Great meeting with a packed hall.

Thanks to everyone who came.

Neeraj's talk about creating a cyclists wheely good network* was excellent.

There are lots of cyclists who would, if we could find the right tools, be keen to contribute to promoting cycling in Birmingham.

The two police speakers, Nigel and Jan, provided some good advice and personal insights into cycling and cyclists.

Graham Lennard outlined the excellent work the Council staff who have an input into cycling and walking are doing. They are the good guys.

Presumably the problem lies with the politicians and those with corporate power who give us nasties like the Selly Oak roundabout: "cyclists dismount and wander miles behind bars, stop lots of times at crossings, you are nothing".

There was lots of discussion about the destructive and statistically throughly wrong belief that cycling is unsafe. Presumably the problem is that it is perceived as or feels unsafe rather than the numbers? Without better infrastructure and many more cyclists so that motorists expect cyclists and behave accordingly it's difficult to see how this can change** - especially given the low volume of cycling in Birmingham.

Many specific issues were raised which we'll summarise and cover in a report here and in the next newsletter.

Thanks again to the wonderful crowd who participated.

* Refers to work by Elinor Ostrom, the 2009 Nobel laureate in economics, showing that community based hub & wheel organisations can be an excellent way of managing common property.

** see the new TFL report on cyclist fatalities in London.