November 14th 11, 07:26 PM
posted to uk.rec.cycling
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London Tour de Danger attracts hundreds of riders
On 14/11/2011 12:08, Simon Weaseltemper wrote:
On 14/11/2011 11:30, Simon Mason wrote:
"Saturday's tour of London's most 10 dangerous junctions attracted over
300 riders and the attention of politicians and press and TV news crews
from across the capital. The ride, organised by London bloggers Danny
Williams of Cyclists in the City & Mark Ames of ibikelondon was designed
to highlight what Transport for London itself has identified as the 10
most dangerous junctions in London and to force politicians and
transport planners to do something to make them safer it certainly
managed that with a headline piece on the BBC's London regional news and
the presence of numerous politicians.
The ride, dubbed The Tour de Danger attracted a real cross section of
London's cycling community from Lycra-clad riders on drop bar road bikes
right across the spectrum to those perhaps making a particular statement
by riding on Boris bikes. In an irony that can only be described as grim
it was one of the junctions not on the ride, the Bow Road roundabout,
that was highest in everybody's minds following the death of a woman
cyclist there on Friday evening - the second cycling fatality there in
less than three weeks - a minute's silence was held in her memory."
http://road.cc/content/news/47678-lo...ent-blackspots
Quote:
"The reason we're here today - and the reason why I hope you've all come - is
because none of us should have to fight to make our way to work.
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Quote:
Do any of us disagree?
Perhaps we can look forward to non-malicious phasing of traffic lights, the
return of purloined road space and general abandonment of the Monbigot /
Beggs Code.
None of us
should feel afraid taking our children to school, whether that's by foot or
by bicycle.
....or by car.
Designing public spaces which exclude people on the basis of
their ability - that is to say those of us who aren't able to cycle like Mark
Cavendish around the Elephant and Castle roundabout - is designing in danger,
and designing in inequality.
Does he want to be allowed to cycle on the motorways as well, then?
Personally, I find that unacceptable. This week,
Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said he thought the Elephant and Castle
roundabout was perfectly negotiable by bike so long as you kept your wits
about you. I do not believe that the 89 cyclists who have been killed or
seriously injured in the past 2 years on this junction did not keep their
wits about them. I believe that these places are inherently dangerous, and it
is negligent in the extreme not to act and ensure that these urban spaces are
remedied as urgently as possible."
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You can already hear the cries from people like Dave, "You give cyclists
special provision and all they do is whine about it."
What IS the problem with the E&C roundabout(s)?
Is it really that some cyclists try to get past left-turning lorries (etc) on
the nearside?
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