Introduction email

This is a copy of the initial newsletter email, there is a chance this moves over to Ghost/Mailchimp in the future but for now it’s here.

Hello friend,

Thank you for your interest in the Syracuse Cyclists Union.

I have kept your emails private initially as I wasn’t sure if you would like them shared.
If you would like your email shared with others, CC vs BCC, write back saying so.
As of Sept 8, at 10:30 pm there are 26 people on this list.

The idea of the Syracuse Cyclists Union is to be a collective to advocate for better cycling here modeling off of Boston’s Cyclist Union and Amsterdams’s. Advocacy organizations aren’t typically born of happy times, and neither was this one. “Driver, 19, admits to killing Syracuse bicyclist while street racing but avoids jail for now”(Syracuse.com).

Something broke in me reading that article.

I would like to preface this email with a note about change. In 1825 the Erie Canal was completed, going through the city of Syracuse (picture from 1904). “In 1923, the engineering wonder of the 1820s was filled, graded, and turned into a parking lot for Model T’s and other automobiles in Clinton Square.” (cnyhistory.org/). In the mid-1900s a train ran through downtown Syracuse, in fact, you still see track remnants today when the streets break apart. (Picture, Article). OnTrack - a rail system inside the city that existed from 1994 to 2008 (Article). Within the past couple of years, Erie Boulevard had a bike lane installed inside of it.

Change is possible, but there is a deep car culture here and it’s been growing for more than 100 years.

Here’s where we start as per People For Bikes’ City Ranking 2024:

• City Score: 10 / 100
• Overall city rank ( best is 1/2579): 2203 / 2579
• Rank in USA ( best is 1/2300): 1964 / 2300
• Rank in Mid-Atlantic Region ( best is 1/309): 254 / 309
• Rank in New York State ( best is 1/88): 47 / 88

That’s pretty damning.

What can we do? (open to suggestions)

• Talking to Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council and Neil Burke director of special projects for the Department of Public Works.

  • How do we get protected lanes? Who do we write to?

• Writing letters to politicians and to the papers/media:

  • Writing collective letters to politicians can get them to see us.
  • Syracuse.com and Cable interviews, Central Current, others?

• Ghost Bikes

  • I saw my first ghost bike in Covington Ky, outside of Lil’s Bagels. That changed me. “Ghost Bikes are small and somber memorials for bicyclists who are killed or hit on the street. A bicycle is painted all white and locked to a street sign near the crash site, accompanied by a small plaque. They serve as reminders of the tragedy that took place on an otherwise anonymous street corner, and as quiet statements in support of cyclists’ right to safe travel.” http://ghostbikes.org/ - they can be as intricate as steel tube welded to form a bike, and bolted to the ground or a bike painted white locked to a post.

• Physical IRL protests:

  • I’m not overly confident the options above will have much impact (aside from ghost bikes/media).

• Talking: about your experiences.

• Do you have other ideas? Please write back!

I’ve seen your answers to the survey. Here is where I stand on Syracuse bike lanes: if a bike lane is painted it does not exist. Syracuse streets are lawless as the cops seemingly don’t enforce any traffic laws which could be automated away with red light cameras/speed cameras/protected bike lanes. Syracuse bike lanes are death traps that I would never let a loved one use that prioritize driver convenience over protecting people. I’ve been biking Syracuse for 15 years and it feels that it has only gotten more dangerous. I feel safer on 55 mph country roads than on any street in Syracuse.

Many answers talked about more bike lanes, safer bike lanes, aggressive drivers, “knowing how to ride” - that can be automated with cement barriers. No matter how good a rider you are you can’t outrun a car at 30 mph, 40 mph, 50 mph, and when it hits you, or a child (Pittsburgh last week: 1, 2), there’s a very high risk of death, “Results show that the average risk of severe injury for a pedestrian struck by a vehicle reaches 10% at an impact speed of 16 mph, 25% at 23 mph, 50% at 31 mph, 75% at 39 mph, and 90% at 46 mph. The average risk of death for a pedestrian reaches 10% at an impact speed of 23 mph, 25% at 32 mph, 50% at 42 mph, 75% at 50 mph, and 90% at 58 mph. “ (AAA Foundation).

The data: there have been 37 responses in total. I’ve put up more posters in Recess (all locations), Freedom of Expresso (Franklin Square), Salt City Coffee (University/Onondaga - Salt City Market poster board by the bathrooms), Syracuse Bicycle, Bert’s Bikes & Fitness (Erie), Advance Cyclery, Mello Velo, Cafe Kubal (James/Salina/ have the others printed but haven’t gotten to them yet). Working on putting more in community centers. If you know of other ones please reach out! Also working on getting stickers made.

As of Sunday, September 8 at noon, there have been:

Percent of X that feel unsafe:

Percent of X that feel safe:

Class, overwhelmingly within the middle-class range. The main age range is 21-40 but almost every range block is represented.
I suspect that’s in part to where I shared it. Making stickers to spread it more, and keeping it up for at least a month. Do you have any suggestions on where to put it?

Welcome to Syracuse Cyclists Union, let’s leave this place better than when we found it.

Best,
Edward C. Deaver, IV