Lewisham Rider
Lewisham Rider Winter 2016
Newsletter for Lewisham Cyclists www.lewishamcyclists.co.uk
Upcoming Rides and Events
Deptford Bikes: 2017 to be Year of Bikes for Deptford Deptford Folk, the community group representing the users of Folkestone Gardens and Deptford Park , has won a grant from the Community Cycling Fund for London, to develop cycling projects and activities in the area and Lewisham Cyclists is immensely excited as well as honoured, that they have asked us to be their delivery partners in this exciting venture. We have already worked with this energetic and committed community group with our very well received Dr Bikes in Deptford Park and have run some of our family rides from the local parks. We have also been working with them to ensure local developers don’t block traffic free walking and cycling routes in the area. There is great potential for cycling to increase in the area as well as a great need for transport planners to encourage people on bikes in the area, with its huge expansion in housing, and consequently, population growth, on old dock and industrial space. The community is keen for this, as we saw from attendance at our events, and now that Quietway 1 has come to the area, more inclined to get on their bikes. However, aside from the quietway, the local infrastrucure can seem offputting to many, and the area is not a wealthy one. Local people need all the help they can get to ride and maintain their bikes. And that’s what we plan to do with Deptford Folk over the next three years. We have an exciting programme of rides, bike maintenance training, repair sessions and just plain fun things to do with bikes, being planned right now. Keep your eyes open on both Lewisham Cyclists and Deptford Folk’s website, facebook groups and Twitter feeds for the first of these events in the Spring! Get Deptford Riding! LewishamCyclists: What We Offer Weekly rides: A range of rides to suit most riders. Check our w ebsite calendar. Training: We have a qualified instructor who can offer training to suit a range of abilities from absolute beginners to experienced cyclists needing help with route planning and difficult road systems Community Cycle maintenance workshops: Help, support and tools to get you fixing your own bikes Loan bikes: We have a small number of bikes for loan More information can be found on our website or facebook group or contact us by phone or email
Campaigns meetings held every third Wednesday at Lewisham Civic Centre 6.30pm All welcome. Our AGM will be on Wednesday February 15th at Lewisham Civic Suite, Rushey Green SE6 at 6.30pm. We’ll have a guest speaker at that event. Maintenance workshops at Grove Park community Centre on the last Sunday of the month 11.30 to 3pm and Young Lewisham Project 124 Kilmorie Rd every second Thursday, 6.30 to 9pm Most of our rides meet in the centre of Ladywell on the corner of Ladywell Rd and Algernon Rd. Fortnightly from 27th December Tuesday Totter: a short ten mile ride every other Tuesday, which ends in a different Lewisham pub each time. We meet on the corner opposite Le Delice café in Ladywell for this ride. Join us for the ride, or in the pub or both. Sun 4th December – Half Day Chelsham Ride (Meetpoint Manor Place Gardens) Sunday 11th December: Hyde Park Ride Saturday 17th December: North Essex Ride There will also be weekly weekend rides from January onwards
Up The Junction: depressing saga of vested interests not listening If you’ve cycled through Lewisham Town Centre recently you’ll be all too aware of the new “H” Junction – basically two T junctions linking the A21 and A20 main routes as they converge between Lewisham town centre and Overground and DLR stations. Cyclists are expected to dodge three lanes of traffic moving in different directions which is inherently unsafe, and there are lethal “left hooks” at traffic lights to trap the unwary.
Ride of the Season Autumn is a great season for riding. Exhausting summer heat gone but still enough warmth and sunshine to make riding possible in shorts and tshirts! And those autumn colours. Magic! Our last family ride of the year was a great success and went to Surrey Docks Farm and back. But I think my favourite this autumn was our ride that heads out to Surrey and Kent over Farthing Down. It signaled autumn was really here with its frosty, misty ascent over the Down, and brought us the amazing breath holding sight of red kites circling the North Downs. First time I’ve ever seen them in Kent.
We saw the outline and non-‐cycling friendly designs for the “H” some years ago and instantly s tarted a campaign to include segregated space for cyclists: We met with TFL and Lewisham Council to suggest improvements We submitted our own expert plans showing the incorporation of segregated space with no major change to the junction footprint We drew on best practice elsewhere in London to eliminate lethal left hooks We canvassed local MPs, GLA members, local Councillors and the Lewisham Mayor and Deputy Leader We asked a Council Question to support Lewisham in its discussions with TfL We attended and lobbied Local Assembly meetings, and consistently raised our concerns with Muse developers Despite all of this work, none of our suggestions have been included in the completed scheme. It’s 10 years out of date, dangerous and not fit for purpose. Despite many fine words about sustainable transport, and improved health for all, in many of the planning documents supporting the new housing development, none of these principles have been incorporated. The junction is one of the worst examples of how planners and designers can get it so horribly wrong, when there was such a golden opportunity to provide something to showcase Lewisham’s flagship £230m development scheme, which is meant to be about joining up the Town centre with the transport hub to the north of the site. Seeing the new junction in action we were so concerned we filed another report (see our website campaign pages) and did manage to have a site meeting with TfL and Muse. Unfortunately, although they did commit to improving the bike lane in front of the police station, which currently ejects cyclists straight into A20 traffic, they could offer no concessions. Off carriageway routes will remain as ineffective lines of paint, and the overall road junction remains a potential death trap. We will continue to campaign for this out-‐of-‐date design to be improved. We are seeking a m eeting with senior TfL representatives, as it is clear that a political solution is required to get a change of heart. Meanwhile the “H” is still a hazard for the hundreds of cyclists who daily m ust pass through the town centre. If you want any advice on routes around the “H” please contact [email protected] and we will do our best to suggest routes, although this will always be a personal decision taking into account experience and confidence. In the meantime you can help by writing to your MP, and local councillors, and b y sharing your concerns with us on Twitter or through our Facebook page information, about this contact us.
Misty ascent over Farthing Down
Red Kites seen here that day. Honest. Too fast for the camera!
Twitter @lewicyclists Email: [email protected] Telephone: 07826559603 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups /72380106728/ Website: www.lewishamcyclists.co.uk
Newsletter for Lewisham Cyclists www.lewishamcyclists.co.uk
Upcoming Rides and Events
Deptford Bikes: 2017 to be Year of Bikes for Deptford Deptford Folk, the community group representing the users of Folkestone Gardens and Deptford Park , has won a grant from the Community Cycling Fund for London, to develop cycling projects and activities in the area and Lewisham Cyclists is immensely excited as well as honoured, that they have asked us to be their delivery partners in this exciting venture. We have already worked with this energetic and committed community group with our very well received Dr Bikes in Deptford Park and have run some of our family rides from the local parks. We have also been working with them to ensure local developers don’t block traffic free walking and cycling routes in the area. There is great potential for cycling to increase in the area as well as a great need for transport planners to encourage people on bikes in the area, with its huge expansion in housing, and consequently, population growth, on old dock and industrial space. The community is keen for this, as we saw from attendance at our events, and now that Quietway 1 has come to the area, more inclined to get on their bikes. However, aside from the quietway, the local infrastrucure can seem offputting to many, and the area is not a wealthy one. Local people need all the help they can get to ride and maintain their bikes. And that’s what we plan to do with Deptford Folk over the next three years. We have an exciting programme of rides, bike maintenance training, repair sessions and just plain fun things to do with bikes, being planned right now. Keep your eyes open on both Lewisham Cyclists and Deptford Folk’s website, facebook groups and Twitter feeds for the first of these events in the Spring! Get Deptford Riding! LewishamCyclists: What We Offer Weekly rides: A range of rides to suit most riders. Check our w ebsite calendar. Training: We have a qualified instructor who can offer training to suit a range of abilities from absolute beginners to experienced cyclists needing help with route planning and difficult road systems Community Cycle maintenance workshops: Help, support and tools to get you fixing your own bikes Loan bikes: We have a small number of bikes for loan More information can be found on our website or facebook group or contact us by phone or email
Campaigns meetings held every third Wednesday at Lewisham Civic Centre 6.30pm All welcome. Our AGM will be on Wednesday February 15th at Lewisham Civic Suite, Rushey Green SE6 at 6.30pm. We’ll have a guest speaker at that event. Maintenance workshops at Grove Park community Centre on the last Sunday of the month 11.30 to 3pm and Young Lewisham Project 124 Kilmorie Rd every second Thursday, 6.30 to 9pm Most of our rides meet in the centre of Ladywell on the corner of Ladywell Rd and Algernon Rd. Fortnightly from 27th December Tuesday Totter: a short ten mile ride every other Tuesday, which ends in a different Lewisham pub each time. We meet on the corner opposite Le Delice café in Ladywell for this ride. Join us for the ride, or in the pub or both. Sun 4th December – Half Day Chelsham Ride (Meetpoint Manor Place Gardens) Sunday 11th December: Hyde Park Ride Saturday 17th December: North Essex Ride There will also be weekly weekend rides from January onwards
Up The Junction: depressing saga of vested interests not listening If you’ve cycled through Lewisham Town Centre recently you’ll be all too aware of the new “H” Junction – basically two T junctions linking the A21 and A20 main routes as they converge between Lewisham town centre and Overground and DLR stations. Cyclists are expected to dodge three lanes of traffic moving in different directions which is inherently unsafe, and there are lethal “left hooks” at traffic lights to trap the unwary.
Ride of the Season Autumn is a great season for riding. Exhausting summer heat gone but still enough warmth and sunshine to make riding possible in shorts and tshirts! And those autumn colours. Magic! Our last family ride of the year was a great success and went to Surrey Docks Farm and back. But I think my favourite this autumn was our ride that heads out to Surrey and Kent over Farthing Down. It signaled autumn was really here with its frosty, misty ascent over the Down, and brought us the amazing breath holding sight of red kites circling the North Downs. First time I’ve ever seen them in Kent.
We saw the outline and non-‐cycling friendly designs for the “H” some years ago and instantly s tarted a campaign to include segregated space for cyclists: We met with TFL and Lewisham Council to suggest improvements We submitted our own expert plans showing the incorporation of segregated space with no major change to the junction footprint We drew on best practice elsewhere in London to eliminate lethal left hooks We canvassed local MPs, GLA members, local Councillors and the Lewisham Mayor and Deputy Leader We asked a Council Question to support Lewisham in its discussions with TfL We attended and lobbied Local Assembly meetings, and consistently raised our concerns with Muse developers Despite all of this work, none of our suggestions have been included in the completed scheme. It’s 10 years out of date, dangerous and not fit for purpose. Despite many fine words about sustainable transport, and improved health for all, in many of the planning documents supporting the new housing development, none of these principles have been incorporated. The junction is one of the worst examples of how planners and designers can get it so horribly wrong, when there was such a golden opportunity to provide something to showcase Lewisham’s flagship £230m development scheme, which is meant to be about joining up the Town centre with the transport hub to the north of the site. Seeing the new junction in action we were so concerned we filed another report (see our website campaign pages) and did manage to have a site meeting with TfL and Muse. Unfortunately, although they did commit to improving the bike lane in front of the police station, which currently ejects cyclists straight into A20 traffic, they could offer no concessions. Off carriageway routes will remain as ineffective lines of paint, and the overall road junction remains a potential death trap. We will continue to campaign for this out-‐of-‐date design to be improved. We are seeking a m eeting with senior TfL representatives, as it is clear that a political solution is required to get a change of heart. Meanwhile the “H” is still a hazard for the hundreds of cyclists who daily m ust pass through the town centre. If you want any advice on routes around the “H” please contact [email protected] and we will do our best to suggest routes, although this will always be a personal decision taking into account experience and confidence. In the meantime you can help by writing to your MP, and local councillors, and b y sharing your concerns with us on Twitter or through our Facebook page information, about this contact us.
Misty ascent over Farthing Down
Red Kites seen here that day. Honest. Too fast for the camera!
Twitter @lewicyclists Email: [email protected] Telephone: 07826559603 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups /72380106728/ Website: www.lewishamcyclists.co.uk
