Alasdair DV Massie CEng MIStructE CTC Right to Ride Representative, North Herts
I thought that it might be useful to re‐send the a4ached message, as a reminder of what we were saying in March and why this Scru;ny is taking place. You will note that: Roadside footway conversion con;nues as the “solu;on of choice” for Herts Highways, despite being at the very bo4om of the Hierarchy of Measures, despite the HerEordshire Cycling Strategy and all current na;onal guidelines, and despite opposi;on from user groups. Since we wrote to you in March, EVERY proposal that we have seen has been based on roadside footway conversion. Examples include Weston Way in Baldock, Baldock / Jubilee Road in Letchworth, Hitchin Sta;on forecourt, Bedford Road in Hitchin and Burns Road in Royston. In NONE of those loca;ons should pavement conversion have been the first choice of solu;on.
Highway Schemes are clearly NOT being reviewed to see how improvements for cycling can be incorporated within them. As examples we have the Baldock High Street re‐ build (£2.25 million), where access has been blocked through Church Street, effec;vely preven;ng local residents from cycling to and from the High Street other than by a long detour on main roads. We also have the nearby example of the North Road / Ickneild Way junc;on where again people are losing access to residen;al streets. We have the Letchworth town centre re‐build where for the second ;me in 10 years the opportunity has been ignored to restore two way cycle access to the popular shopping streets in the town centre. And of course we have Bedford Road in Hitchin where the chance to remove the awful gyratory system has been ignored in favour of a nasty, narrow and wholly unsa;sfactory pavement conversion. Likewise at Baldock Road in Letchworth where designers refused to make any space for cycling in a 30m wide road that had been bypassed and has twice the capacity needed for current traffic levels, and instead are forcing cyclists onto a thoroughly unsa;sfactory footway.
In summary, since March, Herts Highways appear to have taken the a]tude that they will NOT do as we have requested (ie to follow the recommenda;ons and stated policy of the HerEordshire Cycling Strategy). On the contrary, they appear to be working to a policy of deliberately and systema;cally doing the opposite. We do not believe that Herts Highways have shown any will to address these issues construc;vely. Regards Alasdair DV Massie CEng MIStructE CTC Right to Ride Representative, North Herts
Stephen Wragg St Albans Cycle Campaign STACC founder member, 1998 Chair for the last 18 months 470 paid-up members We are the largest Campaigning group in Herts, and we make the needs of cyclists known locally. In an ideal world we wouldn't exist! Less 'campaigning' more supporting initiatives, organising regular rides etc (more like SPOKES in Watford).
PUBLIC MEETING S T A L B A N S C Y C L E C A M P A I G N DEC 2007 @ 7.30 P M TUES 4 T H
Myself Designer / photographer STACC decided to produce a map of the Alban Way 2003 Researched, Wrote, Photographed, Designed part way through the process Groundwork provided money to print...
Mapmaking Motivation is enthusiasm for cycling, and wanting to share with others. Not bidding for more money for my business...! What is a cyclemap, to show you were you can cycle...? Implying there are places where you can ʼ t... I am looking forward to when this type of map is not necessary!
Countywide mapping Maps have been done locally, managed by many different organisations / individuals, Councils, CMS, Groundwork, HCC... Consolidate expertise, advice - countywide. 2 maps currently - are the people managing these productions getting support?
Promotion / distribution Commisioned & Printed, but are they available in all chosen outlets? Where are they distributed from? Are they visible (St A TI)! Direct member of public request...
Scrutiny process Using Watford as evidence of conformity to Cycle Strategy? ...what made Watford different?
Tim Woolridge led in-house design / build process, efficiently harvesting Sec106. Evidence we have been shown: Pre-dates HCC Cycle Strategy 2007 Administered by WBC Herts Highways ʻ rubber-stamped ʼ schemes.
• Cycle route through ped. shopping area • Useful cycle routes, cut-throughs, • Cycle paths alongside dual-carriageway • Dedicated cycle map 2005, 2007 • ASL's at signalled junctions • 20mph zones • Permeable developments Not a product of County, HH, Cycle Strategy 2007. Work slowed since 2007... worries for the future... no forums, no dialogue.
Watford is not representitive... St Albans HH Local Office shown no interest / inclination to work for cyclists... There is no interface... we don ʼ t meet... If we want something we talk to Dave Burt... (The Scrutiny panel have not been shown the full picture of performance countywide).
Let’s compare Watford to St Albans • Cycle route through ped. shopping area? • Useful cycle routes, cut-throughs? • Cycle paths alongside dual-carriageway? • Dedicated cycle map? • 20mph zones? • Permeable developments? • ASL's at signalled junctions? (see photo)
Advanced Stop Line - London
Recently redesigned junction in St Albans - no ASL
Why are we different to Watford... Local Cycle Officer We have a St Albans Cycle Strategy 2008, but the action plan was never written... Slow frustrating progress... Highfield Park... Cycling on District land - parks ...how about in other areas?
A Cyclist's Journey 1998 - 2009 We want off-road facilities... “Don't ask for off carriageway solutions” We want cycle lanes everywhere... “But they can be less safe” Cycle infrastructure is expensive, ...so slow to implement... Solution...
Continental town centre
Continental town centre
St Peters Street St Albans
Why are off-road facilities less desirable...?
A more desirable solution at side junctions, cyclists do not lose priority.
User Hierachy (Cycle Strategy p48)
User Hierachy (CS p48) “I am guessing that it may be from The Traffic Management Act 2004 which requires us to establish these. If that is the case, we have not yet done this exercise and it will be some time until we do”. “Our LTP is the document in which our approach is currently explained and it does not contain a hierarchy as you have explained it”. “Our members have not wished to go in that direction up to now”. Rob Smith 12/2005
Is Herts Highways working to the User Hierarchy as defined in the Cycle Strategy. Did it get embodied into LTP 06/07-10/11? "of course cyclists are at the top of the hierarchy... on a cycle route..." 10/2009
Hierarchy of Provision p55 Not being adopted - for example NCN6 St Albans 2009 Long detour around 'unsafe section'... To turn right... onto pavement, and dismount to cross beyond the junction, and then double-back. Cyclists experience: Inconvenient, Slow, Less safe Why - no attempt to change the motorized vehicle experience?
Where NCN 6 was intended to go in St Albans, but deemed unsafe due to vehicle speed. Anti-slip surface facilitates speeding, NCN route redirected around adjacent back streets.
Attempt to reduce the effectiveness of the published Cycle Strategy P58 ʻ ...whilst the following are not policies... ʼ • Advanced stop lines at urban signalled junctions • Horizontal traffic calming will have cycle bypass • 'Continental' roundabouts... • Cycle routes will have adequate maintenance... • Cycle tracks will not have barriers or other obstructions... • Cycle tracks will not be created through conversion of footways - ideally... • ʻ Cyclist Dismount ʼ signs will not be used unless there is an overriding reason to do so...
Pinch points, with no cycle by-pass continue to be installed
Inappropriate “Cyclist Dismount” sign where cycle route rejoins carriageway
Published Cycle Strategy somethings not included... • Cycle facilities on Dual-Carriageways
A414 South of St Albans Cyclists are expected to use the road...
...rather than the adjacent usable path
Delivery of Cycle Strategy in St Albans via St Albans Urban Transport Plan 2009 “Develop Walking and Cycling Priority Feasibility Study” £40k (but with no funds for implementation)
Site specific Schemes Out of 20 schemes listed.... 7 items are for cycling measures 340k over 5 years but... "Look for Developer Contributions / DfT Cycle Demonstration Town / Cycle England funding where possible" Total UTP spend: £2.86m
20mph “ 20 mile per hour zones are not without difficulty: they require considerable signage and potential engineering measures, which may be inappropriate in the conservation area; they could, if poorly planned encourage rat-running; and are difficult to enforce by the police who have limited resources. Ideally, therefore, 20 mph zones should be ʻ self-enforcing ʼ but this would mean the introduction of traffic-calming measures, which may prove unpopular to those living resident in the affected streets. That said, there is great public interest in such measures ” and it would be beneficial to pilot 20 mph zones in suitable areas. 7.7 St Albans Urban Transport Plan 2009
20mph Portsmouth
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