Check out this fantastic article on a recent event in Portland (thanks Jonathon at BikePortland

Bike Summit taps energy and ideas for a bike-friendly future

There have been some small similar events here in the past (Fiona, Gabrielle Andrew?)

I think I’ll look into this next week. Any ideas on events? Who’d like to help?

Maybe for Bikeweek at the end of september? But i hate the rta association. Particularly now that they have cut virtually all bike funding. Hmm

Here is Phil’s very valuable comments. Everybody needs to read this one. Right on my wavelngth

There needs to be a major rethink about goals and objectives and how the current grand poobahs of cycling do business with Govt.

For example, we must abandon the big ticket cycling infrastructure projects that always end up on the cutting room floor (this just mirrors/shadows the automotive lobby groups roads growth fetish and proves that you become what you hate) in favour of smaller more entrepreneural goals.

I think the model needed is that based on something like the World Social Forum which was started and continues to be run opposite the World Economic Forum in Davos.

How about cyclists boycott Bike Week and run a series of counter events?

Given the nature of our current political environment I think the best way to register protest is to bring all stakeholders together outside of the formal governmental process.

Given the current state of play the timing could be right in making a political statement.

I continue to ask myself, why on earth would interested cycling stakeholders continue to deal with Govt/RTA when it’’s obvious that they are just transport’s favourite whipping boy?….unless of course they enjoy the constant pain, humiliation and sweet patitudes that mean nothing.