metNovember09

NOTES OF HFCYCLISTS MEETING

Wednesday 4 November 2009, 7.15pm for 7.30pm
at the home of Julie Askins
105, Henchman St
East Acton
W12 0BN
020 8740 5453


PRESENT: Julie Askins, Shirin Khan, Bernie Mooney, John Griffiths, Ayse Kardes

APOLOGIES
Paul Alexander, Owen Powell, Paul Saunderson, Yvonne Simpson, David Marsh, Stephen Burke, Melanie Miller, Petrina Helm, Roger de Freitas, Susie Gretz, Amanda Carter, Valerie Brestin.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING - PLEASE PUT IN DIARY NOW
On TUESDAY 1 December 2009, 715 for 7.30pm

CYCLING ON THE FOOTWAY
Paul Alexander recently attended a meeting at LBHF where the some delegates at an Anti-Social Behaviour workshop were strongly for the police taking action against all cyclists riding on the footway.

At the moment Police Community Support Officers [PCSOs]are reputed to give out Fixed Penalty Notices [FPNs] to cyclists they come across on the pavement, whether there action is dangerous to pedestrians or not.

However there is Home Office guidance that says FPNs should only be given to cyclists who present a danger to pedestrians.

http://www.bikeforall.net/content/cycling_and_the_law.php

Hammersmith Today on 28 July 2009 revealed that there were 58 times more FPNs given to cyclists on the footway in W6 [Hammersmith] than in W4 [Chiswick].
http://tinyurl.com/yfvf6jt

We agreed that John Griffiths should send an email to the Borough Commander Kevin Hurley. That letter is at the bottom of these notes.

WESTFIELD - A YEAR ON.

BY the Shepherds Bush Central Line station:
The cycle racks were originally positioned as a fence along the kerb, perhaps as a substitute for railings to prevent pedestrians crossing where they want to cross. A very indistinct cycle track was put in beside them, indicated by corduroy paving at the ends and a small sign high on a post. This is very unlikely to keep pedestrians out of the cycle track, or to let cyclists know that this is a route. And where this short route ends there is a short ride to the toucan crossings. Is this shared use?

Now the racks have been rearranged perpendicular to the kerb, allowing more bikes to be parked more easily. This is good. However the parked bikes now partly obscure the indistinct cycle track.

Between the Toucan crossing in the bus concourse and the Toucan crossing of the A3220, there are no signs at all that I could see.

The police or PCSOs have been giving tickets in this area to cyclists cycling on the pavement as thePCSOs can see no indication that cycling is allowed. Chris Bainbridge has been to meet an officer on three occasions to discuss this, but the officer has been called away on an emergency each time.

This whole area appears to have no co-ordinated plan to encourage cyclists to use safe routes. There is also no ramp as yet to take cyclists off the Uxbridge rd going east. If a ramp is to be placed to the east of the Toucan it will mean racks have to be removed. Apparently they are waiting to see if the ramp can be placed at the location of the present taxi rank, which LBHF hope to move back a bit.

WESTFIELD to Hunts Close.

Gerhard Weiss, Colin Murphy and Brian Graham are happy with this new short cut. Gerhard and Colin have mentioned the apparent danger of very fast moving cars on the slip road into Westfield, and amazingly poor sight lines as you are leaving the Westfield side.

Strangely the first stage of the crossing has lights for pedestrians and cyclists. On the second stage as you approach Hunts Close there are only lights for pedestrians.

IMPERIAL WHARF STATION

This station is now open and Brian Graham has used this station as part of combined cycle / train trips and has found it very useful.

CYCLE PARKING AT RAVENSCOURT PARK STATION
There have been recent reports of cycles stolen from the racks at this station, with little real interest from the police. I remember Stephen Burke having had several bikes stolen from here.

There is something called "designing-out crime" where cycle racks are placed where they are highly visible. It would be good to have a stand-out in the roadway of the cul de sac in front of the main entrance where bikes could be parked. I hope that that is something that could be looked into.

GREENFEST 2010
Date has been set as 20 June 2010 and we have applied to LBHF to use Furnivall Gardens on that date. So far we do not have adequate finance for it, but are working on that.

RIDES, EVENTS, ETC?

SATURDAY 28 November - Ride along the canal to Southall. Bring picnic, though may stop in a curry house. Meet at 10.30am the bottom of the steps leading down to the towpath at the Scrubs lane bridge. Bring lights and hi-vis wear for journey back as it may be dark. Please let Susie or Julie know if you expect to be coming.
Contact Julie Askins - 020 8740 5453 / 07796 163 187 or
Susie Gretz - 020 8749 1969 / 07824 789 398

SUNDAY December 13 ride to White Cross in Richmond for our traditional Xmas Lunch. Probably travelling along the towpath, which might be muddy in places. Mudguards and overtrousers help. When we get to the White Cross pub in Richmond we will meet up with riders from a number of other boroughs in S W London. They serve a fine pint of Young's ale in the pub, and provide good lunches too, see reviews at http://tinyurl.com/yh7j9cj.

Our ride will start at 10.30am from the platform overlooking the river at the end of Queen Caroline street, where it meets the riverside path, almost under Hammersmith bridge. We aim to be in the pub by noon. Bring lights and hi-vis wear for journey back as it may be dark. Please let John know if you expect to be coming.
Contact John Griffiths: 020 7371 1290 / 07789 095 748

POSTER
The poster that Amanda was trying to send to the group can be found at
http://www.lapthorn.com/media/VSO%20Poster%204.jpg

EXPENSES
Julie had expenses for refreshments of £24.61. John reimbursed her and will receive a cheque for that amount in due course.

DATE / PLACE OF NEXT MEETING - PLEASE PUT IN DIARY NOW
On TUESDAY 1 December 2009, 715 for 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
[This meeting will mainly be a year-end celebration]

John Griffiths [chair / co-ordinator]
020 7371 1290 / 07789 095 748
john@truefeelings.com
OUR WEBSITE www.hfcyclists.org.uk

***************

To Detective Chief Superintendent Kevin Hurley
cc Cllrs Stephen Greenhalgh, Nick Botterill, Eugenie White; Inspector Stan Davies.


Encouraging responsible cycling and discouraging anti-social behaviour.

There are Government and Council guidelines to reduce car use, congestion and pollution, and to encourage the health benefits of cycling. Inexperienced or less confident cyclists and particularly parents with young children may find some parts of the road network very threatening and may wish to use routes through parks or to complete their journeys in part on the footway.

On the other hand I am aware that there is great concern from some residents about cycling in pedestrian areas and some would like to see a Fixed Penalty Notice [FPN] given to any cyclist riding where cycling is not expressly allowed. [A separate issue is that there is some confusion on the part of cyclists and the police as to where cycling is allowed in some places.]

In order to reach a better balance between both sides I would like to see the measures taken against cyclists in pedestrian areas being more effectively used to achieve their aim of targeting anti-social behaviour. I would like to see FPNs only being issued to cyclists who are riding in an antisocial or threatening manner and not giving priority to pedestrians.

This is in line with the Home Office guidance issued both by Paul Boateng to Police Officers and by John Crozier to Community Support Officers and wardens.

The introduction of the fixed penalty is not aimed at responsible cyclists who sometimes feel obliged to use the pavement out of fear of traffic and who show consideration to other pavement users when doing so. [see below]

I hope that these Home Office guidelines will now be followed by Police Officers, PCSOs and the Parks Constabulary in Hammersmith and Fulham.

Hammersmith Today on 28 July 2009 revealed that there were 58 times more FPNs given to cyclists on the footway in W6 [Hammersmith] than in W4 [Chiswick].
http://tinyurl.com/yfvf6jt

I have been asked to write this document at the monthly meeting on 4 November 2009 of HFCYCLISTS, the local branch of the London Cycling Campaign.

I have previously discussed this matter with Chris Bainbridge, Head of Transportation Planning at Hammersmith and Fulham Council, and he supports an approach of targeting enforcement action on the most irresponsible and anti-social cyclists.

I hope this is helpful.

John Griffiths / Chair hfcyclists
122c Edith Rd
West Kensington
W14 9AP
020 7371 1290 / 07789 095 748
www.hfcyclists.org.uk
[continued]

From http://www.bikeforall.net/content/cycling_and_the_law.php

On 1st August 1999, new legislation came into force to allow a fixed penalty notice to be served on anyone who is guilty of cycling on a footway. However the Home Office issued guidance on how the new legislation should be applied, indicating that they should only be used where a cyclist is riding in a manner that may endanger others. At the time Home Office Minister Paul Boateng issued a letter stating that:
"The introduction of the fixed penalty is not aimed at responsible cyclists who sometimes feel obliged to use the pavement out of fear of traffic and who show consideration to other pavement users when doing so. Chief police officers, who are responsible for enforcement, acknowledge that many cyclists, particularly children and young people, are afraid to cycle on the road, sensitivity and careful use of police discretion is required."

Almost identical advice has since been issued by the Home Office with regards the use of fixed penalty notices by 'Community Support Officers' and wardens.
"CSOs and accredited persons will be accountable in the same way as police officers. They will be under the direction and control of the chief officer, supervised on a daily basis by the local community beat officer and will be subject to the same police complaints system. The Government have included provision in the Anti Social Behaviour Bill to enable CSOs and accredited persons to stop those cycling irresponsibly on the pavement in order to issue a fixed penalty notice.
I should stress that the issue is about inconsiderate cycling on the pavements. The new provisions are not aimed at responsible cyclists who sometimes feel obliged to use the pavement out of fear of the traffic, and who show consideration to other road users when doing so. Chief officers recognise that the fixed penalty needs to be used with a considerable degree of discretion and it cannot be issued to anyone under the age of 16.
(Letter to Mr H. Peel from John Crozier of The Home Office, reference T5080/4, 23 February 2004)