Cyclists stage "die in" on major Brisbane road

[biker jk]

CYCLISTS have laid down on a major Brisbane road in a staged “die-in” to lobby for

improved bike lanes, causing major traffic problems.

The protest on Wednesday at Vulture St, South Brisbane, outside the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital, has ended but it caused traffic snarls in the heart of the city.

“If motorists are feeling frustrated, they should be asking the Lord Mayor why he isn’t supporting safe, separated bike lanes,” Brisbane City councillor Jonathan Sri, who organised the protest, told ABC radio.

Earlier, Mr Sri told AAP that the die-in was staged as a last resort after “all the other mechanisms we’ve tried have failed”.

“Fundamentally, the problem is that Brisbane City Council is prioritising traffic flow ahead of bike safety improvements.”

Cyclists want more bike lanes and lower speed limits, Mr Sri said.

They have been prompted by the ramming of 19-year-old cyclist Shelly Cheng, who

said she was hospitalised with head and other injuries after an accident at the intersection of Vulture and Stanley streets last month.

“From what I remember, the motorist hit me off my bike and I slid across the gravel into the other lane,” Ms Cheng said.

“Fortunately, the oncoming van was far away enough to stop in time. I was dazed and shaking while I walked my bike off the road.

“The woman who hit me didn’t even leave her details. She made sure I was off the road, then just drove away while I was still disoriented and confused.”

It’s not the first such protest in Brisbane, with around 100 riders gathering last year to block car lanes on Victoria Bridge at South Bank.

Mr Sri admitted the action was controversial.

“We’ve really struggled to get the council to take us seriously on this issue,” he said.

“It’s basically an act of desperation.

“We’d be happy to call off the protest in a heartbeat if the council gave a commitment to installing bike lanes and lowering speed limits.

“But we’re sick of our friends ending up in hospital.”

https://goo.gl/azkoVp

[JPB]

Oh dear, here we go

[eldavo]

Oooh yesss!
It needs the Radiohead "Just" soundtrack!

[shareyoutube]https://youtu.be/oIFLtNYI3Ls[/shareyoutube]

[mikesbytes]

Saw it on TV, they interviewed a motorist who was stuck due to the protest

[Thoglette]

Saw it on TV, they interviewed a motorist who was stuck due to the protest

After all, it is important that we view this all from the correct perspective.

[trailgumby]

Oooh yesss!
It needs the Radiohead "Just" soundtrack!

[shareyoutube]https://youtu.be/oIFLtNYI3Ls[/shareyoutube]

I've seen the name radiohead around for years, but have never heard any of their music nor seen their vids.

Wow.

[Jmuzz]

Should have done it in a pedestrian street or on parliament driveway. Would have got the same media coverage except without the negativity of disrupting traffic which included an ambulance.

The message was lost to the driving public and it just turned into a negative traffic blockade.