Minutes of Camden Cycling Campaign Business Meeting on 11th February 2008
Present: Jane Boardman, Anne Boston, John Chamberlain (chair), James Brander, Stefano Casalotti, Richard Fletcher, Meade McCloughan (minutes), Dominic Tinley and Helen Vecht.
Apologies: Jean Dollimore.
Bike Week, 14th – 22nd June 2008
• Stefano’s proposed route for the Hampstead bike bus was discussed and the general shape of it agreed upon. Stefano will start thinking about costing this event next month.
• Anne suggested that we hold a special speaker meeting that week in conjunction with Camden Climate Change Action Network, perhaps with Robin Murray. It was agreed that Anne should pursue this idea.
• It was suggested that we should have materials (LCC membership forms, our own leaflets, copies of London Cyclist) on hand at speaker meetings for non-members (would’ve been very useful at the December meeting).
Maintenance Classes
• Stefano has now received a purchase order from LB Camden, so is proceeding with organizing these.
• There will be three courses, each made up of two four hour workshops.
• We may not be able to fit two courses in before the summer, as we’d originally planned, but will still try for this (there are twenty people on the waiting list).
CCC position on 20 mph zones
• It was agreed that we wanted the introduction of 20 mph zones not to be conditional on either the provision of physical calming measures or the monitoring of traffic speeds.
• It was agreed that we preferred physical calming measures to speed cameras, and would certainly oppose any proposals to take out the former and rely solely on the latter.
• There was some discussion about speed cameras: can they only be used as the basis for penalizing motorists when operated by a police officer? The Council can use cameras to enforce traffic regulations, but only insofar as these have been decriminalized, and the police are keen not to have speeding decriminalized. James to ask at WCRSAG for clarification.
• It was pointed out that even when motorists in London were fined for speeding, more than half managed to avoid paying, as recently reported in the press.
Charity rides
• Richard presented the case for not supporting commercially organized charity rides (e.g. not listing on our website).
• Jean had drawn up some criteria which could be used to select ones which were acceptable: no premium rate phone lines; no flights; participants to cover entire cost of journey.
• Helen argued that it would be too fiddly to have to adjudicate on each proposal and that a blanket ban would be best; if people want to go on such rides they can find out about them in London Cyclist, etc.
• It was agreed not to support charity rides and therefore not to post information about them on the website. Stefano disagreed with this decision, but accepted the majority decision.
Report on regular meeting with LB Camden officers
• The Spaniards Road off-road cycle track has gone through consultation and should now proceed quickly (it is mentioned in the draft Camden Cycling Plan).
• John mentioned the nasty traffic islands being put in on Fortess Road; with existing traffic speeds and quantity of HGVs these would seem to violate LCDS guidelines. Sam Monck has said that traffic speeds will be measured afterwards; we will need to ensure that we press for a review of this scheme.
Minutes of Camden Cycling Campaign Members Meeting on 11th February 2008
Present: as above, plus Jean Dollimore and Alex McKinnell.
Proposed additional east-west route south of LCN+ Route 0 (Seven Stations Link)
• LCN+ Route 0 (i.e. the ‘seven stations link’) is due to be reviewed later this year with its own CRISP.
• Proposed improvements are likely to be held up if not completely blocked by the ‘Bloomsbury Plan’.
• Given this, and the fact that the route is already frequently congested, it would to have an alternative.
• Jean suggested a route running to the south of the existing one, going along the top of Bedford Square and heading towards Calthorpe Street. (Russell Square would obviously be a problem.) At the very least we need more permeability in this area.
• Jean’s ideas were met with approval and Jean authorised to push for this route as part of the forthcoming CRISP.
Hampstead Heath Campaign
• Jean has submitted our response to the Atkins report. The Heath Consultative Committee will be making its recommendation in March, following which the matter goes to the Management Committee.
• CCC will need to gain support for our proposals.
Progress on local east-west route (Kings Cross to Kilburn)
• Meade provided a brief update on this scheme, previously discussed at last September’s meeting.
• The Cycle Route Inspection Meeting in January had to be cut short due to bad light/weather and is due to be completed this week.
Royal Parks Cycling Group meeting
• Meade reported back from the recent Royal Parks Cycling Group meeting.
• The main news is the authorities have decided to allow cycling on the Regent’s Park Broad Walk (between Chester Road and the Outer Circle). This should commence later in the year, initially on an eighteen month trial period.
• We then discussed the need to have other routes linking to this stretch of the Broad Walk.
• James to mention these at WCRSAG.
• Unfortunately, the traffic islands in the Outer Circle are still being reviewed by consultants.
Kings Cross Access/Accessibility Forum
• Anne attended the last meeting of this as representative of the King’s Cross Development Forum. We think this is meant to be about access, including public transport and permeability, but seems to be focusing on accessibility (i.e. for the disabled), in which case it may not be appropriate for us to be representing the Development Forum at it. John to attend the next meeting and report back.
London Borough of Camden Green Transport Strategy
• Jane presented the draft response she has put together.
• Various amendments were suggested, e.g. reference to LCDS (London Cycle Design Standards).
• The deadline for submissions is the 27th February [subsequently put back to the 5th March].
• Committee members to provide comments on Jane’s draft by the 15th February.
London Borough of Camden Sustainability Forum
• Richard reported back from the recent discussion of transport strategy at this forum.
• There was agreement on the desirability of more shared space schemes, where motor traffic flows are less than 100 per hour (i.e. not Byng Place!).
• Officers are supportive of the Fitzjohns Avenue scheme.
Communication with members
• Dominic reported that he had set up the new mailing list and was now checking the settings (e.g. so as not to bounce Yahoo addresses).
• This list will be used to send no more than one e-mail a month to our members, thereby communicating much more widely than is possible through the existing discussion newsgroup.
• Jean and Dominic have started drafting the introductory message.
• It will be possible for people to subscribe to and unsubscribe from this list, but not post to it.
• Dominic to send details to Helen so that she can include them in the next newsletter.
• The list should be up and running in time to notify members of the March meeting.
• We will need to continue to use post to communicate with members who have agreed that we can do so but who do not have (functioning) e-mail addresses.
Rides programme
• John is organizing this and elicited the following:
– James perhaps to lead a Thames tow-path ride before the end of March;
– James possibly to lead a ride to Rye sometime June/July;
– George Coulouris intends to organize something at the end of the summer;
– Jane and Richard to consider leading a ride;
– John himself to do the Lea valley ride.
• John to finalize this programme.
Canal towpath
• Groundwork’s campaign to encourage considerate cycling by the canal is being resumed with two forthcoming morning sessions: 7-10am, Monday 25th February and Monday 10th March.
• Monday 25th February: John to attend for the first half, Richard the second.
• Monday 10th March: Stefano to attend for the first half, Jean the second.
• Stefano to e-mail Jean, John and Richard with details and remind them closer the time.
Any other business
• James brought up the Mayor’s recently announced £500 million cycling and walking programme – See . (No Longer there 2.04.21)
• Jean to ask Jenny Jones to come to the June meeting to talk about this.
