Greece: Cyclists stage protest for bicycle lanes, mass transit access

Posted by admin on 10/21/07 in Traffic Safety Issues, Cycling Advocacy News

International Herald Tribune: Cyclists stage protest for bicycle lanes, mass transit access

Several hundred cyclists rode en masse through central Athens on Saturday demanding that the city council create designated lanes for cyclists. Braving a sudden downpour, the cyclists blew whistles and shouted anti-car slogans while holding up traffic. Athens, one of Europe’s more traffic-choked capitals, has almost no bicycle lanes.

The cyclists said they intended to mark out a cycling lane by themselves on a central Athens avenue. “This situation has reached the point of no return,” said Lydia Hadjialexiou, a protesting cyclist. Pro-bicycle groups say an unused plan for bicycle lanes has lain in the Athens municipality’s offices for at least four years. Cyclists are also demanding to be allowed to take their bicycles on metro and commuter trains.