metJuly09
NOTES OF HFCYCLISTS
MEETING
Tuesday 7 July 2009, 7.15pm for 7.30pm
At the home of John
Griffiths
122c Edith rd [corner of North End Rd]
West Kensington, W14 9AP
PRESENT: John Griffiths, Gerry Berridge, Ayse Kardes, Colin Murphy, David Marsh, Julie Askins, Laura Golbuff, David Rabin.
APOLOGIES: Stephen Burke, Sharon Norris, Shirin Khan, Roger de Freitas, Paul Alexander, Peter Wheeler, Phil Lamond.
WELCOME
We are pleased to see new faces here. Laura is doing a Masters on rage
connected with cycling, and has been interested in cycling conditions
in Bishop Park. David R lives in Brixton but passes through the area to
work and knows a lot about cycling issues.
At the GREENFEST, which we organised, we collected over 100 new people to join our email group, who are being added slowly to the group. Only a small number can be added each day but nearly all now added. New members are welcome to contact John to see how they might become more involved in the group. [John away until 15 July].
SUMMER GARDEN PARTY
Put at the beginning of the notes so people will not have fallen asleep
and miss it. Roger de Freitas is lying in the sun on some Turkish beach,
and from there has invited our members to the Garden Party of the year
at his place on the borders of Hammersmith and Chiswick. Thursday 23 July
from 7.30pm, but if you are fashionably late you will miss a lot. Roger
normally provides us with a cask of some prize ale, and some delicious
food. Your attempts at cooking a contribution and some drink welcome.
Roger at 31 Hartswood
rd W12 9NE.
Please let John Griffiths know if you expect to be coming
[as at end]
GREENFEST 2009
This went very well. A great thanks to all involved. See many photo galleries
on -
http://www.greenfest.org.uk.
It was us who organised the whole event and if new people wish to be involved in planning such an event next year they should contact John, as below.
SCRUBS LANE ACCESS
TO CANAL
LBHF has issued a consultation concerning changes to the steps that lead
down to the canal towpath at Scrubs Lane. See our page at http://www.hfcyclists.org.uk/scrubs.htm
Option 1 is to repair the steps and put in a gulley ramp to carry the
wheels of a bike.
Option 2 is to replace the steps by a ramp. The ramp would not meet the
requirements of the DDA, and may not be recommended by wheelchair user
groups.
Option 2 is perhaps 3x as expensive as option 1
Discussion included
-The actual price
-Would many cyclists be using the access to get to Park Royal?
[Colin may look at the steps tomorrow evening to do a brief count]
-We are surprised that user numbers and projected user numbers are not
available.
-Do we want to encourage commuter use of canal towpaths, which causes
problems elsewhere where the user numbers are high?
-Will any future development of the Old Oak sidings change the picture
[from David M]
-Not many tourists with cycle trailers will be entering at that point.
I do not think we can give a unified response, so please reply as per
instructions on the webpage above.
WESTFIELD:
After many months of nothing happening, Dion Hallett of LBHF highways
dept phoned John today to discuss the location of a ramp to take cyclists
off the eastbound Uxbridge rd to deliver them to Westfield and the toucan
crossing on the northern arm of the Holland Park roundabout.
hfcyclists suggested
a ramp in June 2008. see section 2 of
http://www.hfcyclists.org.uk/WestfieldPlanningComments.pdf or
http://www.hfcyclists.org.uk/WestfieldPlanningComments.doc
Dion and John considered whether to have the ramp on a corner - no. As in the diagrams in the above documents- problem is that a an opening in the line of cycle stands will open up a gap just where pedestrians would like to cross the road, ie in front of the Central Line station, and that is not desired. [It is where the crossing should be, fit the traffic around the people, not the other way round.]
The location of the ramp will probably be shortly after the toucan crossing going to the West 12 centre, before the island demarking the bus lane. It is possible that work may start on this very soon.
There are other problems at Westfield, many shown with photos at http://www.hfcyclists.org.uk/SBGnow.htm
Hopefully many of these can now be addressed with the present wave of enthusiasm. A new problem which is emerging is the realisation that the hairpin alpine descent on the other side of the A3220 bridge, should it open in September or October or November, may not be best suited for a major cycling commuter route. Perhaps a wheeling gulley beside the central steps?
John will write to Cllr Eugenie White, and others who have shown concern, about the remaining matters.
BISHOPS PARK
Cycling in Bishops Park was discussed. Laura has a particular interest in it as she is studying rage concerning cyclists. Laura's take on it is that she prefers segregated routes and that the cycle lanes should be kept clear of pedestrians by suitable markings and signs. Laura indicated some especially confusing places in the central section near the river.
John thinks that in a park one needs to be tolerant and that you have to accept that for whatever reason some pedestrians will stray into a cycle lane. John thinks that there should be pedestrian priority, and that cycle lanes give cyclists the impression they have the absolute right to cycle fast and furiously.
Bishops Park is undergoing a £5M upgrade with Heritage Lottery money. John is going to a meeting tomorrow at the council to discuss how cycling will fit in the scheme. John considers the total width of path in the Putney end of the park inadequate for pedestrians and cyclists, and would like to see further pathways added. A new path that was to be included in the design, back from the plane trees by the river, has just been axed [or provisionally axed] from the designs to cut costs.
David R was asking if there is anything the LCC or anyone is doing to make some cyclists more tolerant, less aggressive in their attitude. There are signs in Kensington Gardens, Wimbledon Common, the towpath on the other side of the river saying "pedestrian priority".
Also David R is confused about cycling on the riverside path between Putney and Chiswick Mall as some places say cyclists dismount. Colin observed that this sign was an observation, not an order. And it may not be an official road sign. John said that most of the way you are allowed to cycle. Furnivall Gardens is a park, and there the bye-rules say you cannot cycle unless specially indicated otherwise. [Some LBHF Councillors would like to put up signs on the Thames path saying Pedestrian priority. However legal people are not sure if you are actually allowed to cycle or not. It depends on how and when the path became adopted as a footway.]
GREENWAYS
Sustrans is trying to find routes to link green spaces, and is asking
groups to indicate special routes to join green spaces for leisure purposes.
As in many parks you are not allowed to cycle, this did not receive much
attention. Please send any suggestions to John
One thing that should be done is making the section of Rainville rd that links the Riverside path two way for cyclists in that region.
RIDES, EVENTS, ETC?
Julie is organising a ride on Sunday 19 July along the canal going somewhere. At the moment a mystery ride. Meet Julie at the bottom of the steps of the Scrubs Lane access to the canal at 10.30am. Please let her know if you are intending to come. Tel 020 8740 5453 / 07796 163 187
MAYOR'S SKY RIDE
This year the Freewheel is sponsored by Sky. The date is set as Sunday
20 September. Julie will help in leading a ride from Ravenscourt Park
to the centre. Others interested please contact John.
On the email list LCC-issues there has been concern that the organisers are insisting that ride leaders and under-18s wear helmets. It is LCC policy not to insist that people wear helmets.
JOIN LCC
We, hfcyclists, are the local group of the charity London Cycling Campaign.
It is free to join in our activities. However we do recommend that you
join the LCC, as joining supports the campaign work done by LCC and you
get 6 magazines a year, third party insurance and discount benefits. Joining
involves paying some money. You also get more opportunities to meet people
from other LCC groups and people involved in running the LCC. see www.lcc.org.uk.
SOME BITS
The MET police have
released a video clip about avoiding dying by HGV. It is also not a good
idea to move up on the inside of an HGV where the HGV might turn left.
see
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPkbNFt5NuY
You can get free or
subsidised cycle-training costing £5 if you live or work in Hammersmith
and Fulham. see
http://www.hfcyclists.org.uk/trainsub.htm
The Palace Riverside
SNT are having a Bicycle & Property Marking Event [NOT a Dr Bike]
on 21st & 22nd August 2009
Bishops Park, SW6 - Bishops Avenue Entrance - 2pm - 8pm
EXPENSES
John had expenses of
£10.35 for 3 months web hosting
£27.45 for refreshments
DATE / PLACE OF NEXT
MEETING
We normally do not have a proper meeting in August. Our next meeting is
on 1 September at the Info Centre, Hammersmith Broadway. 7.15pm for 7.30pm.
Directions at
http://www.hfcyclists.org.uk/meetings.htm
John Griffiths [chair / co-ordinator]
020 7371 1290 / 07789 095 748
john@truefeelings.com
OUR WEBSITE www.hfcyclists.org.uk