STACC's John Metcalf and Rona Wightman were interviewed on The Environment Show on Radio Verulam Thursday 5 December. If you missed the programme, you can catch it on the listen again service The interview is in the later part of the show, about 45 minutes in.
Venue is the Council Offices (Civic Centre, near Alban Arena) We will be reviewing the Green Ring proposals, come along and give your views. This is an open meeting, bring your friends and family. The Green Ring is for walking as well as cycling. Mulled wine and mince pies!
http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/planning/Planningpolicy/greenring/
UPDATE 11 DECEMBER: Green Ring exhibition announced, consultation period extended.
Cycling is now permitted in Verulamium Park. The two routes where cycling is permitted are the main cross routes:
- from Westminster Lodge to the 'cross road' and along past the basketball and the playground to the car park
-from Abbey Mill Lane (The Fighting Cocks) to King Harry Lane
If going from Wetsminster Lodge to Abbey Mill Lane, or vice versa, you can take the nearer fork.
Cyclists must give priority to pedestrians.
Simple? But controversial, many people are not happy about cycling in the park, and with good reason. As always, a few selfish morons give the majority a bad name.
So it behoves all of us to behave with exceptional courtesy and consideration to restore the balance. Go to it, stick to the permitted routes, ting your bell, get off and walk if it's busy, smile! and happy cycling.
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.
There will be another 5 miles to fabulous ride - the 'offical weekend' of 5MTF is June, but I fit in more whenever I can. Meet at Faber Maunsell, Upper Marlborough Road, AL1 3UT at 0930h. Intention is to ride some of my favoured routes around St Albans, stopping for coffee at Trestle Arts Base.
The ride is aimed at women who have not ridden for a while and wish to build confidence riding on roads. There will therefore be some on road riding, using quieter roads so far as possible, and there will be some off-road riding for respite and recovery. Experienced riders are most welcome, but the pace will be gentle, so come prepared to enjoy rather than work-out.
The rides are run under the auspices of the CTC - www.ctc.org.uk or www.fivemilestofabulous.com
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.
..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.
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
We have a good network of bridleways in and around St Albans. Some are best used for leisure, others provide useful commute alternatives. All of them need protecting, and we need more bridleways to link them together into contiguous routes.
The British Horse Society (the equestrian's CTC) are very effective campaigners for off-road access, Phil Wadey runs the local BHS cadre (Hertfordshire) email distribution list, which carried this alert the other day:
BRIDLEWAYS (No. 2)27.02.2007
Hoyle, Lindsay That this House recognises the importance of bridleways for horse-riders to exercise in safety and enjoy the countryside; notes that many bridleways are in poor condition or are abused by people using motorised vehicles; and calls on the Government actively to promote the use of bridleways, ensuring that those who use bridleways inappropriately are fined, to look to extend the number of bridleways across the country and to ensure that existing bridleways are kept open and are well-maintained for horse-riders.
Some MPs have tabled Early Day Motion number 1004 in support of bridleways. Early Day Motions (EDMs) are often used to find out how much support different policy choices might attract, and to see whether proposed legislation might get through the Commons. This could be such a flyer. Even if not, it's important to show the Government that there is as much support for new paths this year as there was last time such an Early Day Motion was tabled.
If you would like to see the EDM supported, you need to write to your MP giving the number of the EDM (1004), and reasons why you think it needs support. It is always best to give your own personal experience relating to one or more of the aims of the EDM rather than to use a form letter.
This is well worth supporting if you ride off-road at all.
St Albans MP Anne Main is silent on bridleways both in parliament and on her own website, and hasn't yet signed up to the EDM. (She's equally silent on cycling generally)
