A6 cycle route: A view from the University Travel and Environment Co-ordinator

The attached letter about the A6 is from Phil Longton, Lancaster University Travel and Environment Co-ordinator. It puts some of the Councillors’ comments into a new perspective. In particular he suggests that any plan that only focusses on motor vehicle capacity along the A6 will be unsustainable.

Cycling and other sustainable transport solutions should be a priority:

Thanks for the email. It is disappointing the response from County and the lack of any feedback from Jacobs.

Improving cycling on the A6 corridor will of course help enable the economic development that County want to achieve but importantly, do so in a sustainable manner. Too much of County’s plans involve unlocking the potential for more vehicular traffic to use the A6 corridor at peak times through junction improvements in Galgate and Scotforth and this is unsustainable development without the prioritisation of sustainable travel improvements and that’s precisely what these need to be – a priority. That includes a majority of the funds being invested into any future improvements along the A6 being directed into sustainable transport solutions, thus reflecting that priority. The current situation is concerning. The University itself has plans for future growth and the A6 capacity issue is one of the biggest threats to enabling that growth so this is an issue of significant concern to the University. A solution that enables sustainable development is essential.

Best regards,

Philip Longton
Travel & Environment Co-ordinator
Facilities – Operations
University House
Lancaster University LA1 4YW
www.lancs.ac.uk/facilities

A6 cycle route: Cllr Jackson’s further communication

Following the discussion on a previous post Dynamo has received a third communication from Cllr Jackson (Lancaster South East).

Dear …

You no doubt will be aware of the response from Cllr Tim Ashton to Dynamo’s proposals for an A6 cycle route. The result of the bid should be known by late June. We will then be able to look at the problem again. I am not dismissing the problem but being of a practical nature I do not make promises unless I know they can be fulfilled. I will support the separation of cyclists from motor vehicles on health and safety grounds.

I know the route from Lancaster to the University having walked most of it. I regret I had to decline an invitation to cycle the route following my recent broken hip. I am mobile again but dare not risk cycling.

No doubt we will be in touch in the future when the bid result is in. If you require more information please contact me.

Kind regards,
Joan

Cllr Chris Coates’ response to Dynamo’s A6 questions

Dynamo are concerned about the current level of cycling infrastructure provision on the A6 corridor between Galgate and Lancaster city centre, including one of Lancaster’s major commutes – the journey between the city centre and Lancaster University. We therefore wrote tothe County Councillors whose divisions include the A6 between the city centre and Lancaster University to seek “support for the installation of good quality cycle lanes” on this route. More info is available here.

Cllr Chris Coates of Lancaster Central has provided the following response to our A6 letter:

Dear Dynamo

Being an occasional cyclist along this route, when I have reason to go to the University, I would very much support the creation of cycle lanes along the A6. The current ‘back-street-routes’ I find are hard to follow and easy to miss a turn and end up having to make up your own route. So a clear safe & direct route along the A6 would be a big improvement not just in access to the University but also for residents along the route in Scotforth.

I would be happy to put forward this as a councillor priority to the environment directorate when they are next reviewing the local priorities.

Yours
Cllr Chris Coates

A6 cycle route: Dynamo tries dialogue with Lancaster SE County Cllr Jackson

Dynamo wrote the following to County Councillors whose divisions include the A6 between the city centre and Lancaster University to seek “support for the installation of good quality cycle lanes” on this route.

Dear Councillors

I am writing on behalf of Dynamo’s members to ask for your support for the installation of good quality cycle lanes on the A6 between Lancaster city centre and Lancaster University, a  scheme which already has the backing in principle of Councillor Tim  Ashton, the cabinet member for Transport.

As you probably know Lancashire County Council has employed Jacobs Engineering to help it  implement its policy objective of making the A6 corridor sustainable in transport terms. Dynamo met representatives from County, Jacobs and other stakeholders in January, and the outcome was positive about achieving the building of safe, continuous cycle lanes on the A6. As a rule of thumb, safe  lanes are ones  that a mother with her children on a trailer bike would  feel confident in using. Unfortunately the current recommended cycle routes between the city centre and the University are circuitous and intimidating to many inexperienced and would-be cyclists because of perceived danger from fast moving traffic and some steep climbs.

You are also probably only too well aware that traffic is already frequently congested on the A6, and with the likely development in the near future of a new supermarket and the Bailrigg Science Park it is only set to become more gridlocked.   That is why cycling, which is ideal  for covering the relatively short, flat distance between the city centre and the University, is an appropriate mode of transport to provide a solution to this undesirable increase.

There  is already a growing number of utility cyclists in the district, partly as a result of the success of Lancaster’s status as a Cycling Demonstration Town between 2005 -2011, but there is still  a suppressed demand for cycling. Dynamo’s surveys of local commuters, shoppers and students showed that the overwhelming deterrent to cycling for utility purposes is fear of on-road cars, lorries and vans, and that if safe cycle lanes were built on busy arterial roads they would be keen to cycle.

Dynamo hopes you will lend your political support to this project which would do much to reduce traffic congestion and help the County meet most of the seven transport priorities it sets out in the 2011 Local Transport Plan: i.e. to meet its carbon emissions targets, improve access to education and employment, improve safety, and provide safe, reliable, convenient and affordable transport alternatives to the car - and of course  promote the health of local citizens.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully… etc

This is Councillor Jackson’s reply:

Dear Sir,

I acknowledge receipt of your email and note the contents. Considering your comments on congestion I would have thought the current cycle route to the University would be more acceptable than the pollution on the A6.

 Kind regards

Joan Jackson (Mrs)

County Councillor

Lancaster South East

The Dynamo committee felt this response wanted something in detail, so today we wrote individually to Councillor Jackson as follows:

Dear Cllr Jackson,

Thank you for your email of 11th April…

We acknowledge your  response to the case for a continuous cycle lane along the A6 from the city centre to the University and Galgate.

Dynamo members will be pleased that you share their concern about pollution from motor vehicles along this route. However, for the reasons set out in the previous email we do not believe that the current setup is the most suitable for supporting cycling and reducing motor traffic pollution along the A6.

We also believe that a cycle lane would be an excellent facility for taking some of the load of motorised traffic off the A6, and so would begin to address some of your own concerns regarding the current pollution in that area.

To reiterate our concerns about the current cycle provision between the city centre and Lancaster University:

1.    The current cycle routes entail significant obstacles to encouraging cycling. They include steep hills that challenge many cyclists, whilst the A6 does not have these obstacles.

2.    The current cycle routes are on busy roads for much of their length, and so are not perceived as offering a safe-haven as compared with a protected cycle lane along the A6.

3.    The current cycle routes are circuitous. They involve significantly greater distances than the direct route.

A dedicated cycle lane along the A6 would remove all these obstacles to cycling, and demonstrate the County’s commitment to its stated objectives within the 2011 Local Transport Plan.

Dynamo members would welcome the opportunity to show you in person the routes that are currently provided for riding, and discuss with you the benefits for Lancaster of providing dedicated A6 cycling provision.  [The committee] would be delighted to facilitate your meeting with Dynamo members to advance healthy, efficient solutions for the A6 corridor, and we look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely, etc…

To which we swiftly received this reply from Councillor Jackson:

Dear Sir,

I acknowledge receipt of your email. At present I do not have anything to add to my original response. Lancaster has spent a great amount of money on the cycle infrastructure unfortunately grants  are not readily available due to the current economic circumstances. Just a passing thought – whichever way you approach the University you will have a hill to climb owing to its position.

Kind regards,

Joan

Joan Jackson (Mrs)

County Councillor

Lancaster South East

If you live in Lancaster South East and/or would like a protected cycle route along the A6 between the city Centre and Lancaster University please let Councillor Jackson know via the contact information on her website http://council.lancashire.gov.uk/mgMiniSite.aspx?UID=164 that you support Dynamo’s initiative. At the same time, would you kindly let us know you’ve done so by leaving a comment here or tweeting to @LancasterDynamo. Thank you!

Select Committee on cycle safety – your questions please

Boy, they really know how to give people advance notice…

This request came today for people to ask questions/comments on road safety to a parliamentary select committee. Submit your question via twitter , by adding the hashtag #AskCycleMinisters to your tweet, by 11am on Friday 20 April.

Further Details:
Select Committee Announcement
16 April 2012

For Immediate Release:
SCA 143/2010-12

Cycle safety

The Transport Committee wants your twitter questions for ministers on cycling safety
What cycle safety question would you like MPs to ask transport ministers Mike Penning and Norman Baker?

Inquiry: Road safety

The Transport Committee

As part of an inquiry currently examining the Government’s road safety
strategy, on 24 April the Transport Committee will take oral evidence
about the safety issues facing the growing numbers of cyclists on roads
in town and country.

At this session the Committee will question transport ministers Mike
Penning and Norman Baker, who are responsible for the Government’s
policies on road safety and cycling. MPs want to ensure that their
questions to these ministers reflect the most pressing safety concerns
for cyclists using UK roads.

As part of the evidence session the Committee will also hear evidence
from newscaster and cycling advocate Jon Snow, Times newspaper Editor
and cycling campaigner James Harding and cycling advocate and author
Josie Dew.

Submit your question via twitter , by adding the
hashtag #AskCycleMinisters to your tweet, by 11am on Friday 20 April.

Lancaster City Centre Square Routes project letter

Lancaster City Council is examining the future management of traffic within Lancaster’s pedestrian zone as part of its plans to revitalise the city centre.

On their website they say “very often, much of the zone is now too heavily used by vehicles, to the detriment of people’s experience and safety, including shoppers and other centre users. Now, as part of the Lancaster Square Routes project, the city council is looking at how traffic is managed within the centre with a view to potentially reducing vehicle access.”

We assume that when ‘vehicles’ and ‘traffic’ are mentioned they’re not really considering bicycles, but more the seemingly increasing number of lorries, vans and cars in the city centre. As such we’re hoping that this might be an opportunity to increase the possible routes for bikes across the centre, and have sent the following letter to the council:

Dear Councillor Hanson

Dynamo notes that the City Council is current examining the future management of traffic in the city’s pedestrian zone.

Could we suggest that the Council permits cycling in the city centre at the same time as delivery vehicles – i.e. before 9.30 a.m. and after 5 p.m. – for the proposed trial period? This would end the strange anomaly that one cannot legitimately cycle through the pedestrian area when is it largely quiet, and demonstrate if a permanent removal of the ban is feasible. We appreciate that there are new cycle lanes on the one-way system and these are very welcome, but the pedestrian zone out of hours remains a viable cycling route.

I am thinking in particular of a colleague who has recently started cycling to work from Morecambe to Lancaster University. She is perfectly happy from Morecambe to the Millennium Bridge, and from Aldcliffe Road canal towpath to the University, but the city centre fazes her. Allowing her, and others like her, to cycle through the pedestrian zone at 8.30 a.m. and back at 6.00 p.m. does not seem unreasonable.

We hope the project group will give serious consideration to this proposal.

Minutes of meeting, 29 March

The full minutes of the latest Dynamo meeting are available on our minutes page.

A major topic of discussion was the A6 corridor. The County Council are currently re-engineering the A6, however cycling initiatives seem low down on their priorities. Dynamo argues that this is an excellent time to make the A6 a cycle-friendly route rather than push cyclists onto Bowerham road or the canal.

Jo Moss of Lancashire County Council has also written to Dynamo seeking ideas for pushing forward the council cycle strategy.

Items discussed in the meeting:

1. Chapel Street
2. State of canal towpath
3. Treasurer matters
4. 20′s plenty domain name
5. Proposed canal corridor/Centros development
6. A6 corridor

Councillor Sam Riches suggests writing to relevant county councillors to seek their support for a cycle lane along the A6. Also contact the city councillors in Scotforth ward. Dick to write.

How do we get a CAD of the A6 to ascertain if cycle lanes are feasible? We could contact Mayer Brown (would need to pay). Can we ask the County what assumptions they have made in stating that cycle lanes are no-nos? Dick to contact John Whitelegg to see if he can offer any advice/experts. Dick also to contact Phil Longton at Lancaster University to see if he could find a student willing to do it. For mapping, MARIO online is useful.

Dick to chase Andrew Sellors of Jacobs Engineering for feedback following the February meeting.

Thanks were expressed to Dick and Richard for their efforts here.

7. Lancashire Cycling Strategy

Jo Moss of county has asked Dynamo for ideas, and Dave has written re the Olympic torch event and Dick re the A6. One other area would be to target children in schools now that the Sustrans initiative is losing funding. Patricia to draft a letter for Dick to send to Jo Moss alerting her to this and suggesting she speaks to Kathy Bashford and her co-worker for their expertise.

8. Lancaster city centre pedestrian area
9. Twitter
10. Newsletter
11. Date and time of next meeting