I thought this was a hoax at first...

rothbook
rothbook Posts: 943
edited June 2007 in Campaign
Roads to be cleared for cyclists
Traffic will be banned from several central London roads for an event which aims to persuade more people to cycle around the capital.
London Freewheel will encourage thousands to cycle a 14km (8.7 mile) traffic-free route on 23 September.

Mayor Ken Livingstone said: "I hope people will find that cycling regularly in London is easier than they thought."

It is estimated that 40% of Londoners have access to a bike but only 5% use one regularly.

The route will pass several London landmarks including the London Eye, Victoria Embankment, Westminster, St Paul's Cathedral and the Mall.

Riders will be led onto the route by experienced cyclists from six "hubs" across the capital. Participants will also be able to have their bikes checked by experts.

Stunt displays

The Sunday event will culminate in a festival at St James's Park for riders, including bike stunt displays, a cycling circus and information on cycling in London.

The number of cyclists on London's major roads is estimated to have grown by about 80% over the past seven years, but Transport for London wants to increase it further.

Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq was the first person to sign up for the free event.

She said: "Cycling is fun, gets you fit and is a great way to travel around London. I hope this event encourages more people to take to two wheels."

Meanwhile two lorries have been parked in Trafalgar Square, central London, for a road safety event on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The aim is to highlight the dangers posed by lorries to cyclists and pedestrians by demonstrating how limited a lorry driver's vision is.

Metropolitan Police figures show that nine cyclists were killed in London in 2006 in accidents involving lorries.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/e ... 241104.stm

Comments

  • CometGirl
    CometGirl Posts: 2,681
    I DO hope they have permission for such a procession to take place, a la CM....
  • <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by rothbook</i>



    Mayor Ken Livingstone said: "I hope people will find that cycling regularly in London is easier than they thought."


    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    "..............provided the cyclists have passed their tests, have licences, insurance and are their cycles are fitted with number plates."
  • rothbook
    rothbook Posts: 943
    He dropped all that garbage.
  • Regulator
    Regulator Posts: 417
    I think this is an excellent idea. I'll volunteer to help out.

    ___________________________
    Bugger elephants - capabari are cuter!
    ___________________________
    Bugger elephants - capabari are cuter!
  • rothbook
    rothbook Posts: 943
    You'd need a step ladder to bugger elephants, regulator.

    I've got one you can have, my real ladder left home when I was a nipper, sniff.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    this is a great idea, but can we have it in every city on a Saturday[}:)]

    Non Omnis Moriar
  • Tourist Tony
    Tourist Tony Posts: 8,628
    How about every day?

    If I had a stalker, I would hug it and kiss it and call it George...or Dick
    If I had a stalker, I would hug it and kiss it and call it George...or Dick
    http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3 ... =3244&v=5K
  • Dudu
    Dudu Posts: 4,637
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by NumbNuts</i>

    this is a great idea, but can we have it in every city on a Saturday[}:)]

    Non Omnis Moriar
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    They already do in Paris, but on Sundays (and I once nearly missed a train connection because of it [:0]).


    <font size="1">*** Have you got rock salmon?
    No, but we've got soul ***</font id="size1">
    ___________________________________________
    People need to be told what to do so badly they'll listen to anyone
  • That'll wee the car/lorry/bus/coach drivers full of imigrants off!!!!!! but who gives a flying f**k????

    Bring it on every damn day!!

    http://s190.photobucket.com/albums/z241/ashh2_album/
  • spen666
    spen666 Posts: 17,709
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by halfords wizzkid</i>

    That'll wee the car/lorry/bus/coach drivers full of imigrants off!!!!!! but who gives a flying f**k????

    Bring it on every damn day!!
    ...
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">It won't cos they will just ignore the ban and PC Police won't dare do anything about it iin case they are accused of being racist- so they will arrest the cyclists for putting them in such a position

    22nd March can't come soon enough, neither can 26th May 2007

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  • <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Tourist Tony</i>

    How about every day?
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
    Well, it's clear enough every day for me to zip into town. I grant you that if you were in a car you would have more jams than I do, but that's not my problem

    Jeremy Parker
  • <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Dudu</i>

    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by NumbNuts</i>

    this is a great idea, but can we have it in every city on a Saturday[}:)]

    Non Omnis Moriar
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    They already do in Paris, but on Sundays (and I once nearly missed a train connection because of it [:0]).
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    It's Sunday in London, too, on the Mall

    Jeremy Parker
  • rothbook
    rothbook Posts: 943
    Anyone know the actual route please?
  • Rothbook, the route was covered on the local London TV news last night.

    The event has been in planning for a few months - I guess that it sounded like a rumour to you as there hasn't been much information around. Sorry - that makes me sound like an insider, I just am an LCC member and there has been talk of this.


    Anyway - the route.
    It starts on the south side of the river near Tower Bridge (ie. the new City Hall and More London area). I might have this wrong.
    Crosses over to the Embankment on the north side, then goes up for a loop around Green Park, ie. that will be the Mall, past Buckingham Palace and down Birdcage Walk.
  • rothbook
    rothbook Posts: 943
    There was a small piece in the Evading Standard last night- a distant photo of about 8 cyclists outside City Hall.

    This is all good stuff, if people are wavering about cycle commuting this may finally persuade them.

    There's a lot of bikes in sheds out there.
  • Archcp
    Archcp Posts: 8,987
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by rothbook</i>
    This is all good stuff, if people are wavering about cycle commuting <b>this may finally persuade them.</b>

    There's a lot of bikes in sheds out there.
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Will it though? I mean, there's a lot of difference between cycling in a jamboree on a Sunday, with closed roads, and doing the same route, the next day, with all the traffic back... I wonder how many people will do this in the same way they do the L2B or any local sponsored ride - "it's bit of fun, but you don't expect me to carry on doing it in traffic do you, it's far too dangerous/I need to wear a suit/carry a bag..."

    Maybe that's unduly negative. The thing that might make the difference for some won't be the ride, it'll be getting chatting to people who do it everyday, and finding out the real benefits etc...


    If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.
    If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.
  • I've just found this is called the Hovis London Freewheel.
    Do we get free marmalade sandwiches?
    http://www.londonfreewheel.com/

    Click on "Event Details" for the route.
    Start point is on Tooley Street at Tower Bridge, so I was right.
  • rothbook
    rothbook Posts: 943
    All that may well be true but this ride provides a brilliant opportunity to reinforce a positive image for cyclists, break down the preconception that cycling is marginalised and a select pasttime, make the roads safer since the more cyclists there are the safer the roads become, join in with other like-minded cyclists, and stare at Konnie Huq's arse.


    BBC London news interviewed a black cabbie who sucked his teeth and said:

    "Cycling, um, all very well but there's a time and a place and I dunno if london is the place!"

    Dumbass.
  • Archcp
    Archcp Posts: 8,987
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by rothbook</i>
    and stare at Konnie Huq's arse.

    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Ah, the truth will out...[;)]

    If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.
    If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.
  • Tourist Tony
    Tourist Tony Posts: 8,628
    Don't you want me any more, Rothy?
    Oops--wrong roth....

    If I had a stalker, I would hug it and kiss it and call it George...or Dick
    If I had a stalker, I would hug it and kiss it and call it George...or Dick
    http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3 ... =3244&v=5K
  • rothbook
    rothbook Posts: 943
    Konnie Huq- famous cockney rhyming slang:

    http://tinyurl.com/2k85gn