metMay2010
NOTES OF HFCYCLISTS MEETING
Held on Tuesday 4 May, 715
for 7.30pm
at the home of Ayse Kardes
50d Longridge road, SW5 9SH
PRESENT: Ayse Kardes, John Griffiths, Petrina Helm, Paul Saunderson, David Marsh, Penny Girling, Mihaly
APOLOGIES: Stephen Burke, Maria Tomalova, Paul Alexander, Bill Ogden, Andrew Frederick, Susie Gretz
DATE OF NEXT MEETING
Tuesday 1 June 2010, 7.15 for 7.30pm
at the home of John Griffiths
122c Edith rd / West Kensington / W14 9AP
020 7371 1290 / 07789 095 748
MANIFESTO FOR USE AT THE FORTHCOMING ELECTIONS
At the previous meeting we agreed that John Griffiths would send our manifesto to the local offices of the major parties. John has done this , but rather on the late side. The responses received can be summed up as
Conservative:
Shaun Bailey, Parliamentary Candidate for Hammersmith, gave support to
cycling and said he would be happy to meet with us if elected, but did
not comment on OUR manifesto.
Liberal Democrat:
Dirk Hazell
Liberal Democrats Parliamentary Candidate for Chelsea and Fulham supports
our manifesto.
Paul Kennedy
Vice-Chair of Hammersmith and Fulham Liberal Democrats, responsible for
coordinating their activities in Fulham, fully endorses our manifesto.
He has also added local points that he would like to see addressed.
The LCC manifesto and the detailed responses can be found at the end of this message.
PROBLEMS WITH LAYOUT AT HAMMERSMITH BRIDGE APPROACH
John Price has recently written to LBHF pointing out problems for cyclists in the new layout on the Hammersmith side of Hammersmith Bridge. The bus gates on the approach to the bridge have been moved back so that HGVs that presently get trapped in the area have a chance to head off down the Great West rd. Also LBHF has tried to stop motorcyclists using Worlidge street as a short cut.
There are difficulties for cyclists coming from the bridge and wanting to turn right into Worlidge street. Also difficulties for cyclists coming from the Hammersmith gyratory and getting off the carriageway at the bus gate to get back onto the carriageway in the vicinity of Worlidge street. There are also difficulties for cyclists coming from Worlidge street.
Michael Masella is the project manager and Kylee Simpson has designed the area around the Toucan crossing and the end of Worlidge street. They say they will be monitoring how the new system works. Kylee has agreed to meet John Price and John G to look at the site. If you are interested please contact John G.
BIKEWEEK / GREENFEST
GREENFEST will be on Sunday 20 June 2010. see www.greenfest.org.uk.
The planning for this is well underway. How people here tonight will help on the day:
John, Ayse, and Paul part of
the planning group and will be involved from early on the day.
Ayse will help on the cycle try-out area, and the hfcyclists stand
Paul will be involved with the cycle-tryout area.
Penny will help on the cycle try-out area, and the hfcyclists stand
Petrina will help with the monitoring.
Mihaly will help with the set up from early on and the cycling stand and
the try-out area.
David will help with his trailer.
PLEASE will others contact John saying how they would like to help on the day.
LOCAL BLUEBELL RIDE
John will lead a ride this
coming Sunday 9 May to Barnes Common to see bluebells, and on to Richmond
Park. Meet for 10.30am departure on the observation platform overlooking
the Thames at the end of Queen Caroline street, on the north side of the
Thames, beside Hammersmith Bridge. Bring a picnic. It will be quite a
short ride and suitable for all the family. Perhaps dress warmly.
John on 07789 095 748 / 020 7371 1290 - john@truefeelings.com. Please
let me know if you expect to be coming, or any questions.
EXPENSES
Ayse had expenses £22.90 for tonight's refreshments. [Paul kindly
contributed a bottle of wine]
DATE OF HFCYCLISTS AGM
We hope to have this in July
AOB
Paul raised the problem of postal workers locking their trolleys to Sheffield
stands outside Askew road library. There is then no room for cyclists
to lock up their bikes. Paul has contacted Chris Bainbridge at LBHF, but
has not yet received a response.
John Griffiths [chair / co-ordinator]
020 7371 1290 / 07789 095 748
john@truefeelings.com
OUR WEBSITE www.hfcyclists.org.uk
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LCC's manifesto with added local issues:
TRAINING FOR KIDS
Provide free on-road cycle training for all school children, free or subsidised
training for adults and regular training for highway engineers and transport
planners.
MORE CYCLE PARKING
Deliver sufficient cycle parking for staff and visitors at all council,
NHS and school buildings and make it a requirement in all relevant planning
applications.
LOCAL ACCESS
Make local cycling journeys easier by returning borough
one-way systems and streets to two-way operation, or by allowing contraflow
cycling.
LORRY DANGER
Reduce casualties involving lorries through a driver-cyclist-awareness
programme for all council HGV drivers and by council membership of the
Freight Operators Recognition Scheme.
SAFER STREETS
Reduce danger, particularly to children, by setting a 20mph speed limit
where people live, work and shop and by adopting a road danger reduction
strategy for the borough.
SOLID TARGETS
Back an investment plan that will surpass the Mayor's
target of a 400 percent increase in cycling by 2026.
HEALTHY STAFF
Encourage council staff to cycle by signing up to the
government's Cycle to Work Guarantee scheme.
EVENTS & ROADSPACE
Promote healthy living by running regular cycling events such as car-free
Sundays, reducing car-dependency and reallocating road space to cycling
and walking.
LOCAL ISSUE 1
20mph speed limit on all residential roads. Residential roads are a class
of road which does not include main roads.
LOCAL ISSUE 2
20 mph speed limit on Hammersmith Bridge. With the supporting piers infringing
on the road space the bridge is very threatening to cyclists. We note
that Tower Bridge has a 20mph speed limit.
LOCAL ISSUE 3
Complete cycling provision around Westfield. A safe route leading cyclists
onto the toucan crossing of the A3220 just north of the Holland Park roundabout
still has not been installed.
LOCAL ISSUE 4
Safe cycling provision should be paramount in changes about to be made
to the Hammersmith gyratory.
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RESPONSES:
1]Shaun Bailey
Dear Mr Griffiths,
Thank you for taking the time to write to me regarding the importance
of giving support to the cycling community in London. As a keen cyclist,
this is an area that I feel passionately about.
Encouraging cycling will be an important priority for a future Conservative
Government, as it already is for the Conservative administration in London.
We fully recognise the benefits cycling can bring for tackling congestion,
reducing emissions from transport and improving public health.
Conservatives want to see a change the way we run our roads to push the
concerns of cyclists much higher up the agenda. By encouraging Department
for Transport (DfT) officials to "think cyclist" we would aim
to spread that culture change, far and wide, to those officials and councillors
who are responsible for managing roads, with the goal of making cycling
a safer and more attractive transport option.
We would also promote work across different Whitehall departments to ensure
those covering public health, schools and transport coordinate efforts
to encourage cycling.
To boost the take-up of low carbon travel, a Conservative Government would
also change the way transport schemes are appraised. We would reform the
current New Approach to Transport Appraisal (NATA) model, which is the
DfT's cost benefit analysis for appraising the value of transport projects,
so that the benefits of low carbon schemes, like cycling, are fully recognised.
And we would introduce a moratorium on building on any disused rail lines
still in public ownership. This will keep open the possibility of re-opening
them for cycle use (or rail use in the future).
Not only would we ensure that officials prioritise cycling, but we will
also reform the much-criticised Transport Innovation Fund which has been
used by the Labour Government to try to push local authorities into congestion
charging schemes. We would scrap this approach and instead free these
funds to create a Transport Carbon Reduction Fund to support sustainable
travel. Local authorities will be able to bid for funding to encourage
the development of new green transport schemes such as cycle routes and
corridors and programmes to encourage children to cycle to school.
Our overall approach to road safety will have an important place for education
programmes, including those aimed at safer cycling. A Conservative Government
would also work with cycling groups and the haulage industry to seek the
address the risks for cyclists posed by HGV collisions.
Our programme for the railways take on board the need for better cycle
parking facilities at stations. For example, our promise to issue longer
franchises to train operators will encourage private sector investment
in cycle parking (as has been the case in the rare instances where long
franchises have been issued in the past).
If I am elected to represent Hammersmith, I would be very happy to have
a meeting with you to discuss the specific issues affecting cyclists in
West London.
Thank you, once again, for taking the time to get in touch.
Kind regards
Shaun
Promoted by Greg Smith on behalf of Shaun Bailey both at 4 Greyhound Road,
London W6 8NX
++++++++++++++++++
2] Dirk Hazell
I'm a longstanding member (Merton) of the London Cycling Campaign and support your manifesto. Most of our local LibDem members in Chelsea and Fulham seem mostly to cycle to most places: I think you can take it we're all on side.
Best wishes
Dirk Hazell
Liberal Democrats Parliamentary Candidate for Chelsea and Fulham
www.chelseafulhamlibdems.org.uk
Unit 200, 405 King's Road, Chelsea, SW10 0BB
020 7259 0075
+++++++++++++
3] Paul Kennedy
Dear Mr Griffiths
I am Vice-Chair of Hammersmith and Fulham Liberal Democrats, responsible
for coordinating our activities in Fulham, where we are now the only party
actively taking on the Conservatives. I also work closely with colleagues
in Hammersmith.
Dirk Hazell has forwarded your manifesto, which we fully endorse. I apologise
for the late reply: we are as you might imagine extremely busy at the
moment.
Perhaps the easiest way for me to describe our approach to cycling in
the borough. I cycle to South Kensington every day on my way to work,
and for many years my children have been the only pupils at Lady Margaret
School who routinely cycle to school. I am a member of the London Cycling
Campaign and the Green Liberal Democrats. Although not all our candidates
can be quite so active, I believe my approach is typical of all the Liberal
Democrat candidates for this election.
In addition to the points you raise in your manifesto, we would urge the
Campaign to consider adopting the following policies:
- urgent action to repair potholes and tackle other dangers in the state
of the roads:
http://www.hflibdems.org.uk/news/000237/council_neglect_is_putting_cyclists_lives_at_risk_warn_lib_dems.html
- far more bicycle stands eg in Fulham Road (where there are just 9 bicycle
stands between Fulham Palace Road and Fulham Library and 13 up to North
End Road):
http://www.hflibdems.org.uk/news/000188/putting_residents_last_in_the_fulham_road.html
http://www.hflibdems.org.uk/news/000168/stand_up_for_local_businesses_and_the_environment_say_cycling_lib_dems.html
- a duty on the Council to keep cycle lanes clear of broken glass and
other sources of punctures: at the moment Council cleaners routinely brush
broken glass INTO cycle lanes.
- action must clearly be taken against cyclists who flout restrictions
such as cycling on narrow pavements and pedestrian walkways, but those
restrictions must be proportionate. For example, where there is clearly
room for cyclists and pedestrians, so that restrictions are being flouted,
it would be a lot safer and fairer to have properly designated cycle lanes
than the current extremely dangerous free-for-all. An obvious example
is Beaconsfield Walk behind Parsons Green tube station where there is
easily enough room for a designated cycle lane, which would be a lot safer
for all concerned.
We fully support the 20's plenty campaign, and our recent Fulham street
survey 2010 confirmed overwhelming support for a 20mph restriction, and
restrictions on lorries using residential roads. We believe the Council
should immediately consult all residents about introducing a 20mph speed
limit in residential roads, not set high thresholds for petitions from
local residents before taking action.
http://www.hflibdems.org.uk/polls/1.html
Yours sincerely
Paul Kennedy
26 Barclay Road
Fulham London
SW6 1EH
020-7736 3252
Published and promoted by Jon Burden (also a committed cyclist) on behalf
of the Liberal Democrats, all at 82a Minford Gardens, London W14 0AP.
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