Southampton Cycling Campaign Newsletter February 2005

Welcome to the Feb 2005 Southampton Cycling Campaign Newsletter.
If you have an old folding bike (in any condition) going cheap please contact tim@southamptoncycling.org.uk or Tel: 07754276639

Lyn Brayshaw is still looking for a "Bike luggage trailer" Any response to Lyn Brayshaw Tel: 8048 7879 please.
A £1.9m road improvement scheme is taking place on a notorious road at the centre of safety concerns. Roadwork's on the A36 in Hampshire, until 25 February. 
Resurfacing work between the M27 and the circuit roundabout will take place between 14 February and 23 March. 
Safety cameras have already been installed on the A36, which carries up to18,000 vehicles a day through Wellow, in an attempt to tackle dangerous driving.
tim@southamptoncycling.org.uk
In this issue...

1) Greener, Safer, Healthier Routes to Schools: Department of Transport (DfT) News Release
2) Bike Rail Guidance Launched: Department of Transport (DfT) News Release
3) HC Annual Report 1st Oct 2003 to 30th Sep 2004:Hampshire Cycling Annual Report (Southampton)
4) Solent Coasts Cycling Challenge: 2005 Cycling Challenge
5) Cycle Paths Scoop the Lottery Poll: Sustrans win on the lottery
6) South West Trains Getting Rebuilt: SWT redesigned to take more bikes
7) Cycle Events In Hampshire
8) Contact Information and Membership application

1) Greener, Safer, Healthier Routes to Schools

Local education authorities will be able to bring school transport into the 21st century as Education & Skills Secretary Charles Clarke and Transport Secretary Alistair Darling today unveiled plans for greener, safer and healthier ways to travel to school.

Mr Darling announced £10 million of Department for Transport funding to develop hundreds of safe walking and cycling routes to schools. The Links to Schools programme will extend the National Cycle Network, bringing it closer to schools and making it easier and safer for pupils to walk or cycle. More than 230 schools will directly benefit via the funding to 100 local authorities. The grant is to be made to Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity, which has built the 8,000-mile National Cycle Network, and which will oversee the building of new links from the Network to schools around England. Mr Clarke confirmed that a School Transport Bill will be introduced to Parliament today to enable up to 20 local education authorities to introduce new schemes to tackle the congestion caused by the traditional 'school run,' developing innovative ways for pupils to travel to school tailored to their local circumstances, with up to £200,000 Government funding to kick start each scheme.

The School Transport Bill would bring the first changes to school transport legislation in over 60 years, allowing local education authorities to develop innovative solutions to school transport problems, reducing traffic congestion and cutting pollution, through the use of, for example:

safe cycle routes to schools, plugged into the national cycle network, with secure storage for bicycles at schools;
'walking buses' where pupils are collected from an agreed location, and then walk together to school escorted in safe groups by volunteers, with other pupils joining them en route;
'park & stride' schemes where parents drop children off at an agreed location to be escorted into school;
more high quality school buses catering for more pupils, with features such as CCTV and well-trained drivers; as well as extra buses catering for pupils attending after school activities;
staggered starting times with different schools in the same area staggering their starting times to reduce the number of cars on the road at any one time.

Mr Darling said: "As well as being fun, cycling improves health, reduces school-gate congestion and pollution and provides our children with a sense of independence. But we need to persuade more children, and their parents, that they can cycle to school safely. Today's announcement is a real step in the right direction to persuade more children to cycle more safely, more often.

"School children across the country are set to benefit from the Links to Schools programme, made possible by a £10 million grant from my department, the largest ever cash injection for a project of this kind. The funding will help to develop hundreds of safe walking and cycling routes to schools around the country. "We are determined to ensure that cycling and walking to school become a safe and healthy option for children and reassure parents that their children are safe when traveling to and from school. This investment builds upon the annual investment of more than £20 million a year which the Departments for Transport and Education are making in the Traveling to School initiative and will provide further help to children and parents who want to come to school without their cars."

Mr Clarke said: "Twice as many children are driven to school now in comparison with 20 years ago - around 40% of primary pupils and 20% of secondary pupils. Most of these journeys are less than 2 miles, meaning decreasing numbers of children walking or cycling with serious health implications in terms of lack of daily exercise and the growing proportion of children who are overweight. "Our proposals would encourage local education authorities to come up with 21st century solutions to make walking, cycling and bus travel safe, green, healthy options for more schools and their pupils, while allowing authorities who are content with their current arrangements to retain them."

Today's announcements build on innovative work to modernise school transport schemes across England which have been established under Traveling to School: An Action Plan. Launched in September 2003, the Action Plan has already spent £14 million in local education authorities and 2,400 schools to develop:

dedicated school travel plans which offer safer routes to school, road crossings, local speed restrictions, dedicated cycle ways, secure cycle storage, sufficient locker space and improved public transport provision;
road safety skills for pupils, particularly at primary schools, and cycle training;
positive behaviour by pupils on public transport on their journeys to and from school;
lessons through geography, PSHE, and citizenship to explain the benefits of sustainable travel;
a network of over 250 school travel advisers in local authorities in England to provide expert advice to schools engaged in travel planning.
Press Enquiries: 020 7944 3066
Out of Hours: 020 7944 4292
E-mail: press@dft.gov.uk
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300
DfT website: http://www.dft.gov.uk
Published 14 October 2004

2) Bike Rail Guidance Launched

A new publication to help promote combined cycling and rail schemes throughout the country has been launched.

Bike and Rail - a good practice guide is jointly produced by the Department for Transport and the Countryside Agency. It provides advice and guidance for those promoting Bike and Rail schemes, highlighting a number of case studies where such initiatives have been successfully set up. Transport Minister, Charlotte Atkins, said:

"I am delighted that guidance about combining cycling and rail journeys is being made available. Sixty per cent of the UK's population live within a 15-minute cycle ride of a railway station so there is a huge potential for such journeys which has not yet been fully tapped. I am hopeful that the new guidance will help maximise this potential."

The guide highlights good practice and encourages successful partnerships in both urban and rural areas. The case studies featured, cover a variety of Bike and Rail Projects throughout the country, which include:

Cycle parking at stations
Cycle-friendly stations (clear advice and signing together with easy movement around the station)
Cycle carriage on trains
Information and marketing
Access and routes to stations
Cycle hire and cycle centres

Practical guidance on forming effective partnerships to promote Bike and Rail journeys is given- noting the various sources of possible funding for projects. Pam Warhurst, chair of the Countryside Agency, says:

"Bikes are starting to be seen as a real alternative to the car - not just for short, local journeys but also for longer journeys when combined with the train. But in many places the potential is not being realised. The guidance shows that many measures can be implemented now which should lead to a big increase in opportunities for bike and rail journeys, opening up new transport options as well as improving public health."

Ms Atkins adds: "Interest in cycling has never been higher for leisure, fitness and environmental reasons. Clearly rail companies need to balance the needs of cyclists with other passengers and the new guide provides practical advice. It complements the forthcoming Strategic Rail Authority Cycling Policy document as well as the Department's own initiative to provide over £500,000 to fund improved cycle parking at stations, where demand currently exceeds provision".

Press Enquiries: 020 7944 3066
Out of Hours: 020 7944 4292
E-mail: press@dft.gov.uk
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300
DfT website: http://www.dft.gov.uk
Published 17 September 2004

3) HC Annual Report: 1st October 2003 to 30th Sep 2004

Hampshire Cycling was set up in 1999 to increase cycling levels in the county with the slogan "more cycling more often". It consists of cycle campaigners from the three CTC DAs in Hampshire, i.e. Portsmouth, South Hampshire and North Hampshire.

Hampshire Cycling (HC) seeks to achieve this by liaising with tiers of government at both officer and politician-level. It facilitates contacts between these various elements by having a single point of contact to be used where necessary but also local contacts with a detailed knowledge of their area. This in turn helps to raise the profile of cycle campaigners at the local level.

Through its contact with Hampshire County Council in particular, it seeks to obtain an overall view of policy and then to try and seek to influence it. Individual members of HC benefit from networking with other HC members. Cycle campaigning can often be frustrating and it helps that individual campaigners can share frustrations and also their successes.

In addition to contacts with the County Council, HC also has contacts with two unitary authorities of Portsmouth and Southampton although links with the unitaries need improving.

Activities during the year:

* "Getting Around" is produced by Surry CC. A useful cycle training leaflet and HC would like something similar   developed by Hampshire County Council (HCC).
* Campaigned for bikes on trains and against further restrictions, particularly by SWT.
* Continued to Press HCC for more speed cameras, gray not yellow on roads that cyclists are likely to use and not   just main roads. Currently no change in HCC policy.
* HC continues to ask for cycle audit of all schemes, not just cycle routes. HCC are still unwilling to consider any   form of cycle audit.

The main focus activity at present is our input into the second Local Transport Plan (LTP), which will affect cycle policy in Hampshire and the two unitaries for the next five years.

Central government has abandoned national targets and it is up to local authorities to choose and set targets. No target = no priority = no funding. We will endeavour to persuade HCC to set cycling targets that are specific, measurable, achievable and timed. This has not happened in the past.

The government is asking councils to consider the next LTP under 4 headings of accessibility, safer, congestion and environment but is vague on the how. Cycling can directly contribute to all of these BUT politicians can choose to ignore cycling as a means to an end. We believe that HCC does want to create its own cycle targets and HC will do its utmost to make sure this happens.

In conclusion, 2003/4 has been a frustrating year in many ways for cycle campaigners but the need far an organisation like HC remains valid. We have to redouble our efforts to get our message over to those with influence at both the officer and even more important the political level.
Sue Coles, secretary.
Suecoles1@aol.com


4) Solent Coasts Cycling Challenge

I am writing to ask your support once again in helping us to gain publicity for this year's 66 mile and 6 ferry journey charity cycling challenge, now in its 3rd year. Anything that you can do as soon as possible to help would be marvelous, particularly as this event is set up without any budget, the only expense deducted being a minimal amount to cover postage. The charities themselves do great work and being run entirely by volunteers ensures that every pound raised make a real difference. This year, we are hoping to get even more riders so your help in this could be crucial.

Everything is now in place to accept entrants for an even better Solent Coasts Cycling Challenge 2005. It will take place on Saturday June 11th 2005 and once again be part of National Bike Week raising funds for three great charities all working in areas of extreme suffering - Hope and Aid Direct, Healing Hands Network and Growing Care 

This year, there will be a prominent presence of volunteers from the supported charities at the official start /finish with charity banners etc. As challengers finish, a photograph of each rider will be taken so that this can be inserted on the certificates of successful challengers.

There are also several improvements to the route in response to feedback, particularly in respect of some of the road sections in order to take in more minor roads, particularly on the Hythe -> Lymington section. The instructions have also been improved in one or two places to clarify a couple of awkward direction changes.

We are also very excited to have the assistance of the Southern Daily Echo who will be doing articles both on the ride and the charities ensuring that we should receive considerable publicity, as well as the continuing great support of our main sponsor WIGHTlink, plus the Gosport, Warsash and Hythe ferries, Beaulieu Estates and David Lloyd Leisure. Once again, the chance of winning great prizes is available to successful challengers.

Please visit the new look website at www.solent-challenge.org.uk where you will be able to view details of the event, the rules for entry, details of the benefiting charities, supporting companies, prizes and where riders can obtain an entry form.

Bernie Sullivan & Susie Barker
Solent Coasts Sponsored Cycling Challenge
The 66 mile 6 ferry journey cycle ride in 24 hours for Humanitarian Aid
http://www.solent-challenge.org.uk/
tel 023 80262825
mob 07884 263132

5) Cycle paths scoop the lottery poll

When it come to a popularity contest for the nation's favourite lottery beneficiary, Tate Modern and the Eden Project were pipped at the post - by the humble cyclist. The British public has voted the National Cycle Network as its choice for a prestigious National Lottery's Helping Hand 'UK Life Award'.

The award, which recognises the National Lottery-funded project that has made the greatest overall impact to UK national life was announced on Saturday (6th November) at an award ceremony at London's Tate Modern. The National Cycle Network and Sustrans, the Bristol charity behind it, were short-listed from over 1,000 entries nominated by the public earlier this summer. Over the past two weeks Lottery phone lines have been flooded with calls from fans of the National Cycle Network from across the UK.

John Grimshaw, Sustrans' Chief Executive said: "The National Cycle Network is truly nationwide. 126 million walking and cycling trips were made in 2003 and we are seeing more and more people using it each year. This award is further confirmation that we are really making an impact by helping more people around the UK to walk and cycle, encouraging healthier lifestyles, reducing car congestion and lowering pollution levels. This is the truly sustainable way to travel. We thank everyone who voted for us, and, of course the National Lottery, who's funding has allowed us to realise a vision that has already given the UK almost 10,000 miles of National Cycle Network."

It was the £43.5m award from the National Lottery that enabled the opening of the first 5,000 miles in June 2000. Over 8,200 miles of the Network is now open and Sustrans are on course to open 10,000 miles of route by the end of 2005. Sustrans works in partnership with more than 400 local councils, British Waterways and others organisations. 
www.sustrans.org.uk

6) South West Trains Getting Rebuilt

South West Trains are getting a completely new deign of the interior over next 3 and a half years to accommodate more cycles. Unofficially on an 8 carriage train there will be four carriages with bike spaces - one front, one back and two middle. They would each have space for two bikes. There is potential for 4 bikes per carriage, totalling 16 per train, but that is taking up pram space.

7) Cycle Events

Horndean
Saturday 19 March 2005 at 1pm. 8 miles / 3 hours
Family cycle ride. Discover the hidden sights of Horndean by bike (street riding only). Some hills. Booking necessary: 023 9259 7766.
Meet at: Horndean Parish offices on Blendworth Lane. Grid ref: SU 709136.
Leader: Horndean Parish Council Countryside Team.

South Hampshire DA
Saturday 5th March. Phil Hampton Memorial Ride (50 or 30 miles). Binstead Village Hall. www.nhampshireirectc.org.uk

8) Get in touch

Chairperson Eric Reed. Tel: 02380 497512 E-mail: eric.reed@eastleigh.gov.uk
Membership	39 Swift Road, Woolston, Southampton, SO19 9FP. 
Want something raised at a meeting? Call or e-mail Eric. Or e-mail agenda@southamptoncycling.org.uk.

And finally, to keep our meetings on track, how about getting that winge out of your system by emailing winge@southamptoncycling.org.uk

Meetings at 19:45 every 2nd Monday of the month (except August) at Friends Meeting House, Ordnance Road.

This newsletter is available online at www.southamptoncyclingcampaign.org.uk
								
Annual fee (please circle)		£10 Waged / £5 Unwaged
Return this form with your fee to SCC Membership Secretary, 
39 Swift Road, Woolston, Southampton, SO19 9FP
Cheques payable to Southampton Cycling Campaign, please. 

Southampton Cycling Campaign Newsletter February 2005