February 2014 Meeting

Another excellent meeting.

 General news:
  • CS2:  the LCC post implementation audit of the section completed, which covers the criticisms raised at the January meeting is in the hands of both TfL  and Newham council.  still no news on when the Staratford Broadway section is likely to be completed.  In response to a request from Action and Rights of disabled People in Newham the consensus of the meeting was that there was no significant problem, so far, at the island bus stops.  There was no objection to giving priority to pedestrians at the raised tables but, on the other hand, there may be an advantage in not having priorities by analogy with the idea of shared space found, notably, at Exhibition Rd.
  • This new website was greeted with an acclamation of approval.  Thanks were given to Rob for getting this up an running.
  • The ward audit with Newham Council is due to continue this week and the team of volunteers has expanded.
  • We were given an outline of the plans for improving the Greenway and permeability in the area around the Hospital, New City, Brampton etc. schools including more ramps on the Greenway, permeability in the areas and a north south quiet route from Boundary Lane to the Romford Rd.  This would meet a number of our long standing requests.
  • Our next meeting on 31 March at CoffeE7 will be our annual meeting.  It will be a social occasion and celebration of the progress over the year.  Light catering will be provided.  Watch this space.
Ward asks were discussed.  They need to be formulated into a headline sentence and a description of not more than 100 words.  In the light of our discussions these are my first tentative drafts on which comment (or alterantives) would be most welcome (by 21 Feb please to me – see contacts):
  • Stratford and New Town.  “Support the mini-Holland Proposal to remove Stratford Gyratory and complement it by facilitating safe cycling in Warton Rd, Carpenters Rd and Cam Rd – the Broadway.”  Themes- Liveable Town Centres and  Protected Space for Cycling.  Warton Rd and Carpenters Rd need protected cycle routes.  The Cam Rd access to the important Channelsea Path would be facilitated by two way working on CS2 for which there is room if the redundant barriers were removed.
  • Manor Park.  “Completion of CS2 from Stratford to Ilford according to good continental standards”  Theme- Protected Space for Cycling.  “The completion of CS2 will provide a safe route on a major route linking densely populated areas to a string of town centres and assist cycle commuters. All bus and cycle lanes included in the design should be operational 24 hours.
  • Little Ilford and Wall End.  “Establish a “Lower Roding Way” using opportunities to create a continuous cycle and pedestrian path on the Newham side of the A406″  Theme- Greenways.  There is the opportunity to create a greenway through Little Ilford Park, Barrington Playing Fields and Langdon School linking CS3 to the Romford Road and the Roding Way.  It would also involve improving or bypassing the A406 junction with Barking Rd.  It would link to other Greenways and quietways in and connected to the Newham; and ease the difficulty in cycling north-south and open up a useful connection to the Riverside Opportunity Area.
  • East Ham South.  “Improve the crossing of the A13 at the Greenway to make it more cycle and pedestrian friendly.”  Theme – Greenways.  This junction has cycle provision through a series of toucan lights but they are extremely and unnecessarily adverse. This would improve the linkage to the southern section of the Greenway and also complement the Beckton ward ask.
  • Beckton.  “Improve the Asda roundabout and restore the cycle/and bus lane between there and the A13.”  Theme - Protected Space for Cycling.  The Asda roundabout is cycle unfriendly roundabout made worse by the difficulty crossing traffic leaving Asda.  This needs redesigning and the major desire route to the A13 (and CS3 and the Greenway) northbound along Woolwich Manor Way needs protection which could be given by a  cycle track or a 24 hour bus/cycle lane (effectively restoring the bus lane that has been removed).
  • Canning Town North. “Completion of the Lea Valley Path from Three Mills to the Thames in accordance with the mini-Holland proposals.” Theme - Greenways.  The planning for this work has been inherited from the Thames Gateway Development Corporation and would create a major leisure route and a route linking Canning Town to Stratford.
  • Plaistow South, Plaistow North and Green St West.  “Complete a quietway from the A13 via Brampton Manor Schools and New City Rd to the Romford Rd” Theme –  Safer Routes to Schools.  This route can be carved from existing off road and quiet routes and would link numerous schools and the hospital.
  • East Ham Central.  “Permit cycling both ways on the restricted section of High Street North and improve the junction with Barking Road.  Theme- Liveable Town Centres.  “This is the natural route for cyclists wishing to visit East Ham Town Centre.
  • Forest Gate North and South. [This ask would benefit particularly form further consideration.  The square brackets indicate an extension of the idea to the south of the Romford Road] “Transform Woodgrange Rd  and Woodford Rd [/Upton Lane] from [St Angela’s School/] the  Romford Rd to Wanstead Flats by removing on street car parking, preventing through coaches to Stanstead, enforcing a 20mph limit, and drawing on the example of the Exhibition Rd shared space scheme to  discourage through traffic, and give more priority to pedestrians and cyclists”  Theme- Liveable Town Centres. Removing the onstreet parking will make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists and it would give sight lines from side streets.  Coaches to Stanstead have a perfectly good route via the Lea Interchange.  This scheme would complement other public realm improvements in the pipeline such as Forest Lane and Earlham Grove. The present system encourages through traffic to the environmental degradation of Forest Gate town centre – not least by the adverse phasing of lights at the expense of pedestrians and cyclists.  Shared space will help ensure careful driving at an (adequate and suitable) 20mph speed limit.”

We also discussed a borough-wide ask for the Mayoral election:

  • “Promote cycle safety for children by making a general 20mph speed limit and promote an “every child a cyclist” scheme.  Theme – 20mph.  Newham is ideally suited for 20mph (except for the A12 and A13) as it is mostly narrow residential roads or new development that should be designed with residents in mind.  The present complexity of variable speed limits and the existing anachronisms encourage speeding.  A borough wide 20 mph limit would promote Newham as a place to live rather than a place to drive through, and facilitate enforcement and decluttering. An  enforced 20mph speed limit would be an excellent environment in which to train young people to develop the safe cycling habit.

Arnold