metOct03

MEETING of hfcyclists

TUESDAY 7 October 2003, 7.30pm in the info centre

Present: John Griffiths, Jane Knight, Chris Bainbridge, Louanne Tranchell, Bill Ogden, John Ryan, Chris Tranchell, Rik Andrew, Yasmin Matthi, Alan Rowden.

Apologies: Mark Alderton, Paul Alexander, John Gilbert, Alex Forrest, Simon Franklin.

[notes by John Griffiths, clarified and slightly added to by Chris Bainbridge]

DISTINGUISHED VISITOR

Chris Bainbridge, LBHF Transportation Policy Team Leader described some of the projects his team was working on, and this was followed by a general discussion.

Chris first pointed out that the item in the London Cyclist were John G had announced the appointment of Phil Nicholls as Borough Engineer was premature. He is acting BE whilst Roger Khanna is seconded from the position of BE to look after Direct Services.

CYCLING STRATEGY

This to go before scrutiny panel, ERSP, on Monday 20 October 2003 at 7pm, Hammersmith Town Hall. The agenda for the meeting should include the replies to the draft strategy and the Council's responses. Any further alterations to the strategy coming from the meeting to be sent to the deputies for final approval.


MODAL SHARE

Chris praised how well Hammersmith and Fulham had done for cycling in the census results. From 1991 to 2001 LBHF had shown one of the highest increases in cycling in the country - a 60% increase in commuter cyclists. This was of the modal share of residents of LBHF cycling to work. This in face of a general decrease elsewhere. Thought LBHF must be doing something right in spite of the criticism they receive from us.

Details are on our website - www.hfcyclists.org.uk - see item about modal share.

Rik said some other statistics had been revised upwards as a greater emphasis in that statistic was put on cyclists cycling on back streets.

CAR FREE DAY

Chris mentioned the appalling weather that had descended and disrupted the event in Greyhound rd. Chris produced some very positive photos of the day taken by the official photographer.

GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS

Chris mentioned the various improvement schemes the Council was working on. This included schemes at
Olympia - contra flow cycle lane
Clem Atlee Estate - finding the cycle route and signing it.
Sustrans route - signing
Hammersmith Hospital to Charing Cross Hospital - cycle route
Rockley Road - contra flow cycle lane

HOME ZONES

Chris mentioned the introduction of Home Zones and Clear Zones. Created first in the Grove area and now being introduced in the Addison Ward.

20 MPH ZONES

Although Home Zones are 20mph zones we also discussed introducing 20mph zones in the Broadway, on Hammersmith Bridge and along King Street. Alan said that cars raced along King St between the lights and it was difficult to cross elsewhere.

Chris said that if a limit did not interfere with the road's capacity it might be worth putting forward, and that the Council had plans for reducing vehicle speeds and dominance on King Street as part of the Green areas package, which could be implemented next year if TfL made funding available. Problem that normally measures are put in to calm traffic before a limit is set. However he mentioned cases where this is not so, in Kingston and in a South Coast town, perhaps Sandwich or Rye.

Tower Bridge is another example of a 20mph limit without measures.

ONE-WAYS AND COUNTER-FLOWS

Barons Court rd one way system. This is a one year trial. Bill spoke against it, talked about the area having one of the lowest areas for car ownership, highest area for pollution. The scheme increases the speed of cars.

Rik said that the Addison Gdns route was good eastbound, but poor going west.

NDC AREA

Chris said he had produced a Cycling Strategy for this area. John Ryan has been doing cycle maintenance workshops in this area which have reached many kids. [Chris has put this scheme forward for an LCC award].

CYCLE LANES

a) Monitoring: possible introduction of a performance indicator. Highways has indicated that cycle lanes per se can not be monitored, only the yellow line legislation. When traffic wardens look at a place, if a car moves off that is a benefit to cyclists, but is not recorded as a success for the warden.

John G suggested that when a warden approached an area the warden could record the number of cars parked in it. [As a new type of observation for the purpose of the PI]. The yellow line regulations are often time dependent and sometimes allow loading. This is not an obstacle to producing a Performance Indicator.

b) Cleaning: Simon is talking to the cleaning department about the machines they use as there is a problem with glass in cycle lanes.


SHEPHERDS BUSH GREEN SW corner

Recent emails to the group were discussed. Chris said that on the cycle lane to the Green the phasing of the lights was such that cyclists should stop on the last reservoir, and so not cycle over it in one go. So changes in direction on that reservoir should not be a problem. [note that there is also an abrupt change in direction when one leaves the Goldhawk rd].

John G stated that observations of the junction showed

a) Some cyclists used pedestrian areas, either to perform movements for which there was no legal facility, or in preference to the supplied facility.
b) Some pedestrians used the cycle lane.

John G was not happy with the size of reservoirs for cyclists. Chris said that the engineer's response to this was that pedestrian areas could be used if needed.

John suggested that as the pedestrian use was so low that the whole junction should be made shared use. This was backed up by Rik.

Chris said that a CTC paper was against shared use with pedestrians, but Rik said that that paper was contested. Rik mentioned the shared use crossing at the bottom of the ramp at Waterloo station.

Chris said that the engineer had tried to accommodate all our demands.

John asked what was the way forward. Chris said the focus group on that junction would be reconvened when the junction had settled down. John pointed out that he believed that that focus group was only looking at the consultation process, not the actual design. Chris said that comments on the design could be fed in and modifications could be considered.

Photos showing how the junction operates and some of the problems can be seen at www.hfcyclists.org.uk/SBGnew.htm


INFLUENCE

Chris said the Council had many letters from pedestrians. If we wish to influence Council policy we should write to various political people.


TRAM

Chris has regular monthly meetings with TfL. September missed out due to financial panic at TfL. TfL has dropped its agency engineers. Result - timetable put back. There will be no public consultations in LBHF before next summer, when TfL go to Ken to ask for money.

John pointed out that cyclists should be consulted before scheme defined. Chris said TfL using Cycling Centre of Excellence [part of TfL] . John G concerned about issues such as lane widths, how cyclists deal with tram stops and angle of approach to tram lines. John G thought CCE may not be impartial as being part of TfL. Chris said healthy differences of opinion between the various branches. He said that the Nottingham tram scheme was the model for good design in relation to cyclists.


LYRIC SQUARE

Rik upset that cycling has been ruled out. Although there was a consultation process, no one knows how the input into it was dealt with. Rik sees Lyric Square as part of an important strategic route.

BROADWAY.

John G asked if any progress. Chris pointed out that John G had been at a recent NW Sector meeting of Borough cycling officers and possibly knew more than him. John worried that the consultants may be doing traffic modelling before any refinement of the plans. Rik supported this view that models should be refined before traffic modelling.


CONFERENCE

Jane suggested a Transport Conference perhaps organised by Friends of the Earth and hfcyclists. Chris wondered where the money might come from.

OYBIKE

This is expected to start soon with a limited number of stands, perhaps 10. Perhaps starting early November. John R is involved in maintenance.

SECURE PARKING AT STATIONS

Yasmin would like to see secure parking at stations. For example to leave a bike after taking luggage to catch a train to airport. Chris pointed out there are terrorist concerns. Also suggested an opportunity to use an OYbike

EXPENSES

John G had expenses of
£4.99 for film processing
£4.62 for tonight's refreshments [wine left over from Car Free Day]
£14.20 for car Free Day refreshments

NEXT MEETING

Tuesday 4 November [our AGM].
Please PUT in your diary NOW.

John Griffiths [co-ordinator]
020 7371 1290 / 07789 095 748
john@truefeelings.com
our website www.hfcyclists.org.uk