Right to Ride

 
CTC RIGHT TO RIDE NETWORK FOR SHROPSHIRE.
 

Report to the AGM Nov 2005 by Jenny Leese

Shropshire Cycle Forum

Jenny advised the meeting that the local transport plan for 2006-2011 was submitted in July.

She outlined activities at various Shropshire Cycle Forum meetings. At the December 2004 meeting it was suggested that routes to be considered were; a link path between Bayston Hill and Condover turn beside A49; alongside A5 between Montford Bridge and Nesscliff; A458 to Ford; B4380 to Atcham; and, A49 from Battlefield Island to Hadnall.

 

The principal item at the March Forum meeting was the promotion of cycling.

Members compared different publications and discussed whether they were aimed at local riders or tourists.  Also whether they should be based on OS maps or other forms of mapping. Small print runs were used to insure maps and guides were kept up to date.

 

At the Forum meeting in September there was a brief discussion on how to encourage more women and girls to take up cycling.  The Secretary to the Forum agreed to conduct qualitative research to obtain data about cycling habits and to identify possible barriers, perceived by teenage girls, to cycling. The issue of wearing helmets was also discussed at this meeting given Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council's decision to require cyclists to wear helmets both on and off road. Members at the meeting gave the following responses. No one was in favour of the compulsory use of helmets on or off  road; and the general view was that it should not be compulsory for child cyclists to wear helmets. It was agreed that the views of the meeting would be passed to the Council’s Chief Executive.

 

Cycling Demonstration Towns

Jenny explained that Shrewsbury submitted a bid that was not successful.

 

Report of Public Inquiry on 08 February - Red Lane and Papermill Bank

Twenty five people attended this enquiry. They were mostly landowners and local residents.  The county council representative put the case for bidle-way status at Red Lane, explaining how they had been though the county archives back to 1740 to prove it was mainly used as a track and not a carriageway.  The main objector to bridle-way status was a representative from the Trail Riders Association (off road motor bikes) who make the case for BOAT status.  The landowner and the farm tenants argued for bridleway status. The inspectors report confirmed Papermill Bank as a BOAT and an order has been issued for Red Lane to become a BOAT.  Jenny confirmed that she had not submitted an objection.

 

Cycle provision in towns and villages

Shrewsbury

The works at Heathgates Island and Porthill Bridge have now been completed.

Development of the sports village is progressing and the cycle track is due to open in Spring 2006

 

Telford and Wrekin

Jenny reported the Telford Bicycle User Group had received £40k for small projects such as dropped kerbs and signs. She outlined the completion of other programmes. They were identified as; A442 Wappenshall Junction Refuge; Shawbirch Local Safety Scheme; and the lining of the Silkin Way Blists Hill to Coalport. She also informed the meeting that the council had sent out 76,000 questionnaires on transport and had received 3,500 responses to the consultation paper. The top four priorities were: maintenance of roads; reduction of accidents; bus routes; cycling and walking.

 

Wem

Wem Cycle rides routes were launched on the 19th June during National Bike Week and the Recreation Ground Cycle track had been completed.

 

Oswestry

Whittington cycle track and Middleton Road cycle lanes were completed.

 

She stated that cycle rides routes for other towns, such as Cleobury Mortimer, Ruyton XI Towns, Bishops Castle and Ellesmere are in the planning process.

 

Shropshire rural areas

Jenny reported that almost all railway stations operated by Arriva Trains have been provided with cycle parking.

NCR 81 Shrewsbury to the Welsh borders has been signed. 

Mercian Way (NCR 45) between Wyre Forest and Bridgnorth is open and negotiations continue with landowners regarding the Bridgnorth to Coalport section.

NCR route 81 Cosford alongside the A41 (and also part of the routes to school programme) had been completed.

Regional CR 75 has been signed between Market Drayton and Newport.

Routes under consideration include: Route 32 Shrewsbury to Ludlow via Bishops Castle and Route 33 Bayston Hill to Church Stretton based on the CTC 'Roman Road route.'

 

Jenny explained that the network was launched in 1998 when she became the Shropshire County Representative. She said that part of her job was to co-ordinate the work of all local representatives in the county by arranging meetings, but it had not been practical in such a large rural county like Shropshire. She said that there were eight local representatives when the network was formed, but currently there are three representatives. Reg Potter looks after Telford and Wrekin, Market Drayton and Newport; John Smyth is the local representative for South West Shropshire and Jenny takes responsibility for North Shropshire. She stressed that representatives are required for Shrewsbury and Atcham, Oswestry, Bridgnorth and Ludlow and asked that any member interested in joining the network either as a local representative or taking over as the county representative should contact HQ. She suggested that, in the event of not getting representatives for these areas, the county representative job from which she resigned on 30 October 2005, be split between the DA committee members, for example, one member to represent the DA at Shropshire Cycle Forum Meetings and another member to become the CTC contact for the Shropshire Rights of Way access team. She said that notices of changes in the network would be sent to this second representative as the DA has the right to object to proposals, for example, Papermill Bank.  She stressed that this was not a time consuming job, often taking only five minutes.

 

 

Jenny Leese writes about the CTC Right to Ride Network

In September 1999 I was appointed the Shropshire county representative for the network by CTC HQ.  I  work for local cyclists' rights and report developments to the DA Committee.  I work with the CTC local representatives in the county. There are representatives covering Telford, Shrewsbury, Oswestry and north Shropshire and I am looking for assistance in South Shropshire.

I monitor the local press for planning applications that could affect cyclists and make representations.  I am the local public transport representative and as frequent train users with our cycles, I liase with the local train companies.

As cyclists' representative, I attend seminars in connection with the Local Transport Plan, and the Shropshire Cycle Forum (4 times a year).  Recent discussions at the Cycle Forum have included Safe Routes to School, cycle facilities in north Shrewsbury, Clun Valley traffic calming, Oswestry cycle facilities, the Ellesmere Bike Bus, the Whitchurch-Oswestry Cycle Route and the design of cycle stands.

I would welcome input from all cyclists in Shropshire, eg comments on existing facilities and suggestions for further improvements.

Martin Beardwell writes about cycling and the Local Transport Plan

Shropshire County Council, as the highways authority, is responsible for producing a  Local Transport Plan (LTP) setting out a 5 year strategy for transport.  It is submitted to the Government to secure funding for the maintenance and development of the local transport infrastructure. 

The full document is perhaps 120 pages long, so I thought members would like to receive a flavour of the section on cycling by reading the following extracts:

Nationally, cycle trips are decreasing. However in Shropshire there is a strong base for cycling, particularly in the market towns and the county town of Shrewsbury.  In Shrewsbury, cycle use has gone against the national trend, showing a 7% increase between 1996 and 1998.

Urban Networks - engineering measures proposed include:

# on-carriageway cycle lanes
# off-carriageway cycle tracks
# advanced stop lines
# other junction modifications to improve the safety of cyclists
# 'cycle friendly' traffic calming
# secure cycle parking

Rural Networks - measures proposed in rural areas include:

# cycle parking for local services (shops, surgery, village hall etc)
# cycle parking and cycle routes to railway stations and bus shelters
# review of rural speed limits in line with national review
# development of a small number of regional cycle routes, predominately on-road, linking settlements, transport interchanges and visitor attractions.

There is much more in the LTP about cycling; my purpose in quoting these extracts is not only to inform members but also to encourage us all to comment on Council proposals as they come forward.  It is hoped that members, and indeed all cyclists, should become aware of proposals within the LTP, should press their local Councillors for progress and, not least, make use of the various facilities and encourage others also to make more bike journeys.  Our active comments can only help to ensure that greater progress is made in developing cycling facilities.  Please get as involved as you possibly can.