Hi, I’m Lucy

By Lucy Giuliano

Lucy is Campaigns Director of Cyclox

I started as Cyclox’s new Campaigns Director last month. I’m thrilled to have joined Cyclox at an exciting time for cycling in Oxford as we continue to call for safer streets for all.

As my new role covers a range of responsibilities, I thought it would be helpful to share more about my background and my focus.

My background

Cycling has always been part of my life and I have cycled for as long as I can remember. Whether it’s commuting to work or doing the weekly shop, from the busy streets of Beijing to the dusty roads of Burkina Faso, cycling has been my principal form of transport wherever I’ve lived. Now with electric assistance and spray-painted bright yellow, my cycle has also become my mobility aid. I developed long-term health conditions a few years ago.

After studying languages at university, I worked in the UK and abroad in education, volunteer management and digital communications. My work in cycling started at London Cycling Campaign, RideLondon and Love to Ride. Through these experiences I noticed how male-dominated the cycling sector is. I set up Spoke Out in my home city of Derby to support, encourage and empower more girls, women and non-binary people to cycle.

Research and my lived experience show that the demographic groups I work with face specific barriers to cycling. I’ve therefore designed, sought funding for and run free, community-led initiatives to help overcome these. Examples include women-led maintenance workshops to learn how to fix pesky punctures, and cycling-skills sessions to build confidence riding on the road.

Advocating for better cycle infrastructure has been at the core of all my work.

I know that safety is often identified as the biggest barrier, so I:

• started Kidical Mass rides in Derby
• partnered with the council and local shopping centre to create a new secure cycle storage facility
• led campaigns such as see us and cats not cars to highlight road safety  

My focus at Cyclox

My primary purpose at Cyclox is our Vision Zero campaign. This is an integral part of our 3-year strategy.

Vision Zero is an approach to road safety based on one central idea: that every death or serious injury on the road is preventable.

Cyclox launched this campaign after the tragic deaths of four young women on their cycles in a 2-year period, all at junctions and all in collision with large vehicles.

My role is to collaborate with key organisations, such as the council, and with the wider community in Oxford to deliver engaging projects to achieve the following aims:

• high-quality protected cycle lanes
• safe junctions and crossings for people walking and cycling
• a 20 mph speed limit across the city
• safety standards for HGVs coming into the city, and their drivers trained in safe urban driving
• a significant reduction in car trips

Our main ask is to move the council’s target for realising Vision Zero from 2050 to 2030.

In the past few weeks, I’ve made a start on reviewing junctions, discussing our volunteering opportunities, meeting with the Cyclox team and getting ready for our big fundraising drive later this year.

Get in touch

I aim to bring a positive, innovative and creative approach as I develop our campaign in the upcoming months. From cycling stories to concerns about road safety, I am keen to listen and learn from a diverse range of perspectives to get to know you and Oxford. If you want to get in touch or have a chat, you can reach me at lucy@cyclox.org