Goverment Review of HWC

A bill is being put forward to sentence any cyclist convicted of dangerous cycling to a 14 year prison term.

Current DfT consultations.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-transport-strategy

Lots of interesting stuff about inclusive transport regarding trains, buses, cars, public realm, streets and yes a bit about cycling too. Quotes:

Shared Space:

8.11 While we consider CIHT and DPTAC’s recommendations and how to take them
forward, we are requesting that local authorities pause any shared space schemes
incorporating a level surface they are considering, and which are at the design stage.
We are also temporarily suspending Local Transport Note 1/11. This pause will allow
us to carry out research and produce updated guidance.

Objectives regarding Cycling:

• Update Local Transport Note 2/08, which sets out the Department’s guidance to
local authorities on designing safe and inclusive infrastructure for cyclists, to take
account of developments in cycling infrastructure since its publication in 2008 and
the responses to the draft AAP consultation and publish a revised version by early
2019;
• By 2020, explore the feasibility of amending legislation to recognise the use of
cycles as a mobility aid71 in order to increase the number of disabled people
cycling.

Canterbury City Council have proposed a multi-storey car park on the site of their existing car park in Station Road West. Only minimal cycle parking spaces are proposed (just 16 spaces). The spaces are not covered and are too closely spaced. The car parking increase is substantial (248 extra spaces). The extra traffic will make the area less cycleable and increase the air pollution.

Highways England are spending up to £100 million on changes to this roundabout. The following is from their website:

Traffic using the M2 junction 5/A249 Stockbury roundabout suffers delay and the junction has a poor safety record. The approach to the junction from the north and east, in particular, experiences high levels of delay and the junction is identified in the list of the top 50 national casualty locations on the trunk and motorway network.

An increase in capacity is necessary to accommodate traffic from planned new developments and the capacity problems are also inhibiting economic investment plans.

Improvement of the junction was proposed in Swale Borough Council’s Draft Transportation Strategy 2014 and in Kent County Council’s framework for regeneration in 2010 (Growth without Gridlock). It is also proposed within the South East Local Economic Partnership’s Growth Deal and Economic Plan 2014.

The scheme was included in the March 2015 Roads Investment Strategy (RIS) and in our Delivery Plan 2015.

Aims
The objectives of this scheme are to:

reduce travel time and improving journey time reliability in the hotspot areas
reconnect communities
reduce and the impacts of pollution
enable local planning authorities to manage the impact of planned growth and in doing so support the wider economy
provide safer roads with fewer delays which can adequately cater for the impacts of adverse weather
minimise impacts on the natural environment and optimising environmental opportunities and mitigation
provide opportunities for improved accessibility for all users

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There is an opportunity for cycling and walking provision, and Highways England have suggested that Maidstone Cycle Campaign propose such provision to them so they can make arrangements to sort funding for it.

Any suggestions for cycling and walking provision would be beneficial

Complete separation of cyclists and cars can't always be achieved. To make sharing of the road safer I would like to propose using rumble strips instead of flat paint to separate the bike lane from the rest of the road. It would act as a physical reminder for car-drivers that they are encroaching the bike lane. This happens particularly near pinch points like road bends or crossroads. So even just a selective application of rumble strips could have a very positive effect, I believe. What's the view of the cycling community? Has it been tested?

Outline proposals for changes to Strood High Street. £9m scheme to take through traffic away from town centre.

20mph limit on High Street, various actions to prioritise pedestrian movements, re-allocation of carriageway space (lane narrowing).

Having had a brief chat to the engineers designing the scheme the 20mph limit and reduced lane widths should assist cyclists "taking the lane" in the High Street.

Commercial Road will have a cycletrack to the south of the carriageway with a crossing of Knight Road. Details are disappointingly vague at this stage.

Various ASLs and other minor works.

KCC are consulting on their first ever Active Travel Strategy

Cyclescape doesn't allow creation of a Kent wide issue, marker placed in Spokes East Kent area.

Highways England are consulting on proposals for a Lower Thames Crossing.

They are promoting a preferred "Option C" crossing the Thames by a bored tunnel to the East of Tilbury / Gravesend.

There are a number of route alternatives, all proposals are for Motorway standard roads and there will not be any provision for cyclists or pedestrians on those roads.

Immediate concerns are for substantial growth in motor traffic on minor A roads in the area and rat running through villages.

This may also impact the pedestrian/cycle ferry service from Gravesend to Tilbury.

Official Consultation is biased towards choosing a route, "none of the above" is not an option.

https://highwaysengland.citizenspace.com/cip/lower-thames-crossing-consultation