Notes of hfcyclists meeting, Wednesday 13 March, 7.30pm in the info centre

Present: John Griffiths, Louanne Tranchell, Chris Amies, John Ryan, Alex Forrest, Mo Morgan, Chris Tranchell.

Apologies: Mark Alderton, Jane Knight.

1 Louanne provided a bottle of wine and some crisps which produced a pleasant ambience. We later bought another bottle. In future John g will bring a couple of bottles to the meetings.

2 OYbike rental scheme. The meeting ratified our previous decision to select John Griffiths as our representative to be on the steering group. We wonder who leads this group and to whom it is responsible. There is meant to be a meeting in early April.

John will take the groups concerns about problems of non-OYbike bikes being trapped under OYbikes, use of unisex bikes and an ethical advertising policy and other perceived problems to the meetings.

[for later news on OYbike see our main page]

3 Our rides as part of the H&F festival. We hope to meet many of you out there whom we do not regularly see.

[Saturday 23 March, 11am
Meet at the gates to Bishop's Park at the end of Bishops Avenue, by the café. Visit the new pools, sport and fitness centres in H&F and end up at a riverside pub.

Sunday 24 march, 1-4pm
Ride suitable for all the family. Meet beside the river at Furnival Gardens (near Hammersmith Bridge) ready to leave at 1pm. Route probably via Barnes Pond, a bit of country, Wetland Centre, bit of towpath, and ending up in the grounds of Fulham Palace. Bring picnic.]

On Saturday John Griffiths, Chris Amies and Louanne/Chris Tranchell will help with the rides.

On Sunday John Griffiths, Jane Knight, Martin Ireland (from Wandsworth group) will help.

Chris Robey of LBHF Education department will co-ordinate the visits to the Sports Centres on Saturday.

John g has produced some leaflets and posters to promote the rides. Louanne will take some to the Hammersmith Library, her own info centre and the local butchers. Alex Forrest will take some to the Town Hall. John g will distribute to other libraries and bike shops, and may hand some out in the street.

4 Scrutiny Panel meeting on Monday, 25 march 7pm on Road Safety. [at town Hall]

John g has already put in a question concerning modal shares for cycling in the future, and how this information is conveyed to the people who plan and build the roads.

John Ryan would like to raise concerns about the chicanes in Du Cane Rd.

5 Trussley Road Arch.

Simon Franklin has told John g that at a meeting last night of traffic planners including the emergency services, Trussley Rd Arch was brought up. It was felt unlikely that things would change - the inconvenience to people using it as a short cut would outweigh local safety fears. [Jane Knight (nettle@onetel.net.uk) has cycle accident statistics if Caroline Bidwell wants to contact her].

Cyclists may be able to use the pavement, and it could perhaps be made official. John Ryan suggested a lowerable post that would only allow selected people through.

It is close to a home zone, and it may be possible for local residents to get it closed.
[buses going home can no longer use Hammersmith Grove as a short cut. John r]

6 Car Free Day.

On the previous day there was a confidential [concerning details] meeting of the deputies [important councillors]. They discussed car free day. The good news that we do not know about is that they approved of it in principle. The bad news that we do not know about is that there should be no consultations on road closures etc before the council elections. If there is to be no progress before June that does not augur well for a successful event.

7 Hammersmith Rd and the Broadway.

Wide cycle lanes have been put in along Hammersmith Rd. This is part of the LCN Priority Route Scheme going through the Broadway.

The next stage is Advanced Stop Lines around the Broadway, perhaps later this year. The stage after that is a deeper rethink about the Broadway. [this comes from Simon Franklin].

In the Borough there is presently only London Cycle Network money for Priority Routes. A bid has been put in for other spending. Until that money comes in, other schemes we may desire are on hold [some money maybe available from elsewhere]. We should prioritise our long suggestion list if any of them are to have a hope of being dealt with [This includes the suggestions from Rik and Andrew].

8 Shepherds Bush Green

Mo encountered chaos tonight as she came off the Holland Park roundabout to go west at around 7.20pm. Buses turning from eastbound to westbound at the apex of the green were trying to get to the bus stops on the south side. This was clogging up all the traffic and cyclists were having to squeeze through the mess.

It is here that the new plans have no input at all for cyclists. The pavements will be widened later this year on the south and west sides of the green, and the junctions altered. It is not clear if any thing we have said has been taken on board in the designs. John g will try and see Sharon Durno soon. She has taken over from Geoff Heaton, and is working on the plans.

9 The issues paper, the precursor to the Cycling Strategy, is still delayed. Reasons for the delay may include new guidelines for corporate style. John g might have written a letter asking for the Council to work in a way that is more effective. But on reflection will not.

10 Jane Knight's mother has lent John g a laser printer. This works well but it smells of ozone. I will try and get the ozone filter replaced.

11 John g had expenses £3 for colour printing of posters, £3 for guillotining leaflets and £2.48 for Louanne's second bottle. We decided to get 2 bottles of wine for each future meeting, to be paid from the groups funds.

John Griffiths
020 7371 1290
john@truefeelings.com

our website www.hfcyclists.org.uk