Newsletters 2002

 

October 2002

 

CycleWight AGM
Guest Speaker : John Grimshaw  Director,  Sustrans
Friday 1st November Nine Acres School, Newport. 7.30 p.m.

It is very exciting that John Grimshaw the founder of Sustrans and still its main driving force is to be our guest. With 6,000 miles of the National Cycle Network complete and hopefully the opening of the first stretch on the Island next year it seems particularly appropriate that we invited John. This year's AGM has been brought forward to avoid the Christmas rush. We have also decided to change the venue (again) as we hope to have a large audience for our guest speaker. It  cannot be stressed enough that we need a good turnout to send a powerful message to the Council and other bodies. Please bring spouses, friends from the mainland, in fact anyone who cares. The meeting at Nine Acres Primary, South View, Newport (just past Moreyıs in Trafalgar Rd)  Friday 1st November at 7.30. The usual extras: refreshments, a raffle and great company will all be present.

Vacancies

"As I announced last year I intend to resign from the Chair this year. I am getting so old I cannot remember how long I have held this post. I think that it is time that someone else took the handlebars and gave it a fresh view. I have enjoyed my time and fully intend to stay on the committee as there is much to do." Tim Thorne.
Could you be the newsletter editor? You do not to have  a criminal record like our Geoffrey to write this  document and you can still ride on your bike at anytime.


National Bike Week

This seems a long time ago but it was a successful. The Bikers Breakfast was once again a great event with over 60 people turning up and getting great support from Sainsburyıs. The Family Bike Ride, a Pedalling Picnic, was a new departure for us by basing the ride at a school, Sandham Middle. We had an excellent turn out, a great ride and a barbecue thanks to Ann and John Dear. This was a successful way of spreading the message and well worth doing again. During NBW the hospital also ran some events which were successful. Congratulations to all those who put on the display, including several CycleWight members. It was good to see. CycleWight did write to the hospital to congratulate them and to ask what they were going to do  over their Green Travel Plan but we got no reply.

Well I never knew that
At this time of year cyclists, while out on roads, are used to being hit by the new growth coming from hedges and trees. You can phone up the Council and they will contact the landowners to trim it back. It should be cut to a height of 2.4 meters from the ground. (7ft 11in. to those who can remember Z Cars.) You are surprised so am I. It's normally about 6 feet if you are lucky.
Wightlink
You may have noticed that Janet Saville the Marketing Director of Wightlink was reported as saying that she thought that the Council could make more of the Island with regard cycling. CycleWight wrote to Ms Saville to give our support for her views and arising from that a very good meeting was held discussing a wide range of issues to promote cycling. It was good to meet someone who was so positive. Wightlink along with several other groups, including CycleWight, from the Island bid for  monies from central government to promote cycling. Though none of these submissions were ultimately successful the fact that they were willing to take the time to make the bid was positive. Something that may be of interest to someone is they are willing to give some support for a person who  would want to run a cycle hire operation from their Lymington base.

Cycle Forum
This very important group which comprises of Officers of the Council plus interested parties such as ourselves and the Police has met again to discuss all things pedalling. This is a very brief summary of items discussed
* Racks now in Cowes High St. Places for racks identified in Sandsown, Shanklin and Ventnor. These to be erected soon,
* Council to aim for National Cycling Targets.
* Best Value Inspection : Poor result for IW.
* Improve signs for cycle routes.
* Focus on Safe Routes to School.
* Cycle route: Newport to Sandown, finish early February.
* A draft safety document now available.

Mince Pie Ride
27th Dec Friday   11.00 am Starting Point :Alverstone Village Hall. Duration 2 hrs. Come and join us in a family bike ride. Afterwards participate in  a winter barbecue (?) or just a mince pie. Leader Tim Thorne 520529 Mike Marlow 840609  Fee for food. Please phone if possible to help with catering (but not essential) Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult

New Publications.
Its been along time coming but a new book which the CycleWight committee has put in a considerable amount of effort into has been published. "A guide to Cycling Trails on the  Isle of Wight" contains a series of rides as well as a map of quieter roads and cycle tracks. It costs £2 available form Tourism Offices etc. Also very close to being published is a new "Round the Island" map in which we have also been asked to comment upon.

Congratulations
Well done To Councillor Fox who rode from his house to Binstead to County Hall on an electric bike to promote cycling. It was a splendid gesture and now just for the other 60  councillors!
Membership
Many thanks to all those who have rejoined. For those of you who received a reminder with your last newsletter and have not renewed your membership this is your last one. Surely CycleWight is better value for money than a couple of drinks down the pub.  £4.50 Per. Household. £2.50 Unwaged.
Mr. D Jackson, Toad Hall, Church Rd, Havenstreet, PO33 4DW.

June 2002

Electric Bike Rally

On the 4th May we held a rally for electric bikes. We managed to assemble 19 bikes there and 15 people participated in a ride around the town. It was very successful event attracting a large number of interested people. There was also a good account of event the in the County Press. The interview  following the event  evoked a response from Ernie Fox, the Cabinet Member for transport.
Wight Mountain sold 5 in the week preceding the rally. It goes to show that there are a lot of people out there who are really do not want to use their car all the time.
Pedestrianisation
CycleWight made  a representation the the Council over the pedestrianisation of Newport. The committee supported the principle but were concerned that the routes as proposed meant that many of the routes used by cyclists at the moment as alternatives to using the main roads would now  become part of the main ways through town therefore making the town less cycle friendly.


From the saddle - Tim Thorne
In a recent letter to the County Press Ernie Fox, the Executive Committee member for transport, criticised my statement about him getting on his bike. This, as is often the case, is not what I said but drew the reaction that £600,000 had been spent on cycling, a great deal of money in relation to cars. This is I am sure quite true but it does seem to miss the point. Mr Fox has pointed out on several occasions of late that  the national government is putting pressure on Councils on how they spend their money with regards transport i.e. it has to be directed towards encouraging people to seek alternatives to the car. In one recent article Mr Fox talked about the ways that the Council is seeking to find more car parking places. This to me does not seem a way to encourage people to leave their car at home. There were two letters in the CP a few weeks earlier that bemoaned the state of the  roads. One gentleman even talked about environmentally friendly roads. In my mind and many others, this means less traffic and more provision for cyclists, pedestrians and public transport. The Island is slowly becoming like the mainland, clogged with traffic. Our representatives need to take a lead  that means even more effort is put into alternatives to the car and this must included educating, encouraging and cajoling people out of their cars for at least some of their journeys.


Please, please Write
South Central Trains are to cut their bike space on each 3 car unit from 12 to 2 when their new rolling stock enter service.  This company's routes serve the South Coast from Southampton to Dover and into London via Gatwick. These routes are very popular with cyclists. There is to be a last ditch effort for this provision to be increased. Do mention integrated transport. Please write in the strongest terms to Richard Bowker, Strategic Rail Authority, 55 Victoria St., London  SW1H 0EU
<Richard. Bowker@sra.gov.uk> and David Franks, Managing Director, South Central Trains South Central Ltd, PO Box 277, Tonbridge TN9 2ZP David.Franks@Southcentraltrains.co.uk
and our MP, Andrew Turner

Still wanted
A newsletter editor. Go on, you do not have to make a donation to New Labour to become our editor.

Great news. Derek Jackson has agreed to be our new membership secretary. From now please would you send your subscriptions to Mr. D Jackson, Toad Hall, Church Road,  Havenstreet,  PO33 4DW. Many thanks to all those who have rejoined. For those of you who received a reminder with your last newsletter and have not renewed your membership this is your last one. Surely CycleWight is better value for money than a couple of drinks down the pub.  £4.50 Per. Household. £2.50 Unwaged.

April 2002

Tim Thorne writes:

As I am sure some of you are now beginning to be aware, a lot has happened in the last few months with regard cycling provision. Major work has begun on the Sandown to Newport route, The Racecourse has been upgraded and much more. Let people know, let your councillor know, let Rights of Way know that this is a great step forward and that more is required.

AGM

The AGM this year was in a new venue, Holyrood Hall which proved very acceptable.  The Chair, Treasurer and Secretary were reelected. Tim Thorne, the Chair, did let it be known that he would not be seeking election next year. There was an excellent presentation by Michael McCabe on his year in the media spotlight. The turnout was disappointing, just over 30 rather than the normal 50+. if there was a reason you did not attend this year and you normally do, please let us know as this is such an important event for us.

We would like to welcome to the committee Bob Smart, Chris Edgely and rejoining us Richard Lightbown. Alan Bennett the membership secretary and newsletter king has resigned owing to work comitments We would like to thank Alan who has given CycleWight a technology bent unknown until now. His work during during last year's CCN conference was brilliant and much of the success was due to him.

If you would like to join the committee pleases do not be shy. It is great fun and you are being useful!!!

If you need to renew your membership please send  to Alan Bennett, 54 Pallance Road, Northwood, Cowes, PO31 8LW - £4 per household, £2.50 unwaged.  Please encourage other like minded folks to do the same.

 Events: Saturday 4th May - Cycle Event in St James Square, Newport featuring Electric Bikes.

Sunday 5th May - Randonee

Wednesday 19th June Bike to Work 

Sunday 23rd June Family Bike Ride from Sandham middle School 11a.m. followed by Barbecue or picnic.

Council Report by George Wilks.

New cycleway development effort is being concentrated on the Newport- Sandown path. Horringford to Sandown is currently being surfaced with tarmac and an interim route from Newport to Merstone using the old railway to the west of Merstone Station will be open shortly. It is planned to have the middle section, scenically the best bit of the whole route, between Merstone and Horringford, open by next March - this involves major excavation around East Lane Bridge and replacement of another bridge. The open bits will be signed and publicised this year, the completion of the whole route next year will be a real milestone for CycleWight and the cycling community!

£60,000 has seen 2 km of the northern end of the Cowes to Newport track upgraded.

The path next to the racecourse section of the Newport to Ryde road has also been resurfaced with tarmac. Access it from the Wootton end by turning into the Crematorium Road and immediately to the right.

The ditches along the Wroxall to Shanklin path are being dug out to improve drainage in preparation for work next winter opening up and resurfacing to track.

Sorry to say there has been no change in the impasse over the Medham Link, but solutions to end this frustrating saga are being looked into. 

 There are two separate map projects underway as cooperative ventures between CycleWight and Highways/ Tourism - the first is a revamp of the Round  the Island leaflet to include the cycleways, and also "recommended routes"  to be given away free as before. Signing Of the RTI route is also being improved. The second is a booklet of 12 circular routes, the first 10,000 of which will be given away. thereafter they will cost around £3. 

Please do tell your friends about these new facilities. and  if  you  like them let you local councillor  know - some positive feedback would be very helpful in getting more done? Any comments or questions to George on 524381 

 

From the saddle

Tim Thorne

It was pointed out to me the other day by someone who had just moved from Londoni that cycling on the Island could feel more dangerous than in the big city because cars passed so close. There have been times when he actually  preferred cycling  up there.

It is with a great deal of satisfaction that after much campaigning  so many improvements have happened over the past few months. (see newsletter elsewhere) There is also much anticipation over what should happen in the next year. To go back to the first paragraph. much of this could be undone if people, locals and tourists do not use the facilities because of the perceived 

 

Cycle Forum.

Cycling Back and Well up the Agenda?

The Cycle Forum is an opportunity for all the Various group involved in cycling to meet.  Below is a report ~ Chris Edgely who wrote this report for us on the December meeting. Val Lawson and Malcolm Ross also attended. All are welcome to attend. Please ring Val on 298284 if you wish to attend or to pass on comments about any particular issue. We await the minutes of the March meeting as this newsletter is published. Some of the information is replicated else where in this newsletter but Chris's account gives members a feel for the meeting.

"The regular Cycle Forum meetings have been reinstated at 3 monthly intervals. The first held on the 13th December attracted a reasonable response. Actions will now lead to a better attendance as commercial cycle related businesses see they cannot afford not to attend. There were 11 attendees at the  first meeting, 3 represented CycleWight, 6 from the Isle of Wight Council and the Police with the other 2 from the cycle trade. 

The important news from the Isle of Wight Council was a statement that "cycling has an important role to play on the Island. both as a sustainable form of transport and for recreational  purposes". CycleWight must be in the forefront of those ensuring that this is implemented and not just left as a form of words in a report!

Representing Sustrans and as cycle consultant to the IWC, George Wilks outlined progress in the development and improvement of the main cycleways. This will interest most members.

The Cowes to Newport route is a well used commuter and  recreational route. Work is planned to improve surface and route signing. There is now a planned maintenance programme. Improvements at the Newport end were also discussed to bypass the industrial estate from Little London.

It was reported that some sections of the Newport to Sandown route are complete. I cannot do better than to quote the minutes of the meeting with reference to completion plans and for progress on the remainder:

* Newport - Sandown, some sections complete. To be completed in two phases. Phase 1- Construction of new cycleway on Stenbury Trail from Blackwater and along disused railway line from Bridleway SA34 to Merstone Lane and construction of cycleway between Horringford and Alverstone - to be completed by early Summer.

Phase 2 - Construction of new cycleway from Blackwater Hollow to link with existing Shide to Blackwater section to Stenbury trail. Construction of "missing link" section due to start Sept 2002.

Newport -  Ryde:  Some work has already been done including the purchase and development of cycleway on disused rail line west of Wootton. Planned work includes draining and resurfacing of racecourse section, improving signing and creation of links from Wootton to Ryde.

Yarmouth - Freshwater: Afton Causeway to Afton Road to be upgraded for cycle use.

Chris writes, "Now we have a regular forum, it is important members inform the committee of topics for discussion.

 

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