About a year ago, hundreds of people occupied the traffic lanes of Campo Grande and sat down on the hot asphalt. In silence, with or without a bicycle by their side, they called for more peaceful, humane and inclusive cities. The vigil was prompted by the fatal car accident of a 16-year-old girl who was crossing a crosswalk in Campo Grande on the green with her bicycle in her hand. One year on, another death: a cyclist on Avenida da Índia who was hit from behind by a motorist.
A new vigil is scheduled for next Saturday, July 3, in memory of this victim and all the other vulnerable road users who have lost their lives as a result of road accidents. "The feeling of insecurity on public roads due to speeding is common. Vulnerable users, due to their condition, are almost always the victims of accidents in the city", reads the call made through Facebook and which brings together various organizations, such as MUBi - Associação Pela Mobilidade Urbana Em Bicicleta (Association for Bicycle Urban Mobility), Massa Crítica Lisboa (Critical Mass Lisbon) and the page Marginal Bike Path.
The vigil is intended to be as peaceful as last year's, and should take place along the same lines: for around 20 minutes, participants will occupy Avenida da Índia, at the site of the collision that killed a 37-year-old pregnant woman on Saturday. In silence, the participants will pay tribute to this and all the other people who have lost their lives on the city's streets on bicycle or on foot. "a wake-up call for the city to become safer quickly so that there is not one more victim".
The vigil aims to raise awareness of the need for traffic calming and a 30 km/h speed limit in urban areasIt's also important to better monitor speeding, and to rethink the "highway" profiles of Avenida da Índia, Campo Grande and many other arteries with similar characteristics in our cities.
The use of mask and the maintenance of safety distances should be followed, in accordance with the rules of the Directorate-General for Health (DGS). If you bring a bicycle, it can be used to cover the distance. This vigil will be coordinated on site with the help of the PSPThis will ensure temporary traffic disruption on the avenue.
Those interested in taking part can join the vigil directly at 11:30 a.m. on Avenida da Índia, between Algés and Belém, more specifically in this place. However, the meeting point will be earlier, at 11 a.m., on a parallel street - Rua dos Cordoeiros a Pedrouços (at this point on the map). You can join the event on Facebook here. "All people and all groups of bicycle users are invited to attend."
