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Newsletter 14 (October 1997)
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Contents:
- Annual General Meeting
- Cycling ban in Christmas CRACA
- New postal address
- Travel For Work
- East Road/Elizabeth Way Roundabout
- No Drive-Through at McDonalds!
- Groningen
- Newmarket Road takes to the buses
- Letters
- New traffic lights for Barton Road
- Whatever happened to Butt Lane?
- Cycling Guide
- Update
- Cambridge cyclist fined for not speeding
- More advice about compensation
- Dangerous Central Refuges in Milton
- Visor
- Small Ads
- Critical Mass causes chaos
- Zeta II
- Discount Bike Shops
- Cycling Campaign Subgroups
- Other organisations - contacts
- Campaign Diary
Annual General Meeting
Our second Annual General Meeting will be at 8 p.m. on Tuesday 7 October, in the Friends Meeting House, Jesus Lane. Please come along to hear how the last year has gone and our plans for the future.Clare doesn't have time to be Treasurer any more, so we need a new Treasurer. Please get in touch with her if you might be able to do this job. To give an idea of the scale involved, there are just a few hundred transactions a year to record.
Dave Jordan is not able to organise the Sunday afternoon leisure rides (a joint project with the CTC) next year. The last of these rides this year is on 28 September. If you might be able to co-ordinate dates and chivvy potential ride leaders, or if you might be able to lead a ride or two, please get in touch with Clare. We have a selection of routes ready to choose from.
The following people are standing for re-election at the AGM:
| Co-ordinator:
|
Clare
Macrae
|
| Membership
Secretary:
|
David
Earl
|
| Acting
Press Officer:
|
David
Earl
|
| Liaison
Officer:
|
David
Earl
|
| Stall
Officer:
|
Paula
Watson
|
| Newsletter
Editor:
|
Mark
Irving
|
Our constitution states that we need at least 20 members at the meeting to make the elections valid. Don't miss your chance to influence how the Campaign is run!
Mark Irving
Cycling ban in Christmas CRACA
We've been informed by Cambridgeshire County Council that CRACA (the Cambridge Retail and Commercial Association) has requested extensions to the 10am-4pm traffic restrictions in the City Centre Pedestrian Zone to cover planned Christmas events.The dates are:
- Evening of Wednesday 12 November (for a maximum of 4 hours)
- Sundays 10am-4pm: 16, 23 and 30 November and 6, 13 and 20 December
We thought a better solution might be to install prominent, temporary 'Cyclists Give Way to Pedestrians' signs, but not to allow the usual exemptions for permit holders, as this would negate the supposed 'safety' improvements.
Also, the evening closure on Wednesday 12th November would have a big impact on commuting cyclists. In the unfortunate event of temporary traffic orders being issued, we requested that these closures should be very clearly signposted well in advance, with the exact dates and times of closures.
We were also concerned that this might be a precursor to a more permanent extension of the cycling ban, and we said that we would strongly oppose such a measure. However, we do feel that legal Sunday car parking should be re-examined now that the City Centre is so busy on Sundays.
Clare Macrae
New postal address
Please note: the most up-to-date contact details for the Campaign are always in the contacts section of the website, which includes an online feedback form.
In particular, note that our fax number is now separate from the phone number.
Cambridge Cycling CampaignWe're expecting that post will continue to arrive at the Bath House for some time to come, and that it will be forwarded to us as before. Thanks are due to Kenny Fryde, and his successor at the Bath House, for their kindness in forwarding post. We recently made a donation to Bath House funds by way of thanks.
PO Box 204
Cambridge CB4 3FN
Other contact details remain the same:
(01223) 690718
macrae@ccdc.cam.ac.uk
http://www.ccdc.cam.ac.uk/camcycle
Clare Macrae
Travel For Work
The Travel For Work scheme, which will incorporate the Cycle Friendly Employer Scheme, starts at the end of September, when Teresa Broadstock starts in her post as Travel For Work advisor. Teresa was appointed in place of Anne Taylor who is leaving to start a degree course in Archaeology. The new scheme broadens the scope of the project to include other alternatives to the single-occupant car for work related travel, though cycling will still be a major focus.One of the first events for the new scheme is a half day conference at the University Centre on October 30. Called 'A Moving Business', the keynote speaker will be Baroness Hayman, Minister for Roads. The target audience is, naturally, Cambridge area businesses. If anyone would like more details, contact David Parkin at the City Council (davidpa@cambridge.gov.uk).
Dave Earl
East Road/Elizabeth Way Roundabout
We have been asked by the City Council to comment on some changes that are proposed for the big roundabout at the junction of East Road and Elizabeth Way. This junction is one of the most cycle-unfriendly in central Cambridge and not surprisingly has a poor accident record. During the three years 1994 to 1996 inclusive there have been two serious and 27 slight personal injury accidents here. The council now intends to remedy this by- introducing traffic signals on the approach from Maid's Causeway/Newmarket Road West, in addition to the traffic signals already present at the other three approaches
- extending signal operation to 24 hours a day (at present, the signals are switched off at night)
- modifying the lane markings on all approaches and on the roundabout to 'encourage better lane discipline'
- introducing new 'cycle offslips' on the Newmarket Road East and East Road approaches to 'encourage use of the subways'
We are a bit concerned, however, about the idea of cyclists being 'encouraged' to use the subways if this means that cyclists will find it more difficult to stay on the carriageway. From looking at the plans it looks as if this will be done by using white lines and red surfacing (and not by footway build-outs). The Campaign has asked the Council to ensure that the design of these markings considers both cyclists who wish to use the subways and those who wish to remain on the road and use the roundabout, and does not try to force cyclists to use the subways.
Nigel Deakin
No Drive-Through at McDonalds!
McDonalds Restaurants have submitted a planning application to build one of their famous restaurants, including a drive-through facility, on the site of the Mobil Garage in Coldham's Lane (almost opposite the entrance to Silverwood Close).We discussed this at the August meeting and decided to submit a formal objection to the 'drive-through' element of this proposal, because it is expressly designed to encourage customers to come to the restaurant by car instead of on foot, by cycle or by public transport.
The meeting agreed, however, not to take a view on whether a restaurant was appropriate on this site, on the grounds that the question raised no special cycling issues.
Nigel Deakin
Groningen
Groningen, Europe's cycle city, destination of the Campaign fact-finding trip at the end of September. Expect a report in December's newsletter.
Stop Press: photos of the cycling highlights of this trip are now available online.
Newmarket Road takes to the buses
Newmarket Road Park and Ride site opened this summer, providing a frequent bus service to the City Centre from a screened site between the big Marshall car showrooms and the new roundabout by the airport.What has this to do with cycling? The car park offers the opportunity for people to park on the edge of the City and cycle in - there is good cycle parking at the site. It should also reduce (or at least reduce growth of) motor traffic. But the answer in the immediate future is in what happens next to Newmarket Road.
The County Council has agreed the principle of bus priority between the Park and Ride site and Coldham's Lane. On the one hand this should make Park and Ride much more attractive, letting buses bypass queues (with the psychological effect that has on drivers, as well as the actual time saved). On the other hand, Newmarket Road is already quite well served by cycle lanes, some of which will be removed, and the layouts of others will be changed.
However, some of the bus lanes will be wide enough to accommodate both cycles and buses with room to pass. The frequency of buses is not high enough for there to be a continuous stream, so this might actually turn out to be quite an attractive option, effectively a super-wide cycle lane with the occasional bus. Cycles will also be able to bypass some of the traffic lights.
It's a big, complex plan and it will be quite hard to decide what our response should be. We may well have differences of opinion. Our task is made harder by the limited time we have - formal responses will need to be in by the time you read this, though I am sure there will be opportunity to make further comments.
There are two main elements to the plans:
- Bus lanes where there is room, to avoid buses getting stuck in the queues. Cycles are allowed to use all the bus lanes (as are taxis, unfortunately, in my opinion). There are two widths of bus and cycle lane - 'wide' means 4 metres and 'narrow' is 3 metres. For comparison, Hills Road bus and cycle lane is narrow - 3 metres wide. The narrow lanes have some alternative provision for cycles alongside, but of variable quality.
- Five sets of traffic lights which allow buses through while halting cars alongside them, giving the buses maximum advantage. Cycles would not trigger these lights, so there are other ways for cycles to get past them, again of variable quality. My feeling is that many cyclists will stay on the road and jump the red lights, so I think we should be looking for a legal manoeuvre at these points that would achieve the same end.
Most of the changes are on the City-bound side; there is only a short stretch of bus lane coming out of town.
What is there now?
First, consider what is there at present: heading west,- A poor quality shared-use footpath from the City Boundary (after leaving the newly constructed cycle track from Cherry Hinton) to Barnwell Road roundabout (see picture), with no special provision on the road. The road is fairly wide, but the long extra traffic lanes leading up to the Ditton Lane junction don't leave much room for bikes.
- 1.5 m cycle lanes from Barnwell Road to Elizabeth Way, with a short break near Coldham's Lane. The eastern part of this section is single carriageway, but the part over the railway bridge westwards is dual carriageway (see picture below).
- A contra-flow shared-use footway over the railway bridge. This allows cyclists to get from Coldham's Common to Stourbridge Common. It is very narrow, and used by many pedestrians.
- Intermittent cycle lanes as far as the railway bridge, then cycle lanes to Barnwell Road.
- A long central cycle lane, offering some protection, leading up to the Ditton Lane traffic signals, where there is a left turn only lane (see Newsletter 12), and
- A very poor quality shared-use footway from Ditton Lane to the Park and Ride site and beyond (where the new construction improves things dramatically).
What is proposed?
Sketches of the proposals are available on the Web. They are schematic only, and are not to scale.- All of Newmarket Road (GIF,46k)
- Section 1 - Elizabeth Way to B&Q (GIF,8k)
- Section 2 - B&Q to Railway Bridge (GIF,18k)
- Section 3 - Ditton Fields to Wadloes Road (GIF,13k)
- Section 4 - Ditton Lane to Park & Ride (GIF,18k)
Again, heading west first:
- Traffic lights are already installed at the Park and Ride Site entrance. A narrow (3 m) bus lane would start here. Cyclists can use the bus lane, or the shared-use pavement alongside. To encourage the latter, there will be a slip lane onto the shared-use path. This will have to be improved to be a realistic alternative (there are apparently no plans to do this yet), but it does mean that cyclists can bypass the new bus traffic lights proposed near the airport entrance.
- Then there is an unchanged section, the narrow bus and cycle lane resuming on the approach to Ditton Lane. There is another set of bus priority lights here (see diagram), and a bypass for bikes. But it goes so far away from the road that I would expect it to be little used.
- The two-lane approach to Barnwell Road roundabout is unchanged, as is the single lane section with cycle lanes as far as the railway bridge.
- Then, along the whole of the dual carriageway to Coldham's Lane, one lane is now given over to a wide bus and cycle lane, with a brief break as one approaches B&Q where the existing forward stop lines for cycles and a short approach lane are kept. There is another set of bus signals just before Coldham's Lane.
- a very short piece of wide bus and cycle lane at the approach to B&Q, (again with an approach lane for cycles and forward stop line retained), and
- a wide bus lane from B&Q to the railway bridge, with bus lights at the end of it.
Dave Earl
Letters
Bus Aggro
Dear Editor,I wonder if other members of the Cambridge Cycling Campaign have occasional very worrying encounters with buses?
On 11 September I was 'pushed' up Station Road by a Guide Friday bus. When I signalled to him that he was too close, he overtook very close and abused me through the open door as he did so. Thankfully, most car drivers and the majority of bus drivers are considerate and do not take risks with cyclists' lives. Unfortunately there are a few who think nothing of scaring the living daylights out of us.
As a bus passenger I often see Cambus drivers 'pushing' cyclists on the approach to bus stops, an activity which saves virtually no time and puts the cyclist at serious risk. We could press for more cycle lanes in problem areas, but this would be a bit like putting sticking-plaster on a broken leg! Is there some way we could open a dialogue with the bus operators about this?
David Clarke, Cherry Hinton
That Petition
Dear DavidRe: Cambridge Cycling Petition
I apologise for not having written sooner in acknowledgement of the petition which you presented to the Environment and Transport Committee on 12 June 1997.
The petition was discussed at a meeting of the spokesmen from the three political groups on 20 June 1997. I was asked to convey their thanks for taking the time to draw the Committee's attention to the support for enhanced cycling provision, and how this could achieve a reduction in car traffic.
While we cannot progress schemes as fast as we would like with the funds available to us, we are committed to enhancing, where possible, facilities for non-car users. However you will know that many people feel quite strongly about measures which impact on car users, and it is essential that we retain the support of the whole community in progressing the aims which we share. It is a delicate path we tread, and change does have to be incremental.
We look forward to your continuing support and advice on the measures which will make the best use of the funds we have available for enhancing cycling provision in the City. We hope, in addition that you will work with us in advocating the move away from car use, thereby maximising the effectiveness of both our efforts.
New traffic lights for Barton Road
One of the earliest large schemes the Cycling Campaign was involved in was the upgrading of cycle facilities along Barton Road. As we reported previously, the main proposals for Barton Road itself have now been decided. However, whatever the merits or otherwise of that scheme, we felt at the time, as now, that the most important thing to address in the area was the right-angle turn from Newnham Road into Barton Road on the corner of Lammas Land. This suggestion was accepted by the Councils but developed as a separate proposal, and we have now received plans for traffic signals at the junction, as we requested.It was always going to be quite hard to time signals at this junction because the main road does not go straight through the junction. The solution is quite clever, and continues to give cyclists almost complete freedom of movement through the junction while restricting motor vehicles a little. Pedestrians retain the existing pelican crossing a few metres to the north of the junction while cyclists have their own crossing integrated into the lights. There is also nothing to stop cyclists using the junction in the normal traffic lanes if they wish, though they would then be subject to the same restrictions as motor vehicles.
Here's how it works: cyclists approaching along Barton Road are either on the new cycle track, or can join it about 30 m before the lights. The cycle track continues across Newnham Road on its own phase of the lights onto Lammas Land - which also means you can turn left into Newnham Road or right into Grantchester Street or the track leading to the river. The arrangement from Newnham Road is similar - there is a cycle track branching off the road leading to the new lights, and also to the river track.
Cars will no longer be able to turn right from Barton Road into Grantchester Street or go straight on towards the river: they will have to go round the roundabout at Fen Causeway and come back. Grantchester Street and Lammas Land will have their own phase of the lights, but at busy times only every other sequence. For cyclists coming from the river this is not a problem since they can use the cycle phase (but would then need to stay on the cycle track along Barton Road). However it is not clear what cyclists coming out of Grantchester Street will do.
One of the main reasons for collisions here was that drivers and cyclists coming from the river expected cars to turn from Newnham Road into Barton Road, when in fact they went straight on into Grantchester Street, hitting the emerging vehicle. This problem is now removed in two ways: cyclists can use either the cycle crossing, or the lights as a car would, and traffic from these two streets does not move at the same time.
At this end of Barton Road, the road will be narrowed a little to make room for the cycle track. No doubt there will be complaints about the restrictions imposed on motor vehicles and delays to traffic. However, for once, these proposals seem to do much of what we have been asking for: make the whole junction safer (whether or not the cyclist uses the special facilities) while giving us a measure of priority and dedicated facilities.
The main reservations I have (at first sight) are about cyclists getting from Grantchester Street onto the crossing, and the area of conflict where the cycle track ends. I wonder whether there is scope for a pedestrian phase to cross Barton Road while the cycle phase is operating. The surface of the cycle track on Lammas land leaves a great deal to be desired, too.
We will have to make formal comments by the end of September. If you want to write to the County Council though, do so quickly and your comments may still get through in time.
Dave Earl
Whatever happened to Butt Lane?
Remember last year there was a grandiose proposal to build a cycle track all the way from Milton to the outskirts of Impington along Butt Lane? This was a tremendously expensive scheme, and was aimed primarily at providing for school children from Milton attending Impington Village College. However, at the Impington end, the cycle track stopped at the edge of the village just where the road narrows and the bends start. At the Milton end, users would have had to contend with a steep, narrow bridge over the A10 and the entrance to the waste disposal site.Anyway, for better or worse, the Committee decided not to go ahead with the scheme. This was one of the first decisions made by the new South Cambridgeshire Area Committee. This is one of several being set up to help co-operative decision making on local matters.
The new committee is rather like the Cambridge Traffic Joint Sub-Committee which has been running for many years, in that it has representatives from both the District and County Councils. However, its brief is wider, covering a range of environmental issues. We can expect to hear quite a lot more about it in the future, and we have ordered committee papers for it as we already do for the County's Environment and Transport Committee, still the final arbiter in transport matters, and the City joint committee.
In the meantime, officers at the County Council are going through a period of insecurity for the second time in two years. When the Environment and Transport department was formed, there was a big rearrangement of jobs and people had to re-apply for the new posts. Now with Peterborough being split off from Cambridgeshire next year, people are being rearranged again. Will there still be a post of cycling officer?
So, what did happen to Butt Lane?
The reason the scheme was dropped was because of fierce opposition from Milton, and in particular the Parish Council, on the grounds that the cycle track was being proposed so that the subsidy on the school bus could be removed. Impington is less than the statutory three miles away, and the subsidy was only provided because there was no satisfactory alternative.School buses are a controversial subject at any time, so councillors were probably wise to abandon the scheme. It is a shame that the two issues had to become entangled. However, given the escalating cost of the scheme and our doubts about the cost-effectiveness of inter-village links, it is probably for the best that it was dropped. The proposals did not incorporate a comprehensive safe-routes-to-school project.
The decision has freed up several hundred thousand pounds from this year's budget. The Committee decided to allocate it to three areas: Milton village, Fulbourn Road and Comberton to Barton. We have now received some preliminary plans from the Council.
These are early suggestions rather than definite plans, so there is a significant opportunity to influence them. However, to judge by the repeated proposals, it does appear that South Cambridgeshire councillors consider shared-use footways the cycling panacea.
Milton Village
All three proposals are very straightforward. In Milton, the plan is to put 1 m advisory cycle lanes on both sides of nearly the whole length of the main road (about 1 km) through the village (Cambridge Road from the Tesco roundabout, into High Street). Advisory cycle lanes are dotted lines, which have no legal meaning - cars can park in them and cross into them freely. Their only effect is to encourage moving vehicles to keep further out from the kerb. 1 m is not very wide, but the road is fairly narrow.The lanes would be interrupted for a short stretch in the middle of the village by the shops, where the road narrows still further. Interestingly, however, the plan shows them continuing past the islands that have recently been installed (see 'Dangerous Central Refuges in Milton'). I would be very surprised if this is in fact done.
A short stretch of footway at either end of the village would also be widened and be turned into shared-use cycleway. These would provide some missing links in the existing bits of pavement cycling, about which regular readers will know we have serious doubts.
Do you live or work in Milton, or use this road regularly? If so, we'd like to hear your comments.
Fulbourn Road
The main road between Fulbourn and Cambridge, past Fulbourn Hospital, has an extremely poor quality footpath alongside at present. The proposal here is to widen and resurface as a shared cycleway, in the same vein as so many others, on the north side (that is, towards Fulbourn). Yet more shared use.The road runs parallel to the Fulbourn Old Drift cycle route, which we mentioned last time as being in the pipeline (albeit a blocked pipe at present) to being upgraded where it passes the new Tesco store. It is difficult to see quite who the new scheme would serve. It is a shame that the entire vegetation along this stretch would have to go, and an attractive verge be destroyed if the plan is carried out.
The plan also indicates keeping the existing shared-use pavement between the City boundary and Cherry Hinton bypass. It is labelled 'good condition', a description which I would certainly dispute. The scheme would require an in-bound cyclist to cross the main road twice, once on a 60 mph road where there have been several serious crashes in recent years.
As a regular user of this road, I don't feel the proposals would help me in the slightest. I would be much more interested in a lane on the other side to help me pass the traffic queues in the morning. I will propose to the Council that they actually survey existing users to find out what they would like, rather than taking this arbitrary course.
Another issue in this area is the construction of a new business park next to ARM Computers on the south side of Fulbourn Road, just within the City. This is likely to increase traffic (on top of the impact of the new Tesco), and create a problematic junction on this road.
Comberton to Barton
The existing shared-use cycleway between Comberton and Barton is not too bad at the Comberton end, if somewhat bumpy, but at the Barton end it is abysmal and should never have been designated. The current proposal upgrades this to 1.8 m by filling in the ditch. This is likely to be an expensive scheme for its length, but the route is quite well used even at present, so the expense may be justified.However, once again the proposals do not address the busy sections through the villages themselves, unlike the new Milton plan, for example. Again, if you are a regular user of this area, do get in touch and let us know what you think.
Dave Earl
Cycling Guide
Readers of the Cambridge Evening News will have discovered the 'Cambridge Cycling Guide' advertising feature in the paper on 11 August, including two pages packed with information written by our very own Dave Earl. We were invited to contribute some text, and Dave beavered away to produce a series of articles, at very short notice.Overall, I feel that the Guide was a very worthwhile production. There is a lot of useful information, and I see the very fact that the Evening News is willing to produce the guide as a positive step. They've been well distributed around the City too: I've noticed them on information stands in supermarkets and shops around town.
We would have liked a chance to proof-read the final product, however. For example, on Page 9 there's the outrageous (unattributed) statement that 'Cambridge is different because the provision of cycleways is altogether far better organised than probably any other city in Europe outside Amsterdam.' As my Dutch colleague Marcel says, 'but Amsterdam isn't even the best in the Netherlands!'
The same article states that 'Five per cent of all accidents that occur are due to human error.' We're sure that's wrong.
Enormous thanks to Dave, and all our members who helped him with writing and checking the Campaign's contribution.
The Cambridge Evening News has kindly given us 1,000 copies - and we're handing them out on our stall in the Market Square every Saturday. As not all the material we supplied was used, we might consider taking some more time and producing our own guide some time in the future.
Clare Macrae
Update
Mill Road / Gwydir Street
Last time we reported that we had been consulted on proposals to put traffic lights and associated cycle lanes and so on, at the Mill Road / Gwydir Street junction. Since then, these plans have been approved, and the word is that work is expected to start there very shortly. The suggestions we made regarding a bit of extra red surfacing have also been adopted.
I think that these lights will make a huge difference to the many people who cross Mill Road at this point, both by cycle and on foot. It is a shame that this wasn't done at the same time as the bike bridge and South East Cambridge cycle route were constructed many years ago now. However, doing it now will make the cycle route a more attractive option for people on the north side of Mill Road west of the railway bridge.
Airport Way, Cherry Hinton
Work between Cherry Hinton and the new Roundabout on Newmarket Road east of the airport has now been completed and the contractors have departed - leaving a 10 m section of the cycle track in the middle unfinished!However, apart from this missing link, what do we have? As you know from previous newsletters, there were two related plans, one associated with the new roundabout, and one near Cherry Hinton, effectively forming a continuous route along the west side of Airport Way, and some sections on the east side. We had reservations about the priority of this scheme compared with other possibilities in the area, but didn't really get in early enough on a plan that has been in the works since before the Cycling Campaign was formed.
The quality of construction is high, and the path is really very smooth. Top marks for this - if only all were built to this standard. I will let you know if it starts to suffer from weed-hills or cracking like some others have. At the Cherry Hinton end, a new section of cycle track was built by cutting back a large hedge: there was doubt about whether this could be done. This joins a section of rebuilt pavement. It could be wider - for example, I had to pass someone in a wheelchair which was possible but tricky - and street lamps and road signs were not moved off the track, but given the likely level of use I don't expect this would cause too many problems.
The track then runs smoothly around the west of the Cherry Hinton bypass roundabout and there is then a continuous section of unbroken smooth tarmac for about 1.5 km, probably the longest such stretch anywhere in the county. This goes all the way to the new Park and Ride site via the new roundabout on Newmarket Road, where it joins the existing shared-use footpath which is the subject of the new bus lane proposals (see 'Newmarket Road takes to the buses').
There are crossing points (protected by islands) at the new roundabout together with reconstructed cycle track along the north side of Newmarket Road, and also near Teversham church (protected by a road narrowing and island) to give access to Teversham.
The eastern side at Cherry Hinton is less successful. Despite our asking them not to, the cycle track has been constructed with two unnecessary right angle bends. When will the engineers learn that you shouldn't put right angle bends in cycle tracks? At the southern end also, instead of joining an existing slip lane onto the road for cycles as we requested, it dumps cyclists in a shop car park entrance.
So, the fewer than 100 cyclists a day who were recorded using Airport Way now have a cycle motorway. Maybe a few more will be prepared to use this route now there is a cycle track, but there doesn't seem to be a large population to draw on for much suppressed demand. Perhaps leisure use might turn out to be the main draw. We'll see.
Dave Earl
Cambridge cyclist fined for not speeding
As the Cambridge Evening News reported on 20 September, and the Guardian on the 23rd, Tony Adams was arrested, and now faces a £120 fine, for riding 'furiously', an offence under the 1847 Town Police Clauses Act, at 25 mph in Sidney Street, a 30 mph zone, in the middle of the night back in March.Superintendent David Autun justified the prosecution on the grounds that 'even if you hit someone at 25 mph, you are likely to kill them'. Come off it, superintendent: if that's true of a bike, how much more true must it be of a car, and you don't prosecute motorists for driving at 25 mph, or even 35. In fact, government figures show that a pedestrian hit by a car moving at 20 mph has a 9 in 10 chance of surviving, while at 40 mph it's 1 in 10, so 25 mph must be at the safer end of the scale. I know I'd rather be hit by a bike than a car, at any speed.
Inspector Bill Chapman claimed the case was similar to that of a motorist driving without due care and attention. But Tony, who is in training for a world record attempt, says he wasn't even pedalling furiously. He is refusing to pay the fine (while admitting it was a mistake to miss his court case) and now risks gaol. If you're out there, Tony, we're on your side (some of us, anyway).
Debby
More advice about compensation
If you want to make a claim for compensation (see article in the last Newsletter) after being injured while cycling, make sure your solicitor is a specialist in personal injury law, a member of- The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, or
- The Law Society's Personal Injury Panel (whose members have at least three years' specialist experience)
There are many other things to take into consideration, so if in doubt seek professional advice.
Richard Taylor
Dangerous Central Refuges in Milton
Campaign member Martin Cooper has pointed out the hazards for cyclists caused by three new central refuges in Milton High Street, near Coles Road. The refuges no doubt improve life for pedestrians, which is to be supported, but sadly they've made life worse for cyclists.The roadway now narrows down to between 3.1 and 3.3 m. As Cycle-friendly Infrastructure clearly states (in section 7.6.4), 'Gaps of 3.1-3.9 m seem to be least satisfactory from the cyclist's perspective.' The problem with gaps of this width is that they are too narrow for a car or bus to pass a cyclist alongside the refuge, but wide enough for a driver to think they just might be able to get through.
When I went to look at the situation in Milton, the very first cyclist that passed had a different car stop sharply behind him just before each of the three refuges.
The two distances between the refuges are also very deceptive. Leaving Milton, heading towards Tesco, the distance between the first and second refuges is considerably longer than between the second and third, and the gap for cyclists is considerably narrower at the third than at the first or second, so drivers who know they made it through the first two may get a false sense of security after the second.
And finally, cars are allowed to park along virtually the entire length of road, which means that motor vehicles swing across the central line, and back into the space where cyclists are (much as buses do at the Bridge Street closure).
Martin wrote to his local Councillor, Jane Coston, who has now raised the matter with the County Council, and invited Martin to comment on a future scheme for a cycleway through Milton (see 'Whatever happened to Butt Lane?').
We hope the matter can soon be resolved, but the entire scheme seems eerily familiar. Remember Chesterton Road, and the horrendous pinch-points for cyclists at the build-outs there? That was another scheme we weren't consulted on, and which had a drastic effect on cyclists' safety.
Clare Macrae
Visor
I've found (at last!) a good solution to the problem of getting insects and dust in my eyes while cycling. I'd tried sunglasses, but they didn't seem to help and in desperation (during the greenfly season) I tried a product called a Visor. It comes with an elasticated band that fits round your helmet and the Visor then clips on to that and can be hinged up off the face, or down into the normal position when required. Anyway, because it covers the whole eye area, I've found that I have not had any problems since I bought it (around June) which is extra good because I also wear contact lenses. The Visor can be worn over conventional glasses or sunglasses too, and a 'smoke' lens is also available for a sunglasses effect. It's quite expensive (over £20), but I've found it excellent to use.Clare Ellis
Small Ads
Please note: that the adverts below may now be out of date. Please note also you can now submit adverts for the small ads section of the newsletter online.
Wanted
'Bike Buddy' wanted for new cyclist to learn cycling skills. Contact Dave Earl
690718 or Clare Macrae
336024
For Sale
27.2 mm Campagnolo seatpost, like new (fitted once, too short), must go, any offers. Richard
369305 (evenings)
Bike trailer and hitch, 18 months old. Best offer over £125. Teresa
Broadstock
475131
2 Hamax highback rear child seats (used) and 1 front child seat (unused).
£20 each, o.n.o. Roger or Elizabeth
570884.
Swap
One pair of black (fixed) Look cleats - would like red (arc) cleats. Richard
369305 (evenings)
Critical Mass causes chaos
Bicyclists defy City officials, spit at stuck motorists (from the San Francisco Examiner, July 97)A plan designed to please The City and Critical Mass bike riders did neither Friday night, as thousands of riders diverged from a city-sanctioned route and police arrested about 250 bicyclists for unlawful assembly.
The cyclists ran red lights, shouted at passing motorists, spit at stalled drivers and generally disrupted traffic, police said. Some tried to get on the Bay Bridge.
Police equipped with riot gear responded in force. Squad cars flew down Market Street one after the other, their sirens blaring.
The event began with an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 riders - far more than previous Critical Mass events - who gathered at Justin Herman Plaza at the Embarcadero, then fanned out through The City.
The monthly ride, designed to promote the idea that bikes are a positive alternative to cars, was threatened with a crackdown by Mayor Brown earlier this month.
Instead, several bikers met with city officials and brokered a deal: They would start the ride at 6:30, to cause less disruption to rush-hour traffic, and they would follow an agreed-upon route.
In exchange, they would get their usual police escort. And city officials promised to hold a summit in the near future to discuss bicyclists' requests, such as more bike racks and lanes.
But many Critical Massers chafed at the idea that their monthly protest had turned into something akin to an orchestrated parade.
'We feel we don't need to be herded by the police; we have the right to ride wherever we want to,' said Cassady Winston, 16, of San Francisco, who derided what he called the 'sell-out route.'
'This is one day a month,' Winston said. 'There's a car mass every single day of the year.'
It was clear at the outset that the compromise was doomed.
As the crowd gathered, riders who had not participated in the talks passed out printed suggestions for alternative routes.
San Francisco police Capt. Dennis Martel and Brown addressed the crowd, struggling to be heard above the jeers and boos.
'I'm delighted that the bicyclists of San Francisco sat down with The City and with themselves for the purpose of putting together a program that will make San Francisco the most livable city in the country,' Brown told the crowd. 'Have a good ride.'
Several bikers yelled to Brown: 'Get a bike, Willie!'
'I can't afford a bike,' Brown yelled back, laughing. 'Lend me yours.'
At the suggestion that he perhaps wasn't getting much respect at the gathering, Brown replied, 'Respect is votes at the ballot box. How many people who are yelling at me do you think vote? Two?'
Some riders took to the streets early, starting around 6:15 p.m. Police estimated their numbers to be about 500.
Shortly after 6:30 p.m., when the ride was to officially begin, police called off their escort. Too many riders were not following the route, police said.
'I don't think we need their help, quite frankly,' said rider Karen Casey, 27, of San Francisco.
Martel said police had had no idea they would face such a high number of disorderly bicyclists. Martel said many bicyclists might have followed the dissident bikers by mistake.
Police estimated they had arrested about 250 people by late Friday. Bikes were stacked in the back of police trucks as riders were hauled away.
Police were expected to meet with Brown next week on the matter. Brown was not available for comment after the ride, but spokeswoman Kandace Bender said the mayor would review reports on the event before making a decision on future rides.
Two officers were injured when they were hit with bikes, and one was believed to have suffered a cracked rib, police said.
At one point in the evening, 25 cyclists were cornered at Sacramento and Montgomery streets and arrested for failure to disperse and unlawful assembly, police said. Witnesses estimated the group at closer to 200. About 50 police in riot gear barricaded both ends of the street, and bikers were told not to move.
One rider said she was shocked at what she called the brutal reaction by law enforcement.
'The police were pretty nasty about it, and I didn't see any rhyme or reason to it' said Sue Peters, 32, of San Francisco.
The bikers were cited and released, according to police Detective Robert Mangosing at the Operations Center.
At the corner of Davis and Sacramento streets, 25-year-old Toni James got out of her tan GMC Blazer and engaged in a shouting match with several bikers.
'I want a cop. I want a cop now,' she screamed.
'The cars do not control the road,' a biker screamed louder.
'I pay taxes!' she yelled.
Dwayne Hill, a computer programmer stuck in a cab at Market and Pine streets, said, 'I feel that Willie was on the right track when he tried to shut it down. But then he reversed himself, and now it's worse than it would have been.'
Some cyclists were dismayed that the media coverage of the event focused on what they considered the wrong issues.
'The intent behind this is to draw attention to bicycles as transportation, and nobody's really talking about that,' said Myra Chachkin, 29, of San Francisco.
Like other riders, she called on the mayor to make substantive changes in The City's transportation: by installing more bike lanes, putting more racks on Muni buses and educating drivers on bicycle safety.
'I haven't seen any evidence of that so far, except for the bike route signs, which are cosmetic but don't really promote bike safety,' she said.
By Emily Gurnon
Al Saracevic of The Examiner staff
contributed to this report.
Zeta II
The Zeta II (Zero Emission Transport Accessory) is Sir Clive Sinclair's latest gadget aimed at providing the British public with electrically powered transportation. It consists of a lead-acid battery strapped under the bike's crossbar, a motor with a belt held above the front wheel by two metal poles, a couple of brackets, and a piece of string with a lever.The idea is that you engage the Zeta II once you have built up some momentum by pedalling, and the motor then whizzes you along at about 10 miles per hour. A switch on the handlebar allows you to turn the motor on and off, and a lever with a bit of string drops the motor onto the wheel. Sinclair claims that you can get a range of 5 miles out of the device, or up to 14 miles if you pedal as well. The battery comes with a charger which takes 14 hours to recharge, consuming about a penny's worth of electricity.
When the device arrived it was missing the installation instructions, battery leads, and axle brackets. It took two phone calls to the help line to reach an operator who understood the problem. I was promised that the relevant parts would be despatched immediately. Three days later the rest of the kit arrived in the post.
I first tried to fit the unit to my partner's 1969 BSA town bike, and failed. The metric threaded bolt required to fit the Zeta II to the forks did not fit the Whitworth thread of the front brakes. I could therefore either have a Zeta II or front brakes, and the brakes won. In the instructions Sinclair recommends that you buy a new brake with a metric thread.
I then tried to fit the unit to my new Trek hybrid bike, and almost succeeded. After removing the front reflector I could slot the relevant bolt through and clamp the unit to the front. It didn't even tangle with the brake or gear cables. However, then I discovered that the front support stanchions for the device did not reach the axle, and so I could not fix the motor unit safely to the bike.
I finally got round to buying new brakes for the BSA and successfully installed the device. Here are my observations:
- 8-10 mph, the speed at which the Zeta II propels you, is very slow.
- The electric motor whines loudly enough to turn heads as you pass by.
- The 'assistance' you get from the device is almost undetectable.
In conclusion, although the idea behind the Zeta II may be fine, something is lacking in the execution. You need to be very mechanically minded to fit it, and even then you are likely to run into many troubles. Once you get it working, the propulsion you receive is minimal. Finally, Sinclair's manufacturing and quality control processes could do with some improvement. In my opinion the Zeta II is only suitable for extremely interested hobbyists with far too much spare cash.
If you still want a Zeta II you can order one at a cost of £95 plus £5 postage and packing by phoning (01993) 279300.
Keir Finlow-Bates
Discount Bike Shops
Please note: the most up-to-date list of shops offering discounts to members of the Campaign is always on the membership discounts page of the website.
We'd like to thank these shops for supporting the Campaign in offering this discount. It's a very tangible benefit of membership.
If you have a favourite local bike shop, and think they should be added to the list, feel free to get in touch with me to check whether they've been approached already. I can also supply back issues of the newsletter to shops who want to know more about the Campaign.
Clare Macrae
Discounts are available for members at
| Ben
Hayward Cycles 69, Trumpington Street Cambridge
352294
|
Ben
Hayward Cycles Laundress Lane Cambridge
301118
|
| Bishop's
Cycles 51 Station Road Histon
518855
|
Cycle-Logical 171 Mill Road Cambridge
576545
|
| Geoff's
Bike Hire 65, Devonshire Road Cambridge
365629
|
Howes
Cycles 104, Regent Street Cambridge
350350
|
| Kingsway
Cycles 8 City Road Cambridge
355852
|
King
Street Cycles 82 King Street Cambridge
67275
|
| Mike's
Bikes 26-28 Mill Road Cambridge
312591
|
University
Cycles 9 Victoria Avenue Cambridge
355517
|
Cycling Campaign Subgroups
Please note: the most up-to-date list of subgroups are can be found in the subgroups section of the website.
Telephone number
e-mail address
Arbury Camp -- Studying Sainsbury's plans for development. Contact
Clare
336024
macrae@ccdc.cam.ac.uk
Bridge Street -- Responding to the experimental road closure
scheme. Contact Richard Taylor
332707 (work) or 369305 (home)
rmt23@eng.cam.ac.uk
Cycle Enumeration -- Analysing cycle journeys in Cambridge. Contact
Jim Chisholm work
334438 or home
841954
jim.chisholm@ucs.cam.ac.uk
Cycle Parking -- Working to improve cycle parking provision
throughout Cambridge. Contact Clare
336024
macrae@ccdc.cam.ac.uk
Newsletter -- Co-ordinating this, the Campaign's newsletter.
Contact the Editor, Mark Irving
882378
Mark<irving@home.cam.net.uk>
Road Danger Reduction Charter -- Working to get the RoadPeace
charter adopted locally. Contact Slim
363434
Science Park Access -- looking at plans to widen Milton Road.
Contact Clare
336024
macrae@ccdc.cam.ac.uk
Shared Use Paths -- drafting our policy. Contact Dave Earl
690718
david@frankieandshadow.com
West Cambridge -- Studying the University's plans for development.
Contact Dave Earl
690718
david@frankieandshadow.com
Other organisations - contacts
Please note: the most up-to-date list of organisations is in the local links section of the website.
110 Regent St
312800 10:00-1:00 weekdays, 11:00-1:00 Saturdays
Cycle-Friendly Employers scheme
Teresa Broadstock, Travel For Work
Advisor
Cambridge and Huntingdon Health Authority
Hillview, Fulbourn
Hospital
Cambridge CB1 5EF
475131
Cyclists' Touring Club, Cambridge District Association
Sue Taylor, Secretary
563414
Transport 2000 Cambridgeshire and West Suffolk
Simon Norton, Co-ordinator
312654
simon@emu.pmms.cam.ac.uk
Campaign Diary
Please note: the most up-to-date version of the diary of events is always in the events section of the website.
October
| Tuesday
7
|
8
p.m.
|
Annual
General Meeting, Friends' Meeting House, Jesus Lane
|
| Saturday
11
|
11-4
|
STEER
meeting in Stevenage 'Traffic and Development'
|
| Saturday
11
|
7:30
p.m.
|
Ceilidh
- live band and buffet, £6. CTC Cambridge DA
563414
|
| Saturday
18
|
all
day
|
Cycle
Campaign Network/CTC Conference, in Liverpool
|
| Monday
20
|
8:30
p.m.
|
We'll
be at
the
Zebra on Maid's Causeway - all welcome!
|
| Wednesday
22
|
8:30
a.m.
|
Newsletter
post mortem, over breakfast in Clowns, King St
|
| Wednesday
22
|
8:30
p.m.
|
Meeting
to discuss the government report
Developing
an Integrated Transport Policy, 7:30pm, 8 Thirleby Close.
|
| Wednesday
29
|
8:00
p.m.
|
Bridge
St Environment Group Meeting, Victoria Rd Community centre
|
| Thursday
30
|
8:30
a.m.
|
A
Moving Business - Business Travel Conference, all morning
|
November
| Tuesday
4
|
8
p.m.
|
Monthly
Meeting, Friends' Meeting House, Jesus Lane
|
| Wednesday
12
|
6
p.m.
|
Deadline
for copy in Newsletter 15. Miss this, and it goes in issue 16.
|
| Monday
17
|
8:30
p.m.
|
We'll
be at
the
Zebra on Maid's Causeway - all welcome!
|
| Friday
21
|
8
p.m.
|
Newsletter
stuffing, 8 Thirleby Close - helpers needed
|
December
| Tuesday
2
|
8
p.m.
|
Monthly
Meeting, Friends' Meeting House, Jesus Lane
|
| Monday
15th
|
8:30
p.m.
|
We'll
be at
the
Zebra on Maid's Causeway - all welcome
|
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