metJanuary2013

NOTES OF HFCYCLISTS MEETING

Held Tuesday 8 January, 7.30pm
At the home of Ken McCosh
12 Stanwick Rd, West Kensington W14 8UH

PRESENT:
Ken McCosh, John Griffiths, Janusz Carmello, Alex Ingram, Susie Gretz, David Marsh, Sima John, Paul Saunderson.

APOLOGIES:
Petrina Beaufoy Helm, Natasha Herriott, Diana Shaw Clark, Gerry Berridge, Ayse Kardes

HAPPY NEW YEAR
We wish all our members a Happy New Year. Cllr Victoria Brocklebank-Fowler also sends us all Happy New Year wishes..

1] HAMMERSMITH BRIDGE
John sent an email to Cllr V B-F and officers concerned with the Bridge about the poor state of the bridge surface after repairs have claimed to have been done. John pointed out that the raised screw heads were not a good engineering solution as they get repeated impacts from the passing traffic, possibly damaging the wooden beams that they are screwed into, and allowing rot to set in. John had attached a video clip that can be seen here: http://youtu.be/U-lOUyO0DpE

If you pause it and move the time slider to the first few frames you can see a screw that is leaping up, indicating a problem below.

Markings on the road, including cycle logos, are being held up whilst LBHF have sent the designs to TfL for a safety audit. This may take six weeks from a couple of weeks ago. We shall be shown the results.

2] PUBLICITY
Ken has found a source of cardboard holders for leaflets and will buy some. Johnhas designed the front of the 1/3 A4 size leaflet. The main wording on it is "20mph for Hammersmith Bridge". Alex will design a panel for the back talking about CSH 9 and Boris bikes. Hopefully this will all be done in a week or so and before our next meeting. We will try and get it printed on yellow paper.

3] FULHAM PALACE ROAD UPGRADE

The Hammersmith Today newsletter reports that £750,000 is going to be spent on upgrading FPR. The money comes from s106 money from the Riverside Embankment development.
The work includes changing from 3 lanes to 2 lanes as you come from Putney bridge and approach the lights at New Kings Road. This is very sensible. Other work is to increase the traffic flow on FPR. Normally this means that it is harder for pedestrians to cross the road. Alex pointed out that having new car parking on Fulham High Street would not serve much purpose and make life more difficult for cyclists.

John suggested that for south bound cyclists wishing to turn right into Bishops Avenue, there should be a refuge in the middle of the road following the island for the crossing by the garden centre. This would be very easy to install.

John and Alex highlighted problems for cyclists at Silverton rd. John has received a complaint from an elderly cyclist who has difficulty emerging from Silverton road because of the right turning traffic from Lillie rd cutting across in front of her. This should be investigated and perhaps the lights can be adjusted.

See http://www.hammersmithtoday.co.uk/default.asp?section=community&spage=common/hftraffic010.htm
Where you can also enrol for the newsletter.

4] SHEPERDS BUSH GREEN GASWORKS.

From 28 January the road in front of Belushis [opp the Central Line station] is going to be dug up. The road will be closed Westbound. Westbound cyclists will be advised to join the cycle track on the approach to the Holland Park roundabout. Cyclists may bbe advised to dismount on the pavement in front of the W12 centre.

5] CYCLE SUPERHIGHWAY 9

LBHF are doing design work on this for TfL. This is following TfL's plan to use 7 shared use crossings and shared-use space from the A4 pavement , in front of the Apollo, and up to the Novotel. For background see http://www.hfcyclists.org.uk/CSH9.htm

John pointed out that this may lead to conflict with pedestrians in some places, and he would like to see more done to give cyclists a safe, swift passage through Beadon rd.

TfL are expected to hold a consultation on these designs in the next month or so. Alex gives the link for all TfL consultations as
https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk

Alex said Hounslow are ahead of the game. The designs for the Hounslow section which were revised in September are here, these remain draft and are yet to go to a formal TfL consultation: http://democraticservices.hounslow.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=68978
PDF plans for their current designs are at the bottom of that page.

Alex pointed out that so far they are not doing anything very adventurous in LBHF. If you compare this to the Bow to Stratford extension were cyclists are led behind people waiting at busstops, and there is a separate cycle track separated from the road.

All the Superhighways coming in from this side stop at the Westminster border. Alex has seen suggestions for an East - West route through the centre.

6] BORIS BIKES
Alex gave a summary of this

The first batch of Barclays Cycle Hire docking stations to be proposed for sites in our borough have been approved by Hammersmith and Fulham Council.

There are 11 sites spread across Hammersmith and Fulham with the smallest at Bridge Avenue off King Street offering 18 docking points and the largest, outside Maltings Place in Fulham's Imperial Road providing 57 points.

http://www.hammersmithtoday.co.uk/default.asp?section=community&spage=common/borisbikes007.htm

7] WOOD LANE
Susie is very concerned about the road layout in Wood lane just north of the Westway. There is new student housing for Imperial College on the old BBC Worldwide site. Susie has coerced Paul to look at it with her and see if they can come up with any suggestions.

8] POTHOLES
Sima was very concerned about the poor surface of Sheprherds Bush Road at the southern end, in both directions, between Hammersmith Broadway and the new fire station. As your new years resolution please report at least one pothole, if not more.

You can report a pothole on the LBHF website. There is also the facility to download an app that you can use with fancy mobile phones. The entry page for all this is
http://tinyurl.com/4x9sxw5
You can set up an account if you think you will be regularly submitting stuff, or want feedback.
Alternatively you can send an email to donna.kelly@lbhf.gov.uk and copy to chris.bainbridge@lbhf.gov.uk giving as much detail as possible and stating if it is a particular hazard for cyclists, ie in their normal path or near a junction. Donna is in charge of getting them inspected and seen to.

9] RIDES, EVENTS, ETC?
BIG BEN
John Wright has been doing a lot of work to organise this ride on 25 January. There is a lot of bureaucracy involved as the authorities don't want people messing up their chimes. I am looking forward to going. If you said you intended going please keep in touch with John Wright to update your details.

10] EXPENSES
Ken had expenses of £30.31 for refreshments and John had expenses of £10.80 for web hosting

11] DATE / PLACE NEXT MEETING
The next meeting will be on Tuesday 5 February, 7.15pm for 7.30pm,
at the home of John Griffiths, 122c Edith road, W14 9AP

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