metApril09
NOTES OF HFCYCLISTS
MEETING
Tuesday 7 April 2009, 7.30pm
At the home of John
Griffiths
122c Edith rd [corner of North End Rd]
West Kensington
W14 9AP
020 7371 1290 / 07789 095 748
PRESENT: John Griffiths, Phil Lamond, Julie Askins, Sharon Norris, David Marsh, David Balding, Colin Murphy.
APOLOGIES: Bjorn Volk, Marlene Pope, Susie Gretz, Sophie Gisbert, Shirin Khan, Matthew Baker.
NOTE DATE OF NEXT MEETING BELOW, AND PUT IN DIARY NOW PLEASE.
CYCLING COLUMN / NEWSLETTER
Following an approach by David Marsh to Geoff Cowart, editor of the H&F
News, Tim Harrison has contacted John.
Tim would like to write an article about us for the issue that comes out on the 21 April. He is going to meet some of us for a photo opportunity and chat on Tuesday 14 April at 10.30am outside the Queens Head on Brook Green. Please contact John if you want to come along.
He would like us to suggest 3 starter rides in the Borough, or starting from here. In particular one going the length of the Borough, that did not involve difficulties. As Julie pointed out, it would be very difficult to recommend anything going from the north to the south that was easy and safe and legal. There are spots like the riverside from Putney to Hammersmith, and Ravenscourt Park, and Wormwood Scrubs and the Canal.
Suggestions for any safe circular rides for beginners inside the Borough welcome before next Tuesday.
It would also be good for us to have a ride on the weekend of 25 / 26 April which could be put in the local paper.
RIDES, EVENTS, ETC?
Shirin has suggested a ride to Amsterdam, perhaps the around the end of May. More about that when Shirin gets back from cycling in Greece.
Sharon was suggesting a ride on a trail in Kent, and talked about a ride from Oxford she rode recently.
WESTFIELD:
There are several problems with the cycle routes around Westfield. John has taken some photos of some of these and put them on our web page. To see them go to www.hfcyclists.org.uk and click on the Westfield link.
It is unclear who is responsible for this state of affairs
a] Westfield who have
a Cycling Strategy.
b] Halcrow, the transport planners for Westfield
c] LBHF Highways, as Ariel way is on their land, and have adopted the
Eastern Access road, should ensure that facilities are according to design
standards, and when they are not deal with them.
d] LBHF Planning Dept, who should enforce planning conditions are adequately
carried out.
A further access problem is that the pedestrian / cyclist route on the bridge over A3220 will not be open for a long time - September 2009 at the earliest, but perhaps longer. This is to do with sight-lines and safe stopping distances at a crossing.
Not only is this delay a problem in itself, but LBHF may see it as a reason to delay sorting out problems along Ariel Way and the Eastern Access road through Westfield. At our last meeting Chris Bainbridge, who is head of Transport Planning for LBHF, stated it was important to see how the area was being used before rushing into changes which may not be appropriate. And we will not know how it is being used until the route over the bridge is open.
Is there anything we can do to hasten action by LBHF?
John will write to the LBHF Planning Dept raising the issue.
Sharon has suggested getting the media involved, and we will see how interested, or not, H&F News is in the matter in the first instance.
OLYMPIA BRIDGE
David B brought up the issue of the bridge on Hammersmith rd over the
railway line. The bridge has been strengthened and the single lane plus
cycle track each way has been replaced by two traffic lanes each way.
David said it presented difficulties, especially for cyclists coming out
of Olympia Way, which is one way the wrong way. Any experiences on this?
SURFACE LEVEL CROSSING
OF FULHAM PALACE ROAD
Rik Andrew has recently raised the problem that funding for this has been
dropped from a cycling budget. John has spoken to Chris Bainbridge about
this, and this is not a problem as it is being handled as part of a bus
priority scheme.
However traffic modelling for this scheme shows that it introduces a problem on the other side of Hammersmith Bridge at Castlenau. This is to be tackled first, then perhaps in a year or so's time the south side of the gyratory will be done.
The essence of the scheme is that Northbound FPR traffic will be carried on the route of the slip road past the fast food shops, and this will allow for islands to be built and crossings to be put in.
GREENFEST 2009
The design for the poster / postcard has finally, after what seems ages,
been sent to printers. See the design on www.greenfest.org.uk
THE UNITY TRUST BANK
The London Cycling Campaign requires that each local branch open up a
bank account with the Unity Trust Bank. Any money sent to us by the LCC
will be put into this account. We will not close the present account we
have with Barclays, where there is a lot of on-going funding input to
do with the GREENFEST.
The 3 signatories of the present account will also be signatories of the new account, that is John Griffiths [chair], Phil Lamond [treasurer], Roger de Freitas [management committee member].
Cheques need to be signed by 2 out of 3 signatories, and for internet banking, 2 out of 3 have to be involved.
The appropriate RESOLUTION in section 4 of the "Application to open an Account" was PASSED
DATE FOR OUR AGM
We have chosen 2 June, 7.30pm at info centre, on the main Hammersmith
Broadway site. The info centre has previously been booked for next month.
EXPENSES
John had expenses of
£10.35 for web updating fees
£23.43 for refreshments for tonight.
A cheque for £33.78 was made out to John
We are very grateful to Sharon for the wine and home made pizzas she brought along.
DATE / PLACE OF NEXT
MEETING
Tuesday 5 May, 7.15 for 7.30pm
At the home of Susie Gretz
4a Eynham rd
W12 0HA
020 8749 1969
susannagretz [at] mypostoffice.co.uk
Notes by John Griffiths [chair / co-ordinator]
122c Edith rd
W14 9AP
020 7371 1290 / 07789 095 748
john [at] truefeelings.com
our website at www.hfcyclists.org.uk