The A6 between the south Lancaster motorway junction and Lancaster is now officially the most dangerous road in the whole country for cyclists and pedestrians, according to the recent Road Safety Foundation report.
The Lancaster ‘Critical Mass’ cycling awareness campaign is keen to draw public attention to this as part of a more focused campaign to get the road modified to include a safe cycling lane and is planning a bicycle rally demonstration this Friday evening, 28 November 2014.
The Critical Mass (CM) cycle rides are about raising awareness of cyclists on the roads, particularly at busy times, and so take place at many locations globally on the last Friday of the month. Lancaster in particular has a history of being a Cycling Demonstration Town in more ways than one.
This Friday will see a ‘pre-Mass’ group of cyclists start out from Lancaster University’s Alexandra Square at 5.45 and head sedately down the A6 into town, arriving at Dalton Square no later than 6.15pm to join more local cyclists. There will be the CM sound system and riders are encouraged to wear bike-friendly costumes and have flags, hooters etc.
The Mass will set off again from Dalton Sq at 6.30pm as usual, to cycle slowly as a bloc around the city’s one-way system. Riders will also be giving out leaflets with the usual CM info on one side and detail of the Safety Foundation report on the other side.
Organisers remind all riders taking part to wear their high vis if they have it and of course their lights. However they ask everyone (drivers and cyclists both) to remember that the terrible accident rate is about poor road design, and not what cyclists wear, so everyone needs to be extra-aware there.