Family Cycle Ride and Sustrans event on Alban Way - Saturday 8 March

Hello everybody I just wanted to let you all know that we are holding an event in St Albans on Saturday 8^th of March. Sorry it is such short notice it’s a last minute  thing. There is an art project which is taking a local youth group to paint a mural under one of the bridges on the Alban Way. The bridge is where the Alban Way meets Orient Close. We are holding an information  stand there along with a smoothie bike and  a Dr Bike. We want to recruit more volunteers in St Albans to look after the Alban Way. The event will run from 12pm to 3pm concluding with a family cycle along the Alban Way towards Hatfield.

Siobhan McSwiggan
Community Champions Officer
East of England

 

Update: from St Albans City and District Council -

Creative ideas needed for Alban Way mural

Come to a fun, family event on Saturday 8 March and contribute ideas on what to include in a new street art community mural for the Alban Way.

You can take part in creative activities, get your bike safety checked and learn about the old railway that once ran along the Alban Way.

Provided by St Albans City and District Council and Sustrans, the event will take place from 12 noon to 3pm at the Alban Way entrance on Orient Close.

Young people from the Cunningham Hub Youth Café will be present to gather ideas for a mural they are creating to decorate the tunnel under London Road. Accompanied by a professional artist, they will be asking passers-by how they use the Alban Way as inspiration for the mural.

During the afternoon, there will also be an eight mile, off-road bike ride for families along the Alban Way to the outskirts of Hatfield.

Before setting off, cyclists will be able to test their pedal power by making a healthy drink on a specially adapted ‘Smoothie bike’. Dr Bike will also be on hand to carry out bicycle safety checks and simple maintenance.

Major cycleway scheme to start – a final link in the chain for St Albans (NCN Route 6/61)

Hertfordshire County Council News Release: 21/01/2009 PR 8084
Major cycleway scheme to start – a final link in the chain for St Albans

A major project will get underway next week (January 26) to complete the National Cycle Network in St Albans by linking it up with existing routes to the north, south and east of the city centre.

When the 4.4 mile (7.1km) connecting route is finished, it will enable local residents to cycle to the local railway stations and the city centre itself – or to the surrounding countryside for leisure activities. This is in line with the county and district councils’ strategies to encourage cycling as a sustainable means of transport.

The route, which will mainly make use of signed sections on existing roads, has been finalised following extensive consultation work and discussion with the St Albans Cycle Forum. It will carry on from the existing section on Watford Road, going northwards through St Julians, the city centre, Townsend and New Greens to Harpenden Road. It will also link to the Alban Way cycle track, which provides an off-road link to Hatfield.

Work will need to be done at the following locations to improve safety for cyclists using the route:

• Watford Road junction with Robert Avenue
• Watling Street junction with Vesta Avenue
• Path between Tavistock Avenue and Abbots Avenue West
• Berners Drive junction with Abbots Avenue West
• Path between Cottonmill Lane and Berners Drive
• Keyfield Terrace
• Path across Bernards Heath between Townsend Drive and Harpenden Road
• Path between Batchwood Drive and Therfield Road
• Path between New Greens Avenue and Harpenden Road.

Most of this work is due to start on January 26 and to be completed by the end of March, apart from improvement work on the existing path through Bernards Heath (which is owned by the Althorp Estate). This is due to take place in March, subject to a legal agreement with the landowner.

Hertfordshire Highways have worked in partnership with St Albans City and District Council and Groundwork Hertfordshire to design a route that will be in keeping with the environment of the Heath while providing better access for users.

Funding for the work is being met from the county council’s Local Transport Plan, plus a landfill tax grant obtained by Groundwork Hertfordshire which is being used to part-fund the work on Bernards Heath.

“We’ve long been committed to the provision of safe, signed, convenient cycle routes that enable people to travel in and between our town centres quickly and easily just by hopping on a bike, so we’re delighted to see work getting underway with this major partnership scheme for St Albans,” said Stuart Pile, Executive Member for Highways Transport and Rural Affairs.

“As well as the environmental benefits of cycling, there are also proven health benefits, especially if you do it regularly. We anticipate that the work will be completed by the spring – when hopefully people will be keen to try leaving the car at home and go by bike.”

Residents living near the project area have received letters detailing the scheme and information boards have been erected at each site.

Localised traffic management is required in various locations with traffic signals to be used during restricted working hours on Watford Road, Watling Street, London Road and Harpenden Road.

For more detailed information visit
http://www.hertsdirect.org/envroads/roadstrans/transplan/ltp/ltp2/newcyclestrat/

Thanks to John Metcalf for passing this release to us.


STACC have been involved in the consultation for this route for a number of years. The final choice of route and some details of design were not those preferred by STACC. Some aspects of our preference would have been safer, more practical and cheaper.
Changes in Herts Highways personnel during the process were not helpful.
Despite all that, we look forward to speedy completion - after which you can add your own comments here.

Sustrans Jobs: Bike It Officers

Sustrans has two vacancies for the post of Bike It Officer Up to £25,000 per annum
37.5 hours per week

The main responsibilities of this role will include the promotion of cycling to school at selected primary and secondary schools, supporting ‘school champions’ at other local schools and making links between schools and the bicycle industry.

One is based in Luton covering Luton, Bedford and St Albans (Ref: NCN568)
(this is as a replacement for Jason Falconer who has done an excellent job in several St Albans schools).

The other is based in Harlow covering Harlow, Bishop Stortford and Cheshunt. (Ref: NCN543)

Please contact Lyn Collins on 0117 926 8893 for an info pack.
Please quote reference number.
Closing date for the receipt of completed application forms is Thursday 21 August 2008.

SUSTRANS TravelSmart Job Opportunities

From Sustrans' Steve Lockwood who is running the Sustrans TravelSmart programme in Watford.

We are currently contacting 25,000 households in Watford and offering them information, advice and support, helping people to choose to walk, cycle and use public transport more often.

Having successfully completed stage 1 of our project in West Watford, we are looking to increase our team members for stage 2 as we move into central Watford.

He asks us to circulate information on vacancies available with TravelSmart which can be found on the jobs page of the Sustrans Website [HERE].

Please contact him if you require any further information.


Steve Lockwood

Project Officer, TravelSmart

Tel: 01923 240402

Mobile: 07798 908446

Sustrans employment opportunities in Watford

From Sam Clarke
Senior Project Officer (Fieldwork Operations), TravelSmart

I wondered if someone could help me. I work for Sustrans in the
TravelSmart team.

With funding from the Big Lottery Fund's Well-being Programme and
Hertfordshire County Council, a TravelSmart Individualised Travel
Marketing (ITM) programme will take place in Watford during 2008-2009.
A total of 25,000 households across Watford will be offered a range of
personalised travel information and support enabling them to walk, cycle
and use public transport more often. The scheme will be delivered by
Sustrans and partners Socialdata with the support of Hertfordshire
County Council, Watford Borough Council and other partners.

The first stage of the project will be starting in spring 2008 covering
Holywell, Vicarage and Oxhey.

We are looking to recruit a local team of part time staff to carry out
the field work. I would be very grateful details of these roles
(attached) could be passed onto anyone within St. Albans Cycle Campaign
who may be interested.

If you would like me to send you some colour copies to put up on any
notice boards of the advert then please let me know.

Kind regards,
Sam

Sam Clarke
Senior Project Officer (Fieldwork Operations), TravelSmart

Tel 0117 915 0335

For full Job Spec Phone 0117 926 8893 or e-mail: jobs@sustrans.org.uk, quoting Ref: NCN5051

Closing date for applications is Friday 29^th February 2008

Very good news from Sustrans Connect2 (£50 Million Lottery Bid)

From Jamie Edwards of Sustrans Connect2 Team, via Andy Knight, Area Manager, Sustrans - Luton, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire

We are delighted to tell you that the Sustrans' Connect2 project is through
to the final shortlist of the Big Lottery Fund's: The People's £50 million
contest (formerly known as Living Landmarks). The other 3 projects in the
running are: 'The Black Country as an Urban Park', 'The Edge at Eden' and
'Sherwood: The Living Legend'.

As of today, BIG have launched their own promotional campaign and website.
The URL for the site is:
http://www.thepeoples50million.org.uk/

With a Connect2 specific page at:
http://www.thepeoples50million.org.uk/projects/connect2

Key information is that online voting will open at 9am on Monday 26 November
2007. We will confirm any other information available as soon as BIG allow.

Sustrans' Connect2 needs you. This UK-wide project aims to improve local
travel for everyday journeys in 79 communities and is competing for a grant
of 50 million pounds in the Big Lottery Fund's Living Landmarks: The
People's Millions competition. The winner will be decided by a TV vote in
December 2007. Visit www.sustransconnect2.org.uk and leave us your details
so we can update you about our progress. Text CONNECT2 to 80010 to be told
how and when to vote.