A GROUP campaigning to draw attention to challenges faced by female cyclists and call for better cycling infrastructure will hold a “Glow Ride” in Edinburgh tonight.
This ride will involve a group of cyclists gathering on Middle Meadow walk, a cycle path inEdinburgh’s Meadowsto “light up the night” with fluorescent lights and illuminated bicycles.
The procession will set off at 7:30pm and proceed at a slow steady pace until it finishes atBristo Squareat around 9pm.
This is part of a partnership between InfraSisters andCycling UK,whose nationwide My Ride Our Right campaign calls for cycling infrastructure sensitive to the specific needs of women and girls.
Campaign group InfraSisters says that women are often faced with the choice, especially late at night, of either cycling on the road and encountering dangerous drivers, or using darkened, isolated cycle paths and risking personal safety.
The group says that, while good infrastructure and proper lighting benefits everybody, women bear the brunt of badly lit cycle paths and poor infrastructure.
InfraSisters was founded in 2021 to highlight the challenges faced by female cyclists.
Tonight’s event, the “glow ride”, is a specific Cycling UK campaign, but the InfraSisters have been running similar, illuminated rides under the name “Our Streets Our Nights” twice a year since 2021.
The Glow Ride, where women and allies are invited to attach lights to their bicycle to illuminate the darkened paths, was developed with Cycling UK as a fun method of drawing attention to their cause.
Cycling UK’s campaign, My Ride Our Right, emerged out of a desire to close the gender gap around perceptions of cycling safety.
Over 50 glow rides are taking place over the UK.
Julie Clarke, a spokesperson for InfraSisters, said today (FRI): “InfraSisters was founded in 2021 to highlight the additional challenges that women cyclists face due to a lack of safe infrastructure, particularly in the evening or night.
“Too many women are faced with the choice between cycling on the road and chancing dangerous drivers, or using an isolated cycle path and risking personal safety.
“Whilst good infrastructure benefits everyone, women are systemically more scared of violence or the risk of harm than men.
“We believe that if councils provide cycling infrastructure compliant with the guidance from Transport Scotland’s Cycling by Design that supports women’s needs, this also meets the needs of the whole community.”
According to Cycling UK, 9 in 10 women are afraid of cycling in towns and cities, and women make around half as many trips on cycles as men.
Julie continued: “This year we’ve partnered with Cycling UK as part of their national My Ride Our Right campaign that calls for increased investment in cycling and walking routes that considers the experiences of women and girls.
“Over 50 Glow Rides are taking place across the UK with an aim to light up the night and highlight the need for better infrastructure.
“Tonight, we’re hoping to see lots of women (and allies) joining the ride with as much sparkle and lights as they can to light up the streets in Edinburgh and send a clear message to City of Edinburgh Council that there is a demand and need from women to be to choose to cycle in safety at all hours of the day.
“If anyone wants to join us, we’ll be setting off from Middle Meadow Walk at 7:30pm, travelling at a slow and safe pace, finishing at Bristo Square around 90 minutes later.”
The InfraSisters are calling on The City of Edinburgh Council and the Scottish Government to take actionable steps to light up cycle paths and improve cycling infrastructure.
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