August/September 2011

The newsletter for north east London LCC groups

Redbridge Havering Barking & Dagenham Newham Waltham Forest
SINHA IN REDBRIDGE LCCs main man Ashok Sinha weighs up Boris, announces a members poll and greets Redbridges new coordinator. Sinha praised Boris Johnsons belief in the civilising power of cycling but lambasted politicians for their opportunism and the resulting low modal share and ever lower goals for the future. He compared Amsterdams cycling budget of 98 per head to Londons meagre 23. Sinha urged local authorities to show commitment and suggested to start by ensuring lorry drivers are cycleaware and new developments meet and exceed cycle parking guidelines. He talked about the new LCC websites focus on people and invited members to participate in the online poll on LCCs campaigning priorities. Sinha also greeted David Giddings, Redbridge LCCs new coordinator, and congratulated the group on the Redbridges status as a Biking Borough. He reminded everyone to keep track of the Boroughs promises, especially those regarding infrastructure. pleased to see attempts to reduce the corridor effect of Leytonstone High Road which is in danger of becoming a conveyor belt of motor vehicles accessing the new Westfield shopping centre, draining Leytonstones economy. But the steps taken are not strong enough and the scheme is failed by allowing high speed and volume of motor traffic and pavement parking at the expense of walking and cycling. Weiss added, We are disappointed about the lack of consultation from the Council. We have seen plans only after getting in touch several times, just weeks before work was due to begin. DOG-LEGGED DESIGN A newly designed bridge outside the Olympic Park puts cyclists at danger. The Angel Lane bridge runs north of Stratford town centre over rail tracks. For a length it has a segregated cycle track which then abruptly turns and disappears into the main traffic lane at a pinch point. The road is straight and clear and so encourages speeding, further increasing danger to cyclists. WF Cyclist Tony Fincham said, We are dismayed that in this day and age such appalling design has been implemented.

TOUCHING UP LEYTONSTONE Leytonstone High Road makeover has begun but improvement seems superficial. The shemes objectives include better cycling and walk- ETHIOPIA RIDES AHEAD Local charity Ahead put on a ride to sponsor a ing, safer environment, improved accessibility and transvocational training centre and girls hostel in port flow. Ethiopia. WF Cyclist Gerhard Weiss commented, We are Forty riders departed from Walthamstows St. Jamess Park on 5 June on Aheads quest to raise 10,000. They were met by the Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy at Peter House and then they rode on through Epping Forest to Woodfords Stone Bomb, a memorial erected in 1935 by the suffragette, feminist and political activist Sylvia Pankhurst. Her descendant Dr Helen Pankhurst and Leslie Stowe, President of Chingford Rotary Club, gave a short address. The ten-mile-riders then turned back while others pedalled on to High Beach and North Weald Bassetts RAF museum. These included Ethiopian youngsters living in London for whom cycling was a brand-new discovery thanks to Dr Elfneh Bariso, ride organiser and Aheads leader. All were welcomed back in Walthamstow with hot food and drinks. Pavement parking rolled out all over Leytonstone

Rides & events

ART TRAIL BY BIKE FOR CULTURE VULTURES The guide to this years Art Trail is bound to make you dizzy. How can you take it all in? You can: by bike. Waltham Forest Cyclists will pedal between selected venues almost every day. Ride the Big Ride for an all-youcan-devour feast last year we managed 16 exhibitions! Unwind after work with our bite-sized rides. Bring your kids to the Walthamstow Family Bike Clubs ride. Big Ride: Saturday 3 September 2-6pm Bite-sized rides: Mon-Thu 4-8 September 6-7.30pm Friday 9 September 6.30pm onwards (ends at Vestry House Open Day which goes on till 9) All rides above meet in Walthamstow town square (outside the library) Walthamstow Family Bike Clubs ride: Sunday 11 September 1-5pm, meet in Orford Road between St. Marys Church and the Ancient House

70 riders line up for the Gold ride at the Tour de Waltham rides is being with oodles of other people cycling. At the time of writing, neighbouring LCC branches are gearing up to bring feeder rides to the circuit we will even have visitors from south of the river. Theres a link to a map of the circuit on www.stibasa.org.uk . Do come along and encourage others, but first delete your voicemails and change your voicemail PIN this is a Murdoch event!

4 Sep Mayor of London Skyride Experience car free streets in central London and join a LCC guided ride to the event from every corner of London www.lcc.org.uk/events

Skyride season

Redbridge Cycle Maintenance Workshop Course starts on Wednesday September 21st.4 21 August Barkgin & Dagenham Skyride weeks ,7-9pm , cost 40. Sign up with Terry Hughes: Whilst the Mayor of Londons Skyride is the showcase terence.hughes@btinternet.com. event, those who dont fancy the trip up to central Redbridge LCC Group Meetings will resume in London and back can get a foretaste at a more modest the Autumn in Wanstead House, bimonthly on Tuesevent around the streets of Barking & Dagenham. It days. We plan some interesting speakers so keep an may not be quite so replete with sights and landmarks eye on www.redbridgelcc.org.uk for dates- and sign as central London, but part of the pleasure of circuit up on our new -elist ( see below.)

Local group contacts

Redbridge www.redbridgelcc.org.uk Havering David Gould http://tiny.cc/HaveringCC Barking & Dagenham Colin Newman http://www.stibasa.org.uk 020 8144 8591 Newham Arnold Ridout http://tiny.cc/NewhamCC Waltham Forest Gerhard Weiss www.wfcycling.org.uk 078 9403 5571