camden cyclist
CAMDEN CYCLIST Camden Cyclists’ News Winter 2015/6 Website: www.camdencyclists.org.uk Enquiries: [email protected] @camdencyclists on Twitter emailing list: camdencyclingcampaign-‐ [email protected] Dates For Your Diary
Monday 18 January 2016 7.30-9.30pm
Mark Treasure will be our Guest Speaker. Mark’s blog, ‘As Easy as Riding a Bike’ discusses cycling and infrastructure. He’ll speak about ‘unravelling streets’ -‐ the need to define a street’s rôle and to design it to fulfil this. A problem with many British High Streets is that too many rôles are expected, leading to conflict , danger and an unpleasant, inefficient environment. Town planners in the Netherlands have successfully addressed these issues, making streets much more successful. Monday 15 February 2016 7.30-9.30pm
Kentish Town Bike Workshops Monday 7 December 2015 Monday 4 January 2016 Monday 1 February 2016 Monday 7 March 2016
6.30-8.30pm 6.30-8.30pm 6.30-8.30pm 6.30-8.30pm
Kentish Town Health Centre, 2 Bartholomew Road, London NW5 2AJ Bring your bike for a check up and advice as to how to fix it. You'll work on your own bike with help from an experienced mechanic. Workshops are held jointly with Transition Kentish Town. They are free, but donations are welcome. http://tinyurl.com/ngdxj8v Join us for drinks at the Abbey Tavern nearby, after the Workshop. Members’ Meetings Our meetings are usually held on the third Monday each month, at Primrose Hill, at 7.30pm. We have a business/committee meeting at 6.30pm to which all interested cyclists are welcome. Monday 21 December 2015 7.30-9.30pm Primrose Hill Community Association, 29 Hopkinsons Place, NW1 8TN. We’ll be holding our end of year social meeting and Martin Nelson will tell us about a London orbital cycle route he has been devising. Seasonal refreshments will be provided.
Rob Hayles
Tavistock Place As we go to press, the new, wider cycleways on Tavistock Place are opening, initially for a trial period of a year. There has been some opposition to the reduced motor traffic capacity mostly from the taxi drivers. We will need support from as many people as possible to retain these tracks. Please send supportive emails to: [email protected] Detailed story is on http://tinyurl.com/pt9j7ma
Winning Campaigners The recent LCC AGM recognised the huge campaigning efforts and successes of two activists, previously with Camden Cyclists and now striving to improve cycling in Waltham Forest and Brent. Thank you and congratulations Paul Gasson and David Arditti. We are still enjoying the fruits of your decades of hard work!
Brent Parks
Geoff led a short but very successful family ride from the Sidings, through Brent’s parks in November. Geoff’s report is on http://tinyurl.com/o6xla8k We hope to have more rides over the winter. Watch our website for news of rides at short notice!
London Mayoral Elections By the time you receive this newsletter, there’ll be about five months before we vote for a new Mayor of London. Few of the candidates have shown much commitment to improve conditions for cyclists. Londoners on Bikes(@LondonersOnBikes on Twitter) is making a comeback for this election and is also on Facebook. We need to ensure that our next Mayor does not reverse positive progress that has been made over the last few years. http://www.londonersonbikes.org Kilburn High Road
This part of the Edgware Road forms the boundary between Brent and Camden. It is unpleasant and sometimes dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists and frustrating for motorists as progress here can be very slow. Camden and Brent are consulting on making improvements. The plans are to reduce motor dominance, introduce segregated cycleways, reduce street clutter and calm the traffic. There’s a meeting 11am to 3pm on 14 December 2015 at the Tricycle Theatre, 269 Kilburn High Road. The consultation is on http://tinyurl.com/pmf2qeh
Hampstead Heath
The Heath Police have somewhat zealously been fining people cycling away from the very paths on which cycling is permitted. The fines are greater than those spot FPN (Fixed Penalty Notice) sums that the Met impose for pavement cycling elsewhere. Anti-‐cyclist sentiment on the Heath is strong and previous efforts by Camden Cyclists to increase cycle paths here has been thwarted after many years of effort. You are warned!!!
Mini Holland!
Paul Gasson gave an inspiring talk about how Waltham Forest won a £3Million bid to build a MiniHolland in their town. They sought to improve the environment for walking and cycling, stop rat-‐running through residential areas, create safe cycle routes for 8-‐80year olds on the main roads and bring the town centres to life by ‘villagisation’. Key to success of the scheme were political will, enthusiastic council officers and engagement of non-‐cyclists, especially pedestrians and inclusion of children in provisions. The completed scheme includes a Cycle Superhighway, selective road closures, pedestrianisation of Orford Road. Paul’s presentation can be found on http:// tinyurl.com/q3s6d2b
Bike Hangars
Bike hangars provide secure, sheltered, on-‐road storage for bicycles. Six bikes can be stored in the space occupied by one parked car. Camden Council is consulting about providing these at 19 sites within the borough. Response is needed by 28 December. There’s a list of the proposed locations on http://tinyurl.com/osbu3vq
Monday 18 January 2016 7.30-9.30pm
Mark Treasure will be our Guest Speaker. Mark’s blog, ‘As Easy as Riding a Bike’ discusses cycling and infrastructure. He’ll speak about ‘unravelling streets’ -‐ the need to define a street’s rôle and to design it to fulfil this. A problem with many British High Streets is that too many rôles are expected, leading to conflict , danger and an unpleasant, inefficient environment. Town planners in the Netherlands have successfully addressed these issues, making streets much more successful. Monday 15 February 2016 7.30-9.30pm
Kentish Town Bike Workshops Monday 7 December 2015 Monday 4 January 2016 Monday 1 February 2016 Monday 7 March 2016
6.30-8.30pm 6.30-8.30pm 6.30-8.30pm 6.30-8.30pm
Kentish Town Health Centre, 2 Bartholomew Road, London NW5 2AJ Bring your bike for a check up and advice as to how to fix it. You'll work on your own bike with help from an experienced mechanic. Workshops are held jointly with Transition Kentish Town. They are free, but donations are welcome. http://tinyurl.com/ngdxj8v Join us for drinks at the Abbey Tavern nearby, after the Workshop. Members’ Meetings Our meetings are usually held on the third Monday each month, at Primrose Hill, at 7.30pm. We have a business/committee meeting at 6.30pm to which all interested cyclists are welcome. Monday 21 December 2015 7.30-9.30pm Primrose Hill Community Association, 29 Hopkinsons Place, NW1 8TN. We’ll be holding our end of year social meeting and Martin Nelson will tell us about a London orbital cycle route he has been devising. Seasonal refreshments will be provided.
Rob Hayles
Tavistock Place As we go to press, the new, wider cycleways on Tavistock Place are opening, initially for a trial period of a year. There has been some opposition to the reduced motor traffic capacity mostly from the taxi drivers. We will need support from as many people as possible to retain these tracks. Please send supportive emails to: [email protected] Detailed story is on http://tinyurl.com/pt9j7ma
Winning Campaigners The recent LCC AGM recognised the huge campaigning efforts and successes of two activists, previously with Camden Cyclists and now striving to improve cycling in Waltham Forest and Brent. Thank you and congratulations Paul Gasson and David Arditti. We are still enjoying the fruits of your decades of hard work!
Brent Parks
Geoff led a short but very successful family ride from the Sidings, through Brent’s parks in November. Geoff’s report is on http://tinyurl.com/o6xla8k We hope to have more rides over the winter. Watch our website for news of rides at short notice!
London Mayoral Elections By the time you receive this newsletter, there’ll be about five months before we vote for a new Mayor of London. Few of the candidates have shown much commitment to improve conditions for cyclists. Londoners on Bikes(@LondonersOnBikes on Twitter) is making a comeback for this election and is also on Facebook. We need to ensure that our next Mayor does not reverse positive progress that has been made over the last few years. http://www.londonersonbikes.org Kilburn High Road
This part of the Edgware Road forms the boundary between Brent and Camden. It is unpleasant and sometimes dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists and frustrating for motorists as progress here can be very slow. Camden and Brent are consulting on making improvements. The plans are to reduce motor dominance, introduce segregated cycleways, reduce street clutter and calm the traffic. There’s a meeting 11am to 3pm on 14 December 2015 at the Tricycle Theatre, 269 Kilburn High Road. The consultation is on http://tinyurl.com/pmf2qeh
Hampstead Heath
The Heath Police have somewhat zealously been fining people cycling away from the very paths on which cycling is permitted. The fines are greater than those spot FPN (Fixed Penalty Notice) sums that the Met impose for pavement cycling elsewhere. Anti-‐cyclist sentiment on the Heath is strong and previous efforts by Camden Cyclists to increase cycle paths here has been thwarted after many years of effort. You are warned!!!
Mini Holland!
Paul Gasson gave an inspiring talk about how Waltham Forest won a £3Million bid to build a MiniHolland in their town. They sought to improve the environment for walking and cycling, stop rat-‐running through residential areas, create safe cycle routes for 8-‐80year olds on the main roads and bring the town centres to life by ‘villagisation’. Key to success of the scheme were political will, enthusiastic council officers and engagement of non-‐cyclists, especially pedestrians and inclusion of children in provisions. The completed scheme includes a Cycle Superhighway, selective road closures, pedestrianisation of Orford Road. Paul’s presentation can be found on http:// tinyurl.com/q3s6d2b
Bike Hangars
Bike hangars provide secure, sheltered, on-‐road storage for bicycles. Six bikes can be stored in the space occupied by one parked car. Camden Council is consulting about providing these at 19 sites within the borough. Response is needed by 28 December. There’s a list of the proposed locations on http://tinyurl.com/osbu3vq
