Notes from Wheelers Meeting held on 12 February 2003
at Limehouse Town Hall, Commercial Road, E14
Present: Keith Jones, Mark Pearson, Steve Collins, Stephen Bradley, Colin Waters, Owen Pearson, Saul Albert, Lottie Child, Lyndal Peters (LBTH) and arrived during meeting: Caroline Fenton, David Allison, Tom Brenan, Alex Brenan, Gary Cummins
Apologies: Alix Stredwick, Martin Harris
1. Introductions
First item of the agenda an important one for the second month running with another great turnout. Lyndal Peters, LBTH Cycling Officer was introduced to all and welcomed to the meeting.
All actions completed (even Owen's longstanding Aldgate Gyratory action...)
3. Borough Cycling Officer Report
Lyndal started by announcing that she had recently been promoted to Principal Transport Planner and so the LBTH Cycling Officer post is currently vacant. She assured us that this would not affect future liaison as she would be still be dealing with the cycling issues. A decision on if and when the cycling officer post would be advertised had not yet been made.
Cable Street Two-Way Cycle Track
The current status was reported i.e. our petition and deputation was received by the council cabinet. LBTH was unaware that the relevant traffic regulations changes had come into force on 31 January 2003. Lyndal said that if the regs had now changed they would be asking the police for their opinion on the priority scheme of this cycle track.
ACTION: Owen to email .gov.uk url for new traffic regs to Lyndal.
Royal Mint Street Two-Way Cycle Track
Lyndal and her officers had visited the site and spoken with the contractors after receiving several complaints about the surface of the new cycle track. The contractors said they could do nothing about it without digging it up and trying again though they could give no guarantees they would make a better job. Lyndal also said that there was no budget to try this. The quality of the surface would be reviewed once the green top layer had been laid.
ACTION: Owen to canvas opinion of the surface once the track is completed.
Future Cycle Schemes
The main scheme in the near future is to extend the Cable St two-way track eastwards until Watney Street (Shadwell tube station) with a budget of £110,000. It was mentioned there could be a problem with the width of the track along this stretch because of the trees between the pavement and the cycle track.
Cycle Training
£15,000 has been allocated for training of school children (9-10 years old age group) over the next financial year. Ideally LBTH will use some of the money to recruit and train local residents to carry out the training. All children are given a free cycle helmet and the training takes place during school time.
For the last financial year £9,000 was spent on training 180 children using Cycle Training Ltd but LBTH did not think this was cost effective.
As the free helmets are plain white, Lottie and Saul wondered whether helmet customisation sessions (e.g. a stall at Wheelers events) could be offered to give them a bit more "street cred" to the children. (Use of appropriate paints etc. was noted.)
Bike Week 14-22 June 2003
LBTH plan to fully participate in the weeks events.
Transport for London will be providing funding for a training day in Tower Hamlets on 14 June - details still to be announced.
Royal London hospital has contacted Lyndal concerning their new travel plan. She thinks involving them in some Bike Week activities and the cycle buddy scheme would be an excellent way to publicise their plan and will liaise with them further.
Borough Spending Plan 04/05
The draft for this has to be submitted by end of April 2003. Any suggestions for cycle schemes let us and Lyndal know asap.
Awards for All etc. applications
Invoices to LBTH must be received by mid-March before the end of the financial year.
Open Discussion
The issue of enforcement of cycle and bus lanes was raised. No solutions were able to be offered though the point was made that there is no point to cycling facilities if they cannot be safely used or not used at all.
Getting a cycle path along Mile End Road was also raised. This is a TfL run road and is part of the LCN+. Would need to get an update on the latest LCN+ plans - something that needs doing anyway.
ACTION: Owen to get hold of latest LCN+ plans.
4. Bike Week
This was returned to quickly to remind all to get thinking about ideas for events. Full discussion to be held at March meeting. The responses to the post-bike week 2002 survey would be reviewed so we can learn from mistakes.
ACTION: Owen to ask for a volunteer to compile BW2002 survey responses.
5. 'Bicycle Bus'
Colin gave a summary of the success of running the 'bus' during the Central Line closure. Redbridge and Newham LCC groups had joined in as well as most importantly, several newcomers to cycling.
6. Workshop
Saul gave a progress report on the setting up of the workshop at the Limehouse Town Hall. Saturday, 29 March was set as the date for the workshop to open and then to continue on the last Saturday of each month. It was suggested it would be good to have a supply of consumables such as cables, inner tubes, brake blocks etc. Lyndal Peters agreed funding for this could be available from LBTH.
It was also suggested that "demo" days could be advertised each month where particular maintenance tasks were demonstrated.
ACTION:
1. Saul to continue organising getting together workshop tools etc.
2. Owen to double-check LCC liability issues.
7. Congestion Charge issues
T-Shirt: Orders still coming in - around 20 now.
Buddy scheme: Publicity was discussed with suggestions for poster locations being work places, hospitals, surgeries/clinics and colleges.
Banner: an idea for a large "Cycle for Free" banner to be made and hung from the Green Bridge over Mile End Road on the first morning of congestion charging. All agreed this was an excellent stunt.
ACTION: Colin to organise
8. Cycle Counts
Aldgate: Agreed to hold a count mid-March.
ACTION: Someone to organise this count - volunteers please!
Rotherhithe Tunnel: Background - a proposed pilot scheme to allow bikes on buses through Rotherhithe and Blackwall tunnels. Interest in carrying out a count had been received from south of the river. Many were not sure of the worth of carrying out a cycle count during the morning rush-hour as it was thought main users of the tunnel would be travelling outside the this time, especially very early morning.
ACTION: Owen to gauge interest and see about organising a count.
9. East London Cycling Newsletter
The deadline for contributions for the February issue is 23 February - contact Alix.
10. AOB
It was agreed the cycle/camping talk suggested at the last meeting would best be held on a evening/weekend rather than at a meeting itself due to the packed agenda to get through. A workshop Saturday was suggested.
The meeting closed late at 8.40pm and most headed off to The Grapes, Narrow Street.
Next meeting: 7.00pm, 12 February, at Limehouse Town Hall.
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