News

news archive....

Whipps Cross Hospital
WFCC are assisting with the setting up of a Bike User Group at Whipps Cross Hospital. This will bring together hospital staff who cycle with the aim of convincing management to provide a good quality bike shed at the hospital and to persuade more staff to cycle to work. More information: Geoffrey (8521-2683)

Hovis London Freewheel
On Sunday 23rd September, 47 people cycled in from Walthamstow to take part in the first London Freewheel event. We rode first via the Lee Valley pathway to Victoria Park. Then after a rest we cycled on with people from other parts of east London on down to the central London circuit. The route was well marshalled and signed though slightly worrying getting across lanes on Bishopsgate. With a lap of London Bridge, we joined thousands of cyclists all bowling long the Embankment completely devoted to bikes - it was a marvellous experience, akin to that feeling of bike-power in Dutch cities. On over Parliament Square and along to Buckingham Palace completely free of cars. At the end of the Mall was the largest bikepark I have ever seen with something like 20 rows of rails each around 100m stacked with bikes.

The Festival had stalls run by TfL, LCC, etc on everything to do with cycling. We had sandwiches courtesy of the sponsors Hovis. While thousands whizzed down the Mall on bikes, others picnicked in St James Park in the sun. There were smiles everywhere. It was wonderful seeing so many people, including really young children, experiencing the pleasure of cycling in town.

Although many of our group disappeared into the throng, 10 of us did succeed in meeting up for the ride back to Victoria Park. Finally after a chat there, we returned to Walthamstow at about 6. Judging by the feedback cards everyone enjoyed the event and I am sure this will become an annual one. TfL report that 38,000 people took part. Many thanks to Charlie Lloyd at LCC for coordinating the feeder rides and information.

Whipps Cross Roundabout
WFCC members met again recently with Gina Harkell, the borough's cycling officer, and the council's planners in charge of redesigning Whipps Cross Roundabout. A recent transport planning (CRISP) report had recommended the current roundabout was scrapped in favour of a t-junction. But in plans put out for consultation it appeared that LBWF had rejected this in favour of just adding phased traffic lights and cycle and pedestrian crossings across the central island. Not a satisfactory solution for cyclists. WFCC members objected strongly to this design. At the meeting, Gina and WFCC attendees pushed for a return to the t-junction (deemed too expensive by the borough) and warned of many of the dangers of the current proposed layout. We're happy to say that the t-junction is now back on the agenda - and WFCC is working with the LCC, TfL and Waltham Forest council to see if the money can be found to do it. And also that the council planners promise to consult earlier and more extensively with cyclists in the future. Meanwhile, it would be really useful to hear your thoughts on the roundabout - do you use it, do you avoid it, what do you think of it.

Council Plan for Redesign of Whipps Cross Roundabout

Olympics Road Closures
As part of the Olympic construction, some road, footpath and cycle path closures are effective from 2nd July. This pdf file gives more details of the closures, including a construction hotline number for further details.

Marshes Gates
A letter has been written to Lee Valley Regional Park Authority to complain about the two new metal gates by Walthamstow Marshes on the busy Coppermill Lane - Springfield route. People are encouraged to write themselves to Martin Wright, LVRPA, Myddleton House, Bulls Cross, Enfield, Middlesex EN2 9HG.

Cycle Stands
A number of cycle stands have been installed on Hoe Street, Leyton High Rd and Chingford Rd as part of a TfL funded scheme. Send comments on these to Gina Harkell at the Council (gina.harkell@walthamforest.gov.uk)

Speed Cushions
The council has said it will not use speed cushions in future traffic calming schemes. We have long campaigned against their use and are pleased that sustained pressure from us has resulted in this change of policy. However we need to find out what they will use. Also, if anyone has any examples of good traffic calming humps that are not hazardous to cyclists please let us know!

Pretoria Avenue
The Pretoria Avenue oneway section with contraflow cycle lane will be opened on the 3rd of January.

Cycling Increases
The next Transport Liaison report will give the latest figures for cycling in the borough.

'Overall, cycling in Waltham Forest has increased by 83% in the 8 years since 1998. The biggest increases are on Wadham Rd, Woodford New Rd, Sewardstone Rd, Coppermill Lane and Ruckholt Rd. Ruckholt Rd has now overtaken Lea Bridge Rd with the largest number of daily cyclists: 764, while cyclists on Coppermill Lane now number 430 a day.'

This reinforces the urgent need to get the Ruckholt Rd railway bridge improved and establish new east-west routes through the Olympic Park.

Lea Bridge Road
The cycle path and footpath is being stripped and resurfaced and money is being spent on other sections of the route to widen cycle lanes and fulfil the CRISP study recommendations.

Improvements are being planned to the section from Markhouse Road towards the Mosque. The central reservation will be cut back and a “buffer-zone” introduced between the parking bays and the cycle path to reduce the risk of “dooring”. Work for this should be completed by end of March 2007.

Cycle Parking
New cycle stands are to be put in along Lea Bridge Road (30 new stands) and along Chingford Rd and Hoe Street (93 stands).

We have discussed the Walthamstow Cycle shed with the Council. The shed has not worked efficiently for some time and we agreed that the automatic locking system should be disabled with a view to being replaced by Sheffield stands. We think that cyclists will be unlikely to pay 50p a day for parking. A manual override would be installed in the shed to ensure no one was locked in again. If you are a shed user, do give us your views.

The bike shed at Leyton station has been open about 6 months now and has space for more users.

A covered cycle shed has been proposed for Leyton Leisure Lagoon. We have suggested it should be near the front.

The Council had adopted guidance on cycle storage for new dwellings. The group thought future planning permissions should include reference to this as the standard for applications.

Olympics
Members of WF Cycling Campaign are involved with plans for the Olympics and have been attending various meetings to ensure that cycling is properly included, for current users of the area, spectators at the Games, construction workers, Olympic staff and for people using the park area after the Games. (See more on the Campaigns page)

Twenty Mile Per Hour Zones
The Council is proposing to introduce “except for cyclists” signs on some one-way streets in the borough to allow cyclists to use them in both directions after considerable pressure from WFCC.

Speed Cushions
We are hoping to meet council engineers to discuss the design of speed humps in local roads. We do not support the rubberised cushions currently used in the borough as they are slippery in the wet and force cyclists to change direction.

Signs
As you may have noticed, cycle direction signs on the borough’s four quiet routes are not being looked after despite reporting of twisted round or missing signs by us and by a paid checker. We are writing to the Leader of the Council and the Head of Street Services expressing our anger that the council’s Street Services section is failing to maintain direction signs for cycle routes so that cyclists know where to go. If you notice sign problems, please raise them with your local councillors.

Dangerous driving
Figures from Transport for London show that 1020 fixed penalty notices were issued in Waltham Forest in the last four months for driving offences. WFCC thinks that there is far too much poor and dangerous driving locally which can cause fatalities and that more police officers should be used to enforce the laws so that people drive more sensibly.