Verulamium Park Lottery Funding Bid - ACT to SUPPORT CYCLING

Read about Verulamium Park & its future at http://www.verpark.stalbans.gov.uk/

Part of the funding bid process is public consultation. Deadline 15th October.

You should give your views on-line at http://www.smart-survey.co.uk/v.asp?i=2798todqy
It is important to give a little write-up of the reasons you support cycling, in the text box at section 8 of the survey form.
(See below for STACC's view from which you can pick & mix.)

You can also vote to indicate your preference for cycling at...
http://www.verpark.stalbans.gov.uk/polls/shopping_list
The rate of voting is low (at the time of writing 65 votes cast in all categories)
Leading categories are :-
"More of the buried Roman remains" 49% of the vote
"The opportunity to cycle" 34% of the vote
so it would not take much to put cycling into the lead.

STACC's view in support of cycling in the park:-
Cycling Though Verulamium Park (E/W & N/S Pathways)

Background

The question of cycling through the Park has now been debated for some years.

• 7 December 2000 Community Services Committee was told of the public consultation in which 73% of respondents had favoured cycling through the Park.
• 28 February 2001 Council refused funding for cycle route through Park – the proposed scheme was expensive and over engineered.
• 18 January 2005 Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee agreed that work should be done to draw up further proposals for cycling through the Park.

Why is Cycling through the Park necessary?
School children, commuters, shoppers and tourists, as well as motorists would benefit if cycling were permitted through the Park.

• The Park is a quiet and beautiful place, and any scheme should be simple and both sympathetically and economically engineered. Cycling would only be permitted on the N/S and E/W pathways and not at all around the lakeside. (The 2 proposed routes are from The Fighting Cocks to King Harry Lane and from Holywell Hill to St Michael’s carpark).
• There are seven schools on the boundaries of the Park. Cycling through the Park would give children safety and independence, and would improve fitness and reduce obesity. One headmaster wrote, “We remain firmly convinced that cycling should be permitted through the Park.” The Government requires Local Authorities to provide Safer Routes to Schools and opening these pathways to cyclists would considerably advance this target as well as easing school-run congestion. Alternative routes such as St Stephen’s Hill, Holywell Hill and Bluehouse Hill are congested and hazardous for cyclists, especially children.
• The Park provides a safe commuting, shopping and leisure route from the Verulam estate and South St Albans to the centre of the city, Westminster Lodge and the Abbey Station and gives easy access to the Alban Way for commuters to and from Hatfield and Welwyn. It is also a destination in its own right - to meet friends, visit the museum, the café etc.

• Cyclists co-exist with pedestrians in many rural parks in the UK.
• Cycling is positively encouraged in London’s Royal Parks. At least five Royal Parks provide paths shared by pedestrians. (Initial fears proved groundless and plans to permit cycling in Kensington Gardens were made permanent after a successful trial period of one year.)
• STACC strongly requests a trial period of 1 year, as proposed and agreed by the Community Services Committee in Dec 2000.

Liz Rutherford and STACC committee March 2006

New routes mapped

If you are braving the weather for a ride this weekend why not try one of the routes recently mapped by Peter Milne?

This 8 mile route makes a largely off-road circuit towards Colney Street, and would link well the Alban Way.

For more of a challenge, try the 27 mile Ring Aound St Albans route for a largely off-road circuit around the edge of the city.

Take a tour round part of the Ver Valley, with minimal or some traffic.

Here's a link to bikely.com's list of routes around St Albans.

If you go down to the woods today

Spring in the woods, originally uploaded by mike1727.

..you'll find some good off-road riding. The bridleways are running well despite the last couple of days' rain, the bluebells are out and the longer days make evening rides easy without lights.

Here's an easy 11 mile route mixing bridleways and roads round the North of St Albans to get you started. Keep your eyes open for interesting side routes as you make your way round, but remember bikes have no right of way on footpaths...

For something longer and more adventurous try the evening rides run from two of St Albans' bike shops, sited within a few turns of the pedals of each other on Victoria Street. Rock and Road (01727 832020) set off from their shop at 7pm on Wednesdays, Addiktion (01727 858841) set off at 7pm on Thursdays from their shop. Call first to check the rides are running and bring a spare tube, pump and a drink.

If our local bridleways are too tame for you, head off to Aston Hill Mountain Bike Area near Tring. One of the South East's first dedicated mountainbike areas, the 100 acres of Aston Hill are home to purpose-built cross country, downhill and 4X courses suitable for differing abilities. Award-winning CTC approved tuition is available, and there's a race season.

Bike route- St Albans to Park street circuit

Thanks to pmilne, who posted a new route on bikely: Bicycle Path - St Albans to Park St - 8 mile on/off road at Bikely.com

Click here for a list of all St Albans routes on bikely