A month after our protest ride, where are we?
Its been a little over a month since over a thousand of us peacefully protested against the tack attacks on the Kew Boulevard, so I thought it was time I updated everyone on what has been happening.
On the positive front, Vic Roads has commenced daily sweeping of the Kew Boulevard, thereby meeting one of the four key demands of the protest ride. This has served to minimize the impact of the tack attacks on cyclists. In the wake of an attack, only a few hours elapse before the road is cleared making it safe to ride again.
That’s the good news.
The bad news is the tack attacks continue. There have been two attacks since the protest ride. So there is still work to be done.
The primary demand of the protest ride was for the installation of surveillance cameras. This demand was supported by a petition (with 1700 signatures on it) which ran in conjunction with the May 3 ride.
I have subsequently presented the petition to the council of Boroondara, Victoria Police, Vic Roads and the Minister for Roads & Safety.
All these parties have acknowledged receipt of the petition but have not yet formally responded to the demands (including the surveillance cameras).
The bottom line is we still don’t know if/when the cameras will be installed.
My efforts with respect to this will continue until such time as the perpetrator has been apprehended.
24 Hour Endurance Ride on the Kew Boulevard
To continue raising the profile of this issue within the community and to keep pressure on the authorities to act on the demands of the May 3 protest ride, I and a number of other cyclists are undertaking a 24 hour endurance ride on the Kew Boulevard.
Its been called the RAT Ride (Ride Against Tacks).
Commencing @ dawn on June 7, we will be doing laps of the Kew Boulevard until dawn of June 8.
We expect to ride around 500 KM during that time and climb around 9000 vertical meters.
We had a lot of media about the event during the week including radio appearances, articles in the local Leader and an article in The Age. There will be a Channel 7 news crew dropping in on us during the ride which might result in the event appearing on the nightly news.
If you are in the area this Sunday, please feel free to drop by and roll some laps with us!.
Our base of operations is in the golf club car park at the top of Walmer Street right here:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z9t25kb4q42I.kSL5v6vSpTMs
Join us on Facebook
A Facebook page has been set up for the rapid dissemination of news and updates about the tack attacks on the Kew Boulevard.
Bulletins from this website will continue to be published but the Facebook page is where I will be putting out news of tack attacks as and when they occur.
Please feel free to join the group by following this link:
Stop the Tacks
If you have any comments, queries or suggestions about what you would like to hear from me, please make contact via the contact us page.
Well done to everyone who took part in the endurance ride this weekend. I have only just found out about it as I was on this page to report a tack puncture I received this week. For anyone who doesn’t appreciate how hard 24hr riding is, I can vouch for it being tough and both physically and mentally draining. I myself suffered sit bone bruising and a weakened right hand grip (from repeated down shifts) that took several days to return to normal, after 500km, 26hr and 6200m this time last year.
I don’t suppose the tracker showed themselves did they?
Alas Stephen, no…the Tacker did not show…underlining his/her cowardly nature