Right to Ride Report

Heather Rainbow – one of our our R2R representatives has produced a report based on a presentation she made to the climate change panel for Basingstoke and Deane Council.

Cycling is a smart choice.

Every trip taken by bike rather than by car is good for you and good for the environment. Learn more about the CTC's stance on global change and what we, as cyclists, can do to reduce our impact on the planet here: www.cyclingforchange.com

Cycle Training – Please Help

Right to Ride campaigners and Hampshire Cycling have been working hard to try and persuade Hampshire County Council to do more to promote cycle training.

Cycle training has been proven to increase the numbers of people cycling as well as improving people’s safety on the road. In vain we have repeatedly asked for cycle training to be advertised and actively promoted but the department responsible for this is responsible for safety not for promoting modal shift, also erroneously they believe that increasing cycling numbers increases cycle casualties whereas research shows that the greater the number of cyclists the safer it is on the road. As you can see it is an uphill job.

Cycle trainers are not employees of Hampshire Council but freelance, however they are trained by the county to teach cycling proficiency (not the newer National Cycle Standard). There is a shortage of cycle trainers although you would never know it from the Hants website. Two Basingstoke county councillors have worked hard with schools to persuade parents to allow their children to undertake cycle training. One councillor, Jo Kelly, has even trained to be a cycle instructor but she alone cannot meet the demand for cycle training by Cliddesden primary school. She has asked me to advertise this to all cyclists in the hope that some one may volunteer to be a cycle trainer.

HELP is desperately needed. More info from Heather Rainbow and from the CTC web site.

Cycle Campaigns

Churchill Way West Development

The council is proposing to build on the allotments sited between the railway line and Churchill Way West. New developments are supposed to be “sustainable”, in transport terms not generate more cars, congestion, pollution, noise etc.

The local Brookvale community is objecting to this development on various grounds including flooding and sewerage problems. The development will affect existing cycle movements as the cycle path could well be closed on the north side of Churchill Way West during building but subsequently this traffic free route will be interrupted by a right hand turn off Churchill Way West between the subway at College street and Victory roundabout.

The sustainable transport solution for the new development on the allotments next to Churchill Way West is to build a staggered crossing with lights so that cars can turn right to reach the new houses. This will cause minimal disruption to car traffic. To encourage pedestrians, cyclists and wheelchair users there will be a toucan crossing here so that they can cross Churchill Way West from May Street in Brookvale to their new homes.

Cyclists will be expected to negotiate nine sharp right angle turns and spend time in the “sheep pen” in the centre of the road. Long crossing delays encourage jumping of the lights making this a highly dangerous as well as awkward and unattractive crossing. Meanwhile the difficult cycle access to the station via Alencon Link, to the town via Victory roundabout and Morrisons at Thornecroft roundabout have not been tackled. This new development is a transport disaster for everyone. It will generate more motorised traffic whilst nothing has been done to encourage cycling. What is needed is a bridge from the new Wickes to the water pumping station, a cycle lane cut into the bank of Alencon Link and better connections over Victory roundabout.

Within the development there is to be an average of two cycling parking spaces per household, but these will be quite useless as they are are not secure against theft or vandalism.Heather Rainbow, CTC Right to Ride representative, wrote at length to the council objecting to the traffic management solution and also attended the Development Control Committee on Wednesday 25th July where she was allowed a brief minute to voice her objections. She is now liaising with the Brookvale residents to seek better transport solutions for cyclists. What she is requesting is

• A direct connection from the cycle path on the north side of Churchill Way West up Alencon Link with a cycle lane cut into the bank here allowing better access to the station and the north of the town.
• A continuous uninterrupted route along the north side of Churchill Way West with no give ways to cars
• A bridge across Churchill Way west from the pumping station on the path up to Fyffes and across to the new Wickes site near Morrisons

Negotiations on the toucan crossing with various options:

• Right hand turn into development not necessary. No need for lights and no demand for a crossing here between May street and new houses
• If a right hand turn to go ahead then toucan should be in as straight a line as possible. There should be steps up from May Street to the kerb for pedestrians and cyclists should not have to use the long, zigzag wheelchair ramp but instead wheel the bike up a wheeling ramp beside the steps.

Download this document

If cyclists have any further comments or suggestions please contact Heather Rainbow