for extra speed cameras to prevent an increase in speeding, nor does it provide the Council or the police with the extra revenue needed to enforce speed limits, or control illegal parking on the road or on the pavement, after the first year of introduction of the scheme.
Although we are not against the red route idea in principle, we think it could prove to be poor value for money as it stands and a great missed opportunity to correct some of the safety problems of this road. Please send or email your comments to: David Orton, Head of Transportation Development, WCC, Heantun House, Salop Street, Wolverhampton WV3 0SQ. email david.orton@dial.pipex.com. W’ton 555685.
WHAT DOES WOLVES ON WHEELS DO ?
Wolves On Wheels Cycle Campaign works in a number of area.
See our website www.wolvesonwheels.co.uk/ for more details.
The Campaign’s main aim is the creation a cycling culture in the Wolverhampton area.
We lobby local, regional and national government, and collaborate with them as well as other agencies and organisations in order to promote the following issues:-The rights of cyclists and cycle users The promotion of cycling as a mode of transport available to all Road safety including the education of all road users The integration of cycling with other modes of public transport. Bike – Rail has been a major area with some notable campaign successes with Virgin Trains at the Station.
WoWcc works with the local highway authority to ensure high quality cycle-friendly infrastructure and cycle parking facilities are implemented.
A strength of the campaign is that it has all the local representatives of the CTC Right To Ride network (the campaigning arm of the CTC which is the national cycling organisation) as active members. They represent all local cyclists in their work.
Wolves on Wheels has a Sustrans Community Ranger Group. The rangers work on promoting and surveying the future local National Cycle Network routes (NCN 81 and the Wolverhampton cross-city route). After opening, group members will ride the route, checking signing, looking for snags and doing small maintenance and litter clearing activities.
We believe in cycle training for all. New and returning cyclists will always have a portion of their journey on the highway and need to learn high quality cycling skills. WoWcc is working with the Council and the Wildside Activity Centre to get teenager and adult cycle training off the ground.
Any opportunity we can we get out onto the saddle. We love going for social rides and days out by cycle.
Officers 2002 - 2003 Campaign Chair :-
David Holman
(01902 773747
or
chair@wolvesonwheels.co.uk ).
Also Liaison Ranger for Sustrans and a CTC Right to Ride Representative.
Secretary :-
David Nicholson (01902
714730. 21 Bushbury Lane,
Wolverhampton WV10 9TN)
Membership Secretary
David Nicholson (details as above)
Treasurer :- Pam Niklas (Mrs)
Other hard working types :-
Webmaster :-
Ian Fardoe (webmaster@wolvesonwheels.co.uk)
CTC Right to Ride Representatives
Tim Jones – Public transport integration and local highway issues.
Martin Lucy – Off-road cycling
Tandem Club Regional Officer for post code areas ST, TF, DY and WV.
Mrs Ann-Charlotte Holman (contact details as David Holman)
Wolves on Wheels Cycle Campaign is affiliated to the CTC and to the Cycle Campaign Network.
SOCIAL RIDES (IT’ S NOT ALL WORK)
The main spine of the rides programme is a get-together at a local pub on Second Friday of the month – longer distances in the summer, shorter at other times. You can ride straight to the destination or take advantage of the led ride at 7pm for 7-15pm from the Man on ‘is ‘Oss (Prince Albert’s statue), Queen Square. There are also combined rides with the Tandem Club at regular intervals. We’re looking for new suggestions of where to go (not everyone wants to go out in the evening to a evening to a pub) and volunteers to lead rides.
WOLVES ON WHEELS SOCIAL RIDES
Contact David
Holman on
01902 773747
or see
www.wolvesonwheels.co.uk for more details . Oct 10 Beacon Hotel, Bilston Lane. Sedgley Nov 14 The Chindit, 113 Merridale Road, W’ton Dec 12 Combermere, Chapel Ash - the Christmas Party Dec 27 Christmas Dinner recovery ride probably to the Vaughan Arms Lapley.
Jan 9 , 2004 Old White Rose, Bilston Feb 13 Chindit, W’ton Mar 12 Beacon Hotel, Sedgley Apr 9 Barley Mow, Penn Common May 14 Codsall Station Jun 11 Bell, Trysull Jul 9 Swan, Brewood
WOW AND VIRGIN TRAINS THE RELATIONSHIP DEEPENS….
We are seeing steady improvements in cycle parking at W’ton station (which is managed by VT on behalf of Network Rail) as a result of intensive lobbying by cycle campaigners and the dogged persistence of Rob Marris MP, our new Hon. President, (who just won’t give up once he’s got his teeth into something).
Firstly the long-term secure cycle lockers, banished as a “security risk” have been retrieved from some yard behind Birmingham International station. They have been installed in the main W’ton station car park, with a proper booking system for users. (Rental forms are kept in the travel centre, if you want one) Secondly a high quality cycle parking rack has appeared, as promised, on the station itself between Platform one and Platform 5 for ‘turn up and go’ users.
Thirdly on a more national level, the £3 booking fee on Virgin Trains has been abolished, with a lot of credit due to several energetic individuals in the
Wolverhampton area. Congratulations to Tim Jones –WoWcc’s public transport campaign leader. He has been
to VT’s Birmingham HQ to see the divisional manager in order to drive home the remaining improvements needed to give enhanced cycle access. Is there a possibility of the Campaign awarding its highest accolade – the Golden Chain Ring to VT ?
W’ton council are due a Chocolate Chain Ringfor spending a fortune on refurbishing the station stairs down to Low Level Station / Wednesfield Road and not installing a wheeling channel for cycles.
However several issues of the size, shape and quality of cycle places on the new generation of trains are still rumbling on, and you still do need to reserve a bike space, even though it is now free.
GIVING OUR OPINION
Yes, we’re all very opinionated on all kinds of subjects, especially cycling and people are starting to listen, often because we actually know what we’re talking about! WoWcc has given out nuggets of wisdom on various strategic and local issues and (hopefully) they have been taken on board.
This is a very labour-intensive task, and anyone out there with particular expertise or enthusiasm is very welcome to chip in. E.g. All the local highway schemes coming up for consultation are scrutinised by members of our Right to Ride team to ensure the safe consideration of cyclists and to promote cycle-friendly infrastructure and alternative routes.
Responses this year included :-
Wolverhampton Unitary Development Plan (First Deposit) 2005 – 2015 West Midlands Local Transport Plan The Future of Air Transport consultation (DfT) Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations (allowing good bike lighting to be LEGAL and objecting to the RAC and AA using red flashing lights too) Proposed Offence of using a mobile phone while driving (Home Office) A large number of local highway schemes (some good, some alarming, some our ideas anyway).
Red Route
There is currently a wide and thorough debate going on about the idea of making the whole length of the A449 Stafford Rd into a “Red Route” . This is loosely modelled on the London system where strategic routes are kept clear of parked cars and obstructions to allow a smoother flow of traffic. The idea is supported by public transport providers as it speeds up buses and includes improvements at bus stops. The Stafford Rd proposal (1.6 million pounds at the last count) is a pilot scheme to be funded regionally.
There seems to be a kind of assumption that conditions will magically also improve for pedestrians and cyclists and we are assured that this is what has happened in London. However, we have yet to see any solid evidence whatever of any benefits for cyclists or pedestrians from this massive amount of spending!
It is becoming clearer what the money is NOT to be spent on: addressing the many dangerous blackspots along this road for vulnerable users. .
It is NOT for providing extra controlled pedestrian crossing on the long segments that have never had one, nor is it for helping cyclists negotiate the fast roundabouts. It is NOT
Wolverhampton City Council and the local NHS Primary Care Trust in their first ever Bike Week events: Bikers’ Breakfasts in four different locations for employees who arrived by cycle.
Council cycle training officer, Pete Rollings organised an evening ride for ‘newly-qualified’ young cyclists from Year 6 (and their parents ) who had just successfully completed their cycle proficiency test in Pendeford. This revealed a strong demand for more similar rides for people of this age group.
WoWcc hopes that Bike Week 2004 will include Bike2Work events organised by New Cross Hospital and other major employers across the city.
If you work for such an organisation, or know someone who does, please let us know or contact the Travelwise coordinator at WCC – Serena Bellamy.
CYCLE FORUM NEWS
Wolves on Wheels released its authoritative survey of Cycle Forums in England and Wales with its recommendations for the future Wolverhampton City Cycle Forum. Contributions came in from council cycling officers and CTC Right to Ride reps from all over the country. The main recommendation is the creation of a formal advisory body on cycling led by an influential chairman, with its recommendations considered in all transport and planning policy. The new forum should also generate a cycle user consultation group along the lines of ‘Cycling in Sandwell’.
Our report was well-received by key council officers but we have had little, if any, feedback from local politicians. A new cycle forum will be incorporated into the proposed new transport forum structure. Informal cycle consultations (at the previously unheard of interval of every six weeks!) began shortly after the report was published. Progress on this thorny issue is inching forwards with the help of the local representative of the English Regional Cycling Development Board, David Miller. His brief is to improve implementation of cycling policies within local authorities.
Cycle campaigners in Nottingham seized on the report in a bid to solve their local consultation problems. The CTC were also impressed with WoWcc’s efforts, calling it a ‘benchmark study’. See www.wolvesonwheels.co.uk
under documents for the report.
WOLVES ON WHEELS PREPARES FOR THE
CITY CYCLING STRATEGY
We have been pro-active in preparing for the release of the City Cycling Strategy, expected October 2003. Two extra pieces of work have been submitted to Road Safety and Transport Strategy sections of the Council’s highway authority, who are writing the document.
WoWcc members put together a list of suggestions for improvements for cycling in and around the city centre. The City Centre Accessibility Plan details short, medium and long-term measures that will make riding a cycle around the city centre so much easier. For example, contra-flow cycling on Cleveland Street and the removal of cycling from the ‘no right turn’ restriction from Lichfield Street into Princess Street. To our surprise, the Council stole a march on us and had already approved plans for Old Hall Street that met with most of our recommendations.
WoWcc member Ian Fardoe compiled the first ‘real’
cycle network plan from his own work as Cycling Development Officer at the Wildside Activity Centre, where he has had to devise many novices routes under 5 miles in length around the borough. He then added the first batch of WoWcc members route preference maps and those done by members of the public during bike week to the map of routes actually ridden by cyclists. Problem locations and places where cycle parking are needed are also shown.
On a WoWcc Social Ride to Trysull recently a new face appeared – Kevin Sankey. He is a senior manager at Royal Mail Distribution in Wolverhampton and he volunteered to survey the route preferences of all the local cycling postal delivery workers. This information will be fed into our next edition of the Cycle Network plan.
ROB MARRIS FOR PRESIDENT!
WoWcc members have been so impressed by the cycle campaigning work carried out Wolverhampton South West MP, Rob Marris, that we offered him the post of Honorary President of the Campaign. (See the Virgin Trains story elsewhere in this issue). Rob, who is a keen leisure cyclist, has accepted. He continues to work tirelessly (not those on his bike) on behalf of Wolverhampton cyclists.
CYCLE TRAINING
Wolves on Wheels remains commited to bringing cycle training to the masses, we believe it’s the best way of encouraging cycling amongst those who worry about traffic conditions. With Wildside Activity Centre, we have just completed training Wolverhampton Police Officers to ride with confidence in traffic, the training also included dealing with suspects and riding offroad. The pupils immediately saw the benefits cycling will bring to their job, being easily accessible and much more aware of their surroundings.They were keen use the opportunity to reinforce traffic laws in particular!
Beware any motorists who mistreat cyclists, it may be a police officer on a bike!
This year has also seen the introduction of n a t i o n a l guidelines on adult cycle training, this can only be good news, and WoWcc are working closely with WCC and
WAC to bring this to Wolverhampton.
WOW Newsletter Issue 2 Autumn 2003
SUSTRANS ROUTE 81 TRAILBLAZING RIDE 3
MAY 2003
The highest profile event that the campaign has done to date took place one Saturday in May – A trailblazing ride along the course of National Cycle Network Route 81 from Wolverhampton to Telford.
Rae Heading (John Grimshaw’s PA. She ‘runs’ Sustrans)
MIDLANDS RPC SHOWS THE WAY WITH LOCAL CYCLISTS
In an example of well co-ordinated effort, local cycling groups including Wolves on Wheels from CTC, and the Cycle Campaigns Network (CCN) surveyed 58 of the 110 stations in the Midlands Rail Passengers Committee area, and the results were committed to a report in just 3 weeks. Martin Lucy led the WoWcc survey team and Tim Jones analysed the results to create the report’s statisitics. The report Bike-Rail 2 on the cyclists’ interface with the railway (access, ticket purchase, information, parking) was launched on 12 June, in Wolverhampton, following up the earlier Bike-Rail report of 2001. This method of combining grass-roots knowledge with the co-ordinating ability of the official reporting body was welcomed by the then minister, John Spellar, as a way to combine the strengths of both to good effect. The document can be downloaded (.jpg) from www.railpassengers.org.uk/Midlands.
Trailblazers with the Mayor of Telford
Route 81 starts at Smethwick Galton Bridge and continues northward up the Birmingham Main Canal to Wolverhampton. Here in the future, riders will choose whether to take the Wolverhampton Cross-City Route to see the sights of the city or continue down the 21 locks and Staff and Worcs canal towards Bilbrook. From here it follows quiet lanes through Codsall, Albrighton, Cosford, Shifnal and in to Telford. Route 81 carries on to Shrewsbury and Welshpool on its way to Llanidloes.
Why a Trailblazing Ride?
Ten thousand miles of the National Cycle Network (NCN) should be open in the summer of 2005. Some local authorities, including Wolverhampton City Council, are showing a distinct lack of energy in getting their part of the route implemented and the completion target is not going to be met. At present, the council is concentrating its efforts on the Cross-City Route at the expense of the main NCN route 81. There are twelve or so Future Route Rangers, many of whom belong to the Wolves on Wheels Ranger Group, who needed a new project. The group had finished its initial assignment from John Grimshaw, Sustrans’ Chief Engineer. .
BIKE WEEK 2003
Wolves on Wheels Cycle Campaign members put on four fun-filled events in Bike Week 2003, which ran in June.
We put on an information stall in central Wolverhampton on Saturday 14 June which attracted a lot of interest from people of all ages. The kids were particularly impressed by the free road safety giveaways and many adults drew in their cycle route preferences on the city cycle maps provided. These are being used as part of our long-term project to draw up the city cycle network plan.
See the article elsewhere in this issue on how you can contribute your suggestions!
The picnic ride on the Sunday was led by Ian Fardoe . 5 adults and three children enjoyed a traffic-free ride to Wombourne along the old railway route. This ride was aimed at new riders as a gentle introduction to leisure cycling.
Wednesday night is Cinema Night in Wolverhampton Bike Week. 36 people turned out to see “Breaking Away” – the classic Hollywood teen cycle-racing movie, supported by the quirky and delightful 1957 CTC film “Cyclists’ Special”.
Thursday’s Midsummer Evening Ride went to the Seven Stars in Beckbury, Shropshire. Thirteen cyclists made the trip including three ladies who rode over from
This was to survey the canal section of route 81 in detail. (See www.wolvesonwheels.co.uk/ under documents for the published survey in 5 parts). All the Rangers want to see some progress towards the route opening. The WoWcc Ranger group chose to run a Trailblazing Ride which turned out to be the first such event organised largely by local volunteers with back-up from Sustrans staff.
So how did it go?
The whole event went like clockwork. We had a send-off and breakfast at W’ton Civic Centre from Departing Mayor Cllr. Robert Hart, a lunch stop at the Aviator café at Cosford Aerospace Museum, and a superb buffet tea and welcome at Telford from the Mayor Cllr Hilda Rhodes and Chair of Transportation, Cllr David Morgan. . Our musicians – the Route 81 Band, played some jigs, reels and polkas to end the day with a party! Our Hon. President Rob Marris MP rode to Cosford displaying some fine parliamentary knees. Many riders displayed the multi-coloured flags to make themselves more photogenic Thanks go to the WOWcc Ranger Group and also to the Telford-based Sustrans Rangers especially André Dear and Robin Camps and also Sustrans Staff, notably Colette Linehan in the Community Ranger office, and
Cannock. A convivial evening was had by all followed by a fast night ride home with a long, lingering sunset behind us. This ride will be repeated in 2004 by popular request .
Our friends in Wombourne CTC did a similar event the
following evening to Gothersley.
The real headline local news was the involvement of