliament!) have called for a swift action plan to sort out safety on our cycle routes  [3];
> An urgent summit on cycle safety has been called for by an expert Parliamentary council. Another has called for a whole-scale national audit of dangerous junctions. [4] & [5]
> A rapid independent review of Cycle Superhighways has been suggested by Lord Adonis, the former Transport Secretary [6];
[3] Greater London Authority, Mayor must respond swiftly to Cycle Superhighways safety concerns, says Assemblyhttp://www.london.gov.uk/media/assembly-press-releases/2013/11/ mayor-must-respond-swiftly-to-cycle-superhighways-safety
[4] The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, PACTS calls for London Cycling Safety Summithttp://www.pacts.org.uk/2013/11/pacts-calls-for-london-cycling-safety-summit/
[5] The Independent, Make Britain's roads safer for cyclists, campaigners urge after seventh death this month  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/make-britains-roads-safer-for-cyclists-campaigners-urge-after-seventh-death-this-month-8940179.html
[6] The Financial Times, Lord Adonis calls for London cycling safety review http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8191308e-4d4 7-11e3-bf32-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2kvGBFXCb

SAVE OUR CYCLISTS

TO: BORIS JOHNSON AND ANDREW GILLIGAN

Cyclists are dying.

Boris, you are the ‘cycling Mayor’. You have the money, you have the vision, you have the experts.

Committing to appoint 128 new staff to TFL’s cycling division, adding new segregated pathways to Cycle Superhighway 2, and pledging £913 million over the next 10 years are admirable actions.

But these plans do not go far enough.

Cyclists are losing their lives at the expense of slow progress on cycle safety.

And Boris, 13 deaths in 2013 are 13 too many.

Where is your sense of urgency?

We call on Boris Johnson and Andrew Gilligan to vastly accelerate their plan for expenditure of the £913 million cycling fund, by releasing an accurate, costed and time-bound plan for how the fund will address cycle safety over the next 12 months, from the end of December 2013.

The plan should address what actions are to be taken - and what changes cyclists can expect - on the following key areas of concern, over the next 12 months;

- Cycle Superhighway 2
- Heavy Goods Vehicles
- Training for motorists, including TFL staff
- Training for cyclists
- Further investment in the cycling fund

Why is this important?

At the time of writing, 13 London cyclists have died this year, and 5 of those deaths over 9 days in November.

Enough is enough.

Cyclists do not need to travel around our city with fear for their lives.

TFL and the Mayor for London do have the right idea. But, as plans are drawn up, consultations are carried out, and meetings are had, London’s roads continue to be unsafe, and cyclists are losing their lives.

We are calling for urgent action from Boris Johnson and the Cycling Commissioner Andrew Gilligan to accelerate their plans, and to be clear about their intentions for cycle safety in London.

Category: Transport