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The result of the informal consultation on making almost the whole of Sopwell a 20mph zone is that nearly 20% of residents responded, with the majority in favour. This easily exceeds the 10% bar for the scheme to go ahead. Councillor Sandy Walkington has asked that the proposed 40mph speed limit for the buffer zone of Cottonmill Lane between Sopwell Mills and Mile House bridge be reviewed. Although this is an improvement on the current 60mph limit, it seems high given that cyclists use this poorly surfaced, dark narrow stretch of road, as do pedestrians as there is no foot-way. Once this and other queries have been resolved, a formal consultation will be made with a view to delivery of the project by the end of the financial year.
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Herts County Council are proposing speed-limit alterations for the A5183 Redbourn Road between the Batchwood Roundabout and the Redbourn High Street roundabout. This three-mile section of the Redbourn Road has had six fatalities and six serious accidents in the past six years. The latest death was at night in September, when a car, which was travelling south,, collided with the former Punchbowl pub.
The scheme is sponsored by Annie Brewster, the Councillor for Harpenden Rural, with her annual discretionary Highway Locality Budget to fund the project. She has campaigned on this issue for years, but is stepping down as a County Councillor to become the next High Sheriff of Hertfordshire.
The proposed scheme consists of:
- lowering the speed limit on the section between Hogg End Lane & Beaumont Hall Lane from 60 to 50mph
- raising the speed limit on the section north of Beaumont Hall Lane from 40 to 50mph
- raising the speed limit from 30 to 40mph on the section leading to the Redbourn roundabout
The intention is to improve road safety for all users, initially by consolidating speed limits. Cyclists should benefit from the elimination of the 60mph section, but not from the two sections approaching Redbourn where the proposed speed limit is to be increased! However, HCC are inviting you to give feedback on the above 3 components of the proposal here, where you can also read some supporting documents. Please do so before 22nd December.
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Three STACC committee members joined six Sustrans volunteers on a bright and sunny Saturday morning in November for a maintenance ride along the Nickey Line (part of NCR57), starting at Harpenden. Armed with secateurs, pruning saws and allen keys they stopped at frequent intervals to clear vegetation, especially where it obscured signposts, and corrected (if possible) any signs that had been maliciously altered to point the wrong way. Finishing at the steps in Hemel Hempstead in the early afternoon, they rode back to their homes having enjoyed a day out while doing something beneficial for cyclists. If you would like to join a future Sustrans ride, let us know at info@stacc.org.uk.
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St Saviour's View
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STACC met with officers from Hertfordshire County Council and St Albans District Council in October. One of the issues we highlighted was vegetation on active-travel routes not being properly managed. Two sections of the St Albans Green Ring were actioned shortly after. The link between Lemsford Road and Jennings Road was cleared of a years-worth of muck. The leaves have now of course fallen, so this years accumulation is underway; we hope it will be cleared again soon. The Green Spaces operatives have been out clearing sections of the Green Ring on Batchwood Drive, and the link between the Alban Way and the Cottonmill Level Crossing. The overgrown shrub by the top barrier at St Saviours View has now been neatly trimmed, improving sight-lines and, quite frankly, it looks so much better. Even better if the barriers could be done away with of course, but one thing at a time.
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The works to improve the roundabout on Station Road at the north of Wheathampstead have now been completed. There are new zebra crossings on the east and west exits from the roundabout, with informal pedestrian crossings on the north and south exits. The redesign was made with pedestrians in mind, but it does benefit cyclists as a by-product.
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Cycle-Maintenance Courses
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The Trek shop at 221 Hatfield Road, St Albans (pictured), is running a Christmas cycle-maintenance session for women on Thursday, 21st Dec 2023 from 6:15 to 8 o'clock. This is free, but if you wish to attend, you must register here as places are limited.
The St Albans Cycle Hub is running maintenance courses on Saturday mornings; at the time of writing there were still slots available for the Beginners course this Saturday, 9th December. The three sessions currently offered are Beginners, Gears and Cable Brakes. Check dates & fees, and book here.
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Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead
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This is a cautionary tale: a STACC member was cycling in The Marlowes, the Hemel Hempstead shopping precinct, when he was stopped by a District Enforcement officer wearing a body camera, who took his name and address and told him he would receive fixed-penalty notice for cycling within a restricted area. The letter in redacted form is reproduced above. Note the threat of legal proceedings being instituted against you for the offence of littering, which tempted him to have his day in court, but on reflection he paid up.
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Rickmansworth High Street
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In a possible echo of the sequence of events which led to the closure of St Albans High Street to motor traffic during the first Covid lockdown eventually being totally revoked, part of Rickmansworth High Street which had been closed at the same time and for the same reason, will soon be reopened to motor traffic on weekdays, following a trial and consultation exercise. Because this part of the High Street had been one-way travelling west, cyclists were, and still are, not supposed to travel east, although there is no practical means of preventing this, in a situation comparable with that in St Albans Market Place.
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We have referred to the road works on the A602 at Sacombe Pound several times over the last 4 years as they slowly progressed. They are now at last complete with a new cycleway constructed that passes under a new bridge which carries the rerouted main road. This underpass is due to the campaigning work of a local cyclist, Jon Crosby, pictured above. Jon lived in Cockfosters, but he was a regular rider for many years with South Herts Cyclists, the St Albans-based Cycling UK group, and formerly a member of Waltham Forest CTC. When proposals were first published for straightening the A602 to improve traffic flow, Jon was alarmed that the speeded-up traffic would make the already dangerous crossing for cyclists and pedestrians even more so. How the subsequent change to the scheme design came about is described on the Cycling UK website in Local campaigning success: new cycle path means safer cycling in Hertfordshire .
The article is written by chairman of WelHatCycling Adam Edwards, who assisted Jon's campaign effort. STACC members played their part - as Adam explains: "The objection [to the Side Roads order] came from Cycle Herts, the federal group for the county, not us as individuals, which enabled us to state we were representing 1,000 local people who cycle."
Sadly, Jon had terminal cancer, and although he knew his campaign had succeeded, he died before the cycle path was built. His achievement with this campaign action has brought more than a stretch of cycle-friendly tarmac - it raised the profile of cycling with officers and councillors, to the benefit of active travel schemes now coming forward.
To see what has happened to the old A602 you can watch this short YouTube video.
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You are all familiar with the butterfly bike-racks, commonly known as wheel-benders, where the bike is supported by a clamp on the front wheel, but on the Portuguese island of Madeira, they can bend wheels on an industrial scale. What looks like a giant spring, or toast rack, twenty bikes could have their front wheels bent in one push. Fortunately, cyclists (there are not many of these due to the very steep hills) do not appear to use them.
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2024 Subscription renewal
It's that time of the year again when subscriptions are due. If you do not pay by standing order or have not paid in advance, your membership fee for 2023, despite inflation, is still only £5.
Please send a cheque (payable to St Albans Cycle Campaign) or cash to:
Steve Brazier
STACC Membership Secretary
5 The Limes, St Albans AL1 4AT
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