metApr03

NOTES ON HFCYCLISTS MEETING
Tuesday 1 April 2003, 7.30pm in the info centre

Present: John Griffiths, Andy Weeks, Bill Ogden, Louanne Tranchell, Sarah Schubinsky, Jeanne Bester, Mo Morgan.

Apologies: Cllr Andrew Jones; Mark Alderton, Chris Bainbridge, Alex Forrest, Paul Alexander, John Gilbert, Sue Mullins, Jane Knight

CYCLE PARKING AT TESCO'S / BROOK GREEN

Andy reported that some more sheffield stands have been put in, and the work is not yet finished.

HAMMERSMITH BRIDGE ROADWAY

John considered the main threat the sense of being squeezed by buses passing at high speed and very close to you as you went between the piers. Perhaps speeds could be limited over the bridge, or cycle lanes be put in?

Alex has presented a proposal on cycling improvements on the Bridge to the highways department, but it has not been greeted with enthusiasm.

Sue Mullins has spoken to Cllr Mike Cartwright [the ward Councillor]. John has taken some photos showing how little room there is for a cyclist when a bus passes between the piers. John will talk to the police soon about it. We hope to present a strong case for some safety measures.

HOW TO INCREASE OUR ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP

John had some leaflets to give to cyclists you might come across.

PLEASE print some off yourself to carry with you and to give to fellow cyclists stopped beside you at lights etc, they are at http://www.hfcyclists.org.uk/leaflet.htm. This would be a very useful way in which you can help the group.

PLANNING FUTURE EVENTS

12 APRIL 2003 Saturday
As part of H&F Festival Chris Bainbridge has invited York's Company-of-Cyclists Try-out Roadshow to come to Bishops Park. Many strange and wonderful things to be tried out, as well as some normal bikes. Please come and make it a spectacular day.

We have a stand there. Please contact John if you wish to be involved. 10am to 5pm. John Griffiths, Andy Weeks, John Gilbert may be involved.

12 APRIL 2003 Saturday
On same day there is Community Spirit event in Kings Mall, 11am to 3pm, where we also have a stand. This is our chance to start organising how to deal with the public in a dynamic way, rather than just giving out leaflets. We hope to do a survey of public opinion on Surface Level Crossings of the Broadway, going across to the Apollo. Louanne and Sarah say they would be involved.

13 APRIL 2003 Sunday
As part of H&F Festival we are having a Spring celebration ride to Richmond Park. Suitable for all the family. Mainly on paths and quiet roads. Bring picnic. Meet 11.45am for 12noon departure at Furnival Gdns beside the river. Back by 4.30pm. Please come along / help with support.

14 JUNE 2003 Saturday
BikeWeek event. Barbecue on beach in front of Royal Festival Hall in the evening.

15 JUNE 2003 Sunday,
BikeWeek event. Perhaps a ride to the Camden BikeFest, Camden Green Fair.

22 JUNE 2003 Sunday
BikeWeek event
West London Green Festival [provisional title]. Something that we are in the first throes of planning, in collaboration with other local LCC groups.

The idea is for an event in Bishops Park. Voluntary / environmental groups would be invited to engage with the visitors and to promote themselves and their causes. There would be activities on the foreshore and nature walks. There will be a mass picnic with people encouraged to join in music making. Somewhere amongst this there will be things to promote cycling. Mainly giving the people who have come along the chance to try out a bike again.

We have a grant from London Cycling Campaign of £1,200 to promote and run the event. The Council has given permission to use the park for the day.

Louanne and Mo thought it was good to be able to pay performers at union rates as they relied on sources like this. However events like Kingston Green Fair expect 15,000 people to come along and probably have a budget of £50,000. We are not in that league.

The ethos behind John's thinking is to run the event without paying out money unless necessary. One reason behind this is that there is no money to hand out. The other is that John thinks that it makes it difficult to expect some people do give their time and energy and creative effort for free if some other people are paid for their time. Hopefully people will be drawn to the event by the nature of the event itself.

John hopes that we can find people / groups that would want to be involved as it gives them a chance to promote themselves, and be involved with the community. The Bhavan centre, for example, has offered two troupes of Indian dancers. [There is a problem that they require a stage and it is a bit formal compared to the rest of the event, but to be discussed].

John is putting together a group to organise the event.

THE TRAM

There is information about the tram and a recent public meeting about the tram on our website http://www.hfcyclists.org.uk

In LBHF the two tramways occupy a 6m wide strip taken out of the middle of the road. There is one 4m lane either side of this for all other traffic. The tram will have fewer stops than buses do. Other traffic is excluded from the tramways. The tram will have precedence to set traffic lights in its favour.

One problem is what happens to the regular traffic if its single lane gets blocked. Say a bus breaks down or there is a traffic incident. With only one lane what happens?

A big problem appears to be how the Hammersmith and City line station will be handled. TfL wants to avoid the problem by sending eastbound traffic down Lime Grove. The Council has said this will not happen.

Andy says that when going down the Uxbridge rd he uses side roads to bypass jammed up areas. If the Uxbridge rd is made more difficult for cars then he expects the side roads to be more difficult to get through as a cyclist.

We hope that cycling will be made easier down the Uxbridge rd if these plans are accepted. At the moment the plans are for cycles to be excluded from being carried on the tram [apart from fold-ups]. We are linking up with other LCC groups along the line to discuss the proposals.

BOROUGH PARTNERSHIP

Bill Ogden said that he had presented a paper on cycling to the Borough Partnership, which has been accepted. This proposed four things, to be piloted in the North Fulham NDC area.

a) the establishment of a cycling centre of excellence
b) Bicycle re-cycling scheme
c) Pool bike scheme
d) The use of rickshaws in the Borough.

Bill had pointed out to the committee that he was on the management committee of Cycick, which may be involved in some of these projects.

FROM ALEX

Alex Forest has reported that
a) 81 new cycle stands have been put in, mainly single ones at various locations along main roads.
b) Cycle Strategy The Draft Cycling Strategy is being finalised and will be tabled at the Deputies meeting on 9th April for approval for consultation.
c) Bridge Studies The Consultants' Report on a potential foot/cycle bridge over the Thames at Chelsea Harbour - Battersea has been completed.
d) The report into a new foot/cycle bridge between Wood Lane and Stable Way /K&C in White City is being worked on by PBA, and will be presented at the end of April.
e) Local Cycle Schemes - Several local schemes completed: / Bishops Park upgrade / Dropped kerbs on pedestrianised section on Stevenage Road between Queensmill Rd and Lysia St to allow cycling / Dropped kerb at end of Riverside Path on Chancellors Road / Dropped kerb at end of Nigel Playfair Avenue leading to subway / Cycle symbols and give way markings on Manbre Road at junction of Parfrey St to improve safety.

Please continue to feed in to Alex any suggestions of locations where minor improvements are needed e.g dropped kerbs, advanced stops lines, cycle symbols etc, Although TfL have not given any extra funding for 2003/04, LBHF may be able to bid for some.

NEXT MEETINGS

Tuesdays 6 May, 3 June, 1 July, 7.30pm at Info Centre. PUT in diary NOW please.

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