Evening ride to Richmond

Wednesday 15th June. a bright but cloudy Evening saw 12 Cyclists leave via Kingston bridge, Bushy park, Hampton, Fulwell, River Crane path, Kneller gardens, Twickenham, St Margerets, Richmond bridge to Richmond hill for refreshments at the very hospitable ‘Roebuck’, with 2 extra faces for the return journey, Richmond gate of Richmond park & A very nice downhill cruise to Kingston gate then to the Market place. Total 12 Miles, 4 new faces, thanks to Nick for acting as Back marker.

Map :-www.plotaroute.com/route/231533

Bread pudding ride to Send Marsh

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near Newark Priory

Sunday 5th June, a bright Sunny day saw 26 Cyclists leave via Portsmouth Rd, Giggshill, Hinchley wood, Claygate, Fairoak lane, Oxshott, Fairmile, Stoke D’ Abernon, Downside, Martyr’s green, Ockham, Guishill to Send Marsh for lunch at a very welcoming ‘Saddlers arms’, afterwards a slipped chain caused a small delay, before passing Newark Priory, Pyrford, West Byfleet, New Haw, Row town, Addlestone, Weybridge, Thames towpath, to Walton bridge for Tea & BP at ‘Gino’s’, then Walton on Thames, Walton park, Esher, Weston green, Giggshill green, & Portsmouth Rd, including the ‘almost completed’ section of segregated track to Kingston. Total 34 Miles 4 new faces.

Map:- www.bikemap.net/en/route/3581226

FAQs for the Portsmouth Road scheme

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We’ve seen comments on social media and in the local papers about the mini-Holland two-way cycle track that’s under construction on the Portsmouth Road, and we’d like to help clarify any issues and correct any misinformation that is in circulation. Therefore we have put together a list of responses to frequently raised issues. Kingston Council is responsible for the design and implementation of the scheme. We hope that you will find these answers to “Frequently Asked Questions” helpful.
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Bread pudding ride to Greenford

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Osterley house

Sunday 22nd May. A bright Sunny day, saw 30 (yes thirty) Cyclists leave via, Skerne Rd, (in the midst of being relaid), towpath to Ham, Aerospace estate, Ham common, Ham gate of Richmond park to Sheen gate, East Sheen, Mortlake, Chiswick bridge, Grove park, Chiswick, Acton, Acton park, (with a level crossing closure causing a brief split), West Acton, Park Royal, Grand union canal towpath to Greenford for lunch at ‘the Black Horse’, then more Towpath, (where a low hanging branch led to a fall, thankfully only minor grazes to arm & knee), Southall, Norwood green, Osterley park, with a visit from the ‘P fairy’, Osterley, Isleworth, Whitton to Knellor Gdns for Tea & BP, (thanks to Derek, for admirably filling in for John), with some desperate to get back, whilst others were still consuming the refreshments, a forward group led by Steve went via Fulwell, Teddington, Hampton wick to Kingston, with the 2nd group following the same route a short time later. Total 32 Miles, 8 new faces, 1 puncture. Map :-www.bikemap.net/en/route/3553281

 

Evening ride to Molesey

Wednesday 18th May. A cloudy dry evening saw 8 Cyclists leave via Cranes park, King Charles bridge, Long Ditton, Giggs hill green, Weston green to Molesey for refreshments at ‘the Bell’, whilst distracted by the Football, a glass ‘spontaneously shattered’, with extra time looming, we continued via Thames Ditton, Portsmouth Rd, including the new ‘section of ‘Mini-Holland’ segregation, to Kingston. Total 10 Miles, 1 new face.

Ordinary People on Bikes use Mini Holland

Its an expensive play area for the mamils of Kingston they said.
No, everyday people with bikes will use it, we said.

Its not finished but people are using the Portsmouth Rd cycle lane. Who would have thought!

 

Turns out the the most populous mamil is homo sapiens.

Portsmouth Rd is being built in 3 phases. Phase 1 (Palace Rd to north of Brighton Rd) has been constructed but we understand can not be officially opened until certain signs which are on order have been installed. Phase 2 High St to Palace Rd) is under construction now (May 2016) and will be completed this Summer. The last Phase 3 (south past Brighton Rd) should, we’re told, be built by the end of 2016.

We look forward to all types of rider enjoying the completed, almost 1 mile long, fully protected cycleway.

Congratulations to the Royal Borough of Kingston for being nominated for Portsmouth Rd in the best Borough Infrastructure Scheme category at the London Cycling Awards;

http://lcc.org.uk/articles/2016awards

Sadly runners up this year to Camden’s worthy winner in Tavistock Place but we’re in august company with joint second Waltham Forest’s Lea Bridge Rd. Let’s make Portsmouth Road the benchmark, improve and win next year RBK !

 

Consultation on mini Holland routes in Surbiton

This is the middle section of the Kingston to Surbiton to Tolworth route via Surbiton Crescent and Avenue Elmers. We are told Kingston Council will consult on these proposals in mid June 2016.

Heading south on Surbiton Crescent a modal filter for bikes and buses, at the junction with Surbiton Road, is to be trialled for 3 or 4 months. The route then continues on Avenue Elmers which will get a quietway treatment with logos and humps and consultation on 20mph (where it is currently 30mph).

Links to Surbiton station are provided by Claremont Road and St Marks Hill. On Claremont Road a two way segregated track is planned on the west side with the footway routed through Claremont Gardens. On St Marks Hill a segregated cycle track will be provided on the uphill but only logos on the downhill.

This looks very promising to us. A modal filter should work and Avenue Elmers is a quiet road. The scheme does need to get riders safely across Maple Road. The consultation does not include the sections of the route along Penrhyn and Surbiton Roads to the north nor on Ewell Road to the south. Plainly unless those sections are dealt with, and the crucial junction of Surbiton Hill Road and Ewell Road, so the route is continuous, then these schemes are of little value. Our understanding is that those sections will be consulted on in due course.

The links to Surbiton station will only be complete if the mini roundabout outside the station is tackled. We are a little concerned that logos on the downhill side of Saint Marks Road are sub standard and provide no safe space for cycling on a busy road. The Claremont Gardens footway should be sufficiently attractive and direct to ensure pedestrians use it not the cycle track.

We look forward to details of the consultation in June.

 

Cycle track on Wheatfield Way

We understand this proposal will be consulted on in June 2016. It is proposed to install two way fully segregated cycle tracks (3m) on the east (Fairfield) side of Wheatfield Way from College Roundabout to the station except at Old London Rd and Wilkinsons. At this pinch point shared space of at least 3.6m width is proposed for a short distance. Kingston’s mini Holland bid envisaged the two way track being continuous with the one way system being reduced from three to two motor lanes at this point. The Borough Officers tell us this is not possible because Transport for London’s traffic modelling suggests unacceptable delays would be caused.

There will also be more direct cycle crossings at Palmers Crescent and Lady Booth Road. Consultation on 20mph (currently 30mph) speed limit and raised crossings and junctions. Wider pedestrian and cycle crossings opposite Old London Rd are also proposed. There is also to be a link from Old London Road to Castle Street, the details of which, so far as we are aware, remain to be decided.

In our view this is a great proposal; a safe space for cycling on a scary urban gyratory. There are also urban realm improvements and a reduction in the severance caused by the ring round. Sadly there is one major defect; shared space does not work on a transport cycling route. We suggest a reduction to two traffic lanes could be trialled (a practice favoured by new Mayor, Sadiq Khan) for the short “pinch point” section outside Wilkinson’s; it may be the world does not end and remember TfL’s traffic modelling does have a record of not reflecting reality.