Amy Gillett Foundation Expands Focus to Safe Roads
Melbourne, Victoria
A new campaign by the Amy Gillett Foundation (AGF) is aiming to foster safe cycling spaces and a more positive perception of cyclists.
The Safe Roads for Safe Cycling campaign, being launched on 10th March as part of the foundation’s annual Giving Day, has two main objectives:
- create safe bike lanes, shoulders and safe spaces for bikes on Australian roads
- foster a positive shift in attitudes towards Australian cyclists and rally community support for change
Safe Roads for Safe Cycling comes after the foundation’s successful A Metre Matters campaign, a 10-year project that has been pivotal in achieving a minimum one-metre passing distance law for cyclists Australia wide.
AGF’s CEO Dan Kneipp said he is proud of the Foundation’s legacy and optimistic about what can be achieved in the coming years.
“The A Metre Matters campaign proved the importance of evidence-based advocacy. From this, we are committed to further progressing cycling safety in Australia,” Dan said.
“Creating safe roads and streets for people on bikes, and helping to promote positive attitudes towards riders is fundamental to that.”
He said the program would focus on “low-cost, high-impact tasks that embed safe cycling into the street design process, made up of the people doing the work, and the tools they have to do their job”.
“Safe Roads for Safe Cycling also aims to achieve a positive shift in attitudes towards Australian cyclists. Many riders feel victimised, scared and not respected on our roads,” he added.
“This is a bold ambition, and to achieve it we need to collaborate with media, government, business and road user groups, expand our community to amplify our voice for change, and support measures and events that promote safe cycling behaviours.”
AGF chair Lisa Jacobs said: “The benefits of more people riding bikes are vast. But it’s difficult to achieve this aim unless cycling safety is fundamentally improved in Australian cities and towns.
“Our programs aim to enable this shift, and all the health, wellbeing, economic and environmental benefits that can flow from that.”
Giving Day
AGF’s Giving Day gives supports multiple options to help generate funds for the organisation.
Supporters can participate in an eight-hour online challenge to ride as many kilometres as possible, or they can simply make donations.
For more information, visit www.amygillett.org.au