Newham Cyclists are now using the registration facility for our social cycle rides on the London Cycling Campaign (LCC) website.
The next social cycle ride will be the Bike from Boleyn Ride on Sunday 8th of October 2023 from the ‘Champions Statue’ (opposite the Boleyn Tavern) to the London Stadium to coincide with the West Ham United FC (WHUFC) home English Premier League(EPL) match. If you are available to marshal please contact Arnold.
NC are putting together an autumn programme of maintenance and a ride for the children’s cycle club at the charity Ambition, Aspire, Achieve (AAA) with whom we have been partnering with for some years.
The NC September 2023 cycle maintenance event Fix Your Ride (FYR) stall was not as busy as the previous month but there were nevertheless generous donations.
NC have had regular monthly meetings with the LB Newham council team working on the Romford Road Active Travel Scheme (RRATS) improvements. At the September 2023 meeting it was stated that the completion of phase 1 has been pushed back to December this year (2023) and phase 2 (at the Ilford end of the scheme) will not now start until the New Year (2024). A current project recurring ‘issue’ has been the need to secure approvals from the Transport of London (TfL) bus team with regards to the existing bus service enabling infrastructure on Romford
Road, but LB Newham plan to seek approval for the whole RRATS project from TfL by July 2024.
The LB Newham RRATS team are planning a further public engagement event next month (October 2023). A very important point was made at the meeting which was that what had been constructed/installed and planned so far was good, but there needed to be more publicity and explanations of the overall plans to provide reassurance and continuing support for the project and final aims. Delays on the implementation of RRATS caused by TfL ‘issues’ were a concern and if this jeopardised the current scheme (for which time limited central government funding is at stake) then an earlier Newham council plan based on making existing Romford Road bus lanes 24 hour operational and and existing cycle lanes mandatory could be deployed. It will be useful to engage with London Cycling Campaign (LCC) HQ on these issues.
There was a NC Catch Up meeting with Richard Wadey (the new LB Newham Head of Transport Policies and Programmes) on the Tuesday, 8th of August 2023.
The Catch-Up meeting discussion centred around the financing of LB Newham’s sustainable transport developments for which there was £5m from the capital budget for the 2023/24 financial year. Highlights of the Catch Up meeting were :
1 A LB Newham borough-wide 20mph speed limit on borough adopted roads had been approved by the LB Newham cabinet on the 5th of September 2023.
2. A programme of installing bike hangers (aka on-street secure cycle parking
storage units) was progressing. The council wanted these storage units spread across the whole borough.
3. 4 more Healthy School Streets (HSS) were proceeding taking the total up to 25 (out of a possible 84 borough schemes).
5. Consultation was proceeding on the TfL Cycle Future Route (CFR7) [Leytonstone to Stratford section] – a high cycleway quality scheme. However there were no plans announced for the section of CFR7 from Stratford Town Centre southwards towards Plaistow and Barking Road A124 along the current A112 alignment.
6. Early work had started on the proposed Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN 8) area scheme (south of the Romford Road A118 alignment). NC plan to accompany council officials on a planned audit ride on 26th of September 2023.
7. Work was under way on improvements to the environment within existing LTNs with regards to new Public Realm schemes around the filter location areas.
8. No further progress to report on the proposed LTNs 5 (Woodgrange) and 6
(Capel). The sense of the meeting was concern at the lack of progress given the
money already spent and allocated to these schemes in the near future. If the
problem was primarily with proposed LTN 5 scheme then the council should be
urged to implement the LTN 6 scheme separately where their seems to be better
political and general support for implementation. The closure of Balmoral Bridge to ‘cut through’ or ‘rat running’ motor traffic (including from residents of LTN 5) would be a ‘step change’ improvement.
Other infrastructure news:
There are tours of the proposed development at the Bromley by Bow Gasworks
(BBBG) mentioned and continuing engagement on the development’s Active Travel modes intention and provision.
NC have been active in consultation response on the Beckton Riverside proposals. These include much needed improvements to Tollgate Road and Woolwich Manor Way for Active Travel modes. We were pressing for Active Travel mode facility improvements within the development area itself.
NC have submitted a highly critical response to the Silvertown Tunnel Active Travel proposals.
AOB:
The London Cycling Campaign (LCC) Volunteers and Campaigning Summit will take place on Saturday, 18th of November 2023. We discussed the NC Social Media strategy. It needs to become more active and be aligned with that of the LCC itself.
improvements within the development area itself. NC have submitted a highly critical response to the Silvertown Tunnel Active Travel proposals.
AOB:
The London Cycling Campaign (LCC) Volunteers and Campaigning Summit will take place on Saturday, 18th of November 2023.
We discussed the NC Social Media strategy. It needs to become more active and be aligned with that of the LCC itself.