Our grand finale to Bike Week 2020 is hosting MOTHERLOAD as a virtual community screening and covideo party. We’re delighted that director Liz Canning will join us for a Q&A on Zoom immediately afterward for a panel discussion with urban liveability and health experts.
This 86 minute documentary from the USA captures a new mother’s quest to understand the increasing isolation and disconnection of modern life, its planetary impact, and how cargo bikes could be an antidote. It won a Sundance Special Jury Prize in 2019.
Film maker Liz Canning cycled everywhere until her twins were born in 2008. Motherhood was challenging and hauling babies via car felt stifling. She googled ‘family bike’ and discovered people using cargo bikes: long-frame bicycles designed for carrying heavy loads. Liz set out to learn more, and MOTHERLOAD was born.
Join us on Sunday evening, 27 September, for a covideo party on Twitter using the hashtags #MOTHERLOAD #MOTHERLOADgalway.
Film maker Liz Canning will join us straight afterwards for a Q&A with a panel of urban liveability and health experts, parents, and the Galway Cycling Campaign.
Decisions made by the European Commission and the UN have an impact on the road design and safety of our urban roads, residential streets, and bóithirín. Insights into the impact of the lockdown on road safety from across Europe will be discussed as well as ideas for how we deal with a transition out of it.
Lower speed limits and 30kmph zones are hot topics right now after recent public consultations in Galway and Dublin – and the UN.
Our guests from Europe will share how and why safe walking and cycling infrastructure and reducing speeds must be at the heart of our transport and mobility evolution.
Matthew Baldwin, the first European Coordinator for Road Safety and Sustainable Mobility. Deputy DG MOVE at European Commission
Ellen Townsend, Policy Director at the European Transport Safety Council
Rod King MBE, Founder and Campaign Director of 20’s Plenty for Us / Love30
“I’m delighted to be joining this webinar in Galway to chat about road safety, sustainable mobility and the importance of good infrastructure and speed management from the EU perspective.” – Matthew Baldwin, Deputy DG MOVE
“On behalf of ETSC, I hope I can share some of our insights into the impact of the lockdown on road safety from across Europe as well as our ideas for how we deal with a transition out of it. Investing in safe cycling and walking infrastructure and reducing speeds must be at the heart of this mobility evolution.” – Ellen Townsend, ETSC
“It’ll be great to talk. The General Assembly of the UN has just endorsed the concept of 30kmph being the default urban/ village speed limit. I am pleased to share how countries are setting 30kmph as a national default.” – Rod King MBE
Webinar details
The webinar will be recorded and shared on the Galway Cycling Campaign’s website and YouTube channel.
Please join us from 12.50 for a prompt 1pm start.
This webinar is aimed at local and national policymakers, place makers, political representatives, academics, people interested in liveable neighbourhoods, representatives from the business community, community groups, and representatives of the cycling community.
The conversation will identify local challenges and opportunities as well as demonstrating some practical examples from across Europe.
Guests can join in the conversation using the Chat and ask questions through the Q&A functions throughout the presentations.
There will be an opportunity for audience Q&A at the end of the session.
This year Bike Week looks a little different. We’ve organised online meetings, info sessions and working groups since March, and so we’re using this experience to bring you a series of webinars with guests from Ireland, Europe, and the USA.
Bike Parking and the Bottom Line
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on local businesses and retail in Galway city and county. We’re all living our lives more locally these days and government advice is to walk or cycle where possible. International research and the experience of Dublin shows that quality and inclusive bike parking is an investment in local and loyal customers.
His Excellency, Adriaan Palm, Ambassador at The Netherlands Embassy to Ireland
Chris Bruntlett, Dutch Cycling Embassy and co-author of Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality
Richard Guiney, CEO of Dublin Town
Clodagh Colleran, Development Studies Association of Ireland, Trinity College Dublin
Safer Roads, Safer Cities, Better Lives: The view from Europe and the UN
Decisions made by the European Commission and the UN have an impact on the road design and safety of our urban roads, residential streets, and bóithirín.
Insights into the impact of the lockdown on road safety from across Europe will be discussed as well as ideas for how we deal with a transition out of it.
Our guests from Europe will share how and why safe walking and cycling infrastructure and reducing speeds must be at the heart of our transport and mobility evolution.
Matthew Baldwin, the first European Coordinator for Road Safety and Sustainable Mobility
Ellen Townsend, Policy Director at the European Transport Safety Council
Rod King MBE, Founder and Campaign Director of 20’s Plenty for Us
MOTHERLOAD, virtual community screening in Galway and Q&A with director Liz Canning
Date: Sunday, 27 September 2020, 7.30pm – 10pm
Our grand finale to Bike Week 2020 is hosting MOTHERLOAD as a virtual community screening and covideo party. We’re delighted that director Liz Canning will join us for a Q&A on Zoom immediately afterward for a panel discussion with urban liveability and health experts.
This 86 minute documentary from the USA captures a new mother’s quest to understand the increasing isolation and disconnection of modern life, its planetary impact, and how cargo bikes could be an antidote. It won a Sundance Special Jury Prize in 2019.
Join the covideo party on Twitter using the hashtags #MOTHERLOAD #MOTHERLOADgalway
Post-screening Q&A with
Liz Canning, director of MOTHERLOAD
Neasa Bheilbigh, Galway Cycle Bus
Síle Ginnane, co-founder of Better Ennis
Jo Sachs-Elderidge, organiser of the Leitrim Cycling Festival and co-author of A Vision for Cycling in Rural Ireland by the Rural Cycling Collective
Bike Week 2020 webinars hosted by Galway Cycling Campaign are funded through a grant awarded by Galway City Council through the Active Travel initiative by the Government of Ireland
Locals have expressed concerns over proposals by Galway City Council to set a “crazy” 80kmph speed limit outside the gate of a Galway City primary school.
St Joseph’s primary school and Naíonra Cháit
In the draft speed limit bye-laws, the council has designated all of Rahoon Road west of Clybaun Road as 80kmph, including the section outside the site of Scoil Naomh Sheosaimh primary school and naíonra in Boleybeg. This would make it the only school in Galway City with an 80kmph speed limit outside the school gate.
Neil O’Leary, parent of a child at the naíonra, said, “It’s crazy that Galway City Council would even consider making this section of road 80kmph. There are hundreds of children arriving at the school gates here every day. Yet the bicycle rack remains empty as parents choose to drive to school because it feels safer, and who could blame them? If a child is hit by a vehicle whizzing by at 80kmph, a socially distant funeral is all but guaranteed. At 30kmph, that same child has a 90% chance of surviving and returning to the playground.”
“I cycle my son to and from here most days and I know other parents would like to do the same, or walk with their kids, but don’t feel safe enough to do so. A lower speed limit would make for a much less hostile road environment, help attract more parents out of their cars and fill up the bike-rack at the school” said Mr O’Leary.
Public consultation on the proposed speed limit bye-laws is open until 16th September. Any concerns or proposals to Galway City Council can be made at http://bit.ly/galwaycityspeedlimits
Galway needs to follow the example of Wales and decrease its speed limits for urban areas from 50km/h to 30km/h. All welcome to our online public meeting with Gwenda Owen of Cycling UK- Wales.
Galway city council is currently in the process of a public consultation about revising speed limit bye-laws throughout the city and Kevin Jennings, chairperson of Galway Cycling Campaign, believes that Galway should be inspired by the Welsh Government’s report that is recommending 30km/h replace 50km/h as the default speed limit on urban roads throughout the country and should embrace the benefits of slower speeds.
If the legislation is passed, Wales will become the first country in the world to reduce the default speed limit for urban areas to 20mph.
He said: “If someone is struck by a vehicle at 30km/h, their chance of survival is up to 97 per cent. This decreases with every kilometre driven faster.
There is also evidence that injuries are reduced when 30km/h limits are introduced and that 30km/h limits lead to more walking and cycling and lower noise levels. It’s more important now than ever to have safer streets and spaces for walking and cycling.
“A lower citywide speed limit would be life-changing because slower speeds will improve the places where we live, work, and go to school. We saw during lockdown that people were encouraged to walk and cycle more because they felt safer doing so.
“We look forward to working with Galway City Council to support lower speeds limits. We are happy to see public support for citywide lower speed limits from An Garda Chief Superintendent Tom Curley and chair of the Joint Policing Committee, Cllr Níall McNelis.”
Gwenda Owen, Cycling UK – Wales
On Friday 7 August, between 7.30pm and 9.30pm, the advocacy group will host its monthly meeting online via Zoom with Gwenda Owen of Cycling UK – Wales the special guest speaker.
Owens has played a significant role creating public support for the benefits of slower speeds in cities, towns, and villages by working closely with grassroots and community organisations and sat on the Welsh Government’s Walking and Cycling Action Plan Steering Group, which produced the Walking and Cycling Strategy for Wales in 2014.
Spokesperson for Galway Cycling Campaign Martina Callanan said; “The majority of our primary and secondary schools, primary care centres, community centres, and sports grounds are in our suburbs, outside the inner city zone, as well as Galway University Hospital, Bon Secours and Merlin Park hospital campuses, and GMIT.
“These are places that many people arrive at by foot and bike. Lower speed limits will make it safer, healthier, and much more pleasant, to choose active travel.”
Galway Cycling Campaign is a voluntary group which represents cyclists in Galway. We promote cycling as a common and accessible form of transport with the goal of creating a more liveable Galway for everyone.
