On Tuesday 19th July 2011 at 3.00pm some members of Camden Cyclists joined local councillors and residents of Camden Square to protest at TfL’s indifference to cyclist and pedestrians’ safety on Camden Road and failure to implement safety measures proposed in 2005. We were at the corner of St Pancras Way where Paula Jurek the 20 year-old Polish cyclist was killed on 5th April.
Councillors, residents and Camden Cyclists
Camden Cyclists with their banner
Paul Braithwaite organised this demo so that a photo was taken for this week’s Camden New Journal.
We left the banner on the ghost bike so that passers by will be able to take note.
Link to report on CNJ website Link to subsequent report on road.CC
Two days after the demo, the three local councillors (Phil Turner, Paul Braithwaite and Angela Mason), received the following letter:
You may be aware that a fatal road traffic accident involving a woman cyclist (Paula Jurek) taking place in April 2011 at the junction of St Pancras Way and Camden Road. To mark the spot of the accident and as a memorial to Paula Jurek somebody chained a white cycle (commonly known as a ‘ghost bike’) to the railings near the place where the accident took place. Knowing this was a sensitive issue I took the decision to leave the cycle in place as part of the grieving process for the family.
However on a walkabout with other council officers I noticed the cycle has now been vandalised with a number of parts having been removed, I have now given the instruction to remove the remnants of the bicycle and have stored it safe in a Camden depot should Ms Jurek’s family want to keep the cycle as a memorial.
