Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in July 2023. 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… +++ Great response against controversial road changes +++ More road-related projects in pipeline +++ Cyclist-on-cyclist hit and run +++ Two riders injured in separate incidents +++
Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Look Mum No Hands!, Pearson Cycles, Richmond Cycles, Sigma Sports Electric
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Before this bulletin begins in earnest, a quick tip if you are riding to the park this morning. Head over to Colicci, where you can get a free bicycle safety check, courtesy of the bike mechanics from Fettle, and meet the park’s police officers from 10am until 1pm. Events like this, which are organised by the police, are usually quite popular, so don’t be late!
DIRECT MAIL
Thank you to everyone who took the time to let The Royal Parks know how they felt about the controversial new road installations and 10mph signage. We were copied into scores of emails from subscribers and followers on social media, all of which outlined intelligent, articulate objections based on their own experiences and observations. We are confident that they will make it much harder for the safety consultants to say there is nothing to worry about.
Here is a small sample of your responses:
“I note with some alarm the give-way change over Beverley Brook. [...] I certainly don't want to put cyclists on a higher moral ground than drivers, but I have seen a few near misses due to cars not giving way to cyclists at the give way section on the bridge and I am quite worried about it. I don't want people hurt – obviously – and I don't quite see how this makes this stretch of road safer. It's an incredibly lovely commute I have – I just love it. I hope that my son will use it to get to school when he's a bit older. The biggest problem is the aggression between cars and cyclists – fault on both sides – and I fear that the give way section will add to this problem in the future.”
“The gates at the bottom [of Broomfield Hill] are narrow and lead directly onto a roundabout. Cyclists have to judge the width of the gate and look in two directions for traffic crossing their path. The height of the gates and the additional signage blocks the view of both cyclists and motorists, increasing the possibility of collision. The new gates are made of solid, sharp-edged timber, and a cyclist colliding with these gates could sustain serious injury. My suggestion for the Broomfield Hill gates would be to widen them and make them lower so as to maximize visibility, and also add padding to the gates.”
“The posts are solid and thick but they are covered in signage – it is very difficult to see. Just today, three young ladies seemed completely oblivious when they almost crashed into me coming down Broomfield Hill – I was turning right at the roundabout and even though I was indicating before the roundabout and whilst turning, they said they did not see me!”
“When I moved over from the USA our family selected this area so that I could have a safe place to cycle and train. Richmond Park is a gift and I attribute my ability to escape there to walk, run, cycle and move through nature the reason for strong mental health. [...] What made the park special was the ability to cycle without the typical London obstacles which distract, disrupt and dampen the experience of moving safely around in nature. The timber posts and give way lanes now on the road make Richmond Park more like the busy London streets and greatly detract not only from the experience of exercising in nature, but promotes unsafe opportunities for all involved to take chances when moving through these areas. I have witnessed honking horns and verbal exchanges at these new junctions which I had never witnessed before at Richmond Park.”
“I was disappointed to see that there had not been a wider consultation with the public on what the permanent measures would consist of. What has been installed, for some of us, was a surprise to the extent and design of the new measures, especially when compared with the previous temporary measures. Whilst the temporary measures with the plastic bollards and blocks were not exactly perfect, they at least offered solutions to ensure free flow to permitted traffic without obstruction. I am a frequent cyclist in Richmond Park, often accompanying disabled athletes in wheelchairs and raise concerns from their viewpoint as well as mine.”
“Unreasonable speed restrictions (i.e. 10mph on a steep downhill) add danger as a small number grip their brakes hard while trying not to fall off (especially in the wet) while others come past them at more controllable (but significantly faster) speeds. Rules that are bound to be regularly broken detract from credibility.”
The second safety report, which has been carried out by the same independent firm that assessed the measures after they were put in, is now complete and going through the company’s internal review process. Park manager Paul Richards expects to receive it soon, at which point he will respond to our open letter outlining our objections.
A FEW FOR THE ROAD
The specialists who visited the park for the second safety report carried out their work on a Sunday and Monday, during daylight hours as well as at night. They also cycled the route as part of the assessment.
There are a number of other road-related projects that TRP has instigated. Here is the current state of play with each of them.
A park-wide accessibility audit should examine how disabled people, cargo bike riders and others are impacted by the recent road changes as well as the limitations of the pedestrian gates.
Following the spate of cyclists slipping and falling in the park over the past two winters, Paul Richards has instructed a health and safety evaluation, known as a pendulum test, to be carried out on the roundabouts to see if the road surface passes local highway authority requirements. This work will be done at night when the park is closed to motor vehicles to avoid road closures.
Tubular counters – pairs of thin cables covering the width of the road – were temporarily installed in various locations before and after the installation of the traffic-calming measures to record the speed and frequency of motor vehicles and bikes. The park management now has a draft report on cycle speeds based on this data. We do not expect this report to produce any meaningful insight on cyclists’ behaviour, as appropriate speed in each case would be impossible to judge without an observational study which could identify, for example, who else was on the road or crossing it at the same time.
Last month contractors identified the location of potholes throughout the roadway, which have now been filled in. We have expressed our thanks to the park manager.
CYCLIST HIT BY… A CYCLIST
A cyclist was knocked unconscious in the middle road after another rider crossed into his path and collided with him head-on. A friend who was riding with the victim attended to him – and while he was doing so, the other cyclist left the scene.
Adam Keliher, 61, from Wimbledon, suffered concussion, a cracked rib and cuts to his hands. The man who hit him was described as being in his forties or fifties and dressed in black-and-white cycling clothing. The incident took place at around 2.15pm during the Bank Holiday Monday in May and was reported in The Times along with other news outlets at the beginning of last month.
This cowardly and irresponsible act does not, of course, reflect the decent, considerate behaviour of the overwhelming majority of people who choose to cycle in the park. But a hit and run is a hit and run, regardless of whether the perpetrator is travelling on four wheels or, in this rare case, on two.
Generally, the police only issue appeals for help with their inquiries into a traffic incident if the injuries are very serious or life-changing, which is why they didn’t do so in this instance, and the case has since been closed as the person responsible was not identified. Nevertheless, if you witnessed the collision or have any relevant information, it’s worth contacting the police by dialling 101.
INJURY REPORTS
News has reached us of two concerning recent incidents in which cyclists were injured in the park. A subscriber has told us that her husband witnessed a driver clipping a cyclist, causing the rider to fall off. She tells us that the female motorist got out of the car to check on the victim but her husband tried to get her back in and leave, insisting that the rider would be looked after by another cyclist. The incident took place on June 1 at around 6pm.
On Thursday, another subscriber saw a cyclist lying on the ground looking “pretty worse for wear” at Ham Cross. The subscriber writes: “Luckily lots of people had stopped to help them while an ambulance arrived.
The police tell us they have no details about any such incidents involving a cyclist, so if you were at the scene during either of them, or you were one of the riders who came off, please get in touch.
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