Demo to save CS 11 (#SaveCS11)

The consultation on the proposals for CS11 was published by TfL in February – see https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/cycling/cs-11

Soon after that we heard about determined opposition from several different groups:

the ‘NW8mums’ want to be able to drive through Regent’s Park to Marylebone High Street – see NW8Mums
Tom Conti –see Camden new Journal
and others including Belsize Residents.

At a talk on Monday 7th March, Andrew Gilligan told us that the CS11 consultation is in danger and that the only way to save it is to get large numbers of people to reply to the consultation in support of the scheme.

Planning

By Tuesday midday, we decided to have a demo and Angela took the lead in organising it. The main aim would be to get publicity and to persuade as many people as possible to reply to the consultation. Although there wouldn’t be much time to organise, we decided on Friday 11th so as to leave plenty of time to answer the consultation which closes on 20th. By Tuesday evening, Simon Munk (LCC) had offered to help with publicity.

By Wednesday, Angela had informed the police and we started to think of speakers to address the crowd before we set off. We planned a route riding round and round Park Square (west and east). See map. Then in the evening, Regents Park Cyclists came on board.

Then we started to advertise the demo by on Twitter #SaveCS11 and by email. Steven Edwards was very busy behind the scenes, contacting road.cc and Stop Killing Cyclists as well as sending mail-outs to wards in Camden organising an Engaging Networks mail-out to Camden & other boroughs via LCC. Stop Killing Cyclists became supporters of our TrafficFreeRegentsPark campaign.

Road.cc advertised the demo.

Eugene Regis made a set of videos of his ride into work with a narration at certain points on the CS11 route to highlight what it’s about.

We prepared a set of leaflets to give out to the riders and made some small A4 size posters to tie on to people’s backs.

The Demo

People started to arrive soon after 5:30 and by 6 pm a good crowd (maybe 150) had assembled. Before setting off Mustafa Arif (LCC) and Donnachadh McCarthy (Stop Killing Cyclists) addressed the crowd with megaphones.

London Live were there throughout the evening. They started by recording those speeches and then interviewed Tom Bogdanowicz (LCC), Justin McKie (Regent’s Park Cyclists), Audrey de Nazelle (a expert on air pollution who came with her two young children) and Angela Hobsbaum (Camden Cyclists). Here are some of these interviews:

John Chamberlain organised the marshalls who were placed at each of the four corners of our route along the Outer Circle, Park Village West, Marylebone Road and back up Park Village East. Our group was large enough to fill quite a bit of the route – I was at the back of the line and by the time I reached Park Village East, some people from the front caught up.

We had three police constables on bicycles; it’s always helpful to have their support when car drivers get impatient.

We did the circuit about four times and then went round the Outer Circle. Here are some photos from @nuttyxander’s Flickr site: