CycleWight News from 2002
The Crossways Garden Pantry at Quarr offer a good place for cyclists to stop for a bite on the bridleway between Binstead and Fishbourne (part of the future Ryde to Wootton cycleroute?). The winter opening days are  Friday, Saturday and Sunday (10am to 4pm) until December 22nd. The cafe within the walled gardens of Quarr Abbey offers vegetarian soups, snacks and ploughmans lunches as well as tea, coffee and cakes. 

 

CycleWight Annual General Meeting 2002

Leading Cycle Campaigner visits the Island

Over 50 people attended the AGM of CycleWight ,the cycle campaign group last Friday night, 1/11.


Tim Thorne the retiring Chair reported on the year's events. Highlight of the year has been the progress on some of the cycle routes on the Island. The group was also pleased of the response to the electric bike rally held earlier on in the year. (The group decided to wait until the New Year before electing a new chair.)

The guest speaker was John Grimshaw, the director of Sustrans. He spoke on how Sustrans work on a whole range of cycling and walking projects. He reviewed progress on cycle routes around the country and explained to the group the way to encourage cyclists and pedestrians. CycleWight, Sustrans and the Council have worked on the Cowes to Sandown cycle route which is nearing completion. It will form part of the National Cycle Network.


John Grimshaw pointed out that cycle tourism is worth over £600 million a year and the Island should be in a good position to take advantage of this when the route is complete. A similar cycle way in Cornwall is the 2nd most popular tourist attraction, employing over 100 people at the height of the summer. He had been told that Wightlink were supportive in seeing an increase of a number of cyclists on the Island.

John Grimshaw pauses on the Newport to Cowes Cycleway, which is to become
part of route 23 of the National Cycle Network


John Grimshaw went to look at the work being carried out on the final part of the route as it nears completion. 'John was very impressed with the work that has been carried out,' said George Wilks who has worked with the Council as a consultant on much of the route. 'It was disappointing that there was not an offical meeting between Mr Grimshaw and the Council bearing in mind that the route is now nearing completion and the fact Mr Grimshaw travels all over the country looking at similar projects,' said Tim Thorne.

'John was an inspirational speaker and certainly gave us plenty if idea to
make the route an attractive one.' said committee member Val Lawson With the support of the Council next year could be a very exciting one.

Note: Sustrans (Sustainable Transport) is working with Local Authorities
and groups to create 10,000 miles of a National Cycle Network. It also works on other projects to encourage people to travel in a more sustainable way

 

IW Tourist Board have just published a booklet containing 12 circular cycle routes on the Island. The Booklet also contains the Round the Island route map. It's on sale now from all Tourist Information Centres price £2.  The routes were provided with information from CycleWight - we would be pleased to hear your comments on the publication. Also a new free leaflet of the Round the Island cycle route plus cycle friendly roads is now available from Tourist Board Information Centres.

 

 

New Cycleway Construction

Work continues on Newport to Sandown Cycleway- Contractors are currently (Sept.9th) constructing the new link from Blackwater to Merstone.  It involves a new crossing of the main road  and using the old rail track bed south of the crossing. Meanwhile work on the Horringford end  is progressing.

The photos below show the before and after scene at the East Lane bridge at Merstone looking west.

Council Progress Report

The IW Council has just published its annual Progress Report for 2002 explaining what progress the Council is making towards achieving the  targets of the Local Transport Plan (LTP). The targets for increased cycling are ambitious and include:- Doubling the number of pupils cycling to school by 2006 and increasing cycle trips along national targets. There has been a measured increase in cycle trips over the last 2 years at off road monitoring points but comprehensive data on on-road use has yet to be collected. However the 'Safe Routes to School' schemes have fallen behind target.  

On the Budget for Cycling schemes the planned spend for 2002/3 is £442,000 but in 2001/2 the planned spend was £670,000 with the actual spend only £276,000 so cycling is poorer by £400,000. There is a tendency for cycling money to be diverted to 'miscellaneous' schemes!  

 

CycleWight is concerned that no attempt has been made to improve the safety of cyclists in the main road re-surfacing contract  between Fairlee Road, Newport and Pellhurst Road, Ryde. 

We are disappointed that the road layout on the approach to Fishbourne has in fact become more hazardous for cyclists with the introduction of a left turn to Fishbourne with cyclists forced to use the outside lane in the Ryde direction. The opportunity to insert a cyclelane from Wootton Bridge up the length of Kite Hill has been ignored. 

Clearly the importance of road safety for cyclists means nothing to the IW Council Highways Engineers in County Hall. We will be renewing our campaigning efforts  to point out the mistakes being made by IW Council, including their lack of  planning and failure to adopt current good practice in highway design.

The Cycle Route along Ryde Canoe to link with Appley park is now a nightmare task of weaving between parked cars, pinch points, bollards and kerbs. Something went seriously wrong with the design of this 'prestigious improvement'. 

 

The Family Bike Ride took place on a perfect cycling day from Sandham Middle School with 60 participants cycling along the Arreton valley including the recently surfaced sections of the Sandown to Newport cycle route. A successful picnic barbeque followed courtesy of the school's head teacher. Our pictures show the line up before the pedalling, the food queue and some of the riders negotiating the bridge at Alverstone.

 

 

 

The Bikers Breakfast was supported by over 50 visiting cycle commuters at Sainsburys in Newport on Wednesday 19th June.

Some of the Cyclists enjoy the morning sunshine, croissants and orange juice amongst the Sainsburys shopping trolleys.  

Progress with Newport to Sandown Cycleway

A good start to 2002 - Work has just started clearing the old track bed of the Newport to Sandown line to complete two sections of the missing links at Merstone and Blackwater. A third section at Horringford has now been successfully purchased to allow completion by 2003. The old track west of Merstone Station is cleared ready for surfacing. The crossing at Blackwater from the end of the existing cycleway will not be started till next year but access to the new section until then will be using the existing parallel bridleway.

The photo taken on 7 March shows the trackbed at Alverstone with topsoil removed and base repair completed ready for surfacing. This section has now been surfaced (April 27th)

 
February 2002 Improvements for Newport-Cowes Cycleway

 

The photos show improvements to the Newport- Cowes cycleway at Medham where CycleWight members helped with coppicing before the contractors completed new drainage and laid the new bitmac surface. 

Resurfacing has also been completed on the Racecourse section of the Wootton to Newport cycleroute
 

CycleWight's Plans for 2002

CycleWight has a direct voice to the IW Council through the Cycle Forum which meets regularly. We are also represented on the Quality Transport Partnership (QTP) which brings together Island transport operators and user groups with the Council. 

 

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