The Times won an award for its cycle safety campaign, Cities Fit For Cycling, last night at the Online Media Awards.
Cities Fit for Cycling won the category for best use of crowd sourcing/citizen journalism. The judges were particularly impressed at how the paper had generated “ lots of reader stories and details and insights”.
Ben Whitelaw, the paper's social media editor tweeted: "Hopefully it'll serve as motivation to continue the #cyclesafe push".
In total, over 35,000 people have pledged support to Cities fit for Cycling, contributed over 7,000 stories and identified the 10,000 most dangerous roads to travel by bicycle.
Although The Times website is behind a paywall, the cycling campaign pages are usually public, allowing all cyclists to point out on an interactive map the junctions and roads that they feel least safe on. There is also a form for cyclists to petition their MP to improve cycling facilities in their area.
On a supplementary blog, I Love My Bike, cyclists can celebrate the more joyous side of their sport and hobby.
The paper's campaign was sparked by a tragic accident; reporter Mary Bowers was cycling to work when she was hit by an HGV just metres from the Times office in November. She remains in hospital in a sub-conscious state.
In February, Cities fit for Cycling launched, with a manifesto that included eight points for safer cycling that several city councils, including Cambridge and Bristol, have adopted in full.
The points include better cycle training and the appointment of cycling commissioners in every city.
Since then, the campaign has inspired a Parliament debate in Westminster Hall, attended by over 80 MPs, and brought about a Commons committee inquiry into cycle safety.
The paper also hosted a mayoral hustings, specifically to create a debate between London mayoral candidates about the future of cycling in the city.
So far this year, 40 cyclists have died on Britain's roads.
Dr Dan ? nothing, Main Road in Kesgrave is just as bad as anything Woodbridge chucks at you to cycle on, imo its actually worse, but people always...
If you cycled regularly you would know that it isn't a small number of drivers that are bad, its just a small number that get caught.
Design and concept is great, build quality and customer service are not quite up to the same level. Unfortunately for an expensive item they don't...
How long until she claims her account was hacked?
Anyone got a map / view of what's actually being proposed (or indeed opposed)? The formal planning application seems to be here but ICBA to wade...
While Polis Scotland can come across as being inept and clueless regarding road crime I think they're stuck between a rock and a hard place due to...
Great win from Welshman Stephen Williams!
I haven't seen the report to which you refer but looking at the graph that you shared there it appears only to have looked at speed versus the...
Another utterly pathetic sentence...
Ah, well, without prejudice to my above defence, I would say that on the balance of probabilities the mudguards are SKS Longboards, fitted at a...