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.
Annual Meeting, 10 May 2016 – notes
After agreeing the minutes of 2016, John Dunn (JD) talked us through his Treasuer’s report, then he and Roger Mace (RM) gave an overview of how the rides have been in the past year.
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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.
Mini Holland Consultations this June
We met with Kingston Officers and Councillors. They are planning to go to consultation on 4 mini Holland schemes in June 2016. The proposals are not finalised but are broadly as follows:
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Challenge ride to Nutfield
Farthing Down, Coulsdon
Sunday 8th May. A hot Sunny day saw 22 Cyclists ready for the 2nd Challenge ride, leave via Lower Marsh, Berrylands, New Malden, Worcester park, North Cheam, Sutton, Carshalton Beeches, Little Woodcote, Woodmansterne, Clockhouse estate, Coulsdon, Farthing down, Chaldon, Warwick Wold to Nutfield for Lunch at ‘the Inn on the pond’, afterwards as we were about to depart, the first visit of the day from the ‘P fairy’, but many hands soon had the problem fixed, so via Merstham, Gatton bottom, with the next visit from the P fairy, again many hands soon had it fixed, Chipstead, Banstead, East Ewell to Nonsuch park for Tea & BP, once again the P fairy had paid a visit, a very noble John was willing to stay & help the victim, with the main party continuing, Stoneleigh, Worcester park, New Malden, Berrylands, to Kingston. Total 37 Miles, 1 new face, 3 Punctures.
Isle of White Randonnee
Isle of Wight near Freshwater bay. Credit Bai Kamara
Sunday 1st May, 65+ Miles, 3000 ft climbing, it can only be the Isle of Wight Randonnee, 5 Cyclists met at the ‘Kite hill’ campsite, Wootton, on a cool, but gloriously Sunny day, with some campers still ‘de-frosting’, taking the ‘clockwise route’ via Havenstreet, Upton, Nettlestone, St. Helens to Bembridge for the 1st Tea stop & checkpoint, also gathering 1 more member, then Yarbridge, Adgestone to Alverstone for the next checkpoint, with 1 member having a’gearshift failure’, (did that slow him down, not a bit of it), Winford, Sandford, Wroxall, Upper Ventnor, to Whitwell for the 3rd Checkpoint, Niton, the long climb to Blackgang, Chale, -where a small detachment took a detour, via Chale green, Kingston & Shorewell-,others Atherfield, Yafford-, Brightstone, Mottistone to Brook, -with 1 member missing both of the quiet options, taking the shortcut on the ‘A’ Road, all back together for Freshwater to Yarmouth, for the 2nd Tea & refreshment stop & 4th Checkpoint, then Thorley, Wellow, Newbridge, Newtown, Porchfield, Gurnard, Cowes for the ‘Chain ferry’ & the 5th Checkpoint, then with some very tired legs on the last big climb, to Whippingham, Wootton Creek back to the Campsite. Total 66 Miles.
A smaller party of 4 Cyclists started from Alverstone, Newchurch, on ‘Sustrans’ route 23, Merstone, Blackwater, Newport to Cowes, the Chain ferry & Checkpoint 1 Whippingham to Wootton & Checkpoint 2, Havenstreet, Nettlestone, St. Helens to Bembridge for Tea & refreshments and Checkpoint 3, then Yarbridge to Alverstone. Total 34 Miles.
PS. 1 other Cyclist starting from Alverstone completed the longer 66 Mile route. Well done all who took part.
Mayoral Debate – Friday 29 April
Final hustings of the mayoral campaign
Nick and Ruth from KCC were in a packed audience at the cycling (and transport) hustings held at The News Building this morning. You may have already seen our tweets at #asklondonmayor and now you can watch the debate on Facebook.
The Deputy Editor of The Times, Emma Tucker, chaired a panel featuring most of the main candidates: Sian Berry (SB), Zac Goldsmith (ZG), Sadiq Khan (SK), Caroline Pigeon (CP), Sophie Walker (SW) – all of whom have signed for cycling – and Peter Whittle (PW). George Galloway has also signed for cycling, unfortunately he couldn’t be there.
After introductions the candidates were asked to outline their solutions – see the LCC website for these and their answers to questions submitted at the door and from the floor and the Chair posed some direct questions which only needed simple answers:
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Evening ride to Wimb…..,er Ham
near ‘White lodge’, Richmond park
Wednesday 27th April, a very chilly Evening still saw 12, no wait 13 Cyclists leave the market place, to Skerne Rd, Lower Ham, Aerospace estate, Ham, Ham gate of Richmond park, Ham cross, then a bright flash, was that li…, yes lightning then thunder, more of the same, still our leader ploughed on, turning towards White lodge, slight bit of drizzle, with sn…, no sleet, but a moment later a full blown blizzard, sheltering under a tree in a thunder storm, not recommended, so lets retreat to Ham for refreshments at ‘the New Inn’, then with light but cold drizzle, via the Tudor estate, to Kingston. Total 10 Miles, 2 new faces.
Kingston Cycling Campaign 