Minutes of Camden Cycling Campaign Business Meeting on 13th December 2004
Present: David Arditti, Jane Boardman, James Brander, Stefano Casalotti, John Chamberlain, Jean Dollimore, Daniel Glaser (chair), Meade McCloughan (minutes) and Helen Vecht.
Apologies: Paul Gannon and Paul Gasson.
A201 CRISP – CRIM
• A new cycle route is being proposed from Elephant & Castle to King’s Cross, mainly along the Farringdon Road. This isn’t on the LCN+ map, and the consensus view is that this isn’t a suitable route for the LCN+, but that there are improvements which should be made and pressed for.
• Jean is to attend the CRIM on Friday 17th December. She was sent a report and asked for comment only on the part on the Camden border but does intend to walk the whole route, including the bridge. It seems unlikely that alternatives to the main road route will be considered.
• Problems with various of the junctions on the Farringdon Road were aired, in particular the Margery Street contra-flow and Rosebery Avenue.
• There are also problems with lackadaisical Red Route enforcement.
• We should ask for the cycle-gaps under the bridge at Holborn Viaduct to be re-opened.
• A ‘swervy’ cycle lane on the southern stretch of Farringdon Road needs to be straightened out.
• We should insist on maximum ‘permeability’ at the northern end, by King’s Cross Rd.
• On a related note, there was further discussion of the proposals for Blackfriars Bridge.
Speakers for future meetings
• Stefano to ask John Adams (UCL) if he would like to speak in February.
• Daniel to approach Boris Johnson, M.P.!
• There is another UCL Professor, a David something, who is an expert in externalities and originally came up with the figure of 24000 premature deaths annually in the UK resulting from air pollution, whom we could approach (if we knew his surname!)
• David Begg was also mentioned, but we should try to get him soon, while he’s still chair of the Government’s Commission for Integrated Transport (probably up until May 2005?).
London Borough of Camden Scrutiny Panel on Parking
• John agreed to take on the task of putting together a CCC submission to this panel.
• John will invite comments via the newsgroup and then liaise with Jean.
Green Fair / BikeFest
• The Camden Green Fair will take place next year on Sunday 5th June in Regent’s Park (in an area north of Chester Road, east of the Broad Walk and west of the Outer Circle).
• It is almost certain that the park authorities will not allow cycling in the park itself.
• We are therefore proposing that the Outer Circle be closed to motor traffic along the length adjacent to the area of the Green Fair and that we hold a Bike Fest there.
• Residents along that part of the road will need to be approached and in due course be allowed access on the day.
• There is a danger that being on the Outer Circle will leave us too cut off from the rest of the activities. We will need to have some presence close by in the Park so as to encourage people to come our way. Childen under ten are now allowed to ride in the park, and so activities could be organized for them along some of the paths.
• Stefano to write up a proposal along these lines and submit it to Caroline Scott, the Camden Council officer who is liaising with the the park authorities.
Feedback from WCRSAG
• Jean had put forward our request that when cycle facilities are to be disrupted by road works information be provided, describing the work taking place and its extent and duration, and indicating an alternative legal route. This met with a positive response from Dave Stewart.
• Jean also asked that when pavement railings are removed cycle stands be put up in their place.
Borough Group Co-ordinators Meeting Report
• Stefano reported that Bike Week next year would be 11th-19th June. Any event held from the 11th April onwards can be registered as part of Bike Week and thereby benefit from the insurance scheme. There may also be a Schools Bike Week in April.
• We should be on stand-by in the new year to deal with the Council’s draft text of its Local Improvement Plan (LIP).
Designing for Cyclists Conference (Nottingham, April 2005)
• David had brought this to our attention. Jean indicated her interest in attending.
Minutes of Camden Cycling Campaign Main Meeting on 13th December 2004
Present: as above, plus Anne Boston, George Coulouris, Charmain Cannon, Cyril Cannon, Mayer Hillman, Richard Fletcher, Vivien Gambling and others.
Malet Street junction
• Meade described the problems cyclists face when coming along the Seven Stations Link from the east and trying to turn left into Malet Street, towards the British Museum.
• One answer is to use the speed table where Byng Place and Torrington Place join in order to cross from the SSL to the south side of the road. This is a manoeuvre quite a few cyclists already make; traffic is nearly always slowed up along that stretch as there are zebra crossings close by on either side of the speed table.
• The difficulty is making this manoeuvre official: a green paint cycle lane over the speed table might contravene traffic regulations and give cyclists a false sense of priority.
• Various other ways of either signalling to cyclists that they can cross over the road in this fashion or enabling them to turn into Malet Street were discussed.
• Meade to take this issue to the newsgroup.
**Congestion Charge anniversary – 17th February 2005**
• Do we want to commemorate this? (This year we had a cyclists’ breakfast at Byng Place.) It was decided that it would be best to hold a similar event a little later in the year – the 17th March was considered to be a better date!
Haverstock Hill/ Prince of Wales Road/Maitland Park Road scheme
• This is going to be monitored by the Council until January (and presumably reviewed by it subsequently).
• It was agreed that CCC should wait for the review to be conducted before responding further.
• On a related note, the implementation of the two-way scheme along the top end of Regent’s Park Road (the approach to the bridge over the railway) and the crossing towards Crogsland Road was applauded. It was agreed that the Council should be complimented on this, and that we should individually write letters of support both to the press and to Council officers (cc’d Ward Councillors).
The meeting then came to an end and everyone invited to stay for the end of year party, which was enjoyed heartly by all!
