Agenda

1) Welcome, introductions and apologies

2) Minutes of previous meeting

3) Current Schemes

· Chapel St

· Stonewell Toucan

4) Possible Future Schemes

· Local Sustainable Transport Fund Project

· A6 City Centre – University

· Leach House Lane by University

· Lune Valley Cycle Path

· Morecambe Town Centre and links to promenade

· Sainsburys Morecambe

· Spring Garden St, Lancaster

5) Lancaster City Centre Pedestrian Order Review

see http://www.lancaster.gov.uk/news/2012/mar/3159citycentretraffic

6) Temporary traffic management arrangements in bus station area to accommodate flood relief sewer works

7) Break out session (in groups) – What would improve my regular cycle route (15 minutes)

8 Cycle Training (Damian Bonsall – CTC)

9) Events

· Velocity Festival (see updates)

· Morecambe Family Cycling Day

10) Mountain Biking

11) Activities by employers and cycle groups to promote cycling

(See University of Cumbria update and sustrans-bike-it-newsletter-may-2012.pdf)

12) Lancashire Sports Partnership Cycling Action Plan (Lancashire Sports Partnership Cycling Action Plan)

13) Proposed Welsh Assembly legislation on cycling

See http://www.bikehub.co.uk/news/bike-to-work/welsh-assembly-to-enforce-provision-of-routes-for-cyclists-and-pedestrians/

Minutes  of 6 February 2012 meeting of Lancaster and Morecambe Cycle Forum

Present

Ian Welsby Public Realm Manager Area North, Lancashire County Council

Alasdair Simpson, Sustainable Travel, Lancashire County Council

Gary Bowker, Regeneration and Projects, Lancaster City Council

Patricia Clarke, Dynamo

Dick Follows, Dynamo

Paul Stubbins, Dynamo

Peter Edge, CTC, Sustrans Ranger, Wray Parish Council

David Bedding, Sustrans Ranger

Joy Greenwood

Pat Douglass

Rachel Scott

Damian Bonsall, CTC Bike Club

Simeon Orme, Rough Stuff Fellowship

Matt Hodges, CTC

Andy Beanland, Bentham Environmentally Sustainable Town (BEST)

Holly Smith, Lancaster Freewheelers Cycle Cooperative

Sarah McGowan, Lancaster Freewheelers Cycle Cooperative

Apologies (received after the meeting)

Nick Hewitt, Lancaster University

Phil Longton, Lancaster University

Darren Axe, Lancaster University (Green Lancaster)

1. Minutes of Previous meeting

Agreed

Date on minutes of previous meeting should be October not June

2. Infrastructure

2.1 Recently completed schemes

a) Westgate / Heysham High

Using a grant from Sustrans for school links and a contribution from a developer the cycle path on the north side of Westgate has been extended over the railway bridge to Osborne Road and a cycle path opened by Heysham High. An inland cycle route from Morecambe to Heysham has been signed on quiet roads

b) Lune Valley Cycle Path

· The Lune Valley cycle path had been extended by 3/4 km east of Bull Beck

· Completion of Lune Valley cycle path to Hornby and Wray had been raised by Michael Helm (Ellel Parish Council) at 3 tier forum between County, City and Parish Councils. There had been general support for the proposal and it is likely that it would be included in Environment Directorate Commissioning Plan. Funding and land ownership are still major issues to be overcome before the path could be extended.

· Matthew Hodge mentioned that the chicane at end of new cycle path was difficult to get a tandem or trailer bike through (This has since been done)

· Peter Edge stressed need to get route through to Wray. B road between Wray and Hornby was used by Lancashire Cycleway and Way of Roses and was narrow, bendy and unpleasant to cycle on

· Andy Beanland who was from Bentham stressed need to get route to Wennington. This would be expensive as there was a river bridge missing

2.2 Schemes currently being constructed

a) Lune Aqueduct

As part of the restoration of the Lune Aqueduct a ramp is being provided from the canal towpath to the riverside cycle path.

The work was due to be complete in spring with an opening event in July.

2.3 Proposed schemes

a) Pointer Roundabout

Works due to start in early March

b) Chapel St

.

· It was proposed to relocate the contra flow cycle lane on east side of street as there had been 4 accidents at Butterfield St and 5 at the car park entrance involving drivers failing to see cyclists on the cycle lane

· After comments from cyclists the scheme was being reviewed

· It was hoped to do the work in May when the road was closed for gas mains work

c) Spring Garden St

To enable cyclists to use the street two way and link to the toucan it was proposed to convert the footway on the south side to a cycle track. This scheme was funded by a developer contribution.

d) Middleton Way, Heysham

A new toucan crossing was being provided by a primary care centre development. This would also link the Mossgate area to Heysham village, St Peter’s Primary School and Promenade

e) Sainsburys’ Morecambe

Two toucan crossings had been installed on Lancaster Road outside the new Sainsburys. There was a need for linking cycle paths and a link to the Greenway.

Gary Bowker to check the amount of developer funding available

2.4 Other infrastructure matters

a) Canal towpath Carnforth to Lancaster

The surface of the canal towpath between Lancaster and Carnforth was about 10 years old. There was a need to resurface the towpath to stop the surface deteriorating. Both the County Council and Dynamo had raised the matter with British Waterways

b) Way of Roses

· The route was felt to be a success. A new cycle path was being installed by North Yorkshire on the A65 between Clapham and Austwick. A cycle counter would be installed and surveys carried which would enable an estimate of use of the route to be made.

· The route was being promoted in Holland and Belgium. There was a market for European cyclists coming off the ferry at Hull cycling across the country one way and returning another

c) A6 Corridor Study

A study of the A6 corridor from Lancaster to the M6 south of Galgate was being carried out by Jacobs Consultants. At the request of Dynamo a meeting had been set up with Jacobs to allow cyclists’ groups to input into the study

d) Local Sustainable Transport Fund

The County Council’s bid to the Local Sustainable Transport Fund was due to go in at the end of February with the outcome known at the end of May

3. Proposal by Dynamo to take over running of the meeting

To give members of the forum more chance to put forward their views and input into the development of cycling in the areas it have been suggested that Dynamo take over responsibility for managing the meeting and coordinating the agenda

Peter Edge said it would be difficult for an organisation other than the council to run the meeting as they would have less of an idea of everything that was going on

It was agreed that the County Council would continue to run the forum. However they would ask members of the forum if there were any issues they wanted to include on the agenda in advance of the forum and the forum would include breakout sessions in future

4. Breakout Session

What 3 things would do most to encourage cycling in the area.

Group 1

Access to City Centre

Changing people’s perception of cyclists

Group 2

Extend 20 mph to all roads

Dedicated cycle lanes on A6

Driver education (e.g. encouraging them to obey speed limits)

Group 3

Access to City Centre (Market St / New St)

Encourage drivers to obey 20 mph speed limits them Publicity

Group 4

Safe infrastructure

Driver education

Group 4 also express regret at ending of Bike it project

Gary Bowker mentioned that there was no one solution and there was a need for investment in a number of different areas sustained over several years.

Suggestion for break out session at next meeting

What would improve my regular cycle route?

5. Promotion

5.1 Cycle training

CTC were offering the County Council’s trial adult cycle training scheme in Lancaster. Take up to date had been low due to time of year. All trainees had been women so far ranging from somebody who wanted the confidence to ride on the canal to people wanting to cycle on road

5.2 Freewheelers Cycle Workshop

Freewheelers were a new cycle workshop cooperative that had been set up in Denis St close to the centre of Lancaster by the canal.

They offered bike repair, cycle recycling, bike maintenance course and a tool club. They could also help with publicity events such as Dr Bike

www.freewheelersbicycleworkshop.org.uk

5.3 Olympic Torch

Olympic Torch was coming through Lancaster on 22nd Junel. There was a desire to do something round cycling at the event. One possibility was a cycle race on closed roads on the east side of the city centre either in the evening or the following Sunday

5.4 Preston Cycling Events

Sky Ride Sunday 17th June mass participation event on closed roads in the city and on cycle paths south of the river

Guild Wheel Opening 19th August Opening of new 21 mile circular route round Preston to celebrate 2012 linking the river corridor with the north of the city. The event was being sponsored by Spar, who are based in Preston

5.5 Mountain Biking

· Paul Stubbs said there was a need to do more to promote local mountain bikes to discourage people from travelling elsewhere to mountain bike centres

· Other members of the forum mentioned that the problem was that there were few bridleways in the district. Cyclists are allowed to cycle on bridleways.

· Peter Edge mentioned that shooters track up Ward Stone would make a good mountain route, but cyclists were not allowed to use it.

· The County Council’s Rights of Way Improvement plan aimed to increase the number of bridleway, but had little money attached to it.

· British Horse Society had produced a bridleway strategy for the county about 10 years ago.

· There was a County Access Forum which Peter Edge was a member..

· The CTC website gave advice on claiming public rights of way. ]

· Rough Stuff Fellowship could give advice on local routes

Rough Stuff Fellowships website include details of local mountain bike routes

www.southlakesgroup.org/routes and cafés www.cafe.southlakesgroup.org

5.6 University of Lancaster

There was felt to be a need for more cycle parking at the university with bikes being attached to railings and drain pipes

5.7 University of Cumbria

The University had included an article on the travel to work event in their magazine thus doubling the publicity value of the event

Lancaster Cycle Forum May 2012 Updates

VeloCity Festival June 22 to 24

This includes

· Lancaster City Centre Cycling Racing, Friday evening

· BMX demonstration – Morecambe Battery, Sunday

· Go Ride Racing – Saltayre, Saturday

· Family Cycle Rides, from Saltayre at 12.15 on Saturday and Sunday

Further information http://www.lancaster.gov.uk/sports-and-leisure/festivals-events/velocity-festival-programme-events/#jetski

University of Cumbria

This academic year has been the best yet for our staff and student bike loan scheme.  All the bikes have been out on loan and at one point we had a waiting list.  The University and the Students’ Union have done a lot of work to promote the availability of the bikes and this is paying off.  The University are looking at a rolling programme of replacement for the bikes which are now two years old.

In 2009 cycling at our Lancaster campus was running at under 1% mode share.  By March 2011 this had doubled to 2%.  Not big numbers but anecdotal evidence suggests that the number of cyclists is continuing to grow, if slowly.  The proximity of the campus to the city centre means a large number of people get to the campus on foot.

Across the University including Penrith and Cumbria as a whole, 7% of our staff have now used Cycle Scheme to get hold of a bike since we started this in 2009.  The University continue to do things to help cyclists – for example Dr Bike checks and Roadshows.

Potholes

In 2011/12 the Lancashire County Council set a target to fill in 90% of potholes within 30 days of being reported. There are standards on how quickly potholes are filled in according to their depth. The standard was achieved between July 2011 and March 2012. Potholes are picked up by roads being inspected on a regular basis and people reporting potholes.

You can report potholes via the highway fault line http://eforms.lancashire.gov.uk/AF/an/default.aspx/RenderForm/?F.Name=FY26qap_66j

Telephone 0845 053 0011