25 January (Part 3) - It was roads and bikes too
It wasn’t just buses and trains that were discussed at Tuesday’s meeting, roads got an airing too.
The Agenda included some impressive graphs on how road casualty figures were on a
steady downward path but closer examination showed that to be over the
past 30 years and some have kicked up over the past year or two, notably for
severe injuries to pedestrians and cyclists.
Slight injuries were up by 16% last year. As I understand it, the trend is
widespread across the country and is not a phenomenon unique to Bexley. In 2017
1,299 Bexley children had received road safety training but “silly little people doing
wheelies” continue to be a problem.
In 2017 1,686 cyclists had been trained.
No particular accident “hot-spots” have been identified in Bexley. The statistics
identify some areas as being worse than others but those areas are quite large
and the accidents are not occurring all in the same place.
The plan for cycling quiet ways has been all but abandoned. £17,000 will be
spent on planning for the future during the coming year but no money is
available to actually build any - TfL cuts being the cause following a £700m.
reduction to the government grant. There will however be “a fairly standard cycle route
over the Harrow Manorway flyover” and there will be a cycle hub built within a
refurbished and soon to be redundant bus shelter opposite Abbey Wood station.
Cabinet Member Alex Sawyer took the further opportunity to say that the Mayor
had “once again screwed South East London”. The London Cycling Commissioner came to
Bexley last August, had the need for quiet ways explained to him, he’d promised
a response but despite two reminders has made no further comment. “When we have
another election the Mayor might remember where Bexley is once again.”
Councillor Borella suggested that Alex should speak to the Editor of the Evening
Standard who made the budget cut. In a very sarcastic tone, Chairman Val Clark
slapped him down with an unnecessarily curt “Thanks for the advice”.
Mr. Robert Heywood who represents cycling interests on the Committee had
hoped that the Albion Road reconstruction would be a success and the stepped cycling track
appears to be but he was critical of the design of Bexley’s roundabouts. They tend to force cyclists to
the kerb rather than allowing them to hog their lane which is the recommended safe
practice. The cycling track surface was “choppy” and his complaint met with some
sympathy. The surface will be replaced when the temperature is more conducive to a good result.
The Harrow Manorway flyover works are not now expected to complete until June,
in part as a consequence of the delay to station completion. Work will begin on Felixstowe and Gayton Roads in April or May and not the November 2017 January 2018 dates originally announced.
Click image for source document.
From Tuesday’s agenda.
The Watling Street Gravel Hill junction currently being converted from traffic
light control to a roundabout will suffer three weeks of night closures in the
immediate future with the expectation of it being fully open again by the beginning
of March. The newly constructed Gravel Hill Albion Road roundabout will suffer the same fate.
Note: Shortly after this blog was published Bexley Council issued
their
Press Release on the subject. It is a more detailed version of what was announced at the Transport Users’ meeting.