Awareness Raising Spoke Cards Campaign Project?

That's what it is, a memorial for a cyclist killed on the road...

• 1 to everything BDW and BMMF said in the last 24 hrs - this is just a simple initiative, what BMMF says here sums up what i think this is all about:
  
  
  

Who is blaming the cyclists? I'm not. I thought it might be a good idea to say, 'hello, I'm someone else who rides around London, and I just thought I'd check you were aware how fucking dangerous HGVs are, so be extra careful in their vicinity, and defintely try to avoid filtering into their blindspots'.

Roxy & Bill are focused on getting HGVs to be more responsible or piss off during congestion hours.

In the mean time, I'm focused on reminding riders of certain potentially painful truths. Left side, right side, moving, stationary - it's a risky place to be in whilst we wait for HGV-directed campaigns to have their effect and for the rusty cogs of bureaucracy to move things forward.

Love those videos - really get across the sketchiness of riding round town.

Why dont we have till Friday for everyone to work on Designs for cards, then have a vote over the weekend, and get things rolling next week?

The lorry graphic needs to have a left indicator picked out in orange.

Eaxactly - because this is about left turning lorries...

Just needs some orange lines flaring out.

I received this invitation last week. I'm sure anyone who wishes to attend can do so by contacting Chris Everett, christopher.everett@city-of-london.pnn.police.uk

Note time and date: 14 October, 8am-9am. Donuts served ;-)

NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED - NO DESCRIPTOR

Dear Sir/Madam

My name is Chris Everett and I am a Police Community Officer in the City of London Police Force. I have been passed your information by Supt Lorraine Cussen; following the success of our previous Road Safety Forum I thought you might be interested in an invitation.

This event has come about from an ongoing road safety campaign run in the city to which we have received quite a lot of feedback, mainly from cyclists.

In order to ensure some balance and representation from a range of road users, Supt Cussen and I would be delighted if you and a small number of colleagues might be able to attend and give your perspective on this topical area.

The details of this event are as follows:

Tuesday 14th October, between 0800 and 0900 hours
The Charles Thain Hall,
Snow Hill Police Station,
Snow Hill,
City of London,
EC1A 2DP

The road safety forum will consist of five short presentations from road safety professionals followed by 30 minutes of Q and A to the speakers, other panel members and the attendees.

I am aware that this is an early start as we aimed to disrupt attendees work schedules as little as possible we are therefore supplying a light breakfast, and refreshments.

Unfortunately there will be no provision for parking but a local NCP car park can be found in Limeburner Lane.

For security reasons, the event will have to be invite only, so if yourself and others, do wish to attend, could you please E-mail the names (and E-mail addresses if possible) of those who will be attending.

If you have any further question please do not hesitate to E-Mail me on Christopher.Everett@city-of-london.pnn.police.uk Christopher.Everett@city-of-london.pnn.police.uk.

Kind Regards
Chris
PCSO 2034 Everett

Snow Hill Police Station
5 Snow Hill
London
EC1A 2DP

Front Office Tel 02076012406
Front Office Fax 02076012460
Crime Desk Tel 02076012478

ISSI: 42034

E-Mail: christopher.everett@city-of-london.pnn.police.uk

Can someone explain to me 'Ghost Bikes' ? is like painting a bike on the road at the scene of an accident? sorry for my ignorance

Yes, a painted bicycle... but not an image of a bicycle on the road, an actual bicycle, painted all white, tethered to an adjacent post or railing.

Yes, a painted bicycle... but not an image of a bicycle on the road, an actual bicycle, painted all white, tethered to an adjacent post or railing.

Mr Budha - They got a worldwide site with a uk arm.

if anyone has any scrap bikes they can donate to this please PM me, i am tapping up bike shop scrap and arranging a mass spray so any help is welcome

i have been following this thread day in day out and i can't help but getting the feeling of being lost. i really want to help with this spoke card campaign but i think we have lost track of our original intentions to make cyclists aware of the dangers of left turning hgv's, quite a few posts are blaming the drivers for not looking but i think it's generally a case of they can't see us, hence why it's called a blind spot, if we can get this message across by educating cyclists it would change a lot. a previous post mentioned petitioning for night deliveries for stores, please bare in mind that night deliveries would double or even triple their expenditure due to unsociable working hours and it could possibly make cycling at night even more dangerous. pedestrianising the west end won't solve issues in the other parts of london or elsewhere for that matter it may only make surrounding areas even more congested which would not benefit cycling. the above videos illustrated the frustrations we cyclists have to put up with on the road on a daily basis but it also shows how not to cycle in london, we must not forget that vehicles can drive into a cycle lane if the white line is broken, the above videos with 'multiple vehicles in the cycle lane' only displayed an every day occurance of traffic on a london road, the cyclist could have easily hung back and waited for a clear path like any other road user.
i really feel a positive energy when i read this thread and i'm happy that the project is still generating momentum so i hope we can agree on a course of action soon.
imho i think we should just start with a simple spoke card or a flyer reminding cyclists their own safety first and also illustrating the dangers of left turning hgv's.

@ Greasy Slag I have a bike for you.

@ Everyone - I've had several responses this morning so on top of those who have offered to help over the weekend I think we have enough for a working group online. I'm going to call around this evening and get the first offline session up and running. So to recap, this group of 5-6 people will define some objectives / actions that we can take forward. We will take these back to this forum looking for people to help in a specific way.

Cheers

JB

Cyclists should worry, near a lorry...

Mr Budha - They got a worldwide site with a uk arm.

if anyone has any scrap bikes they can donate to this please PM me, i am tapping up bike shop scrap and arranging a mass spray so any help is welcome

I'm always picking up dumped bikes. Let me know if you still need one or as and when you do need them.

-So I'm super motivated and pumped to work on a flyer.
-It is important.
-I don't believe it's doing too much at once to say both sides of the story. In fact I think that's pretty frickin' important. On top of that, I think it's pretty easy to do.
-While of course it'd be great to live in the land of no lorries, that is not my intention here. Nor is it my intention to only blame HGV's. My intention would be to make it clear that cyclists need to ride safe and HGV's need to drive safe. If you talk about either side independently you risk losing at least 50% of the people involved in the situation and chances are not much will improve.
-HGV drivers are easy to find...they are the ones in the big trucks, so no worries there. I don't think the gruffalo or myself nor any like minded individual would have problems finding them.
-I also support something a bit more direct action as well.
-I will also help with Ghost Bikes, I think they are incredibly poignant.

Look at all those bullet points.

Honestly, you Americans and your guns...

OK everyone, I've had quite a few responses now. Looking like the group will get together in the next few days - to be confirmed tomorrow midday. Once we meet we'll get back onto the forum with actions and, er, bullet points.

I will help

OK i have roughly 7 bikes lined up for re-spray (you peeps are stars!!! jbc rep added!).
I am going to have a word with Sleepy at two Wheels see if he has any on the scrap heap. the aim is 10.

I have arranged a garage to spray them so should have them in a fit state from Monday 15th.

The main spots are listed on this map. mainly in Zone 1, this list is missing several of this years which i am in the process of adding. right now i have:

1- (A120) Smithfield meets Cartwright St - Mark Francis 1999
2 - Upper Thames St meets Queens st - Sebastian Lukomski 2004
3 - Blackfriars bridge north side South bound - Vicki McCreery
4 - Kingsway meets Soouthampton Row - Unknown Female 2008
5 - Wolburn Place meets Guilford St - Amelia Zollner
6 - Oxford St - between Hanover Square & Hollies St - Ed Newstead
7 - Grays Inn Road meets Theobalds Road - Paul Ellis
8 - Corner of St John St and Clerkenwell Rd - Harriet Tor
9 - PentonVille Road meets Penton Rise - Madeline Wright
10 - Pentonville Road Meets Cynthia St - Joe Cooper

I am doing a check of these spots Wednesday, some might have bikes already but more fatalities need to be added to this for 2008.
If you know of bikes in these places let me know

I now need:
Chains to lock them up - Anyone get cheap lengths of decent chain and padlocks?
Access to a Van any evening in October 17/18/19th
An able body graffiti artist with cans
Photographer

We could lay the bikes as part of a "Ghost bike - reclaim the streets" ride, on the up side we could hit it on mass and stop the traffic at each stop to make a point, but on the flip side we need to be respectful. have a think.

An able body graffiti artist with cans

What for?

I've got an abus chain to add. Something I'd suggest is ample application of superglue to prevent parts being stripped as per ghost bike outside of Mosquito Bikes

OK i have roughly 7 bikes lined up for re-spray (you peeps are stars!!! jbc rep added!).
I am going to have a word with Sleepy at two Wheels see if he has any on the scrap heap. the aim is 10.

I have arranged a garage to spray them so should have them in a fit state from Monday 15th.

I now need:
Chains to lock them up - Anyone get cheap lengths of decent chain and padlocks?
Access to a Van any evening in October 17/18/19th
An able body graffiti artist with cans
Photographer

We could lay the bikes as part of a "Ghost bike - reclaim the streets" ride, on the up side we could hit it on mass and stop the traffic at each stop to make a point, but on the flip side we need to be respectful. have a think.

I can help with the photographer side of things. Also, I need to get that map updated. There was a fatality in Fentiman Road, SW8. I arrived a minute after it happened - girl under an HGV - left turn. Hence partly why I'm interested in getting a message out.

OK i have roughly 7 bikes lined up for re-spray (you peeps are stars!!! jbc rep added!).
I am going to have a word with Sleepy at two Wheels see if he has any on the scrap heap. the aim is 10.

I have arranged a garage to spray them so should have them in a fit state from Monday 15th.

The main spots are listed on this map. mainly in Zone 1, this list is missing several of this years which i am in the process of adding. right now i have:

1- (A120) Smithfield meets Cartwright St - Mark Francis 1999
2 - Upper Thames St meets Queens st - Sebastian Lukomski 2004
3 - Blackfriars bridge north side South bound - Vicki McCreery
4 - Kingsway meets Soouthampton Row - Unknown Female 2008
5 - Wolburn Place meets Guilford St - Amelia Zollner
6 - Oxford St - between Hanover Square & Hollies St - Ed Newstead
7 - Grays Inn Road meets Theobalds Road - Paul Ellis
8 - Corner of St John St and Clerkenwell Rd - Harriet Tor
9 - PentonVille Road meets Penton Rise - Madeline Wright
10 - Pentonville Road Meets Cynthia St - Joe Cooper

I am doing a check of these spots Wednesday, some might have bikes already but more fatalities need to be added to this for 2008.
If you know of bikes in these places let me know

I now need:
Chains to lock them up - Anyone get cheap lengths of decent chain and padlocks?
Access to a Van any evening in October 17/18/19th
An able body graffiti artist with cans
Photographer

We could lay the bikes as part of a "Ghost bike - reclaim the streets" ride, on the up side we could hit it on mass and stop the traffic at each stop to make a point, but on the flip side we need to be respectful. have a think.

If cyclist no.4 was the one killed last week. I have her name, but given how recent this was, I don't think it appropriate to release it until it has been reported in the press. However, she is not unknown.

I have an old Abus D lock and Oxford chain and lock you can have.
If I am around those nights will lend a hand.

An able body graffiti artist with cans

What for?

Write the name/cyclist killed here + Date on both pavement and road

I also think the Trucks Kill logo stenciled on the road just infront of the accident spot would have impact.

@ JBC - I'll pm you the list i have of fatalities this year. can you edit that map?

I've got an abus chain to add. Something I'd suggest is ample application of superglue to prevent parts being stripped as per ghost bike outside of Mosquito Bikes

What utter scum, stealing parts off a ghost bike!

@ JBC - I'll pm you the list i have of fatalities this year. can you edit that map?

Yeah, it was late 2005 or early 2006, memory now has faded, I do remember it was cold though. It's only this past month I've noticed for the first time no flowers where it happened.

I need to hunt down the name - I had it at home but now lost.

-So I'm super motivated and pumped to work on a flyer.
-It is important.
-I don't believe it's doing too much at once to say both sides of the story. In fact I think that's pretty frickin' important. On top of that, I think it's pretty easy to do.
-While of course it'd be great to live in the land of no lorries, that is not my intention here. Nor is it my intention to only blame HGV's. My intention would be to make it clear that cyclists need to ride safe and HGV's need to drive safe. If you talk about either side independently you risk losing at least 50% of the people involved in the situation and chances are not much will improve.
-HGV drivers are easy to find...they are the ones in the big trucks, so no worries there. I don't think the gruffalo or myself nor any like minded individual would have problems finding them.
-I also support something a bit more direct action as well.
-I will also help with Ghost Bikes, I think they are incredibly poignant.

Why would you want to diffuse the strength of one 'single minded' message by trying to speak to different audiences with different, albeit related, messages?

Why not have different pieces of communication aimed specifically at different audiences (i.e. one for cyclists, one for HGV drivers/hauliers) but with the umbrella 'theme' of BikeSafeLondon or whatever it happens to be. So, the website for example becomes our central hub or strapline in a way (like if Carling developed a lager specifically for women, they wouldn't use the same sort of tone they've developed for their current male audience but they'd be missing a trick not to use their 'If Carling did...' strapline - different audiences, different approach, from the same source).

Sorry but what 'I think' you're suggesting in terms of strategy i.e. blasting both groups with double info, one piece of info for one group and one piece for the other but all wrapped up in the same flyer/card/ad/whatever, totally goes against what I've learned over the last 15 years in marketing, communications and strategy.