Ride Reports from the Australian Ride of Silence 2007

Brisbane Ride of Silence

From MX - In silence we remember. (May 17, 2007)

Aaron Wray will wear a black armband during a silent bike ride through Brisbane on Saturday to remember cyclists killed and injured on our roads.

The Ride of Silence starts at 10am and will wind its way through the city.

Join in at www.rideofsilence.org

• Click here for pdf of scanned article

Adelaide’s First Ride of Silence a Success

Adelaide has seen 4 cyclists killed this year - just about our State average and it’s only May! The Adelaide Ride of Silence, conducted on the morning of Saturday 19th May, was part of a coordinated national program & sought to remind the community of the cycling presence on our roads and the responsibility we all have, especially when we’re behind the wheel, to ensure cyclists remain safe.

Although organized at the last minute & reaching only a small fraction of the cycling community, The Adelaide Ride of Silence still attracted around 150 keen & committed folk from all cycling ‘disciplines’ and across the age range. In fact the first person to turn up was a colleague of mine who was run over (literally) by a 4WD about 6 weeks ago! It reminded me of the impact that road crash injuries can have on peoples lives and why it is important for cyclists to remind the community of their vulnerability and the need for special consideration from motorists!

The ride went off without a hitch - around 12km from Adelaide’s Victoria Square, down Anzac Highway to Glenelg. All present rode as a group and with consideration for others. The support of the 3 SAPOL officer’s present was exemplary and we were very thankful for their presence on Anzac Highway where we encountered a number of parked cars & quite busy traffic. SAPOL were able to ensure a more or less continuous ‘Green Light’ ride all the way!

The Adelaide Ride of Silence got considerable State and even National ABC radio exposure in the morning and the day before, with television coverage in the evening on 7 and 2. The ABC TV in particular was excellent - very balanced and factual. All those who came indicated that, with better planning, the ride could be huge in 2008! The desire to do it again was palpable! BISA plans a debriefing with participants and several of the cycling organizations represented with a view to making the event 10 times bigger in 2008!

Feedback: If you would like to contribute comments or suggestions for a 2008 Adelaide Ride of Silence, please send them to me at chair@bisa.asn.au
Many thanks to Wheels of Justice for supporting Ride of Silence in Oz!
Sam Powrie, Chair, BISA.
Links:
Ride of Silence International: www.rideofsilence.org
Ride of Silence Australia: http://www.woj.com.au/category/ride-of-silence
Bicycle Institute of SA: www.bisa.asn.au

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Bendigo Ride of Silence

Greetings all

Bendigo part in the overall Ride of Silence was well attended by the cycling community of all ages and disciplines of cycling (Road Mount and Recreational).

Hard to give an accurate account of numbers some say 200 more likely 180 odd. Attached Photos were not taken from the front or the back so there were more riders at each end of the ride. The ride was over the 8 klm and took approximately 20 -25 minutes.

Local TMU Police were very supportive as the ride went through the CBD at a heavy traffic time with little or no fuss. The amount of road covered in length would have been around 500 - 600 metres and the riders maintained a very tight peleton formation and were very well disciplined in speed. The hearts of many are moved and impacted by the power of the silence and the chance to reflect the freedom we have as cyclist.

We had a member from Shepparton some 120klm away drive over to take part as they had lost a member of their community recently a very promising young athlete hit from behind in a group training ride by a 4 wheel drive. He personally found the event very moving and quite emotional when amongst the others in attendance

Also had a very emotional call from a mother who’s son had been killed on the bike with a head on collision with the driver on the wrong side of the road. The mother was over whelmed with the concept and was so appreciative of the witness to the wider community. This process also helped her reconcile the death and that there were people that really cared about others enough to be part of such a ride. The call was in the midst of much weeping and heart felt appreciation and was most affirming that the ride needs to continue for the sake of all concerned.

We have a cycling column in a weekly paper that covers around 70,000 homes and have attached the copy of what was printed this week as a lead up to the ROS. The copy can be viewed on the website www.bendigoweekly.com as well as a profile on a cycling mum that we ran for mothers day last week. Have also copied in a article we have written in an E-mail network that is sent to over 400 direct E-mails but we know is spread even wider across other web pages and networks of people. The article was to impress that the ROS is not a one off event but requires us all doing our utmost every time we are on the bike or in discussions on bike riding.

Thank you for the assistance and encouragement and we hope and pray that the message will reach the right people for the right reason.

Thank You,

Regards

Eddie Barkla

***

Ride of Silence Report - Melbourne 2007

From 3 years of age to near 80, the age span of Melbourne’s 2007 Ride Silence was testimony to how important the bicycle is to our communities and that safe roads and shared respect among all road users is paramount.

On Saturday 19th May 2007 the Melbourne Ride of Silence, as part of the 2007 International Ride of Silence was held. Riders and supporters from across the city and suburbs gathered at Federation Square on a very windy and chilly, morning to commemorate the memories of Melbourne’s bicycle riders and others lost to all communities from motor vehicle collisions.

The Ride of Silence in Melbourne is one of over 270 across the world held this May. After publicity , of media releases, (announcements in the press and on the web) including the international edition of Cyclingnews.com’ First News Editions, announcements across Bicycle User Groups, online cycling forums, supporting political party web sites, Melbourne’s riders joined together to celebrate the memories of riders lost, of our shared passion for cycling and our express request that governments will deliver essential safe roads for all users and that all users will share them with care.

The Victoria Police assisted the ride with two members of the Police bicycle unit. Two very experienced and dedicated officers, who assisted the ride negotiate the inner city traffic and by keeping with the spirit of the Ride of Silence used hand signal directives to all riders during the ride to ensure safety and to warn of roadway obstacles or changes of direction and conditions.

The group donned laminated Ride of Silence placards and many wore Black arm bands . as they formed a 100meter long two line peleton in front of Flinders Street station. The ride moved off with the Police escort slowly, at the pace of a funeral procession. Riding on into Swanston Street walk, obeying all traffic laws, stopping at all traffic red lights and giving courtesy and proffering way to motorists where conditions of single file required.

Turning into the busy inner city shopping precinct of Swanston Streets and Collins Street, the Ride of Silence made its way along the Financial district of Collins Street past the new transport hub of Southern Cross Station, and over the Docklands Bridge into the cities new harbor-side residential and tourist precinct of Docklands and the Docklands Football Arena.

From Docklands the group proceeded back into the CBD via Latrobe Street and Flagstaff Hill to the city’s Justice Precinct and the Supreme Court and on towards the Higher Education and Hospital end of town near RMIT and back to the shopping precinct of Swanston Street Walk.

From Swanston Street, the Ride of Silence proceeded left on Bourke and east to Spring Street and concluded at the imposing Steps of Victoria’s Parliament House and the historic site of the first sitting of Federal Parliament for this nation.

From the steps of Parliament House, Ride of Silence Co-conveners Chris Star and Rob Eke addressed the group with messages from supporters. The Ride of Silence Poem was read along with a tribute to the young cyclists killed this year Scott Peoples and Ben Mikic. Riders were asked to spread the message of respect and sharing the road and that they do their part by being visible, predictable and legal.

Much sentiment came from the Melbourne Ride of Silence in joining with our fellow riders across Australia in the Ride of Silence gatherings in the cities of Adelaide, Bendigo, Brisbane and Sydney to continue the momentum of alerting all political parties in this country to the need to support safe cycling for all communities and to appreciate that cycling does and will continue to benefit communities in health, environment and socially in more than just the joy of cycling.

Building on former years when the Ride of Silence was held in Melbourne in 2004, 2005 & 2006, this 2007 Melbourne Ride of Silence reinforces a strong message. That message is it is clear a hard core group of cycling devotees and advocates will continue to press to ensure all governments, the judiciary and law enforcement agencies see the fiscal, social and cultural benefits of cycling are immense. These benefits can be made more so with commitment from them and all road users to pull together and ensure our roads are safe for current and future generations.

The Melbourne Ride of Silence is a solemn reminder that the memory of our late cycling friends, neighbors and relatives will never be forgotten and we vow to continue to engender in government actionable response to the wider community demand for safe riding conditions for all road users on bicycles.

ROB EKE

Melbourne , Australia

May 2007

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Sydney’s 2007 International Ride of Silence was a great success

The day started at 8.30am when a group of about twenty cyclists, including the newly elected MP, Mike Baird (Liberal), Manly Councillor Brad Pedersen (Independent), Sarah Wheate (Green) and Daniel Pearce (Labor), rode from Manly to the ROS start in Hyde Park, arriving at 10am.

About 140 riders participated in a minute’s silence before setting off on the 2007 Sydney Ride of Silence, without a police presence.

We rode across the city to Town Hall, across the shared footbridge over Darling Habour, down Glebe Point Road to Broadway and back to NSW Parliament House where riders listened to a few short words before disbanding about 12.15pm

I was very pleased with the discipline of all riders in obeying the lights and waiting for the tail end to catch up when the group became split.

It was tricky without a police escort, but I think we can pat ourselves on the back for being responsible and grown up enough to run an event like this, in busy city traffic, without the police controlling traffic for us.

Well done to all riders.

Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon, who took part in the Ride of Silence, issued a press release today supporting the ride and said, among several good initiatives:

‘If the NSW government put more resources into cycling and awareness and advertising campaigns highlighting the responsibility of vehicle drivers, fewer bike riders would die. The Greens are campaigning for at least 5 percent or $150m of the RTA budget to be allocated for bicycle programs in NSW.
An extensive network of dedicated bicycle lanes in metropolitan areas could be funded from this money.’

Thanks to everyone who participated.
Michael

Sydney Photos courtesy David Edwards

NSW Greens Media Alert 19 May 2007

Greens MP Lee Rhiannon joins International Ride of Silence · in memory of fallen cyclists, and · to support safer cycling conditions on NSW roads.

10.00am Saturday, 19th May Starting Location: Archibald Fountain, Hyde Park

Then around the city ending up at Parliament House (approx 10km)

Rides of Silence are a silent tribute to those fallen cyclists who can no longer speak for themselves and to raise awareness about the lack of safe cycling conditions on our roads. At the Sydney Ride of Silence Greens MP Lee Rhiannon called on the NSW government to mark the annual event by increasing bike funding and initiating an awareness program to encourage safe driving near people riding bicycles. *If the NSW government put more resources into cycling and awareness and advertising campaigns highlighting the responsibility of vehicle drivers fewer bike riders would die, Ms Rhiannon said.

The Greens are campaigning for at least 5 percent or $150m of the RTA budget to be allocated for bicycle programs in NSW. An extensive network of dedicated bicycle lanes in metropolitan areas could be funded from this money. Driver education programs incorporating cyclist safety issues in the process of obtaining a driver’s licence is another way to boost safety awareness in the general population.

The NSW government needs to set up a cycle safe hotline for cyclists to report the number plates of dangerous drivers for the police to follow-up. If the Minister for Transport had the political will to stand up for cyclists and implement these straight forward programs fewer cyclists would die on NSW roads,Ms Rhiannon said.

More information - Lee Rhiannon: 0427 861 568

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