Cycling UK Forum

I've just a black bin liner with lots of sticky tape in the past

Morning Edinburgh fixed.

I'm having a meeting with HCC this afternoon and this will be on the agenda, I hope. I will be trying to find out if there is a exec Member with particular responsibility for the project
The main point of the meeting is to rebuild the relationship with the local R2R network; its been lacking for a year or two and BRT will have to wait until the end.

Way into councilors is through the HCC website all their e mail addresses should be posted there. I think it helps if you are a Hants Resident, preferably local to the link.
Finally the Project Director is
Keith Willcox
Environment Department
The Castle
Winchester
SO23 8UD


Jim

A bit of extra information.
1)It appears that over part of the proposed route speeds will be restricted to avoid disturbing the local badger population ie the 40 mph limit is unlikely to be applicable over the whole length.
2) Funding from central government is not yet approved current date end March.
3) There appears to be some softening on the possibility of shared use cyclist/bus, and more public dialog opportunities may occur.
4) This is only phase 1 and eventually a an east west link to the A3 bus corridor is intended. Timing vague. A transport node slightly to the north of Fareham station is also planned. Finally the North Fareham SDA will be serviced by a BRT link. This is a key component of the SDA infrastructure. Most of this was I think available at the Bridgemary exhibition.
5) Whilst there are some technical issues involved with putting a cycle track all the way to Fareham eg width of embankment, drainage, environmental impact to the vegetation (those who have been to the exhibitions will have heard all this and more). While I think these are real issues I also think a more aggressive investigations primed to look for pro cycling answers could resolve some of them.
6) I doubt many HCC councilors read this Forum but they do have e mails. So e mail your concerns. I have yet to find out if there is an executive member with particular responsibilities for the project.

Can suggest to Hampshire residents that letters to your County Councillor might be in order. it probably won't change anything but the more comments from the electorate the better.

I asked the mayor for a comment, she's a friend of mine; but sanybody could have done so. Here it is. I'm a RTR rep for Fareham, hence my involvement.
"Jim Week has sent me a copy of the web site with 'photo's taken of the Mayor's Car at Bath Lane on Wednesday evening.

What you haven't added is that the Chauffeur explained that the car was about to be moved and that it had been there less than 5 minutes.
We believe you were on a recumbent bicycle which is wider than the average bike. An ordinary bike would have been able to get past.
Also I don't believe many cyclists safely negotiate that particular slope from Bath Lane Park without dismounting ,as it is so steep . I certainly do not. I regularly cycle around the ward and was instrumental in getting the new crossing on the A27 slip way near Deanes Park Road.

I was standing on the path in front of the Cricket Pavilion as you whizzed past. I did smile and say good evening, but you ignored me, as did some other cyclists, but not all. You could have taken the chance there and then to complain about the parking of the car if you were concerned. That pathway is for pedestrians as well as cyclists, but a number of cyclist flew by that evening with apparent disregard for the people standing around. Of course they might have been confident in their own skill, but I nearly banged into one as I turned around as there was no warning of approach.
That path is for pedestrians and cyclists and there were several young and adult cricketers around at the time.

I am a great supporter of cycling but also receive a lot of complaints about cyclists on pavements whizzing by with no warning.

Obviously I am sorry that you were inconvenienced by the Mayoral Car and apologise for the brief time it was there, but I do think you missed an opportunity to talk to me directly about the problem. So if the car was likely to have been there for any length of time, which it wasn't, you could have ensured that it was speedily removed by tackling me at the time. Instead of which you ignored me and have taken the opportinity to give misleading information on a National Website.
Obviously you have shown the photographic evidence that the car was there, but have not given the additional information that you did not take the opportunity to complain to the Mayor and get anything done about it, or that it was there for less than 5 minutes.I cannot help feeling that if you were so concerned you could and should have taken that opportunity to talk to me instead of whizzing past. I was very obvious dressed in bright pink and wearing the Mayoral Chain.

Yours sincerely,
Katrina Trott"

Anybody got any comments, perhaps it wasn't the man on the recumbent.
Jim