Transport Liaison Committee - mini Holland

TRANSPORT LIAISON COMMITTEE

Council Chamber

15th July 2014

AGENDA

1.    Apologies for Absence and Substitute Members.

2.    Declaration of Interests.

Members are asked to declare any personal and/or prejudicial interest they may have in any matter which is to be considered at the meeting.

3.    Election of Vice Chair(s)

4.    Mobility Forum Report

To receive a verbal report of the Mobility Forum meeting taking place immediately before this meeting.

5.    Update on Recommendations to Cabinet

6.    Cycling updates. (Mini Holland)

7.    London Bus Services

The representative from TfL Surface Transport is requested to provide an update on current bus service issues.

8.    London Overground

The representative from London Overground is requested to provide an update on current issues in relation to the Barking to Gospel Oak Line.

9.     London Underground

The representative from London Underground is requested to provide an update on current issues in respect of the Victoria Line and the Central Line.

10.  Date of Future meetings

11.  To approve the minutes of the last meeting (18.03.14)

12.  AOB

FROM THE PREVIOUS MINUTES

1. Cycling Updates

Tobias Newland (TN) reported that Waltham Forest had been one of three London boroughs to be successful in its bid for a £30m Mini Holland cycling programme. The other successful boroughs were Enfield and Kingston. The programme consists of creating a network of cycle-friendly home zones in the central Walthamstow area though greening, traffic calming and a series of permeability filters closing off rat-runs while facilitating a permeable network for cyclists. The changes benefitting cyclists, pedestrians by helping to regenerate the town centre.

In addition a segregated or semi-segregated Cycle Superhighway will be constructed along the Lea Bridge Road connecting the River Lea with a new cycle-friendly ‘Dutch-style’ roundabout at Whipps Cross.  In the centre of Walthamstow a scheme will be implemented to remove the Hoe Street gyratory.  A new ‘Quietway’ is also being constructed along Selborne Road and Coppermill Lane across the Marshes leading eventually to Hackney, Islington and Bloomsbury. Smaller cycling schemes will also be implemented in secondary town centres such as Leyton, Leytonstone, Higham’s Park and Wood Street connected to the central scheme by a network of ‘Quietways’ and cycle-friendly routes.

The meeting congratulated the team putting together the Mini Holland bid. Roger Gillham (RG) asked whether in places where there are wide pavements it made sense for cyclists to share the pavements with pedestrians as was common in Belgium. He spoke about the cycle racks on the eastbound platform at Leyton station that had previously existed.  Cllr Paul Braham (PB) added his congratulations and felt that the safety elements were positive but felt that the programme should also aim to promote good cyclist behaviour often seen in Dutch cities such as not jumping red lights.

NR said that the Mini Holland redesigns should not be at the expense of pedestrians particularly less able pedestrians. He also questioned the wisdom of locating cycle parking on platforms accessible only through ticket barriers. He also noted that the cycle racks which he had recently seen in at Higham’s Park station were in a very badly lit part of the station – a point which Oliver Shykles (OS) agreed with.

Tim Valder-Hogg (TVH) viewed segregated cycle lanes positively and said he did not like the examples of shared space he had viewed such as those on Cycle Superhighway 2 and outside Waltham Forest Town Hall. Concerning the promotion of good cyclist and driver behaviour he had viewed the recent police presence, for example, at the Mile End traffic lights, as positive and wondered whether there were any plans for similar actions in Waltham Forest.

 Cllr Shameen Highfield (SH) asked whether the Mini Holland would include the promotion of cycle training for children. It was explained that cycle training would continue to be important and that the borough had also recently bid and won £800,00-worth of funding under the Borough Cycling Programme which, among other things, would aim to increase spending on all types of cycle training including Bikeability cycle training for children in schools. SH and PB also requested a presentation and full update on the Mini Holland at the next Transport Liaison Group.

Action: Transport Planning