RPC Bulletin #84, January 2025

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in January 2025. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Happy New Year! +++ Parks’ police target for cuts +++

Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Pearson Cycles, Richmond Cycles, Richmond Park Rouleurs, Sigma Sports

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We’re officially on a break over the festive period, so this is a much shorter monthly newsletter than usual – but we couldn’t begin 2025 without thanking all our subscribers for your support in 2024. There wouldn’t be a Richmond Park Cyclists without you. Our thanks also to park manager Paul Richards, the park’s police and The Royal Parks for their help and engagement with us.

At some point in the next few weeks we will meet again with Director of Parks Darren Share to continue discussions concerning The Royal Parks’ plan to revamp its cycling policy and establish a code of conduct for cyclists. Our aim is to better reflect a realistic approach to regulating cyclists’ speeds and behaviour, while also prioritising the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. Hopefully we will have news to share when this bulletin resumes normal service at the start of February.

UNIT COST

We also hope to have more information by the end of the month on the significant changes to the policing of Richmond Park. The Met has to plug a £450million funding gap, and one of the targets for cuts is the team that patrols the Royal Parks, which The Standard reports could have its resources “slashed”. There is also speculation elsewhere that the unit could be scrapped entirely, with the local force taking over responsibilities for Richmond and Bushy parks.

In an email sent to us and the other members of the Safer Parks Police Panel, the unit’s Inspector Nick McLaughlin said discussions regarding funding are ongoing and no officers will be made redundant. We are likely to learn more when we meet with his sergeant, Pete Sturgess, for our regular quarterly catch-up this month, and at the next Safer Parks meeting towards the end of February.

Sgt Sturgess and his team do a great job catching speeding motorists, stopping drivers of unauthorised trade vehicles and policing many other misdemeanours which can have an impact on the enjoyment of cycling in the park. When we have asked him to prioritise certain offences, such as drivers entering the car-free areas of the roadway during the Movement Strategy trials, he has always been happy to oblige. And the park’s officers are generally fair when it comes to dealing with inconsiderate cycling. There is no guarantee as yet that the local force could be as effective and as focused on the park, as it will, naturally, have to continue policing the surrounding boroughs as well. So we would prefer continuity rather than change, especially as we have built up a good relationship with Sgt Pete over the years. Nevertheless, we are ready to work with whichever police body is responsible for keeping the park safe for cyclists and every other visitor in the future.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

Thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox over the past year, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #83, December 2024

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in December 2024. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Our response to newspaper’s overblown claims about cycling in Richmond Park +++ The Royal Parks draft new cycling policy and code of conduct +++ Follow us on Bluesky

Visit our sponsors: BellaVelo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Pearson Cycles, Richmond Cycles, Sigma Sports

FAULTY TELE

The Daily Telegraph – which previously breached the Editors’ Code with a laughably untrue claim that ordinary cyclists are riding faster on UK roads than Olympic track champions – has now published more overblown worries about cycling in Richmond Park and The Royal Parks’ other green spaces. 

Using the Freedom of Information Act, it obtained specific data from TRP which only lists incidents involving cyclists colliding with pedestrians or other cyclists, or (in one instance) damaging a car during an altercation. A map accompanying the report identified just six such cases in Richmond Park over the past four years – exceptionally few in relation to the hundreds of thousands of miles cycled on its roadway annually – and, of course, there are none of the alarming incidents involving motorists that the police continually record in their official statistics, which we detail in full every three months in this bulletin. 

Some things are best left to wither behind a paywall. But if you really want to see the newspaper’s report for yourself, we have liberated most of it here.

A day after the Telegraph’s report appeared, one of its columnists took up the cudgels, and we submitted this response, which was published last Sunday:

SIR – Simon Heffer says that it’s time to “get tough on the scourge of rogue cyclists” (Comment, November 17). As a campaigner, and someone who cycles around London virtually every day, I’ve seen people cycling in all sorts of ways in our city. I’m also in Richmond Park nearly every day. Cyclists aren’t angels, but they’re no less law abiding than anyone else in this country.

Mr Heffer’s essential argument seems to be one that has been rejected by government after government, in the UK and abroad: that somehow, if we made everyone on a bicycle have a specific licence and register their vehicle, then the world would be a safer place. Yet drivers, with their licences, tests, MOTs, and insurance, don’t seem to be persuaded of this, killing more people in a day than cyclists kill in a year.

The law should absolutely be enforced, and used to prevent road violence, but the changes Mr Heffer proposes would make no difference to safety on our roads and pavements, and instead would reduce the number of people cycling, to the detriment of all.

Tim Lennon

Richmond Cycling Campaign and Richmond Park Cyclists

London SW14

SPEED DRAFTING

It was, as many of you are aware, the selective coverage of the pedestrian fatality in Regent’s Park by the Telegraph and other papers that led to The Royal Parks deciding to review its cycling policy and establish a code of conduct for cyclists across its estate. Following our initial meetings with Darren Share, TRP’s Director of Parks, we now have drafts of both documents and have suggested changes after reviewing the wording with our friends from Regent’s Park Cyclists and the London Cycling Campaign. Our aim is to better reflect a realistic approach to regulating cyclists’ speeds and behaviour in the Royal Parks, while also prioritising the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. We will meet with Darren again in December and look forward to continuing our discussions with him.

Following news in our last bulletin that TRP has written to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, we have received indications from more than one source at a high level that TRP’s proposal to have a specific 20mph speed limit for cyclists across the Royal Parks will be difficult to pursue, given the priorities of the Government. This will undoubtedly be another topic of discussion with Darren.

BLUE START

Have you flown to Bluesky yet? We will still be posting on Twitter for the foreseeable future, but with many users fleeing, our posts have also started to appear on its rival service. You can follow us on @richmondpkcyclists.bsky.social.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #82, November 2024

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in November 2024. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Deer cull starts tonight +++ Can 20mph limit for cyclists be introduced?  +++ Action taken on blind spot by car park  +++ Three frightening incidents involving motorists +++ Rundown of quarterly police stats +++

Visit our sponsors: BellaVelo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Pearson Cycles, Richmond Cycles, Sigma Sports

CULL TIME

Before this newsletter begins in earnest, a quick reminder that the park will be closed to everyone from 8pm TONIGHT as the biannual deer cull commences for the usual seven-week period. If you arrive at the park shortly before closing time, please do not enter unless you are absolutely certain you can easily reach your exit before 8pm – otherwise you may find yourself temporarily locked in. The gates officially reopen at 7.30am each day. For more details, see our website.

LIMITED APPEAL

Can The Royal Parks succeed in imposing a unilateral 20mph speed limit on cyclists in Richmond Park and its other green spaces? It doesn’t seem that likely to us.

There was surprise among many cyclists, including us at RPC, when it emerged two weeks ago that TRP has written to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport requesting a change to its regulations so that the maximum speed limit of 20mph could apply to cyclists as well as motorists. The move comes after the negative media coverage, and subsequent public outrage, surrounding the inquest into the pedestrian fatality in Regent’s Park two years ago which involved a cyclist. 

Any changes to the park’s regulations can take a long time to implement, or may not even make it through Parliament. Moreover, the existing regs are clear, easily enforceable, and actually quite stringent: as we make clear in our Safer Riding Guide, they stipulate that “you must not ride in a manner that would endanger the safety of other park visitors or yourself” – and you can be stopped by the police for cycling inconsiderately even if you are moving at less than 20mph. Any attempt to impose a speed limit on cyclists is a distraction from what TRP should be focussing on – the effect of cars in its parks, particularly through traffic. (A number of worrying incidents in the past month, which feature in one of the items below, illustrate this point.

It’s also notable that when the Highway Code was updated, speed limits for cyclists on Britain’s roads were never on the cards. Two years later, would the Government now have the inclination to impose a limit on the few dozen miles of roadway across the Royal Parks, given that they don’t apply to the 246,000 miles of GB roads? And would it have the appetite to get involved when there are so many bigger and unprecedented national challenges to tackle?

In a few days, we are meeting with Darren Share, TRP’s Director of Parks, for the second time. Our series of meetings, as regular subscribers to this bulletin will know, concern the development of a new cycling policy for his organisation – and he assures us it will be guided by data. We are confident that, ultimately, TRP will look at the evidence and see that cyclists in its parks do not pose a significant threat to anyone’s safety, and a 20mph limit will not make its roads any safer.

LOGGING ON

A word of appreciation for park manager Paul Richards, who has taken action on a hazardous blindspot.

While one of us from RPC was cycling down Dark Hill a couple of months ago, a motorist exiting the car park near Kingston Gate pulled out in front of us, necessitating a quick pull on the brake levers to prevent a collision. Neither we nor the driver could see each other because the view was obscured by a vehicle which was parked at the corner on the edge of the exit. But after contacting Paul about this incident, his team has placed logs on the same spot to prevent motorists inconsiderately using it as a parking space. 

Our thanks to him for this. In a separate development, Paul tells us that parts of the Tamsin Trail, which subscribers have flagged for their poor state, are being monitored for future improvements to the path’s surface.

REPORT RUNDOWN

Time for our regular look at the incidents on the park’s roads and the Tamsin Trail that the police have attended. (For the benefit of newer subscribers to this bulletin, this information is collated over a quarterly period and is presented to the Safer Parks Police Panel, which we sit on alongside the park manager, local councillors and other stakeholders.)

• In July, there were two collisions on Queen’s Road. The first involved a cyclist overtaking a motorist and resulted in a fractured pelvis, while the second led to a rider suffering a broken ankle after a driver turned to go towards Pen Ponds car park. Elsewhere, a cyclist came off worse when they collided with a pedestrian on Dark Hill, leaving them with a broken elbow, ribs and a hairline fracture. In the same month, there were four crashes which were either cyclist-on-cyclist or did not involve any other party, with all but one resulting in cuts and abrasions. The exception was a cyclist who broke their leg in a collision on Priory Lane after an oncoming rider clipped the wheel of a person they were riding with and swerved into their path.

• In August, there were two solo cyclist crashes on Sawyer’s Hill and Dark Hill respectively, with the second suffering a fractured hip after their chain snapped. There was also a head-on collision involving two cyclists at Ham Gate, resulting in grazing and cuts.

• In September, a cyclist and a motorist collided after they both pulled out of the junction at Ham Cross at the same time. The cyclist, who suffered shock, landed on the car’s windscreen and broke it. The cyclist and the motorist exchanged details.

Traffic offences and relevant breaches of park regulations were as follows: 

Trade vehicles – 235

Unauthorised parking/unattended – 78

Driving not on a road – 45

Speed – 36

Off-track cycling – 9

Contravening signs (including closed roads) – 5

Cycling to endanger any person – 2

Driving a vehicle to endanger any person – 0

Driving without due care – 0

Using a mobile while driving – 1

No valid license – 2

No insurance – 3

No cycle lights after dark – 1

Faulty vehicle lights – 1

As part of their priorities for the current quarter-year, the police will continue to send traffic officers to the park on some weekday mornings to keep an eye out for speeding motorists, which was a request we originally made at the previous panel meeting in July. Our thanks to Sgt Sturgess from the park’s police for continuing this initiative.

TRIPLE THREAT

More recently, in the space of little more than a week, there have been three frightening  incidents that weren’t presented to the Safer Parks panel as they took place outside the three-month timeframe of the police report (and the third was not reported).

• On October 10, a driver tried to overtake two cars on Queen’s Road between Ham Cross and Pembroke Lodge, then swerved to avoid an oncoming car, careered off-road and hit a tree. The park’s police have recommended that the motorist, who was using his brother’s car, be charged with driving with no insurance and without due care.

• The second incident occurred five days later near Robin Hood Gate. A motorist on Priory Lane turned right towards the Pen Ponds car park, cutting across the roundabout and hitting a cyclist who had come down Broomfield Hill. The cyclist was struck with such force that his pedal went through the car’s bodywork, and the top tube of his bike snapped. He and the driver were shaken by the collision, and the cyclist was taken to hospital. Although both parties believed they were each partly responsible – the driver said he had not seen the cyclist, and the cyclist admitted he had been going too fast – we know from making our own investigations prior to the incident that the plethora of infrastructure and large signs at sight level obscures and distracts road users from all directions, leading to avoidable dangerous manoeuvres like the ones made leading to this accident.

• On October 18, one of our subscribers witnessed a driver in a grey SUV on the single-lane section across Beverly Brook Bridge overtake a group of cyclists at more than 40mph and then drive towards an oncoming rider who had to go off-road to avoid being hit head-on. The subscriber started a thread on Reddit about the frightening incident and, like us, many of the respondents agree that the park is no place for through traffic.
  

As we have said before, the incidence of dangerous and inconsiderate driving in the park is probably relatively lower than that of a busy London road. Nevertheless, addressing incidents like those above would do more to improve the safety of the park’s roads than trying to implement a speed limit for cyclists.

TRAIL AND TRIBULATION

On a final note, a polite reminder about two aspects of safety as we enter the winter months.

At this time of year, some of you may be taking to the Tamsin Trail more often as an alternative to road cycling. If you do, please ride considerately around other cyclists and those on foot. Pedestrians have priority, and on this relatively narrow trail, not all of them are mindful that they share the space with cyclists, so watch your speed. Some are elderly and may not hear you approach. Also look out for dogs and children.

Secondly, always use lights in the park at night and be mindful of hazards. Last week some people walking through the park found a cyclist on the ground after the rider hit a deer on the descent from the Ballet School at around 9.45pm. They required hospital treatment. Please take care at night so you don’t come a cropper as well.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #81, October 2024

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in October 2024. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Royal Parks’ new chair removed – before starting job +++ Youths on mopeds may not be as suspicious as you think +++ Cyclist tailed by police buggy +++ Get your bike marked on your way into work +++

Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Pearson Cycles, Richmond Cycles, Sigma Sports

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT DAME MARY…

All change at the top for The Royal Parks, with a dash of political intrigue, as Dame Mary Archer has been removed as chair of the organisation before she had even taken up the post.

The 79-year-old academic was given the job by the Conservative government in May, with the Daily Mail reporting at the time that the appointment was “rushed through 48 hours after the announcement of the General Election so it could not be vetoed by the Opposition”. Labour won on July 4, and Dame Mary’s four-year tenure, which was due to begin on July 24, was put on ice. Then, in mid-September, Lisa Nandy, the new Culture Secretary, officially announced that the Tory peer’s appointment had been cancelled – which an incoming government is able to do if the appointee has not yet started the job. Previous chair Loyd Grossman, who had been in post since 2016, will stay on until a permanent replacement is found. (Pointedly, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport noted that the former MasterChef judge could continue as he “has not declared any significant political activity”.)

Meanwhile, Darren Share, TRP’s Director of Parks, postponed our second meeting with him due to “unavoidable changes in availability”. We understand that several dates have been marked for rescheduling – and we look forward to finding out what effect, if any, the removal of Dame Mary from the top job might have on TRP’s review of its cycling policy, which is our chief topic of discussion with Darren.

FALSE ALARM

Two years after the last spate of robberies, have violent bike thieves riding mopeds and e-bikes returned to the park? Thankfully not. It is true that there have been sightings of young men wearing face coverings while scooting around the park, but believe it or not, some of their activities turn out to be perfectly innocent when the police stop them to investigate. Sgt Pete Sturgess from the park’s police unit tells us one group who he spoke to seemed surprised that their presence was causing such concern.

Nevertheless, patrols from the Met’s Roads And Transport division will be visiting the park on a regular basis to keep an eye out and reassure the public. Everyone is encouraged to engage with them, so please speak to any officers you may see.

BUGGY SMALLS

Stop that cyclist! Unusual scenes on the park’s middle road last month, as Sgt Pete set off in his small all-terrain vehicle, with siren blaring and lights flashing, to stop a rider who was going rather too fast.

While the sight of a police buggy in pursuit of a cyclist may seem comical, it was justifiable and practical given the circumstances. Sgt Pete had witnessed the man riding at a brisk pace in close proximity to pedestrians, some of them children, as well as Lime bike riders who, as often inexperienced riders, can sometimes veer unpredictably. In this context, the cyclist was a potential hazard to others, and took his park regulation warning from Sgt Pete without complaint. The park’s police boss gave the same warnings to two other cyclists – and also stopped a motorist who said he was unaware that he was not permitted to drive on the middle road, which proved to be an unconvincing claim when it emerged he lives very close to Ham Gate. 

Park reg warnings are a fair means of addressing inappropriate speeds, as those stopped will only face further action if they are caught breaking regulations again within the following 12 months. And remember that the middle road is called the Quietway for a reason: as advised by our Safer Riding Guide, you should “give way to children, walkers and learner cyclists who frequent this mostly car-free area which runs through the centre of the park between Ham Cross and Sheen Cross.” It’s common-sense advice, and most cyclists follow it – so make sure you do too, lest you get a buggy on your tail.

DOUBLE MARKS

Calling all commuters – want to get your bike on the national security register, but you’re never in the park on weekends when marking events usually take place? Then stop by Sheen Cross from 8am on Friday, October 4, where Met officers will gladly mark up your pride and joy – and, as usual, you won’t have to pay a penny.

For those of you who would prefer to swing by after a few laps, another team will be at Ham Cross the next day – Saturday, October 5 – from 10am until 12pm.

Remember: putting your bike on the National Cycle Database is a deterrent to thieves – and if it does get nicked, the chances of your bicycle being returned to you should the police recover it are greatly increased.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #80, September 2024

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in September 2024. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ The reason why the London Duathlon was cancelled +++ Tell us about your group rides for newcomers +++ Speed humps removed near Kingston Gate… then replaced +++ Become a pilot rider for partially sighted cyclists +++ E-bike batteries fire hazard +++

Visit our sponsors: BellaVelo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Pearson Cycles, Richmond Cycles, Sigma Sports

RUN, BIKE, DONE

What scuppered the London Duathlon, which was due to take place in Richmond Park this month? As viewers of RPC’s TV debut on BBC London News on Sunday will have discovered, the cancellation of the popular annual event was directly due to the much-publicised pedestrian fatality two years ago – and ten miles away – in Regent’s Park, along with the more recent inquest into the elderly woman’s sad death.

The organisers of the run-bike-run event blamed “an increased focus on the security and logistics of cycling events in public spaces which creates significant operational challenges.” The Royal Parks, meanwhile, told BBC London that it “wanted to review cycling events in its parks following a minority of people cycling at excessive speeds”.

Both of these statements are couched in general terms. But TRP had previously issued an assurance that it had decided not to approve cycle sport events while it reviewed its cycling policy specifically as a result of the Regent’s fatality. It had already cancelled London Dynamo’s two time trials, which are each capped at 120 competitors; by its own logic, the world’s largest duathlon, with a maxiumum of 4,000 participants, had to suffer the same fate. 

You can see the full BBC London report here.

SHARE THE EVIDENCE

The cancellation of the Duathlon, which has been held annually for a number of years, is a great shame. London needs events like this, and environments such as Richmond Park, to inspire the next generation to cycle – an activity which is proven to reduce stress, improve physical health and ease traffic congestion.

Moreover, The Royal Parks has stated in its latest annual report that “there is no evidence to suggest that [our] parks are becoming unsafe”, attributing a rise in recorded incidents, including non-cycling accidents, to “improved reporting processes” (see p68). And as we have mentioned in this bulletin before, ONS statistics show that pedestrian deaths involving cyclists are incredibly rare, with only nine occurring nationally in five years.

Facts such as these will inform our ongoing dialogue with Darren Share, TRP’s Director of Parks, when RPC and Sean Epstein, our counterpart at Regent’s Park Cyclists, have our second meeting with him on Tuesday. All parties, including TRP, agree that an evidence-based approach is the way forward, and we aim to ensure that TRP’s future cycling policy fulfills the charity’s aim, stated on page six of its annual report, to “welcome everyone” – which should include those who cycle responsibly in sporting events.

ALL SYSTEMS ROE

The Royal Parks has now applied to Richmond Council for planning permission to build a new cafe at Roehampton Gate and redevelop the existing facilities in the vicinity. 

The council published the application on its website on Friday. The application document shows that spaces for cycle parking are intended to rise from 20 to 98. Construction is scheduled to take place from November next year until August 2026, and the estimated cost of the proposal is documented as “up to £2m”. A public consultation will now follow. 

As revealed in April’s RPC bulletin, we were consulted on the ideas for the redevelopment and made recommendations concerning cycling access, bike parking and road surfacing. We were pleased with the plans TRP’s representatives showed us at the time, and we look forward to examining them further as they develop.

GROUP EFFORT

A quick thank-you to all the clubs who have taken up our offer to publicise their group rides which take place in Richmond Park. We aim to compile a list of as many as possible for inclusion on our website, so if you have a ride which welcomes newcomers regardless of their skill level or experience, please get in touch so we can include you.

GETTING THE HUMP

Those of you who cycled into the park via Kingston Gate on Tuesday might have seen roadworks taking place on King’s Road. This was a consequence of what could be described as a concerned local, armed with a tape measure, discovering that the speed humps installed as part of the temporary one-way trial were slightly higher than the legal maximum and arguing that they could damage the undercarriage of cars (although they don’t appear to be a problem for the vast majority of motorists who pass over them at an appropriately sedate speed).

A letter from Kingston Council to residents, reproduced on the NextDoor forum, stated that its contractor had agreed at their own cost to bulldoze the humps and install new ones that are within the correct dimensions, which they apparently did on Tuesday. The three bumps on King’s Road were all of differing heights, the largest being 2.8cm higher than what the council set out as the standard maximum of 8cm. 

This episode illustrates that none of us should take the continuation of the one-way system in its present form for granted. Officially, it is only a temporary trial which could be amended or even scrapped by next year. So if, like us, you don’t want a return to the bad old days of encountering huge frustration, angry confrontations – including the occasional fist fight – and additional pollution on King’s Road as you cycle to and from the park, please take a few moments to fill in this petition, which was brought to our attention by the Friends of Kingston Gate.

The council’s Kingston and North Kingston Neighbourhood Committee is meeting on Thursday to decide if the traffic trial should “remain unchanged for the current time to allow further monitoring to be undertaken”, and there is an opportunity to submit petitions, which we assume is a chance for the organisers of the King’s Road petition to present theirs. You can read the agenda here, and have a look at the road data here, which seems to show there is little change to traffic levels overall compared to the period before the scheme began, and vehicles are now moving slower.

SEE THE DIFFERENCE

Our friends at Merton Sports and Social Club for Visually Impaired People tell us that they “reaped valuable benefits” and generally had a great response to an appeal for volunteers which appeared in the January edition of this bulletin.

The organisation, which is the only one of its kind in London, takes enthusiastic visually impaired local people on tandem rides, ranging from around Richmond Park to a 40-mile club run. They ride from the club’s base in Morden on the first Sunday and third Saturday of the month, although there is no minimum commitment for volunteers.

If you would like to be a tandem pilot, please email MSSC chair Terry Jones at tandemmanagement@mssc.org.uk so she can give you more details. Like some of your fellow RPC subscribers who are already involved, you are likely to find the rides exceptionally rewarding. 

BLAZING SADDLES

On a final note, a word on the safety of electric bikes from Richmond Fire Station, who got in touch with us last month. They say that self-combusting lithium batteries are the fastest-gowing risk in the capital, and fire officers attended one e-bike or e-scooter fire every two days on average last year. The majority of incidents occur within homes, and many are caused by incompatible chargers, bike modifications or faulty or counterfeit products purchased online.

Blazes of this kind can start in seconds. If you have an electric-powered bicycle, the brigade advises:

• Don’t charge your batteries by your front door or any escape route

• Never charge your batteries overnight

• Only buy your batteries from a reputable seller

You can find out more, including the warning signs that your e-bike or battery is a potential hazard, by looking at the fire brigade’s information guide.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #79, August 2024

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in August 2024. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Meeting with Royal Parks’ boss ahead of cycling review +++ Police to look at speeding motorists during the morning rush hour +++ Rundown of incidents police have been involved in over the past three months +++

Visit our sponsors: BellaVelo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Pearson Cycles, Richmond Cycles, Sigma Sports

PLENTY TO SHARE

A couple of weeks ago we met with Darren Share, The Royal Parks’ new Director of Parks, to begin discussions about TRP’s review of its cycling policies following the inquest in May into the pedestrian fatality in Regent’s Park. Also attending the meeting at TRP’s HQ in Hyde Park were Regent’s Park Cyclists’ chair Sean Epstein, Tim Lennon of the London Cycling Campaign, along with representatives from Richmond and Regent’s parks' policing teams. 

TRP’s board of trustees has asked Darren to carry out the review. Consulting the full spectrum of stakeholders, including Richmond Park Cyclists, will be key to balancing the needs of all types of visitors to the royal parks, and we have asked for the review to be data-driven. TRP and the police appear to support this objective approach.

It was a pleasure to meet Darren, and we look forward to seeing him again in early September. In preparation, we have undertaken some work and will be reaching out to cycling, active travel and disabled groups for specialist expertise. Some of you have writen to us in the past expressing concerns over pedestrian and cycle safety in Richmond Park; if you’ve been holding back, do email us now if you’d like to give your view so we can feed it into our discussions with Darren.

You tell us you feel safer when you are walking and cycling in Richmond Park compared to typical roads. Let’s see if the data confirms that.

COMMUTER ERRORS

Long-time subscribers to our bulletins will know that the park’s police set their priorities every three months at the Safer Parks Police Panel, and as attendees we can advise what areas we believe they should focus on. 

At the SPPP meeting last month, we suggested that motorists who speed and close pass cyclists during the morning rush hour was an aspect of road behaviour they could concentrate on, and Sgt Peter Sturgess has agreed to make it one of his team’s sub-priorities this quarter. While policing of the park between 7am and 8am is limited due to staffing issues, we are very grateful to Sgt Sturgess and his team for looking at this matter and for generally helping to make the park roads safer.

The full list of priorities, agreed by the panel, is as follows:

1. Pedestrian safety (courtesy crossings, middle road and gravel bikes on the Tamsin Trail)

2. Cycling safety (Beverly Brook Bridge, obedience and motorist behaviour)

3. Wildlife protection (deer protection, dogs around skylark fields)

REPORT RUNDOWN

As is standard practice at the Safer Parks Police Panel, Sgt Sturgess provided a list of incidents on the roadway and the Tamsin Trail that his team dealt with during the past three months, highlights of which we summarise below.

• A car passenger committed a public order offence in May when they racially abused a cyclist and kicked their bike. The incident began when a motorist pulled out in front of the rider at Kingston Gate car park. The cyclist shouted at the driver, who proceeded to follow them. The two stopped and argued, and the cyclist took photos of the motorist as well as the car’s other occupants. A man got out of the vehicle, kicking the cyclist’s bike and racially abusing them.

• In April, a driver swerved towards a cyclist, sounding their horn before close passing them. Both stopped at Pembroke Lodge. The driver got a hammer out of their vehicle, and threatened and verbally abused the victim – a public order offence.

• In May a driver sounded their horn at a cyclist who was cycling in the middle of the lane and overtook them. The driver parked their car and got out, and the cyclist came from behind and punched them – an incident of common assault by the cyclist. 

• A cyclist was reported to have spat towards a moving vehicle in May.

• Also in May, a person walking a dog who was wearing headphones was startled and jumped as a cyclist passed on the Tamsin Trail. The cyclist asked whether it was a good idea to wear headphones on the shared use path, and the dog walker pushed them, committing an act of common assault.

• On separate dates in May, three bikes were stolen from Roehampton Gate Car Park, two of which we understand were from the cycle hire shop.

• There were two falls in June. At Kingston Gate, there was an altercation between a cyclist and a motorist after a close pass. The cyclist undertook the driver to “have words” but lost balance, resulting in cuts and bruising. Later in the month, a cyclist steered around a runner on Sawyer’s Hill but lost their balance and dislocated their shoulder in a fall.

• In April, two cyclists riding together at Sheen Cross came into contact and fell, with one sustaining a broken collar bone.

Traffic offences and relevant breaches of park regulations were as follows:

Trade vehicles – 192

Unauthorised parking/unattended – 143

Driving not on a road – 45

Speed – 28

Off track cycling – 20

Contravening signs (including closed roads) – 6

Driving a vehicle to endanger any person – 5

Driving without due care – 3

Using a mobile while driving – 3

No valid license – 2

No insurance – 1

No cycle lights after dark – 1

BAD REACTIONS

Finally, a note on rider behaviour on the park’s roads, which appear to have been busier than usual recently. Subscribers have told us they have seen a small minority riding inconsiderately through and around traffic, startling other cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. If you see any person on a bike who is behaving badly, politely advise them to adjust their conduct in future – and remember that the way you ride can affect how cyclists in the park are generally perceived. 

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #78, July 2024

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in July 2024. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Safer Riding Guide temporarily removed from park – but cards are out soon +++ Why were time trials cancelled while the duathlon can still go ahead? +++ Gangs on e-bikes snatching bags +++ Bike marking event at Pen Ponds +++ 

Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Look Mum No Hands!, Pearson Cycles, Richmond Cycles, Evolve e-Bikes

BOARD GAMES

Now you see it… now you don’t. Strange times last week when we finally got round to pinning the Safer Riding Guide on our noticeboard outside Colicci, only for park manager Paul Richards to ask us to take it down shortly afterwards – which, out of respect to his authority, we agreed to do. 

Formerly known as the Code of Conduct, our guide is a list of simple tips for safe, considerate riding – but it seems that The Royal Parks has lately misunderstood a small part of the wording on cycling speeds. Sgt Pete Sturgess from the park’s police has since suggested an alternative, and we are confident that we can decide on phrasing that will please all parties when we sit down with him and Paul this week at our regular quarterly meeting.

But it should be noted that the SRG appeared on our website in October, which was some months after we presented the final version to Paul Richards. And following the recent inquest into the pedestrian fatality involving a cyclist in Regent’s Park, we now believe that TRP is likely to carry out a review of its cycling policies across its estate, especially as it is about to welcome Dame Mary Archer as the new chair for its board of trustees. 

Representatives from Richmond Park Cyclists and Regent’s Park Cyclists will meet with Darren Share, TRP’s new Director of Parks, in a few weeks’ time to find out more and discuss how we can work more closely with TRP to help maintain a safe, welcoming environment for all park visitors. We welcome any review – as long as it fully involves cycling advocacy groups who can be more effective advocates of behavioural change

This bulletin explains some of the issues we are likely to explore. 

LIMIT POINT

The park manager’s concern with the Safer Riding Guide was its advice on the speed limit. The SRG, which was put together with the help of the park’s police and our subscribers, states:

Speed limits in the park do not apply to cyclists – but that does not mean you can ride as fast as you like all the time. The police enforce a regulation stipulating that you must not ride in a manner that would endanger the safety of other park visitors or yourself. So slow down for pedestrians, anticipate road furniture and other potential hazards, and always be aware that deer can run out at any time. Sensible speeds create a more welcoming environment for everyone.

The Royal Parks’ policy on cycling reads:

We do ask that cyclists observe the motor vehicle speed limit for the park, the road or path in question. This varies from 5mph to 20mph. This helps to maintain a safe environment for visitors of all ages, and protects road users, as well as wildlife – particularly as wild deer in Bushy or Richmond Parks may behave unpredictably and run across park roads.

Essentially, both TRP and RPC are encouraging people, in differing ways, to ride sensibly while remaining aware of any potential hazards around them. But Paul Richards tells us that we “endorse that cyclists can speed in the park as long as it’s not all the time,“ which is incorrect. The SRG clearly tells cyclists to adjust their speed, show consideration to all park visitors and abide by the park regulations, while correctly indicating that actual speed limits in the park only apply to drivers – just as they do on all UK roads.

Thankfully, the wording on the condensed, credit card-sized version of the SRG won’t have to be altered as it doesn’t make explicit reference to the speed limit for motor vehicles:

NOT SO FAST: Slow down for pedestrians, anticipate road furniture and other potential hazards, and always be aware that deer can run out at any time.

The SRG cards have been printed, so expect to see them available for free in some of our sponsors’ businesses soon. Please get in touch if you would like a few for your cycling club or to hand out to other cyclists you may know.

REGULATION ISSUE

Would The Royal Parks, following pressure from some quarters triggered by the inquest into the fatality in Regent’s Park, be able to introduce enforceable speed limits for cyclists across its estate? It is possible, but extremely challenging.

Firstly, TRP and the park’s police originally agreed that the parts of the park regulations covering speed limits did apply to cyclists, before deciding with some finality in 2021 that they did not. Changing their mind again would seem capricious and embarrassing. Altering the regulations is another option but could take years or not happen at all as it requires a vote in parliament.

It is more likely that TRP could approach the police to take a more stringent line on cycling speed. Our experience is that the police will only wish to use the existing regulations. The police, who have limited time and resources, are best placed to judge which cases are prosecuted, especially as cyclists are proven to pose a very small risk to the public. We will find out more at our two forthcoming meetings with Sgt Sturgess and the Head of Parks.

TRIALS HALTED

One final note on speed. A couple of weeks after our last monthly bulletin arrived in your inbox, The Royal Parks axed the summer time trials, stating that they “required a pause to evaluate our position” on cycling speeds following the inquest into the Regent’s fatality.

London Dynamo, which has been running the Richmond Park TTs for 15 years, does a risk assessment in conjunction with the sporting body Cycling Time Trials for the two popular, inclusive, fully insured events, and there have never been any safety-related incidents to our knowledge. Richmond Park is one of CTT’s safest and most heavily marshalled courses – but despite a month of talks with TRP, we were unable to reverse the decision.

And yet the London Duathlon, half of which is a cycling time trial, is going ahead in September. Obviously, we are pleased for the competitors that the event (which is much bigger than the RPTTs) has not been cancelled. But why “pause” one and not the other? We hope to have an answer after our two meetings with TRP’s management this month.

SNATCH AND GRAB

There have been recent messages on various WhatsApp groups warning that gangs on mopeds have returned to the park to steal bikes again – which, thankfully, is not quite true. There have been no new bike-jackings, but The Royal Parks has told its team of volunteer rangers that youths on e-bikes wearing black hoodies and face coverings have been snatching bags. If you see anything suspicious, please call 101 – or if you witness an incident or there is an emergency, dial 999. Do not approach anyone acting suspiciously and stay safe.

ON YOUR MARKS…

It’s bike marking time again, friends! Bring your pride and joy to Pen Ponds on Saturday, July 13 to get it on the national register – and as usual, you won’t have to pay a penny. Remember: registering your bike is a deterrent to thieves – and if it is nicked, you stand a much better chance of getting it back. Our thanks once again to Sgt Sturgess and Met officers for carrying out this useful service.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #77, June 2024

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in June 2024. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Nationwide reaction to fatality in Regent’s Park +++ What was the key issue in the death of 81-year-old pedestrian? +++ Why ride-logging apps aren’t the bad guys +++

Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Look Mum No Hands!, Pearson Cycles, Richmond Cycles, Evolve e-Bikes

HAZARDOUS THOUGHTS

The recent inquest into the death of an elderly woman after she stepped into the path of a cyclist in Regent’s Park has placed cycling speeds under national scrutiny, prompting an attempt by a Conservative MP to make cyclists face the same penalties as drivers who cause death or serious injury. With the incident attracting much negative media attention, The Royal Parks has felt pressure to review its largely supportive policies on active travel and cycling across its estate, including Richmond Park. 

TRP has already asked Strava, along with other ride-logging apps, to remove Regent’s Park Outer Circle as a segment (a route where cyclists’ times are ranked), while the perimeter road in Richmond Park has been flagged as “hazardous” – which, compared to roads outside the park, it is not. The inference is clear: when it comes to keeping pedestrians in Royal Parks safe, TRP wants to tackle what it considers to be the inappropriate speed of cyclists. 

But the exceptionally low accident rate involving pedestrians indicates that the overwhelming majority of cyclists in Royal Parks ride safely. Our concern is that restrictions may be ill-considered which would impact the enjoyment of riding in Richmond Park – pushing visitors to ride on less safe roads outside. We urge TRP to take a circumspect view by consulting with us and Regent’s Park Cyclists for our views and experiences on the most effective means of improving cyclist and pedestrian safety and enjoyment. In this bulletin, we set out why.

QUICK TO JUDGE

It is fair to say that, following the wide coverage of 81-year-old Hilda Griffiths’ very unfortunate death, many ordinary members of the public have become aware for the first time that there is no speed limit for cycling on British roads. And many may have assumed that cyclists can therefore ride as fast as they like, whenever they like, with impunity, which is not the case. There are already laws against dangerous and inconsiderate cycling, including inappropriately high speeds, which the police use if a cyclist is considered to have put pedestrians or themselves at risk. 

A concomitant conclusion by many incensed readers of national newspapers would have been that if investment banker Brian Fitzgerald cycled at the speed limit for motorists when he was out with his clubmates at 7am on a Saturday morning in summer 2022, he may not have struck the victim. But on the basis of the facts presented at the inquest, this seems unlikely.

Fitzgerald said he was only two metres away when he saw the woman – giving him less than a quarter of a second to try to avoid her, even if he had been traveling at 20mph (although if he had been moving slower, it could be argued he would have hit her with less impact). It would appear assistant coroner Jean Harkin’s verdict of “accidental cycling collision death” bears out this considered opinion and is, we believe, a fair one. She also rejected calls for a report into the prevention of future deaths caused by cyclists in Regent’s Park because “there has never [previously] been a death of a pedestrian as a result in these circumstances”. And nationally, the risk of a fatality in such situations is incredibly small: only 2.5 of the UK’s 400 annual pedestrian deaths involve a bicycle – the rest are all down to motor vehicles.

COMMUNICATION IS KEY

Rather than focus intently on the issue of speed, The Royal Parks should take up the offer from Richmond Park Cyclists and our friends at Regent’s Park Cyclists to engage in dialogue and to look at other aspects of road safety which contribute to collisions. Do riders in groups communicate as effectively as they can to each other when they see a pedestrian? Could there be improvements to signage, alerting cyclists and pedestrians to each other’s presence? Can visibility be improved by restricting parked cars in Regent’s Park, or encouraging cyclists to take the central position, thereby moving them further away from the kerb?  

All of these are thoughts and suggestions, not recommendations. We already have our Safer Riding Guide, which covers the most straightforward means for cyclists to aid road safety in Richmond Park, and it was put together with the help of the Royal Parks’ police unit. The latest version will soon appear on our noticeboard outside Colicci, and we will encourage TRP to promote it.

WE’RE STRAVA KEEN

Another aspect of cycling that the wider public may not have been aware of until they read about the Regent’s fatality is the use of Strava. With its segments and leaderboards seemingly encouraging fast speeds, the most popular ride-logging app probably looks like the bad guy. But lap times were recorded on cycling forums long before Strava arrived in 2009, and they could now migrate to closed WhatsApp groups – making the tiny minority of cyclists who do travel at problematically fast speeds harder for the authorities to see. And there is another aspect of Strava which would be useful for The Royal Parks to harness.

Strava Metro is an aggregated, anonymised, deep-dive information source which is only available to “groups directly involved in active transportation and infrastructure planning” – organisations, in other words, like TRP. Two years ago we put together a presentation which aimed to show TRP how the data available could measure how safe Richmond Park is for cycling and walking, as well as improve aspects of safety. Sadly, the process of getting the presentation to TRP’s board stalled – but recent events make this an opportune moment to restart that process.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #76, May 2024

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in May 2024. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Rundown of road offences and other incidents the police attended over the past three months  +++ Collecting data to discover how safe the roadway is +++ Help maintain the natural environment of the park – and meet us! +++ Take care around dog owners +++

Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Look Mum No Hands!, Pearson Cycles, Richmond Cycles, Evolve e-Bikes

MEETINGS POINTS

It’s been a busy few weeks for us at Richmond Park Cyclists. This coming Tuesday we will be representing your interests at the stakeholders’ breakfast, a biannual event hosted by some of the people who run The Royal Parks, and we are due to have our regular quarterly meeting with Sergeant Pete Sturgess, who is in charge of policing the outer Royal Parks, and park manager Paul Richards. 

We also sat with Paul on the Safer Parks Police panel two weeks ago where, as usual, the list of all incidents that officers attended over the past three months were presented to the stakeholders present. We are grateful to Sgt Sturgess and his team for collating the information and helping to keep the roadway safer for cycling. This quarter’s figures showed, once again, that while cycling accidents outnumber motor vehicle and pedestrian accidents, they are largely self-inflicted, and motor vehicle offences far outnumber everything else.

Before we share the data, we now have traffic counts from Paul detailing flows recorded last year over several days. We are extrapolating the number of cycling miles travelled with reported cycling accidents and will then seek comparable data for roads outside. Our aim is to demonstrate that the park’s roads are far safer for cycling than those cyclists might otherwise ride outside. Richmond Park certainly feels safer, but we would like to prove that it is the safest cycling destination in London and beyond.

Here are the incidents that occurred on the park’s roadway from January to March, as set out in the police’s report: 

• In January (as reported in a previous edition of this bulletin) a cyclist was left shocked and bruised after a motorist exceeding the 20mph speed limit close passed her on the Priory Lane stretch of the park’s road, snagging the woman’s jacket and dragging her for about 50 metres. 

• Near Ham Gate in February, there was an attempted theft of bikes from two cyclists by two assailants, who chased them by bike. A few days earlier, as reported in our March bulletin, a cyclist clipped the kerb and wands at Beverley Brook Bridge causing her to fall and break her hip and pelvis.

• A cyclist hit two stationary riders on Sawyers Hill in March, causing their bike to snap in half. The rider cracked their teeth and injured their shoulder.  Later in the month, a cyclist slipped on gravel at the roundabout on Priory Lane and grazed their hip.

• As for offences this quarter, one motorist was reported for dangerously carrying too many passengers and a cyclist was reported for riding without due care and attention. A total of 19 motorists were reported under Park Regulations for driving a vehicle in a manner that could endanger any person. A total of 50 motorists were reported for speeding, and 251 trade vehicle drivers were reported. One motorist was found to not have a valid license, and four held no insurance. There were also 141 tickets issued for unauthorised parking or leaving a vehicle unattended and 17 for contravening signs, including no entry, on the roads closed to traffic.

• There were eight cyclists reported for riding off-track and 36 motorists for driving “not on a road”.

The police priorities for the next quarter, as agreed by the panel, include pedestrian safety, especially on the courtesy crossings, the shared-use middle road and on the Tamsin Trail. Please slow down and stop to give way if it is safe to do so. Another priority is focussing on cycling safety, especially around the priority flow system on the Beverley Brook Bridge, which applies to cyclists as well as motorists. 

Separate to the panel meeting, RPC’s proposal to introduce a slip lane on Beverley Brook Bridge for cyclists travelling towards Roehampton has been rejected by TRP but we intend to employ a traffic engineer to design a solution showing how this could be safely and considerately introduced. 

ROOT CAUSES

There’s more to the park than the roadway and the Tamsin Trail. Here’s your chance to experience parts of the park that cycling may never have taken you and help to care for the natural environment in the process. You will also get to meet us in person!

The Royal Parks is looking for volunteers to assist with just two hours work in some of the meadow areas. One of the jobs at this time of year is the removal of ragwort – the small, yellow weed-like flowers which can kill grassland species and, in their dried form, are poisonous to horses.

The volunteer morning will take place on Sunday, May 19, from 9am until 11.30am, meeting at either Sheen Gate or at Colicci by Roehampton Gate (meeting point to be confirmed). If you can find the time to spare and would like to take part in this worthwhile activity, please email Fiona Megarrell, TRP’s volunteer officer, at fmegarrell@royalparks.org.uk and copy us in.

MUTTS DO BETTER

On a final note, a brief word about looking out for our four-legged friends and their owners. We’ve had reports that cyclists have been behaving inconsiderately towards dog walkers on the crossing in front of the car park near Robin Hood Gate car park. Please reduce your speed on your approach, particularly from the Broomfield Hill direction to give you more time to react to the greater number of people and animals who may be moving around, and refrain from shouting at them.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #75, April 2024

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in April 2024. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Revamp of Roehampton Gate cafe +++ Entries for time trials open +++ Car-free day rejected +++ Rules for dog-owners, and what to do if they don’t follow them +++ British Cycling event to encourage women to ride +++

Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Look Mum No Hands!, Pearson Cycles, Richmond Cycles, Evolve e-Bikes

LATTE DEVELOPERS

Coffee-lovers rejoice! After a very long wait, The Royal Parks has announced that Colicci will finally be redeveloped alongside the area surrounding the cafe, which will greatly improve the facility for cyclists.

In January, we were privileged to meet Jane Pelly, Head of Landscape at TRP, and Principal Landscape Architect Madeleine Murphy in the park, where we made recommendations concerning cycling access, bike parking and road surfacing. The plans they showed us will now be available for you to see at three open days on Thursday, April 4 (1-4pm), Saturday, April 6 (10am-1pm) or Friday, April 12 (11am-2pm) at the Roehampton Gate cafe, where you can ask questions and provide feedback. 

The present cafe building, which was originally located in St James’s Park, was transplanted to Richmond Park after the original pavilion burned down in 2004, and was only meant to last a few months until a permanent replacement was built. In December 2019, TRP’s ten-year management plan for the park stated it was still unable to find “a funding source” for the project, so these improvements are long overdue and most welcome. But with the hoops of planning permission still to jump through, there is a wait to come before the grand opening takes place in late 2026. In the meantime, you can read more about the redevelopment and see an artists’ impression of it on TRP’s website here.

FUN TIME

Entries for the park’s annual time trials, organised by London Dynamo, open TODAY. The 10.4-mile events, which take place on Sunday, June 23 and Sunday, July 7, are perfect for anyone who has never raced before, particularly as you get to experience the roads with barely any traffic on them. All you need is a basic road bike and an alarm clock to get you up in time for the starting slots, which are scheduled at 30-second intervals between 6am and 7am. 

The categories are Men’s Road, Men’s TT, Junior Male, Women’s Road, Women’s TT, Junior Female, Para and – for the second event only  – Men’s 3-Up TT and Women’s 3-Up TT.

Sign up for the first event here and the second here. Entries cost £16 for adults and £8 for juniors. Places go quickly, so don’t hang about!

CAR-FREE DAY REJECTED

If you were cycling in the park over the long weekend, you may have seen the usual tabard-wearing attendants helping to deal with the now-traditional increased flow of cars around the car parks which occurs during almost every public holiday. Their presence was of particular interest to us this time, due to the response from park manager Paul Richards regarding one of our familiar projects.

Paul told us that The Royal Parks will not take up our proposal to prevent motor vehicles travelling through the park during World Car-Free Day on Sunday, September 22. He assured us that TRP had explored the idea “in detail”, but “due to operational reasons, including the need to provide operational access between Richmond and Kingston Gates, and to Pembroke Lodge, we do not have the resources to implement a restriction of access to all motor traffic on that day.” Obviously, this is a disappointing outcome, but particularly so when it is clear that TRP clearly has the money to spend on contractors to man the car parks every Bank Holiday weekend – and a car-free day could tempt some of those drivers queuing up on the park roads to visit by bike next time.

Paul also declined to explain why our plan for widening the controversial one-way lane to accommodate a cycle slip-lane on Beverley Brook Bridge and narrowing the pedestrian section wasn’t viable. He stated that our second option of a footbridge, “is on the future projects list but with no timeline”. Once again, he made no reference to the woman who came off her bike and broke her femur after misjudging the barrier on the bridge in February, nor the experienced cyclist whose bike was damaged in October when a motorist in front of him braked suddenly.

We’re treating these knockbacks on Car Free Day and Beverley Brook Bridge as a stalemate for the time being, and will press forward with our investigations into both while we consider how to respond.

PAW SHOW

A subscriber contacted us after a dog owner allowed their pet to run out of control across the road and did not seem to accept when challenged that they had an obligation to control the animal in the park. We thought we would share the correct information, should you find yourself in a similar situation or knocked off your bike by an errant hound.

All dogs should be on leads at all times during deer birthing season, which is from May 1 to July 31. And while the section of the Road Traffic Act which requires dogs to be on leads when crossing the road does not apply in the park, any failure to control a dog could be an offence under three sections of the park’s regulations which the police actively enforce. One – Section 3(5) – would apply if an officer asks the person with the animal to place it on a lead; the other two state that a visitor to the park should not “intentionally or recklessly interfere with the safety, comfort or convenience of any person” (Section 3 (1)) or “cause or permit any animal or bird of which he is in charge to chase, worry, or injure any other animal or bird” (Section 4 (21)). 

If a dog causes you to crash, make sure you ask for details of the owner and any witnesses, as both could be vital in court or in an insurance claim. Call 101 to report the incident, or 999 if the injury is serious. Similarly, dial 101 if you see a loose dog that appears to endanger cyclists.

BREEZY DOES IT

A brief word on two events you may want to participate in.

• The park management has invited British Cycling to run a ride for Breeze, the national body’s programme to get more women into riding bikes for fun. The inclusive, women-only event will take place in the park in May. We’ll let you know the exact date as soon as it’s announced.

• On Wednesday, our friends at the London Cycling Campaign are launching London Loves Cycling, their initiative targeted at the candidates running for London Mayor. The aim is to avoid the distraction of culture wars currently raging around cycling by celebrating the bike as a hugely popular mode of transport in the capital. LCC says there will be plenty of opportunities for you to spread the message, so keep an eye on the new campaign website.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists