Mini Holland Meetings with Officers and Councillors

Officers

On Thursday 22 January 3 campaigners from Kingston Cycling Campaign met with Officers from the Royal Borough of Kingston to discuss their Mini Holland proposals for Portsmouth Road. We were accompanied by the Campaigns Officer from the London Cycling Campaign http://lcc.org.uk/. We saw detailed plans of the proposals for the first time. These were frankly disappointing. The plans confirmed our fears that this is largely a “white paint” scheme with limited protected space for cycling. The areas of segregation are small; perhaps the southerly, heading away from Brighton Rd, 20% of the Northern bound carriageway, which is fully segregated. Additionally semi segregation by means of armadillos is proposed towards the north end, near Kingston, on both sides of the road but only for a short distance, particularly on the southbound. In all, so far as one can tell, only about 20% of the scheme has any protection at all. We are awaiting copies of the plans so we can comment further. There are some nice landscaping features and 2 raised pedestrian crossings but the cycling provision is certainly not to Dutch standards. We made the point that proposals such as these will do little or nothing to encourage cycling among those who don’t already ride. Schoolchildren will not want to ride along Portsmouth Road protected by white lines.

Councillors

On Monday 26 January another 3 campaigners met with 2 Councillors from the Conservative administration of RBK. Cllr Richard Hudson who chairs the Infrastructure, Projects and Contracts Committee, responsible for the Mini Holland Projects, and Cllr Andrea Craig, Lead member for Children and Young People, who is also a keen cyclist. This was a positive meeting. All wanted the Mini Holland schemes to be realised and to succeed. All, whilst recognising we may not agree on everything, want a degree of consensus to be achieved. All wanted schemes to be designed, so far as possible, for new or occasional cyclists, particularly children. All recognised schemes should benefit the whole community. We discussed various forms of physical protection for cycling such as armadillos and stepped kerbs. On the face of it there is room on Portsmouth Road for more protected space for cycling than is in the current proposal. Without making any promises Cllr Hudson said he would speak to Officers following the consultation to see if the degree of segregation can be improved.

Please do complete the consultation; link below. Everyone we speak to wants protected space unless you say so you can hardly blame Councillors or Officers for being unaware of that;

http://www.kingston.gov.uk/info/200355/mini-holland_cycling_programme/1118/mini-holland_cycle_routes/2

Bread Pudding Ride to Wraysbury

January 25th. A mostly overcast but dry day saw 25 Cyclists leave via Kingston bridge, Bushy park to Hampton, Hanworth, Feltham, Bedfont, Stanwell, Stanwell moor, Poyle to Wraysbury for a ‘split lunch’ at the ‘Perseverance’ & the ‘George’. With everyone back together via Staines, Knowle green, Ashford, Charlton, Shepperton to Halliford garden centre, for Tea & BP, also saying hello to our friends from ‘Cheam & Morden CTC, then lower Sunbury, Hampton, Bushy park to Kingston. Total 31 Miles, 2 new faces.

Map :-www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/2885398 https://flic.kr/p/qW2i2Z

Portsmouth Road Consultation

The public consultation on the proposed Portsmouth Rd mini-holland scheme opens today. You can find all the details on what is proposed and how you can make your voice heard:

RBK Portsmouth Rd Consultation

You can also read the Portsmouth Road Full Proposal Document (PDF)

If we don’t let the Council know what we think, we can’t complain about what they give us. Rich, one of our supporters, has produced a template to respond to the consultation:

https://stuffrichwrites.wordpress.com/2015/01/20/response-to-portsmouth-road-consultation/

Please feel free to adopt it or adapt it.

The Council’s proposals will not prevent this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxqtgYon0Lk

We want protected space infrastructure so truck drivers can not endanger their fellow citizens in this way and 8 to 80 cyclists will use this route.

First Ride of 2015 – Great Bookham and Effingham

Meeting for our first bread pudding ride of 2015

Sunday 11 January 2015:

A bright Sunny morning, with more cloud later, saw 20 Cyclists ready for the first ride of ‘15 via Lower Marsh, Berrylands, Tolworth greenway, Hogsmill & Bonesgate paths, Horton country park, Ashtead common, Leatherhead, Fetcham to Great Bookham where a small detachment stopped for lunch at ‘Domestique’ Cafe, while the remainder continued to Effingham for lunch at the ‘Sir Douglas Haig’. With everyone back together via Effingham junction, Martyr’s green, a partially flooded Plough lane, Cobham, Fairmile to Claremont lake for Tea & BP, then Esher, Littleworth, Hinchley wood, Long Ditton, Surbiton to Kingston. 1 new face, 28 Miles.

Map :-www.plotaroute.com/route/30393

https://www.flickr.com/photos/kingstoncyclingcampaign/16068794710 11/01/2015 Kingston Market Place meeting point

Portsmouth Rd Mini Holland Proposals

LCC members in Kingston and the surrounding Boroughs will be aware of the Council’s successful Mini Holland bid. The first proposed Mini Holland Scheme is Portsmouth Rd. The proposals go to Kingston Council’s Infrastructure Committee today, Tuesday 13 January, at 7.30pm. The public are entitled to attend and speak. See this link for the agenda and the details;

http://moderngov.kingston.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=573&MId=7550

These proposals are a hugely disappointing missed opportunity. It isn’t Mini Holland. It isn’t Go Dutch. It isn’t compliant with London Cycling Campaign policy which seeks genuine segregation on roads over certain speeds and/or volumes of traffic. At most 15% of the whole (may be 25 to 30% of the west side) is properly segregated. Around 60% by our estimate is simply white paint, the balance “Armadillos”. In the Mini Holland bid documents almost half Portsmouth Road was fully segregated, the balance semi. In truth this is “old style” London; let’s fit in a bit of second rate cycle infrastructure.

We have no alternative but to go to the committee to object. Achieving full segregation on this stretch will be challenging because of space, assuming the road remains a two way motor road, but they can do a lot better than this proposal. There is scope, and room, for segregation on the northern part of Portsmouth Rd and the southern, although some major works or innovation will be required to avoid a gap in the middle.

One possibility, at least for the northern stretch, is two way segregated cycle lanes on the west side. Obviously this first scheme will set the tone for Kingston’s Mini Holland future and, may be a wider precedent, not just for the two other MHs, but for cycle schemes in the outer Boroughs generally.

This proposal will do nothing to encourage cycling, nor for cycle safety. It will make it slightly easier for experienced cyclists to ride along Portsmouth Rd. Mini Holland is not supposed to be aimed primarily at people who already cycle a lot but those who cycle a little or not at all. Nervous folk will not be pedalling along Portsmouth Road protected by 1.6m white lines (apparently the bulk of the proposal).

Comments from our members on the proposals include;
“It does not pass my would you ride this with a 7 year old test”
“Very disappointed”
“Would not provide a step change in provision for people who want to cycle”
“very poor”

We have always been a local borough group which sought to co-operate with its Council. Sadly these proposals are so inadequate, and much less than originally envisaged, we can’t support them. We don’t know if they have the approval of TfL, or Andrew Gilligan, the Mayor’s Cycling Commissioner, yet. When we met him in the Summer he was very positive and clear in favouring adequate provision for nervous or inexperienced cyclists (only by getting new people cycling will you reduce congestion). We would be disappointed if he had accepted these proposals.

Rest assured we will do our best. If you can make it this evening to lobby the committee, please do.

Yes you can cycle in Kingston Market Place !

We know the signs say Pedestrian Zone and many cyclists think that means they have to dismount and walk their bikes through the Ancient market place in Kingston. In fact by virtue of a traffic management order made earlier this year you can now cycle anywhere around the market place. The current signage is confusing. At the three entrances to the Market Place there are, diagram 619 “Motor vehicles prohibited” signs indicating that motor vehicle access is restricted. There are also signs proclaiming ‘Pedestrian zone’. Cyclists and pedestrians, versed in Road Traffic law, will realise cycling is permitted; the majority of ordinary people do not understand these signs (some pedestrians will think, mistakenly, that cycling is banned) and confusion and conflict will ensue. One of our members has been wrongly shouted at for cycling and we have seen other cyclists dismounting and walking evidently unaware they are permitted to cycle.
We have now (13 October 2014) been advised by the Council Officer responsible that Blue background shared use signs (diagram 956 – a cycle and a walker) will be placed on the boards along with the existing signs to clarify matters by the end of this month. Eagle eyed people will have noticed that when the Market place was repaved earlier this year several small spaces were left unpaved along the old cycle route on the west side. It was always intended that granite blocks with a cycle logo, indicating shared use, would be installed in these gaps. We are now assured that these blocks are on order (in fact on a slow boat from China !). They should be installed early in December, we are told. So we are watching this space but are hopeful it will be made clear by the end of 2014 that you can cycle in the revamped market place.
Once that is done we shall still have to control encroachment onto the cycle route by the market traders, their gazebos and A boards, which are quite hazardous and obstructive when the area is busy…..

Campaigners meet with Kingston Council

Members of the Kingston Cycling Campaign meet every three months with officers of Kingston Council to progress improvements and repairs for the benefit of cyclists. Today, (13th October), four campaigners met at Guildhall 2 to discuss the Mini-Holland project, Kingston’s Local Implementation Plan (LIP) and some of our Top 40 projects that we want to see done. Not only that, but we reported the missing bike logo at the new ASL (Advanced Stop Line) at Sury Basin by the Richmond Road Sainsbury’s and the failure of the Tolworth Greenway where some sections of the coloured surfacing have been sinking. A particularly interesting discussion was the concern about the safety of the junction of London Road and Coombe Lane. The problem is that cyclists and motorcyclists riding in the bus lane towards Kingston are being clouted by drivers turning right into Coombe Road (traffic in the bus lane is often hidden by stationary traffic), or by left turning vehicles. We discussed some solutions that could address the collision problem. We would like to see a solution that provides some segregation and stop cyclists getting hurt.

Promoting Cycling: ‘Get Cycling’ guide launched at Kingston Bike Festival

KCC booklet – Get Cycling

At the Kingston Bike Festival on Sunday 10th August 2014 the Kingston Cycling Campaign (KCC) launched its new guide to traffic-free and quiet cycle routes around Kingston which we’ve called ‘Get Cycling’.

There are 6 routes described in words and shown on full colour maps, with lovely design carried out by local designer Alison Groom. The booklet is 20 pages long and as well as the six rides it shows a handy guide to crossing Kingston town centre from all directions.

Members of KCC contributed to researching the routes, checking them, writing text descriptions, mapping, taking photographs and co-ordinating the design and printing.

KCC had 1,000 ‘Get Cycling’ guides printed. They are currently available for free from all the borough’s libraries and we hope that bike shops will each have a stock of them soon.

The cost of designing and printing the guide was paid largely by an Environment Grant from Kingston Council supplemented by the group’s own income.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/kingstoncyclingcampaign/14691597849/

Kingston Cycling Campaigners promote a new guide of six easy rides to places around Kingston. Left To right: Nick Davies, Jon Fray, John Legate and Rob James.

You can find routes taken from the Get Cycling booklet here.