School Streets Need Cycle Streets

RCC has enthusiastically supported all the council’s previous school streets proposals, and we are supporting this next set of proposals too. For the first time Redbridge are proposing to create school streets at secondary schools. This is a logical development, but it does throw up a new problem.

Here’s the link to the consultations.

Redbridge says that:

‘School Streets aim to reduce levels of air pollution around our schools, making the air children breathe cleaner. They protect children from traffic hazards at the school gate, preventing accidents and keeping children safe. Students are also encouraged to walk and cycle to school, improving health and fitness’.

When it comes to secondary schools it’s the last aim that’s the problem.

No doubt many of those dropped off by car could easily walk to school but secondary schools do have much larger catchment areas than primary schools so some pupils who, at the moment are dropped off, would face a long walk to school. This is unlikely at a primary school. Of course, pupils can swap their parents’ car for a bike but only if the School Street scheme is complemented by the Council creating safe cycle routes to the school from all corners of the catchment area. This is do-able.

I have looked one of the schemes at a secondary school that I familiar with and, from the outer reaches of the catchment area, cycling to school instead of going by car is not an option. There just aren’t routes that parents will consider safe for their children to ride. So, to the extent that all secondary school schemes suffer the same problem, the shift to active travel will be limited. More likely what will happen is that the drop off points move.

If you think School Streets are a good idea support the schemes – so your response goes in the ‘yes’ pile – but in your response say that, to fully achieve its aims the council must introduce cycle routes (cycle streets as they are called in Germany) and traffic reduction measures across the catchment area to make cycling to school a safe and realistic choice.

The closing date for these consultations is 21^st October 2024.

Britannia Road update

For those interested, here is an update on Britannia Road. A new crossing may seem small beer but for us it’s important. The scheme is not a cycle infrastructure scheme per se – there aren’t many of them – but is a road safety improvement scheme, of which there are many more. Like many road safety improvement schemes, it will have an effect on cyclists. Clued-in councils are often able to piggy-back improvements to cycling infrastructure onto these schemes. On the other hand, councils (even well-meaning ones) who don’t think enough about cycling can implement these schemes in a way that makes things worse. There is a risk that this scheme becomes a case in point.

To be fair, we are talking here about an initial proposal. Council officers have acknowledged our worries and told us that they will be considered in the forthcoming detailed design phase. So, plenty to play for.

We have now met with officers at Britannia Road. Much of our discussion centred on the ‘contraflow’ cycling along Britannia Road. The big issue is at the junction of Riverdene and Britannia Roads. Only it isn’t really a junction. Britannia Road is not, for now, a turning off Riverdene Road. Vehicles driving north along Riverdene Road don’t have to stop and do a right turn into Britannia Road across oncoming traffic; drivers simply go round a corner and into Britannia Road: Riverdene Road/Britannia Road is a continuous road that turns through 90 degrees. It’s not the standard road layout envisaged for contraflow cycling that you can find in the Department for Transport’s Local Transport Note (LTN) 1/20.

When we met, we saw cars cutting the corner of Riverdene Road/Britannia Road. Drivers followed a line exactly where cyclists riding from Ilford Lane would be (between 75 and 100cm from the kerb). And that is before Britannia Road is made one-way. Once it is, drivers turning the corner of Riverdene Road/Britannia Road will expect a clear run and the temptation to cut the corner will be greater. And we know that they will be travelling faster.

LCC has told us that corner cutting at the exit of cycle contraflows has caused accidents in other boroughs.

We think the junction can be re-configured and here’s a starter for 10 …

Drivers who previously turned right off Ilford Lane into Britannia Road will now come down Bengal Road, turn right into Riverdene Road and right again into Britannia Road. This creates an extra right turn across Cycleway C42, making C42 more dangerous for cyclists because, as you know, most accidents involving cyclists happen at junctions.

Our conclusion is that, unless the Riverdene Road/Britannia Road turning is reconfigured in the detailed design, the scheme will make things more, rather than less, dangerous for cyclists – and will be perceived by cyclists as dangerous. That means that cyclists will avoid using the route – including me.

I think I would use the new crossing, ride along the pavement to Audrey Road and go down there which, incidentally, is on the London Cycle Network and is signed as such. So maybe the Council could build a short section of cycle track between Audrey Road and the crossing? You don’t get what you don’t ask for, so if you think we are right and have the time, why not email the Council, tell them you are worried and ask for improvements to be made in the detailed design? Or, if you live in the area, go to your councillor’s surgery and talk to them about the scheme.

Half time and everything to play for. …

RCC’s Rides Co-ordinator Receives Mayoral Award

Haydn receives the award from Redbridge Mayor Jyotsna Islam. Picture: Ilford Recorder/Sandra Rowse

Redbridge Cycling Campaign’s rides co-ordinator Haydn Powell accepted the Mayor of Redbridge’s Community Award at this year’s awards ceremony in Ilford Town Hall.

Haydn has worked assiduously to build up a great repertoire of family-friendly cycle rides and an enthusiastic team of ride leaders and marshals.

The award was made to Haydn for the work done by RCC in Redbridge to improve cycle infrastructure and encourage local people to get on their bikes and enjoy the freedom and health benefits of cycling.

Haydn said: Throughout the summer months, RCC lead sociable rides which attract cyclists of all abilities on visits to places of interest in east London, occasionally roaming to other parts of London and Essex . The RCC committee works with Redbridge Council and other cycling groups to improve safety for cyclists. The committee is always looking for new members, so if you have an interest in cycling do try to attend the AGM scheduled for 7.30pm on Tuesday April 16^th on Teams.

Congratulations to Haydn and his team.

Ilford to Gants Hill Road Safety and Cycling Improvements

The proposed scheme is intended to establish a ‘quiet route’ for cyclists between Gants Hill and Ilford.

You can read the full details and respond to the survey here:

Ilford to Gants Hill Road Safety and Cycling Improvements | Let’s Talk Redbridge

Make sure to have a look at the high level design. Except for two short stretches of Balfour Road and Coventry Road, which will have mandatory cycles lanes, all the roads along the route will be for mixed traffic – which means there is no ‘protected space for cycling’ in the form of separate tracks or tracks in the road with wands etc.

Local Transport Note 1/20 (LTN1/20), the Department for Transport’s current guidance on cycle infrastructure design states that

7.1.1 Where motor traffic flows are light and speeds are low, cyclists are likely to be able to cycle on-carriageway in mixed traffic.

This does not describe Perth Road, either now or as it will be if this scheme goes ahead as proposed. This is because what the Council is proposing are exclusively speed management measures. Traffic will travel more slowly but there is no reason to think that will reduce.

Traffic flows along Perth Road, which is most of the route – are not light: it is a busy road. The Council has not provided any data on Motor Traffic Flow but Google Maps shows Perth Road as very busy and this is borne out by the experience of RCC members who have cycled along the road several times in the last few weeks: the volume of traffic means it is not a road we would recommend to cyclists.

LTN 1/20 offers guidance on the appropriate level of protection from motor traffic by speed and traffic volume:

Unless the traffic flow along the Perth Road is less than 2000 vehicles per day – and we don’t think it is and don’t think it will be – the Council either needs to:

Build protected space for cycling in one of the forms provided in LTN 1/20

Introduce traffic management (as opposed to speed management) measures to reduce traffic flows to the level where mixed traffic is acceptable.

The scheme the Council is proposing does neither of these things.

Reducing traffic flows would mean locating modal filters (planters in the road) and point no entries on Perth Road and any other adjacent roads that may otherwise turn into rat-runs, to push through-traffic onto the A12, Ley Street and Cranbrook Road. This is not rocket science and there are numerous examples of such schemes both in London and elsewhere.

Perth Road is not and, if the Council go ahead with the scheme, will still not be suitable for mixed traffic and so RCC does not support the scheme. We think the Council need to go back to the drawing board. Perth Road could be a useful cycling route but only if one of the options we set out above is taken up.

If the Council can show us data that demonstrates that, if the scheme is implemented, Motor Traffic Flow on Perth Road will be down to 2000 per day – making it suitable for mixed traffic – we will revise our position.

As ever, if you have time please do respond to the consultation. You may not agree with our position and think that, whatever its shortcomings, it deserves support. That’s fine with us. On the other hand if you agree with us feel free borrow or cut and paste some or all of what we have to say. Or you can just say I agree with the comments made by Redbridge Cycling Campaign.

If you do respond to the effect that you do not support the scheme as proposed please make sure that you do ask the Council to take it back to the drawing board because Perth Road could be made into a valuable cycle route.