Cycle Parking in LBRuT

RCC had a meeting with some of the officers at the council about cycle parking in the borough. They have identified many sites around the borough that need attenion, most notably Richmond station.

They asked if RCC would be willing to help. I said, oh yes. So now it's up to you, this is your chance to get your views across.

Send in your requests for cycle parking to this email address by Wednesday 10th December...

SmarterCycleParking@Richmond.gov.uk

Use the template below...


To: Smarter Cycle Parking Richmond (SmarterCycleParking@Richmond.gov.uk)
From: (Name, Email address, Contact Telephone Number)

Request for Consideration of New Cycle Parking Location

1. Location Details
Street/Pathway/Junction
(Richmond Road, Junction with St Stephen’s Church)

Postcode/Map Grid Reference, If Known
(0SX 517345, 0SY 174118)

Nearby travel destinations
(Marble Hill House, Public House, The Thames Path, Residential Area)

2. Specific Requirements
Are any additional measures likely to be necessary for implementation of parking?
(e.g. Lighting measures, kerb build outs, removal of signage etc.)

In your opinion, how many parking spaces should be provided?
(6 spaces, from 3 Sheffield Stands)

Is there sufficient existing natural surveillance of the site for security?
(Yes, adjacent to footpath which leads towards Marble Hill House).

Is the Site on or nearby to an existing local cycle route or National/LCN/LCN+ route?
(Nearby to Thames Path and local cycle routes towards Richmond & Twickenham.)

3. General Comments
Are there any other comments you wish to make in support of this request?

4. Additional Documentation
(Photograph of site, evidence of nearby cycle parking provision at or approaching capacity, etc.)

Go crazy, don't forget, by 10th December...


Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 19:02 0 comments  

Vote for the Crane Valley

Ten grants are available to parks throughout London, one of which is in Richmond - the Crane Valley park. The Crane valley could be a winner with your help, vote for it here...

Help A London Park

FORCE do some good work and are attempting to get a joined up cycle network through the Crane valley and park and this money would help that cause.

FORCE poster

The Crane valley and park are well worth a trip...



Some routes for you...
Strawberry Hill to Crane Park
Richmond to Crane Park

Go on, you know you want to...


Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 18:58 0 comments  

A3 Robin Hood Roundabout crossing

Finally, a pegasus crossing at Robin Hood roundabout has been approved. Details are here.

This should create a continuous off road link between Richmond park and Wimbledon common, which will be wonderful for the Wombles, who can now help clean up Richmond park as well.

Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 18:57 0 comments  

Legible London

TfL are using Richmond and Twickenham as part of a 'Legible London' project to help people find their way around. This should have positive implications for cyclists, as good signage is usually lacking.

More details here.

Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 18:56 0 comments  

Critical Mass - Law Lords judgement

The Law Lords made a judgement that the monthly Critical Mass ride was lawful...

FOE press release

For those who don't know, critical mass is a monthly bike ride that slowly, ever so slowly, makes it way around London and it's been happening for many years. The police tried to get it stopped, you can read all the details in the archive on the CM website.

Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 18:56 0 comments  

London Policing Priorities - Consultation

Your chance to let the Met know what you think of their policing methods is available here...

London policing priorities 2010/11

Get your views in by the 15th December.

How about enforcing ASLs? RCC received an email from someone who challenged a police officer who had stopped in an ASL - she was told that they are not obligatory. In fact, they are, see rule 178 in the Highway Code. The law don't know the law...

Or how about telling them to take cycle theft seriously?

How about enforcing speed limits, cited as one of the biggest killers on the road?

Or enforcing inconsiderate and dangerous driving? The police rarely prosecute unless there is a collision. Most cyclists will have tales of close shaves, why are poor drivers tolerated?

Have fun!

Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 18:37 0 comments  

Way To Go, yeah baby

The mayor's vision of transport in London is available here...

Way To Go

The basis for this vision is that no mode of transport has priority over another and that the car is not 'intrinsically evil'.

Kulveer Ranger, at the recent LCC AGM, showed us the cover of this document and made the point that their transport policy had cycling at it's heart because there was a bicycle on the cover.

The LCN+ will be scrapped, mostly because the remaining 300 or so kilometres are too difficult to implement and would go against the transport priority policy. Instead the main focus of cycling related spending will be the cycle hire scheme and the 12 cycling 'super highways' into London. All this at the expense of the local boroughs, whose cycling budget has been slashed in half.

All the volunteer work that this campaign has put into the CRISPs and CRIMs, not to mention all the monumental effort other people all over London did, all for nothing. Way to go.

Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 18:12 0 comments  

The sad loss of an old friend

Last week, an old friend of mine bid a sad farewell to this world...


The frame has broken at the join of the drive side chain stay and the drop out, as you can see. It happened as I was riding along. I went over a bump and the back end went all washy, as if I'd got a puncture. I came to a stop and checked the tyre - no puncture, That's weird. I checked the wheels which were new, thinking perhaps the cone nuts had come loose, nothing. At that point I saw the frame flapping about...

I was on my way to do some cycle training when it happened. It was the first day, so it was all playground work and I didn't need the bike. I had the offer of a lift home but I refused and cycled the bike along the A316 cycle track, very very slowly. It held up, mostly because of the attached rack, I think.

After 12 years of much off roading including a Whitehaven to Sunderland off road C2C, a Weston Super Mare to Beachy Head off road ride and many thousands of commuter miles, the green bike has finally died. Farewell, KHS Montana Comp, your True Temper green steel has kept me happy for many miles, you worked hard and paid the price. Goodbye...


Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 16:32 0 comments  

Newly Appointed Cycling Officer in Richmond

LBRuT have appointed a cycling officer who starts on 10th November. Rob Parsey previously held the same job at Kingston and has a lot of experience dealing with cycle provision. Probably the best news for cycling in Richmond is that he has an excellent relationship with Kingston Cycling Campaign. Let's hope we can establish a useful and profitable relationship with him.

Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 11:18 0 comments  

I Love You...Bike

Finally, I get a chance to say what I really feel...


Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 21:00 0 comments  

In Town Without Your Car, no, Give Your Car The Day Off, no, Leave Your Car At Home Day

Whatever LBRuT is calling it this year, RCC will be at two events in Richmond, punting our vision of cycling. Come along and say hello.

Saturday 13th September - Richmond Green

Saturday 20th September - Barnes Green

Both events run from 10:00 - 16:00. We will be organising a ride that leaves around 10:30 at the Barnes Green event.

There'll be lots of other stalls as well, most of which will be giving out free stuff, so make sure you get there early!

Try out bikes, get a smoothie made by a bike, bring your bike to Dr Bike to get it fixed and the police will be security marking bikes. All for FREE!

Be there or be a motorist.

Here we are at last year's event...


Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 20:59 0 comments  

Velib - Paris and the free bike

RCC recently went to Paris and tried out the Velib hire scheme. Here are some pics...

The station outside the hotel, how convenient...





















A description to follow...

Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 13:01 0 comments  

POSTPONED - Cycling Liaison Group (CLG) meeting

I have just heard this meeting is now postponed until further notice.




The next CLG meeting will be held on the 14th August 2008 at York House at 19:00.

Please come along if you have any views on cycling in Richmond. If you can't make it but would like an issue mentioned, please leave a comment.

The CLG has not met since February 2007. It is an open forum where members of the public can express their views on cycling in the borough to council staff and councillors.

Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 17:32 0 comments  

LBRuT Encourages Cycle Use

Warrington Cycle Campaign got wind of a very special way to encourage cyclists in Richmond...

Farcility Of The Month

I am speechless. I can only think that it was put there to discourage use whilst the work was being done on the building but it looks permanent to me. What does this say about the council's policy of encouraging sustainability (i.e. cycle use)?

Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 19:14 1 comments  

Bike Week

Check out the events we have lined up here...

www.richmondlcc.co.uk

and here...

http://richmondccrides.blogspot.com/

Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 13:00 0 comments  

Evening ride to Bushy Park

Come and join Richmond cyclists for a gentle summer’s evening tour, along the river and through the lower part of Richmond Park enjoying the splendid grandeur of the mature English oaks, to Teddington Lock, and then around Bushy Park with its herds of red deer and woodpeckers. Return to finish up in one of Richmond group’s favourite pubs, the White Cross, hopefully by 9 pm. Meet Tuesday 10th June at 7.15 for a 7.30 prompt departure. Bring lights. About 12 miles. If you can’t make the ride come and meet us in the pub afterwards.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/144988

Posted bysue at 16:32 0 comments  

And whilst we're on the subject of parking...

How about these as alternatives to misplaced and poorly signed bike parking in Richmond town centre...

Japanese bike park tower on youtube - A possible solution for Richmond Station, if only.

San Francisco bike valet - a bike valet service, marvellous.

Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 14:20 0 comments  

Cycle Parking in Richmond

Late May bank holiday weekend and whilst wandering around Richmond town centre on a break from the Twickenham regatta (look out for Richmond regatta at the end of June) I'm struck by how little bike parking there is. Until I came across this...

















It was mid afternoon on a Sunday, the rain had disappeared and it was at least 20 degrees. Why are these racks empty? Because they are poorly placed and hidden, with no signs telling cyclists they are here. What about parking outside Richmond Station?

And then, in Buccleuch Gardens by the river, I saw this...

















Who needs Richmond Council to provide parking?

It's things like this that makes bikes such brilliant things.

Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 16:38 2 comments  

Some Bike Blogs...

...that may or may not interest you...

Ex-Framebuilder Dave Moulton has an interesting blog here
The statistics post here gives some useful info to those who have to fend off the 'cycling is dangerous' opinion. Do not confuse Dave Moulton with Alex Moulton.

A blog about bikes in Copenhagen. Updated regularly with great pictures, the blog tells of an inherent bike culture, full of joy and fashion.

Not for those afraid of heights, this blog entry tells of the most dangerous roads in the world and how best to cycle them. It's a long page, so dial up users beware.

Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 16:03 0 comments  

Dutch Bikes

You may have seen Clive Sinclair's A bike, here is another similar type of bike spotted whilst out and about...

















It's a Strida and looks more comfortable than the A bike. It has a kevlar drivetrain (so no lubrication needed) and disc brakes. More details of the bike here.

Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 15:39 0 comments  

A lesson for us all

Let's take care out there...

Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 15:36 0 comments  

Bicycle Social Networking

It had to happen, social networking for people who like bicycles. Check out this site - www.meandmybicycle.com - the person who runs it lives in Kew.

Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 10:28 2 comments  

Bike Recycling and Shoes

















Here is one of the bikes that has been recycled from a project in Richmond.
It's in the window of Ruby Tuesday in Sheen. They are using it to promote the range of bike bags by Tintamar called 'Cyclobag'.






















The recycling project is run out of the Strathmore Centre in Teddington. The bikes are recycled by young people in the borough and are offered to the public in return for a donation to the Shooting Star Hospice.

Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 10:07 1 comments  

Richmond Rides Blog

Richmond Cycling Campaign now has a rides blog, which you can find here.

You can find the details of our up and coming rides, ride reports and pictures of our rides there.

If you have ridden one of our rides, then why not leave a comment on the blog or email rccrides@googlemail.com and let us know what you thought. Or why not write a ride report and send it to us.

Got any pictures of one of our rides? Send them to us and we'll post them on the blog.

Posted byRichmond Cycling Campaign at 09:06 0 comments