Minutes from quarterly meeting 4th September 2017

Present: Eric, Jaime, Mat S, Peter, Elizabeth, Clare

Apologies: Neil, Steve

1. 1.       London Rd (Clare)

Clare representing Leicester Wheels For All – at meeting with Neil. Best of a bad job, difficult to imagine better solutions that could be feasibly implemented.

Basic design – one track on each side. Not too bad until down near station where it gets tricky especially for coming down into town, how do you get across to Station. At top everything moves over to Victoria Park (2 way cycle lane) up to Mayfield Rd roundabout. Nothing past that along A6 towards Oadby. No strong preferences expressed for different version, none perfect.

Pedestrians, 6mm drop for bikes, then 6mm for road/cars. Neil and others suggested that ‘gutter-style’ might be appropriate/better. Designers said ‘but pedestrians don’t want to walk in gutters’. Bikes to be treated as vehicles with priority on side roads (although details opaque).

Upright protection, bollards or wands preferable to sheffield stands (unanimously agreed by us)

No sign of cameras outside station. Or are there? No signage.

Ideas of moving bus stops up to outside Tesco but generally thought not a great idea. Some bus stops to be eliminated and only have one major station bus stops.

Entry/exit points are tricky. Car traffic around station is still a problem.

At the moment, plans expected September. Once plans are out time for consultation.

Working group to (1) look at plans, (2) write recommendations, (3) ask for input from core members, (4) submit ideas to council, (5) ask membership to submit a consultation response using our points or their own.

Main issues:

• ·         Upright protection
• ·         Gutter design
• ·         Prioritisation

Eric mentioned that we have to consider the New Walk faction and if the London Rd solution doesn’t measure up there will be a number of people advocating for using New Walk not crap new infrastructure.

Provisional working party (AP): Neil, Clare, Elizabeth, and Jaime to contact Andy and try to view plans early evening.

1. 2.       Belvoir St (Clare)

Clare wondered whether new plans had been presented at CCW or plans just changed on the hoof. Not clear where cycles should go. General decision to keep an eye on it but focus on London Road.

1. 3.       Arriva campaign (Eric)

Arriva approached Eric (27/07/17) to ask if we [LCCG] could help publicise their Safe Pass campaign. Eric replied and said, yes, how can we help. But then everything went silent. Eric followed up with a second email after observing improper bus behaviour on his way to the meeting.

1. 4.       HSBC City Ride

LCCG would like to thank to Neil for attending on behalf of LCCG and speaking to some useful people.

Also, Cycle Hoop rep made contact with a few people and received some advice (e.g. from Elizabeth and Clare). Sent towards community groups (e.g. scouts, housing groups) who may be able to garner support and funding.

1. 5.       Dangerous parking (Eric)

In 3 months ask for stats on number of tickets issued for dangerous parking (LCCG AP). Important to make sure that parking on cycle tracks are included in dangerous parking initiatives.

1. 6.       Memberships (Jaime)

Mat (AP) to give Jaime access to info@lccg address so that J can double check online signups every 3 months.

1. 7.       Scheduling meetings with Adam Clarke

Ongoing meetings with Adam Clarke in his constituency in informal setting (approx. every 6 months). Mat (AP) to request meeting with Adam. Meeting scheduled for 21^st September.

1. 8.       Home page redesign (Peter)

Discussion concluded that Twitter and Facebook widgets were worth keeping on home page. People generally agreed that we would try to post something on FB/Twitter at least once a month to keep page feeling current. Peter (AP) to make main page static content and leave widgets for dynamic content.

1. 9.       Safe Pass Initiative (Eric)

Very disappointing response from police. Not taking advice from cycling community. Various offers of help offered and not taken advantage of (e.g. web portal for people to upload close pass videos). Eric (AP) would like to discuss the relationship between Simon Cole (Chief Constable) and LCCG/the cycling community so that there can be more two-way communication rather than police telling us how things should be.

1. 10.   Cycle parking at the station (Clare)

All cycle parking removed from station but Cycle Hub has run out of fobs and may not be getting more. Clare (AP) may go and discuss with rail people.

1. 11.   Date of next meeting: Monday 4^th December

Elizabeth (AP) to consider a Winter Safari to take place ~6pm on the week before meeting.

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London Road Sept 2016 update

The death of Sam Boulton on London Road on 27th July highlighted the lack of space for cycling on London Road. There were two Critical Mass rides, one of which ended up at an exhibition of Sam’s art at the Parcel Yard. A petition was started to allow cycling on New Walk with 1034 signatures at time of writing.

The city council took the (unprecedented) step of sharing its early plans for a two way cycle track on the inbound side of London Road. They were discussed at the August Cycle City Workshop meeting which agreed unanimously that a two way track on one side of the road isn’t good enough, and that there should be tracks on both sides of London Road.

The cycle campaign supports calls for tracks on both sides for the following reasons –

• Cyclists are put in danger when they are (legitimately) riding on cycle tracks against the flow of traffic because drivers turning out of and into junctions frequently fail to look for or see them – try riding along Granby St past Northampton St towards the station for an example. Cycle tracks should run in the direction of general traffic (but allow use the ‘wrong’ way where necessary).
• London Road is a destination with shops, businesses and other routes on both sides. A cycle route on one side only will make riding here less attractive and lead to pavement cycling.
• Routes each side will be easier to build at an appropriate width than one two way one.

As ever, the detail of any design is critical here. Schemes in Leicester tend to treat us as fast pedestrians who don’t mind giving way at every opportunity. We would like to see the planners treat cyclists as vehicles which need priority when passing side roads and design a safe, continuous and direct route along this busy road.

The plans released by the council are said to be at an early stage. We need to lobby for tracks each side as a matter of priority. The campaign will be in touch with Adam Clarke (assistant mayor with responsibility for Energy & Sustainability) to press this point and will continue to lobby for an first class route which will be an example of what can be done.

What do we think of Welford Road?

A group of a dozen or so gave the cycle lane a tryout before our June meeting. We would have to say that responses were mixed – some of it is good – it’s there, for a start, and it’s segregated, which is what we have campaigned for on these kinds of projects. And there is metered parking along sections of it, which hopefully will mean it doesn’t become a carpark (as Newarke Street does occasionally).

Some was not as good as we would have like – no priority at junctions means cyclists have to keep stopping and starting and the ends are not great, but we do know that more will be done at the Welford Place (city) end once the replacement for the New Walk Centre is finished. And there will be some more work done at the other (prison/Tigers) end, once the entrance to the new A&E is completed.

So, all in all, a mixed bag. We have arranged a meeting with Adam Clark, Assistant City Mayor for Energy and Sustainability (which includes transport) at which to raise our concerns and identify any improvements that can be made.

Belgrave Road Consultation June – Aug 2016

Belgrave Road Consultation

Space for cycling : none

The Leicester Cycle Forum meeting on 27th July discussed the changes on offer for Belgrave Road, from Belgrave Circle to the Loughborough Road turn. In short, the options on the table are as it is (2 lanes in each direction) with a few trees to prettify it and some changes to crossings, or one lane in each direction with bigger pavements (and changed crossings).

Neither option offers any safe space for cycling or does anything to reduce the pavement cycling seen as a problem in the area.

This is not acceptable and the council needs people to feed into the consultation to make the point that we need separated space to cycle.

We are encouraging all our members to complete the consultation as we know that the number of responses on each side is what they care about most. Your response really will count!

It only takes a few minutes to complete and can be found here: Consultation link

Here are some suggested responses.

Space for cycling : none

Question 1
Which option do you prefer?

Option B – two lanes

Question 2 (this is the only space to add comments)
Please let us know if you have any comments on either of the options

Belgrave Road is a major route into the city. At the moment, it is a place where only the fast and the brave will cycle on the road – others choose the pavement, with the usual problems. The Mayor has expressed a desire for cycle tracks on major routes and Leicester has recently been lauded as a forward-thinking city for cycling. Despite this, there is no separate space for cycling included in these plans. The idea that people will cycle amongst the cars and buses (as shown in the artists impressions) is a whimsical fantasy and cycling levels will continue to be as depressed as they are now. This is contrary to the council’s plans re cycling – would you take children to school on Belgrave Road as pictured? If there is room for four traffic lanes and a central reservation, there is room for two traffic lanes and separated cycle tracks on each side.

Questions 3,4,5,6,7 – monitoring questions.

We know that numbers count in this consultation. Thanks for you help.

 

Update 20th Oct

There is a piece in the Mercury on the outcome of the Belgrave Consultation. It’s light on detail – in short, the four lane “keep it as it is” option doesn’t have a massive majority.

It’s not an ideal situation – we’d have liked a resounding mandate to enable people to cycle safely up and down Belgrave Road. However, not rebuilding four lanes now does leave the door open for something better in the future.

Thanks to all who responded.

Is Leicester a bike-friendly city?

Leicester Mercury article reporting on the Cycle City Active City conference (19-20 May 2016), quoting LCCG’s Eric Ludlow on our view of the progress being made towards ‘making cycling normal’ in Leicester.

 

2 May 2016 – Meeting minutes

Present: Eric, Brian (new), Andy B, Neil, Clare, Steve (Chair), Elizabeth (minutes)

Brian is based in Loughborough, coordinating a Sustrans group there.  Not planning to be a regular member but keeping in touch.

Assistant Mayor’s Forum

Steve and Dave went (thanks)

• Connecting Leicester:  Canals and Rivers trust has done a lot of work improving canalside paths and a new path at Abbey Meadows (near Space Centre).  Andy B had written to the Council asking what should have been in place for cycling and walking diversions during the works; now putting in complaint as no response received.
• ‘Townscape Heritage Initiative’.  Marble Street – will continue to be closed at the Newark Street end, but will be paved to look like other semi-pedestrianised areas.  Friar Lane, New Street, Wycliffe Lane will follow, completed by September 2017.  All car parking spaces will disappear.  We discussed the possibility of adding bike parking later.
• London Road.   Work starting soon.  Will be two-way on the south side of the road.  Will be shared use at junctions, but floating bus stops.  Sounds as though it will go beyond Victoria Park roundabout, possibly to county boundary.  At the meeting our representative pointed out the junction sharing and lack of priority didn’t meet current London standards.  We have requested that they paint cycle priority on the junctions at a minimum.  Not out for consultation yet.
• Belvoir Street – single lane out of city.
• Belgrave – lane out of the city 1.5m wide segregated on left hand side.  No lane coming into the city. Promising that traffic flows will be alleviated
• Future Cycles moving to Horsefair St 20 May
• Ashton Green Development.  Out for consultation at the moment. A bit of a mess.
• Lidl near the Phoenix will put in cycle racks; Staples is moving but will not at new site.

Cycle City Active City Conference – 19-20 June

Eric and Elizabeth will attend on behalf of LCCG.  All please give feedback on initial handout draft previously circulated on email list, and things you would like to have included.

• Elizabeth to resend email about the Cycling UK (CTC) Space for Cycling Conference – Saturday 21st, £5.00, at LCB Depot. https://www.cyclinguk.org/registration-s4c-development-workshop
• Wheels for All ‘fringe conference’ on 20 June will be £90 to attend, and some attenders will likely be at the Ramada that evening
• Cycle Logistics ‘fringe conference’ will be £45 to attend, and likely at Travelodge Thursday evening.
• Rides associated with conference: Public – Green Bicycle Murder ride, Wednesday 18^th, 3pm (http://www.goskyride.com/Search/Details?eventid=75557), Giant UK HQ Ride, Wednesday 18th, 3pm (http://www.goskyride.com/Search/Details?eventid=75590) and Suffragettes of Leicester, Thursday 19^th, 5.30pm (http://www.goskyride.com/Search/Details?eventid=75638). Infrastructure tours may be available for people other than conference attendees.

Westcotes meeting with Sarah Russell and Andy S

Neil and Jaime met with Cllr Russell and Andy Salkeld (City Cycling Officer).

• Still promising a cycle rack on Briton Street.
• Discussed a cycle lane on Wilberforce Road and Western Road.  Idea falls apart a bit when crossing Upperton Road and at Paton Street.
• On Wilberforce Road, agree would like flower beds that close roads to come out as they collect rubbish and make the cycle route annoyiing, but they do effectively close the roads
• Andy S suggests going to wards for any money.  Elizabeth to go to Braunstone/Rowley Fields to request bike racks at the Coop / Wilkos at Imperial Road.

Welford Road cycle lane opening

• Council have agreed they would like it, suggest week after Cycle City Conference; we have decided against this date.
• We aren’t sure the lane is of good enough quality and not well enough connected to warrant a ‘celebration’.
• There is some work at the end of Lancaster Walk at the prison that is incomplete – will eventually cross the street toward the Royal Infirmary.
• Floating bus stops – used to be protected by 4m wide bus lanes.  Having lost that, people are waiting much closer to the road and will get covered in spray when it rains.  Also, the floating bus stops are used by people who are visually impaired and attend a clinic at the Royal Infirmary.  Appear to be missing tactile paving in important places, and a worry about people needing to cross the cycle lane.  There is concern that it is poorly designed for visual impairment.
• Before monthly meeting on 6 June, we will meet at 6:30 at Welford Place to ride the cycle lane and form opinion on final quality and finish.  We could move from a celebration to a ‘get to see this and comment’ ride, etc.
• Jaime – please add this to Riverside invitation to all members.

Riverside Festival

• Neil will sort out banner and what things we own, retrieving it from the Council on 10th May.
• Steve will email to organise a place (Andy Salkeld)
• Need to update a lot of our photographs and clippings.
• Suggestion: bicycle locking information, and where exactly people would like more racks.
• Suggestion: our log of worrying places in the city – can we show it to people at Riverside?
• Suggestion: collect info on yellow routes for the cycle map.

Communication

• Lccg-discuss email address inconsistent with bounceback.
• Suggest trying a test Google Group with various email addresses – Clare will give it a try.

Braunstone Gate

• Concrete and wooden planters and white lines due to happen.
• Charlotte would like feedback from cyclists about how it affects their journey once it happens.

Regent Road

• Message from cyclist who had been hit on Regent Road.
• Clare requested information on whether it was infrastructure related (beyond having to mix with cars) or solely due to dangerous driving.  Suggested using Lancaster Road (Route 63).

Cycle Map

• Contact janetdyer@leicester.gov.uk with updates, especially about yellow (recommended) routes)

Date of Next Meeting – 6 June 2016

• 6:30pm at Welford Road cycle way (which should open that day) – meet at Welford Place
• 7:30pm at the Exchange

 

Welford Road – plans, consultation open

The long-awaited plans for Welford Road and Belvoir Street are online at http://www.leicester.gov.uk/news/news-story-details?nId=88388 and http://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council/city-mayor-peter-soulsby/my-projects/connecting-leicester/new-proposals

Welford Road – even with its bus lane – is a horrible place to cycle so we welcome plans to make space for cycling on this important route.

We know that weight of numbers matter, so even a “I want to see a safe, high quality route here” email is useful and will help.

Please take 5 minutes to send a supportive email to transport.strategy@leicester.gov.uk

Thanks