Did you see us in the High Street?

May 25th saw members of BCC set up a stall in Billericay High Street to talk about our campaign before Ride London the following day.

We spent 4 hours in the High Street talking to local people about what they would need to help them gain the benefits that come from using bicycles for transport, and what they think about our campaign. We also gave away dozens of cakes – baked by our volunteers with ingredients kindly donated by Tesco.

We were braced for some negativity, given the “War on the roads” portrayed in the media, and the imminent road closures for the Ride London event the following day. However the morning was overwhelmingly positive. Most people we spoke to told us they would like to cycle but they felt the roads were too dangerous. There was clear support for our campaign aims of cycle routes separated from motor traffic, as this would make cycling safer and more attractive while making the presence of bikes less frustrating for motorists. We gave people contact details for the free “Bikeability” training delivered by Essex County Council to help those people who indicated they would be happy to cycle on the road if they had more confidence.

Yellow Jersey Cycles kindly supported our event by offering free bike safety checks and tune-up.