| Editorial |
Where have all the bike
racks gone?
Well
where have they gone, especially in the new Whitefriars Shopping
development? This was the question put to me by a local cyclist doing
her shopping at the Farmer’s Market. She said she chained
hers to the nearest available seat, lamp post or noticeboard in the new
multi million pound Whitefriars. Just like the rest of us.
When Spokes started, our
first campaign was to get bike racks
throughout the city area and in places like Kent & Canterbury
Hospital. We carried out a survey for the City Council as to
where they
were needed. Within days of them appearing they were full. Since then
not much.
So fired by my own curiosity and the question from the puzzled cyclist
I decided to make some inquiries.
The
Council spokesperson was a little embarrassed. Land Securities, the
developers of Whitefriars won’t be putting any bike racks in
as, “They create clutter.”
 There
are some great
solutions for bike parking now. See www.cyclepods.co.uk.
The Farmers Market has installed new bike parking.
Why can’t we have something like these in Whitefriars?
We
need more people to
cycle. Kent has over 500km of signed cycle routes:- see www.sustrans.org
You don’t need to go to a farsighted country like Denmark to
see
how an
intelligently created network of safe cycle routes can transform car
use and improve health.
Up to 200,000 people cycle to work in
London every morning. Transport for London suggest that there has been
a 23% increase in the number of people cycling in Central London.
This
has this come about through a positive approach from a GLA geared to
increasing cycling with the multiple aims of improving health, mobility
and air quality for everyone.
The Government has just awarded
5 towns an annual grant of £500,000 each to be met with
matched funding
for 3 years to improve cycling facilities in their area, as reported
here. Why
didn’t
Canterbury make a bid?
Sam
Webb Editor
|
|
Chairman’s
address
I am not
a
dreadlocked eco-warrior but a responsible citizen who prefers
to
ride his bike for pleasure, to keep healthy, get around town quickly
and do my bit for the planet. I’m also a
pedestrian. These
activities are not mutually exclusive. So why is there so
much
tension when these activities mix?
The Transport Research Laboratory has published its findings (Report
TRL583) on cycling in vehicle restricted areas in the three
cities of Cambridge, Hull and Salisbury. It found
that the
majority of cyclists tended to slow down or dismount when pedestrian
flows were high although a minority (mostly young males) continued to
cycle quite fast. Most pedestrians said they were not
bothered by
cyclists using the area, although some were in favour of exclusion for
part of the day. They were least concerned when flows of
cyclists
were lowest. The conclusion was that although sharing was not
an
ideal solution for either pedestrians or cyclists it may be the
appropriate compromise in terms of maintaining sustainable transport
objectives. The rest of Europe is comfortable with shared
facilities so why not here?
Spokes is one of the biggest cycling organisations in Kent and as great
a body of responsible cyclists as you will find. Let us lead the way in
the safe shared use of cycling and walking paths.
John Hunt
|
|
|
The new Dunkirk to
Harbledown cycle route
This route joins the sections of the old A2 in Dunkirk and Upper
Harbledown, as a metalled path beside the A2 trunk road providing a
direct alternative route between Faversham and Canterbury much shorter
than National Cycle Route 1 via Whitstable.
I’ve cycled along it quite a few times and it is infinitely
preferable to sharing the ‘metre strip’ at the edge
of the
road with drains, pebbles, litter and other crud! It is also further
from the gusts of wind that whip round cyclists in the wake of passing
lorries.
Narrower
than originally
intended, (because of the ownership of the land beside the road), it is
wide enough for cyclists and pedestrians to pass comfortably. I have
seen many commuters and schoolchildren using it. There are a few
driveways, including the entrance to a filling station and hotel, where
care is required, but kerbs are dropped so there’s no need to
get off.
However,
at each end there are signs declaring ‘End of route (with
picture of
bicycle)’ and ‘Cyclists dismount’ placed
as the cycle/pedestrian path
joins a minor road where cars are allowed. All the cyclists I have seen
simply carry on cycling along the road.
|
Canterbury
and Swale
councils and the Sustrans area officer are aware of this. I hope the
dismounting instruction will be removed, but there’s clearly
a backlog
of work or a bureaucratic quagmire!
Beatrice
Shire |
|
|
Planning permission for C
& W Bridges?
The Trust is working with several partners including Canterbury City
Council in preparing a planning application for the Bridges at
Whitstable. The bridge over Old Bridge Road and the mainline railway
will be 31 m and the smaller one over Teynham Road is 13 m
long.
Architects and Engineers have been instructed, while land owners,
community groups and Network Rail are being consulted.
The construction of these Bridges will extend the C&W for 1km.
(5/8th mile) along the old line to the Harbour. With most of
the
population in the area living north of the mainline railway line this
will greatly increase access, for local people, schoolchildren,
commuters and tourists. It will encourage people to choose
healthier lifestyles, a cleaner environment and will be seen as an
‘escape route‘ for Whitstable with its increasing
traffic
congestion.
If planning permission is granted then the Bridges (current est.of
cost £400,000) will then become a serious funding
project. Fund holders will hopefully then see a live project
that
is ready to go. However, match funding, whereby only proportions of
total costs are granted, will mean that local efforts to raise money
will be essential.
What can you do to help construct the C & W Bridges?
1. Join the Trust and send a donation.
Please see enclosed leaflet for membership forms.
2. Suggest/offer ideas for raising some
of the match funding.
3. Write a letter supporting the planning
application
to:- Sheila Flynn. Highway Officer. Canterbury City Council, Military
Road, Canterbury CT1 1YW.
4. Watch out for the date when the
planning
application goes to the Planning Committee and attend to speak and/or
support.
Contacts: www.crabandwinkle.org
Crab
& Winkle Trust.
|
|
And my cheeks are still
glowing……
Well it's 2 1/2 hours since I arrived home from my second ride with
Spokes and my cheeks are still glowing from all that glorious fresh
air. The cheesy grin that I had when I first came through the door is
still there too. I really had such a good time.
On my first ride with Spokes I was almost fried to a crisp in the
searing heat, forced to walk up many, many hills (due to my lack of
stamina and not having ridden much before) totally exhausted after 32
miles, I couldn't feel my bottom for two days (a slight exaggeration)
and I still came back for more!
Why?
Because I have caught the cycling bug, it is such good fun and with the
loveliest people you could wish to meet, who have helped and encouraged
me all the way.
Oddly, I have even been prepared to give up my only lie-in a week to go
out for an early morning bike ride, so that I won't need to walk up
those hills on future rides!
I can even take my bike on the train now, helped by my new friends. I
know! I'm a grown women and should be able to do it on my own!
But the best advice that these lovely people have given me was to buy
some PADDED PANTS!!
Advice taken and bottom OK.
Delores Johncock
|
