You helped keep cyclists safe this winter

Dear Friends,

Thank you

It has now been nine months without a cyclist being killed by a HGV - a stark contrast to the first half of 2015 which saw seven cyclists killed by lorries. This pause would not have happened without the increased focus on safety in response demands for safety improvements, and every supporter of this campaign played their part in making that happen.

We have shown that progress is possible and fatalities are not inevitable, but there is much more which needs to be done [1] - Stop Killing Cyclists have called on the Cycling Minister Robert Goodwill to urgently extend the London requirements for HGV mirrors nationally to protect cyclists all over the UK [2].

In London we now have four candidates supporting protected space for cycling: @CarolinePidgeon @SianBerry @SophieRunning and @SadiqKhan have committed to safe cycling and protected lanes in London. @ZacGoldsmith hasn't

Whoever the mayor is, the London Assembly is crucial to ensure cycling and road safety never slip down the agenda. Every vote counts for the London-wide Assembly Members (the orange voting form) - Please consider using your London-wide Assembly Member vote to support a party which champions cycling.

Finally, Stop Killing Cyclists' protest is on Wednesday in central London, the die-in is from 6pm (speeches from 5:30pm) - please attend if you can.

Thank you again for your support,


Fred

P.s. Thanks to everyone who has already contributed to our #SaveOurCyclists Twitter campaign, if you haven't there's still time to get involved! Simply share your own messages using #SaveOurCyclists.

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[1] http://saveourcyclists.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/nine-months.html - this post contains (distressing) details of non-fatal collisions.
[2] https://www.facebook.com/groups/stopkillingcyclists/permalink/1710065762577662/

Tweets and Replies

Top #SaveOurCyclists tweets and replies:

Want my vote? Segregated cycle lanes are a must. @ZacGoldsmith @SadiqKhan @CarolinePidgeon @sianberry #SaveOurCyclists

— NicJones (@Nicola_Jane1985) April 7, 2016

@SadiqKhan Please support protected cycle lanes.me and my cycle buddies will vote for u if u do. #SaveOurCyclists

— pcjwss (@pcjwss) April 7, 2016

#SaveOurCyclists @Sadiqkhan, @sianberry, @CarolinePidgeon, @ZacGoldsmith, commit to segregated cycleways! Our safety is vital.

— Joanna Cronin (@ironjawcannon) April 7, 2016

Hi @FredBikeLondon - don't forget @SophieRunning, Women's Equality Party mayoral candidate, who is a cycling proponent! #saveourcyclists

— Katy Cooper (@DecSop1) April 7, 2016

Love the new cycle lanes along blackfriars, makes such a difference! Feel safer on a bike than a moped! #SaveOurCyclists

— Laura Mcaulay (@lauramcaulay) April 7, 2016

.@SadiqKhan @ZacGoldsmith @CarolinePidgeon @sianberry make London work 4 the non-motorist majority! #SaveOurCyclists https://t.co/mvSuw0mT3A

— Daniel Demmel (@daaain) April 7, 2016

@ZacGoldsmith Disappointed in the lack of Tory support for safer cycle facilities and extending Cycle Superhighways #SaveOurCyclists

— Giuseppe Squidamari (@gsquidamari) April 7, 2016

Disappointed to not see a stronger message from @SadiqKhan on cycling. Much better from @sianberry and @CarolinePidgeon. #SaveOurCyclists

— Darren Palmer (@dazlington) April 8, 2016

Tweets to Sadiq

More than any other candidate, our supporters wanted to send personal messages to Sadiq:

@SadiqKhan I'm really hoping you support protected cycle lanes & commit to extending the programme of Cycle Superhighways #SaveOurCyclists

— richard bultitude (@pointbmusic) April 7, 2016

Investing in protected infrastructure to promote cycling is about the environment & our physical/mental health. @SadiqKhan #SaveOurCyclists

— NicJones (@Nicola_Jane1985) April 8, 2016

@SadiqKhan Until no. women = men cycling, we need more safer cycling infrastructure, can u commit to this? #LondonMayor2016 #SaveOurCyclists

— Liane Fredericks (@lianefredericks) April 8, 2016

I always voted @labour but will not vote for @SadiqKhan if he doesn't support protected cycle lanes #SaveOurCyclists

— Marceli Szpak (@pojutrze) April 7, 2016

The last word

#SaveOurCyclists I do not live in the capital but my son does and he being environmentally aware, cycles daily. Choose your mayor with care.

— Danbury Dame (@SuePriestley) April 8, 2016

What can Public Health do for cycling?

We know cycling is great for people's health, and in a country like the Netherlands the population gain significantly from the regular exercise they get from their bikes. As we hear more about the impact of lifestyle choices on health, what are the people in charge doing to promote active transport for everyone?

Ask not what cycling can do for public health, ask what public health can do for cycling. 

A couple of years ago responsibility for 'public health' moved from the NHS to Local Authorities. This change means councils must consider health when they plan all of their activities - education, transport, planning and all the rest.

It was hoped this change would cause a step change in the way councils worked with a new emphasis on cycling and walking. However that didn't happen, so what are the reasons and what can we do about it?

The problem

Public health professionals know that a big shift to active travel is needed to combat our sedentary lifestyles & improve the health of the population. However this hasn't translated in to action from councillors and engineers who are following different priorities.

We can't afford the NHS if we continue like this.

Lack of physical activity places a huge burden on our health services. The cost of treating the associated health complications comes at a time of constrained budgets. The rapid growth of conditions like Type 2 Diabetes could make the NHS unsustainable as we know it. Unfortunately there isn't a magic bullet and public health can't solve this on their own.

Must transport be part of the solution?

Transport departments will ask why they're being expected to adopt a new set of aims and priorities. To answer this local councils need to consider other ways they could fill the physical activity deficit in their communities and whether that is affordable.

For instance we could ask:

• How much money did they spend on leisure services last year?
• What proportion of the physical activity needs of the population were realised by their leisure services programmes?
• Can this fulfil the activity needs of the community and is it affordable?

We can't afford to solve this without using all of the opportunities we have to promote healthy activity. Transport departments are in control of much of our public space and budgets public health professionals can only dream of. We need transport to be part of the solution by promoting active transport, improving our health and saving the NHS from spiralling costs.

Because it's no longer just about cost effectively getting people from A to B.

• We need to emphasise and give credit for outcomes (like more people cycling) rather than big showy projects (many cycling schemes are about small scale interventions with small budgets).
• We should not accept health impacts being regarded as secondary considerations with journey times being used to justify projects which fail to promote cycling and walking.
• Roads must be designed to make cycling and walking viable options for everyone.

We need to keep reinforcing these messages with every consultation and when we talk or write to our politicians.

The invisible killer you can't escape

Finally, we all need to talk about air pollution a lot more. The impacts on children, the old and the weak are truly shocking and the evidence continues to pile in.

Progress has been made by Client Earth and EU regulations but the scale of the problem is huge and far too little is being done about it. We need to push for local government action to address sources of pollution close to our homes, schools and hospitals. 

ICE - support London's cycle superhighways.

Following the lead of The Ranty Highwayman, I have written to the ICE asking them to put in to practice their policy of supporting cycling.

I have also started a thread on their Facebook page where civil engineers can easily add their support by clicking 'like'.

My email is as follows:

Write to your Assembly Members

Write to your London Assembly Members to demand a stop to the secret briefings and shady lobbying around the latest cycling proposals. The Canary Wharf PLC employees who failed to declare conflicts of interest need to be removed from TfL committees and have no chance to torpedo the plans.

Write to your Assembly Members

1. Go to www.writetothem.com
2. Type in your postcode and press 'Go'.
3. Select 'Write to all your London Assembly list members' (you may need to scroll down).
4. Write your email - advice on what to say below.

Note: you need to enter some personal details, this is to prevent spam and also to show you live in their constituency - it's important because it means the emails carry more weight.

What to say

Rather than send a standard email it is a much more powerful message if people say it in their own words, but to help you out we want people to share what they've said to inspire others. Please share the text of your email with everyone in the comments below. 

Here's something polite and to the point to get you started, please read & personalise it even just a little:

Dear London Assembly Members,

I would like to draw your attention to recent reports regarding Canary Wharf PLC in relation to TfL, in particular the proposals for new Cycling Superhighways. The reports include secret briefings and a potential conflict of interest by Peter Anderson, who is set to chair TfL's November finance committee which will decide whether to fund the Cycling Superhighways. 

As my representatives on the London Assembly I am calling for you to hold the mayor and TfL to account so they resolve this situation and, if shortcomings are found, follow up with any necessary changes.

We need to know if TfL committee members have undeclared conflicts of interests. Committee members with undeclared conflicts of interest must resign their positions. I am calling for the London Assembly to put pressure on the TfL board to establish conflicts of interest and take appropriate action as a matter of priority.

In addition TfL must review the processes for selecting committee members and ensuring they do not have undeclared conflicts of interest. Where conflicts of interest are discovered there should be procedures for reviewing past decisions which may have been affected. 

Finally I would like to highlight the lack of representation of cyclists and pedestrians on TfL boards. As key components of the mayor's transport strategy cyclists and pedestrians need to be part of TfL's decision making processes. 

I hope you will take action to make sure TfL's governance upholds it's aim to "provide safe, integrated, efficient and economic transport facilities that are in line with the priorities of all sections of society, established through consultation". 

I look forward to hearing from you on this matter and I ask that you keep me informed of action taken. 

Kind regards,

To provide further inspiration, here's an extract from an email by Simon at Stop Killing Cyclists:

"I am writing to express concerns about reports in the media regarding the lobbying of Canary Wharf Group against the proposed cycle lanes. 

Firstly there were reports in the Evening Standard from an anomynous source regarding a group of large London businesses who were against the proposals. Recent reports confirmed the anonymous source as being Canary Wharf Group and that they had paid an organisation to lobby against the proposals.  

Secondly, information regarding journey times in London provided by TFL was used misleadingly in the report issued by Canary Wharf Group. 

Thirdly and most worryingly it has been reported that Canary Wharf's Finance Director is also chairing a meeting held by TFL to discuss the funding of this proposal and that no conflicts of interest have been reported by Peter Anderson despite Canary Wharf's recent lobbying against the proposals. 

As someone who works in the Finance industry and who has worked at Canary Wharf, I am rather dismayed at these reports. I am also surprised at the concerns Carnary Wharf Group have given that the vast majority of people who work at Canary Wharf use public transport and that the proposed cycle highways are some distance from the area. 

I have nothing against those who have a different opinion to this proposed scheme, in fact discussion is be welcomed as this will lead to the best solution. What I do have concerns with is the apparent lack of transparency in Canary Wharf's actions to a proposed infrastructure that will benefit many members of the public and the reported conflict of interest."

Cycle campaigning - How to guide

The responses to Rhiannon's survey showed huge enthusiasm for cycle campaigning, however many people felt disconnected from the big campaigns (and our petition too). We need more people to get involved so they can have their voices heard & help make the difference.

This post is a guide for people who want to get involved with campaigning or start their own campaign, with a focus on utilising social media. Cyclenation have a guide to help people run a local group which focusses on more old-school campaigning and is worth a read - the best campaigns do both effectively. Also, the CTC are offering campaigner training and general campaigning advice can be found at campaigncentral.org.uk.

Why social media? 

With social media it's possible for anyone to campaign, from re-tweeting messages to organising a protest. It enables people to make a difference even if they just have an hour or two a week. Small groups of dedicated people are able to run effective and successful campaigns which can reach decision makers & the media, raise public awareness and make a difference.

If you don't have much time to spend you can help by spreading the word about campaigns, respond to consultations & join/support an established group. If you have more time you might want to help run an existing group or start your own. Many older groups don't use social media effectively, if you use social media regularly, running that aspect for an existing campaign can really boost their support & effectiveness.

Social media has two different main uses: discussion & coordination between members of the group and communicating with people outside the group. Different platforms (Facebook pages/groups, Twitter etc.) sit on different parts of the spectrum between internal conversations & engaging with the public.

Social media 1: Building a group

To build a group & work together you will need a place to have your internal discussions. Traditionally this has been monthly meetings, but using social media the platforms best for this are:

• Facebook groups - easy for people to join & get involved. It can also be a good way to reach new people via their friends.
• Yahoo Groups - a hybrid between an internet forum and an email list.
• An email list 

If you need to share lots of files or collaborate on documents you can use a Dropbox folder or Google Drive, which comes with Google Docs for on-line editing. This could be used for campaign materials (poster designs etc.) and minutes from meetings.

Social media 2: Spreading the message

The best platforms for engaging with people & reaching new supporters are:

• Twitter - the most democratic platform.
• Facebook - via a Facebook page or from your personal profile.
• Blogs (and websites) are a great way to present detailed information about your cause & can serve as a resource for campaigners as well as a showcase for your campaign. Most also enable visitors to leave comments and sign up for updates.
• Google+ - everyone with a Google account has access however except for via YouTube and Blogger not many people use Google+.

How to: Build a campaign on social media

With so many platforms it can be difficult to know where to start - you certainly don't need to be on all of them (at least in the beginning). If you or your supporters are already using platforms regularly it's best to start with what you know. A good way to cover the bases & spread the work is to find supporters to take charge of each channel - typically Facebook, Twitter and blog/website leads.

Setting up a campaign might involve the following:

1. Create a platform on which to build the group (see above) - the choice of which will be driven by what your supporters are using already or prefer.
2. Create a website in the form of a blog. For those starting out I would suggest creating a simple blog on Blogger (like this one). If you know what you're doing Wordpress is versatile & can look extremely professional (but for beginners can be problematic, time consuming & look poor). 
3. Create either a Facebook page, a twitter account or preferably both!
4. Use twitterfeed.com to link your blog to your facebook/twitter so when you publish a new post it is automatically shared across your platforms. In this way you can use the blog as the centre of your campaign and reach all your followers.
5. Put links to your twitter or facebook on your blog.
6. Fill out all the profile information, come up with a common profile picture etc.
7. Get everyone to share the new accounts & website with their contacts so you get some followers.

In order to build engagement try to share as much as you can. The downside of having an email group is that no one will see the conversation you're having and want to get involved - where you can try to get your supporters to comment on the blog or on facebook instead. It will also make your page look more popular & relevant to people who visit.

Taking action

Effective campaigns are about supporters, press coverage, engaging decision makers, but mostly getting results. There isn't a magic bullet, you will probably need to use several different approaches, perseverance is key and don't worry if one thing doesn't work.

Here are some ideas:

• You will need to keep in the loop with related & nearby campaigns. A good start is to search Twitter, Facebook and the internet for groups, email lists, campaigns and potential supporters.
• Write letters/emails to decision makers, answer consultations and attend meetings with politicians - many of them don't get much lobbying so this can be effective.
• Put up posters or give out flyers in places potential supporters are likely to be found - for instance local bike shops.
• Stage an event or protest (maybe a cycle ride). This can also be a good way to gather supporters and publicise your group. If you're on Facebook create an event for people to sign up to. 
• Start a petition, for instance with 38degrees (or others)! It's not just about collecting signatures you also need deliver the petition to the decision maker & check they follow through.
• Contact the local press with details and a photo opportunity from your protest/petition and you can often get in the paper.
• Don't give up! It can take a long time to get a campaign moving but you'll be picking up contacts supporters and knowledge all the time. You never know when a contact or speculative enquiry will come good, sometimes months after you contacted them.

Links to check out:

• spaceforcycling.org/uk/ has links to campaigns around the UK.
• London Cycling Campaign local groups - some of these have few active members so anyone wanting to get involved can make a real difference. LCC local groups are crucial for putting pressure on the borough councils.
• Stop Killing Cyclists is a campaign group started in London with a nationwide stopthekilling.org.uk campaign to reform our roads.
• The Cycling Embassy of Great Britain promotes best practice from the Netherlands & Denmark.
• Cyclenation supports local campaign groups across the country.

Note: This post is based on my experience with stopkillingcyclists.org a group which was started, and mainly operates, via social media. This approach won't work for all groups but I hope you've found some useful suggestions & ideas.