Cycling Forum

Minutes - 17th January 2005

• Attendance
• Approval of Minutes
• Matters Arising
• Tameside Cycling Strategy Update
• Cycle Forum Feedback
• Schemes in Progress
• Any Other Business
• Date of Next Meeting

Attendance

Introduction and apologies:

Cllr Doubleday announced the start of the meeting of the Tameside Cycling Forum.

Apologies received

• Phil Calverley
• Heather Bowery
• Steve Smith (Post meeting note: apologies received from David Collins, a potential new member, who was away at the time of the meeting.)

Present:

• Cllr. Doubleday (Member Tameside Council) (Chair)
• Carol Willgoose (Tameside Council-Engineers)
• Bob James (Tameside Council-Engineers)
• Chijioke Ebizie (Tameside Council-Engineers)
• Peter Brocklehurst ( Janus Road Club)
• Rod Whitworth (GM Cycling Campaign)
• David Robinson (Concerned Cyclist)
• David Collins (C.T.C.)
• Alan Pickles (Cyclist)
• Fiona Welch (B ritish Waterways)
• Dave Chadderton (Mossley CRT)
• Colin Ellis (Dukinfield C.C.)
• Stuart H. Bailey (Cyclist)
• Michelle Murphy (TMBC)

Approval of Minutes

DCol - Drew attention to an incorrect entry "being referred to as a potential new member" correction made.

AP - Drew attention to the Information pack for new members, which he had not received.

CW - Agreed that previous minutes of meetings and documents would be sent to him. AP also raised the issue of consultation regarding Cycle stands in Town centres.

CW - Informed him that the matter had been dealt with at a previous meeting and was not going to be re-visited.

Cllr - Moved for adoption of previous meeting minutes and this was unanimously accepted.

Traffic Calming Measures

CW - Introduced Bob James (Group engineer)

BJ - A brief history of Traffic Calming in Tameside. The early-approved schemes were based on requests put in by members of the public. Though funding has increased, demand quite outstrips available funds. The Council now targets roads around primary schools and roads with accident "hot spots". At the moment the Council is implementing 20MPH zones on roads around primary schools in Tameside. We aim to achieve an 85 th percentile speed of approximately 25mph.

From experience and studies carried out on "road -humps" the Council tends to prefer the installation of flat-topped humps. We do consult the emergency services and the bus companies, that is why on a lot of routes speed cushions are used. Installing horizontal deflections (chicanes) and vertical deflections (humps) are at times resisted by residents because of the impact on parking and increased noise intrusion from lorries running over the vertical deflections.

DCol -

• Road humps on steep gradients are dangerous for cyclists, particularly when travelling downhill.
• The use of pedestrian refuges to reduce the carriageway width makes it hazardous for cyclists, especially when going uphill to cross such points.
• These are evident on most roads in Tameside, namely; Huddersfield Road , Mottram Old Road , Mottram Road , etc

RW - Why are pedestrian refuges not converted to "zebra crossings". He feels these refuges make things worse not better.

BJ - Zebra Crossings require different criteria to be met and apart from the cost of installation and maintenance, does take away kerbside parking spaces. Pedestrian refuges provide pedestrians with some protection when crossing either busy or wide roads.

Member

• Speed cushions should have 1.5m wide gap with the kerbs to improve conditions for cyclists.
• Double white line markings should be used on roads to prevent overtaking rather than central islands.

CEll - Parking of cars on roads takes away roadspace and creates problems for cyclists..

PB - Side slopes of humps are at times very steep and unsafe for cyclists.

BJ - Existing road cross sections give rise to the situation of steep side slopes, design guidelines are followed when designing these features.

AP - Have the installation of new "Zebra Crossings" been discontinued?

BJ - No.

AP - What is the difference between lit bollards and Zebra crossings in terms of what service they provide?

BJ - Apart from the cost of installation, they have an impact on parking.

AP - That is not a problem at the location mentioned on Mottram Road .

AP, CEll, DC - Can the Council look into removing some of these pedestrian refuges?

RW - Will make comments regarding most of the Traffic Calming schemes submitted to members and submit, by email through the Cycling Officer.

SB - Wonders why more effort is not put into segregating cyclists from motorists?

DCol - In 50 years of cycling it is only of recent that cyclists have opted for the use of footways, due to high volume of vehicles on the road or the speed. This could be due to laziness.

RW - The Council should look at existing pedestrian refuges with a view to make them useful to cyclists.

DCol -Could we check if there is available funding to convert these refuges to "Zebra crossings"?

CEb - We should all be aware that there are different types of cyclists, the commuter cyclist (who generally prefer using existing roads), the leisure cyclists (who prefer quiet or traffic free routes) and children who cycle locally within their estates. The idea is to cater for all these categories of cyclists.

DCol - Would like the 2 major subways in Ashton (BT and ASDA) signed and used by cyclists.

BJ - Motorists should be educated on the relevance of Advanced Stop Lines and the need to keep them clear.

CW - Asked for any comments on Traffic Calming to be submitted within 2 weeks.

Matters Arising

There were no matters arising.

Tameside Cycling Strategy Update

CW - Wants the forum to Endorse the adoption by the Council of the Cycling Strategy, which has been circulated to members of the Cycling Forum. Following which it can then be put in a report and sent to the Cabinet Deputy Cllr. Whitehead. Forum resolved to seek adoption of the Cycle Strategy.

FW - Informs the forum that cycling is not authorised on Peak Forest and Huddersfield Canal . She will forward information on the Ashton Canal . Generally cycling allowed only on towpaths of "broad" canals.

Cycle Forum Feedback

CW - Informs forum members about the feedback exercise. Forum members will also receive the "feedback form" in email format.

CEb - Distributed hard copies.

* Forum agreed to provide responses within 3 weeks.

Schemes in Progress

CW - The Cycling Officer will now give us a brief summary of proposed Cycling Schemes in Tameside.

CEb -

• Proposals for Cycle parking sent out and responses received and alterations made were necessary.
• Towns covered so far are - Ashton, Audenshaw, Droylsden, Denton , Hyde, Stalybridge and Mossley. Longdendale and Hattersley not covered by the current scheme.
• The disability groups are now inspecting the sites to determine there suitability or otherwise. I have joined in the assessment of some sites and these inspections are ongoing. Hoping to receive their report on or around the 24th of January 2005.

AP - Wants to know what sort of cycle stands are to be installed.

CEb - Sheffield Stands with a diagonal bar.

AP - Wants to know why we cannot use the type of Cycle Stands preferred on the Continent, which are lockable and covered.

DCol - States he has suggested in a previous meeting the provision of a covered Cycle shed somewhere within Ashton Town centre.

CEb - Informs the forum of the cost implication and that this particular issue has been discussed and agreed on at the previous meeting.

CEb - Informed the forum about the bike Training programme in Primary schools in Tameside.

RW - Wanted to know what was involved in the training and by whom.

CW - The Council's "Road Safety Team" looks after the Training. The company running the Training programme is called Bikerite and as part of the Course pupils are taught "On -road riding skills"

CEb - Manorgreen Primary School have just completed their training, following which they are looking to have Bike Stands installed.

SB - Wanted to know if the pupils where also being taught bike maintenance skills.

Dcha - Talked about the difficulties they encountered when trying to get their 8 to 10 year olds enrolled into local bike clubs, negative response received led to some individuals setting up a club to cater for both young and older bike riders.

DCol - Responding to the previous speaker, he said there was a liability issue when dealing with under age riders (under 14 years).

CEb - Stated that 4 schools have agreed to put up Cycle Stands.

RW - Wanted to know which schools.

CEb - Dane Bank, St. John Fisher, Arundel Primary and Dowson Primary school .

RW - Wanted to know if pupils in Dane Bank Primary have done any bike training?

CW - Training was scheduled for December 2004?

CEb - Read out the Cycle related programmes being proposed: -

• Continuous Cycle Route from Guide Lane to Shepley Rd , with a view to extend it to Crown Point North.
• Chester Square gyratory - To make the footway a shared use facility
• Subways at BT and Asda - To make them shared use and signed accordingly
• Stockport Rd/Two Trees Lane, Denton - Provide Advanced Stop Lines (ASL - showed drawing)
• A560 Stockport Rd - Dowson Rd, Hyde - Extend existing Cycle Lanes
• Oldham Rd - Provide ASL at junction with Newmarket Road

RW - Wanted to know what length of cycle lane will be 1.25m wide. Not happy with the proposed reduction of Cycle Lane width in places on the A560 - Dowson Rd , Cycle route.

RW - Regarding the proposed ASL on Oldham Rd/Newmarket, will the side roads receive the ASL treatment?

CEb - Due to the existing Local Safety scheme features on the A560 - Dowson Rd, it might be difficult to accommodate 1.5m wide cycle lanes, for the whole route, hence there is the likelihood of some relaxation (1.25m wide cycle lanes).

CEb - The ASL's for Oldham Road are only for Oldham Road .

* Forum agreed to provide any other responses within 2 weeks.

Any Other Business

MM - Invited forum members to get involved with the Health is For Life Festival taking place in May 2005, from the 17th to the 26th. They want Cycle Clubs in Tameside to help and get involved with the running of the programme.

Dchad - Needs information on what is required and is willing to assist?

MM - They already have some schools involved, so they want involvement of older members of the community especially Cycle Clubs. They envisage "Fun Rides" and are open to suggestions of activities at locations within Tameside.

CEb - Will forward information for the "Health is for life festival" to members.

Dchad - Seeking assistance from the Council in terms of land to develop a Cycle Circuit around a proposed football field in Mossley.

CEb - Will require more details like, location, maps etc.

Date of next meeting

Cllr Doubleday - 6.00pm 11th of April 2005

Thanks for attending