Brighton & Hove Cycling Campaign www.bricycles.org.uk Winter 2019 No. 117 Barriers to Cycling We need a network not a notwork! 2019 has been the year of endless obstruc!ons to all our routes. The extent of the blockages has been staggering$ Cause by u!lity companies, roa schemes, buil ing works, parking, events, &oo s, an most disappoinngly, barriers installe by A25. seafront our own Brighton an Hove City Council$ Below: One of the new gates at the Ship Street / North St junction. No consultation , no sense. A201 2e3es Road Ship Street gates • A … °? • W° … ° T°""#$ R&°#'( O*? • W° … ° S°" A&*#? A23 2ondon Road See page 11 6alley 7ardens the 8nal froner9 The last link in the big Valley (ar ens scheme inclu es the area from the Steine to the sea, where everyone wants to walk, cycle an rive$ This is the *Phase ,- area. The esign was approve in .ebruary to keep the bus stops in front of the 2019. The Coast to Capital /ocal Pavilion an to also locate the main cycle 0nterprise Partnership agree 123 of route along there to then go through fun ing on 17 October. Pool Valley. This woul set us up for 0veryone has ha to make some con&ict with bus passengers, pe estrians compromises an we are sa!s6e with an tourists. Na!onal 0xpress buses the overall esign for cycling. Brighton woul have to move out of Pool Valley an Hove Bus Company is also on boar an 6n parking elsewhere. with Phase ,, though Buswatch, the bus On 22 November, the Chair of the user group have expresse reserva!ons. 0nvironment Transport an 7ork on the groun 8Phases 1 &29 is Sustainability mee!ng, Cllr. Anne beginning to show how Brighton will be Pissari ou 8/abour9 liste the transforme with improve pavements e6ciencies of the V(. alterna!ve an an cycleways an an a:rac!ve green sai that the Council will con!nue to area. progress its preferre esign. However, the Valley (ar ens .orum was If Phase , goes ahea as planne , this acknowle ge as a stakehol er in future will be a step change in cycling an engagement. The CouncilCs Phase , walking provision lea ing to greater esign is on the CouncilCs Valley (ar ens uptake. However, an alliance of web page. businesses, resi ents, taxi 6rms an others have forme the *Valley (ar ens Support the Phase 3 .orum- an are promo!ng a i<erent design 3hich does not plan which aban ons the major features have a big roundabout which are goo for cycling an walking. and has be>er cycling They want to retain the ire Aquarium and 3alking routes. Roun about instea of conver!ng it to a more manageable TAjunc!on. They want 2 Council Business Co3 much say 3ill 3e have in Road3orks the crucial local cycling plan? 3ark Strong, Brighton an Hove 3ark Strong also aske another Community 7orks transport rep was ques!on about the /ocal Cycling an busy at the Anvironment, Transport and 7alking Infrastructure Plan 8/C7IP9 on Sustainability meeng on 8th October. behalf of Iaty Ro a, 8his Community He aske a most per!nent ques!onD *In 7orks job share partner9 on what recent months there have been many egree of involvement stakehol ers roa work an evelopment sites in the woul have in the planCs evelopment. city which have ha a signi6cant He recommen e seFng up an Ac!ve nega!ve impact on the safety an Travel .orum. The Chair will consi er convenience of people walking an this. The terms of reference for the /C7IP 3ember Task an .inish (roup were agree later at the same mee!ng. A cross party group of councilors will oversee the evelopment of the plan with support from oEcers. This will inclu e metho ology, scope, gathering informa!on, etermining criteria for cycling, inclu ing isable people. They improvement an repor!ng. have also a<ecte the eEcient &ow of Stakehol er involvement an input will buses. These works regularly fail to take be agree by 3embers. Input *coul into account the majority of resi ents in inclu e representa!ves of walking an the city who o not travel by car, with cycling groups, community problems inclu ing blocke pavements, engagement, Jhar er to reachC groups inaccessible pe estrian an cycle inclu ing young people, an public crossings an inconsistent signing & roa health provi ers.- 3ee!ngs were ue Amarking puFng people walking an to take place from October to 3ay cycling at risk. How will the councilCs 2020. Bricycles has not receive an permit an planning processes be invita!on yet. change to stop this happeningG- 3ark aske a ,r ques!on on behalf of The Chair recognise the challenge, sai Chris To of Brighton an Hove that the Council welcomes reports of .rien s of the 0arth about engaging problems an that the City Transport with resi ents on climate change so Division is being restructure so as to be that the risk of opposi!on to bene6cial more e<ec!ve in re ucing such schemes like Valley (ar ens coul be inci ents. 3ark suggeste a forwar avoi e . The Chair sai that an plan of works ma e available for engagement plan an carbon comment , but the chair i not commit re uc!on programme woul be to this. publishe in early 2020. , 7oodbye old tree in Naonal Cycle Route 219 Planners of yesteryear put a cycle track here espite the obvious tree$ ItCs as though they thought cycling was in a parallel universe. People will be familiar with the sceneD a tree in our narrow twoAway cycle track as well as vehicles parke on the a joining pavement or overhanging the track. 7e onCt like to see any tree go, but the huge elm on Preston Roa A2, was infecte with Dutch 0lm Disease. There was a major arborist opera!on. Is the route now clearG Too much to expect$ The stump remains. 7e have aske for it to be remove . The warning sign about the traEc chaos in Argyle R . was not replace aLer the tree was felle . 7e contacte the council an the sign was eventually put back an remaine there, complete with graE! aLer the works were 6nishe . ALSO: See the item on this cycle track’s juncon with Argyle Rd. and Camp ell Rd. on page 14. 4 The Bugle, Bricycles A7M 2E St. MarnGs Street, BN2 3CH There was a goo turnout for the A(3 on 9 th Nuly at this tucke away pub near the /ewes Roa . 7e were honoure by the a:en ance of one of the foun er members of Bricycles, Rob Stephenson, shown leL, hol ing one of BricyclesC original *Buckle 7heel Awar s- presente to Brighton District Council for 75 potholes i en!6e in 1981$ 7e coul awar this to the Council again in 2019 for all the gates an obstruc!ons aroun the City$ (reat news is that we electe a 7eb 3anager, Rob Stevens who will maintain an improve the website. Also, Richar Bates as a campaigns ri e lea er is going to organise *Cycle Safaris- in collabora!on with Tom Nones, the Ranger CoAor inator so that groups can go out an assess cycling infrastructure 8or lack of it$9 an lobby the relevant authori!es for improvements. No other changes in commi:ee. Thanks to all members for con!nue support. See back page for commi>ee contact details. 5 Sounding the Alarm on the Climate Amergency Hun re s of protestors walke or wheele with the lightship an yellowAsuite crew 8right9 to the venue of the /abour Party Conference at the Brighton Centre on Sun ay 22 September. One of the par!cipants was (reen Councillor Pete 7est, who is the opposi!on spokesperson on the 0nvironment, Transport & Sustainability Commi:ee9. In photo leL, Pete 8leL9 is with 3ark Strong 8right9 who tweets as Pibikebrighton . /loy Russell 3oyle, /abour 3P for Iemptown walke with Cllr. 7est brie&y 8right9. Sirens, foghorns an &ares a e to the atmosphere on the overcast morning. The march halte at the Brighton Centre an Ra io 4Cs familiar late night *Sailing by- theme was playe to conference 2 elegates followe by a ire weather forecast pre ic!ng climate crisis$ There was an enjoyable mix of lobby groups an poli!cs. The march passe the Aquarium Roun about an on to the Steine rally. Maria with Helen %ellar Becky Reynolds and Tony (reen 22 September is Car Iree Day every year. /ately in Brighton, this has passe without e<orts to remove traEc, unlike in /on on where 20 kms of central roa s were close for the ay. However, the Council is apparently now consi ering an event for C.D 2020. 7 Road Safety Brighton and Cove City Council, 211. 2abour 21 7reen 1. Conservave 13 Independent 2 /abour an (reens have agree to work together on some key issues. KLASTIONN Do you think the passing distance of vehicles overtaking you 3hen cycling has improved 2'$° T°( Q' P°( or not in the past 2 years? */TP5- will be the next local Please reply to Oeith Baldock, Road Safety OPcer transport strategy an plan. Brighton and Cove City Council, Bricycles provi e some (roun .loor, Hove Town Hall, BN, 4AH preliminary comments keith.bal ockPbrightonAhove.gov.uk 0127, 292258 about aims an vision. www.brightonAhove.gov.uk/roa safety .urther informa!on in 2020. .acebookD Share the Roa s, Brighton & Hove See BCCC 3ebsite Will 3e take seafront road space for cycling and 3alking? *Rues!on !me- at the Brighthelm Centre on 25 th April, 2019 was shortly before the local elec!ons.