RPC Bulletin #39, April 2021

CHARGING AHEAD… BUT NOT YET

It seemed like a shock to some when The Royal Parks revealed on Monday that 81 per cent of the 12,000 people who responded to its consultation on introducing car parking charges are against the proposal. But was it really a surprise? In effect, TRP was asking those who choose to drive to the park if they would like to pay for a facility they are already getting for free. Rather like asking turkeys to vote for Christmas, “no”, was a predictable response.

Nevertheless, TRP now plans to go ahead with the charges, which are £1.40 per hour Monday to Friday and £2 at weekends, up to a maximum of six hours. Blue badge holders get to park for free within the same time limit. In response to 84 per cent of respondents opposing the seven-day charging schedule of 9am to 6pm, TRP has reduced the proposed hours to 9am to 4pm on weekdays while keeping nine till six at weekends. The charges would bring Richmond Park and Bushy Park in line with TRP’s other green spaces, none of which offers free parking (and neither do most other parks and beauty spots.) You can see the full update here.

We would like to thank all our subscribers who took part in the consultation after we backed the proposal in October’s bulletin. Any reduction of motor vehicles increases the chance of more diverse populations of visitors coming to enjoy the unique environment of the park’s roadway by bike, many for the first time, as the restrictions during lockdown and the ongoing traffic trial have proved. Additionally, TRP has pledged to invest the revenue from charges on projects to help visitors access the park without a car.

But it is not a certainty that charging will happen. For a start, it requires parliamentary approval, which may take many months to table. In the meantime, Richmond Park’s MP Sarah Olney is seeking “urgent clarification” on the impact that displaced parking would have on the roads where her constituents live, and a petition opposing the move has attracted more than 2,700 signatures since it began last year. (For a good overview of the background, the current plan and reactions to it, have a look at Ross Lydall’s report in the Evening Standard, in which we get a brief mention. Thanks, Ross!)

Whatever the outcome, we commend TRP for pushing ahead. The original plan to introduce parking charges was kiboshed by the government of the time a decade ago – and since then alternative sources of vital funding have failed to materialise. TRP is now a charity, which means it must raise its own funding rather than rely on a government grant. And Richmond Park’s car parks are now in such a sorry state that the one at Roehampton Gate now has a hole the size of a large paddling pool. Surely those who drive to the park will want the surfaces they rely on repaired? 

OUR PANEL OF EXPERTS

The parking charge issue may come up in the next meeting of the Police Panel, which takes place on Wednesday, April 14. As usual, Richmond Park Cyclists will be attending along with other stakeholders. The meeting sets out priorities for the police team over the coming quarter-year, so if there are any issues you would like us to bring up, perhaps in relation to the ongoing traffic trial, please get in touch.

COP A LOAD OF ABUSE

In November last year, we pointed out that delivery drivers, teachers at the ballet school, the Royal Parks’ staff and contractors all display permits in their vehicles that allow them to drive in the restricted areas of the roadway. You can also add police to that list.

Like the aforementioned workers, a blameless officer driving to Holly Lodge in his own  unmarked car at the start of his working day has recently been the target of foul-mouthed abuse from cyclists who think he has broken the rules when, obviously, he hasn’t. 

It was heartening that our social media post on this deplorable behaviour last week was one of our most viewed – clearly many of you feel the same way as we do. Nevertheless, the advice bears repeating: do not abuse any motorist, and if you see anyone do it, please ask them to stop. Their behaviour affects the reputation of us all. 

CALLING THE POLICE

While on the subject of the park’s police unit, a small reminder about reporting incidents which was prompted by a direct message sent to us last month.

A Twitter follower was on Queen’s Road when he saw a moped rider grabbing a cyclist’s handlebars in a bid to take him off. The eyewitness said he was not sure how to share the information.

If you find yourself in a similar situation after witnessing an incident, please tell the police by dialling 101, or 999 if it is an emergency. You can also make a non-emergency report online or direct to @MetCC.

Also on Twitter this week, someone mentioned that a cyclist descended Sawyer’s Hill and hit the back of a car after it came to a halt. Sgt Peter Sturgess from the Parks Police has since told us the driver braked due to another car overtaking in the opposite direction, and the cyclists had minor cuts and concussion. If any more info emerges about either incident, we’ll let you know.

CROSSING THE DIVIDE

The report on the responses to the current traffic trial, which was published three weeks ago when The Royal Parks announced that the restrictions are being extended for a year, revealed that alongside the increase of traffic in surrounding areas, “dangerous interactions between cyclists and other park users” was the joint-second concern of respondents. One respondent in Kingston feared “dangerous speeds” of cyclists were putting pedestrians at risk, while another in Richmond predicted a fatality.

That’s the perception. What about the reality? 

At the last Police Panel meeting, the park’s police said no accidents in recent memory have been reported that have resulted in the hospitalisation of a pedestrian after a collision with a cyclist – and, remember, that is after a period of time when more people have been riding bikes in the park than ever before. So it isn’t actual danger that is the cause of concerns.

The real root of the tensions between visitors walking in the park and cyclists is most probably confusion over pedestrian priority. Outside the park, cyclists generally understand that they should stop at crossings. Inside the park, they do not automatically know that pedestrians always have priority (although our Code of Conduct now exists to start getting that message across, as well as reminding everyone that the speed limit of 20mph applies to cyclists). 

We have asked TRP to create a sense of shared space on the roads next to gates, car parks and junctions to calm traffic flows and allow easier crossing for pedestrians trialing of zebra crossings. We’ve also asked for more signage to get road users and pedestrians to yield and take care. TRP is understandably averse to making the environment of the park, which everyone values, look more urban. But in the interests of making everyone feel safe, we think some of these measures should be implemented.

VULNERABLE TO CRITICISM

Well, it had to happen some time. More than three years after making its debut, this monthly email bulletin has finally received its first series of complaints.

Last month’s report on the driver who caused a collision with a female cyclist at Ham Cross stated: “With more cyclists visiting the park – particularly women and other road users classed as vulnerable – it seems likely that there will be more incidents like this if the road between Kingston and Richmond gates remains open to through traffic.” Five people objected to the term “vulnerable”, arguing that the description implied women cyclists are not as competent as men and, therefore, more prone to accidents.

That was not our intention. It was meant to reflect a study in 2015 headed by the University of Westminster’s transport expert Rachel Aldred which found female cyclists are twice as likely to be subjected to near misses or harassment than men, with the cause attributed to women generally riding at slower speeds than their male counterparts. In that sense, women do appear to be more vulnerable – through no fault of their own.

Nevertheless, we recognise that many women who ride in the park are more confident than the average cyclist and, therefore, quite rightly do not consider themselves vulnerable. And, of course, the park is relatively much safer than roads outside it, which slightly alters the context. We’ll take both these aspects into account in future. In any case we apologise for any offense caused.

AND ON THAT BOMBSHELL...

It’s just as well that this bulletin has arrived in your inbox just after midnight, otherwise you might think that this final item is an April Fool’s joke. But it’s all true!

At around 7:45pm on Sunday evening, as the park was shutting its main gates, we were cycling along the Priory Lane section of the park’s outer road towards Roehampton Gate when a car, which was a fair distance ahead, came to a halt. It could go no further as there was a police car parked diagonally across the road. Two officers got out and advised us and the motorist to turn around and exit at Richmond Gate instead. Their manner was polite, but there was a slight air of urgency.

We have since discovered the reason for the detour: an unexploded World War Two German incendiary device had been discovered in the fields. Specialist officers removed it that night, and the park gates opened as normal the following morning. Amazing stuff!

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 Extra Bulletin – response to Movement Strategy extension

ONE YEAR MORE

The Royal Parks has announced that the current trial in Richmond Park will be extended for a year to evaluate the impact of displaced traffic on the surrounding roads. 

The announcement should have marked the conclusion of the Movement Strategy, which began almost two years ago. Instead, there is a 12-month wait. And there is no guarantee that a year from now we will get something better than the trial, which has removed or restricted through traffic from more than three-fifths of the perimeter road.

But with uncertainty comes opportunity. The overall reduction in shortcut journeys by motorists during the pandemic has led to a wider variety of people visiting, and many have taken up cycling in the park. Yet if the trial had been made permanent this week, through traffic would still have had unrestricted access to Queen’s Road – the stretch between Kingston and Richmond gates which is the busiest section of the roadway – inhibiting the presence of less confident cyclists. 

Richmond Park Cyclists and the wider cycling community now have the chance to show, once and for all, that through traffic should be eliminated from all the park’s roads, at the very least during weekends, to make it a more pleasant place for every kind of visitor. 

And the results of the survey show that this is the outcome that people want: around half of the responses in the open comment section said they would support further restrictions on motor vehicles in the park.

Here, we look at the background to the decision, examine some of the data from the third public consultation and look at a way forward.

WHY EXTEND THE TRIAL?

Judging by the form of questions in the final public consultation, which related solely to the trial, it would have been a fair bet that TRP was going to make the current restrictions permanent if respondents favoured them. Indeed, that seemed the likely outcome based on indications we were getting from the management of Richmond Park in recent weeks. But TRP’s trustees convened on February 17th, and as a result of discussions at that meeting,  the extension was announced.

All of the trials in TRP’s parks will now end in a year’s time. But with 10,000 of the 18,000 responses to the public consultation centered solely on Richmond Park, and the restrictions causing more debate than any other of the royal parks, it’s likely that the 12-month extension was influenced by Richmond upon Thames Council – particularly because that is exactly what its deputy leader Alexander Ehmann requested.

Councillor Ehmann, who also chairs Richmond’s transport and air quality committee, wrote in the council’s formal response to the consultation: “We would like to be able to carry out some additional traffic counts and parking surveys in the surrounding area and we hope that the traffic trial will be extended so it runs for at least an additional twelve months. This is particularly important as we have not seen a return to ‘normal’ traffic patterns within the initial six months of the trial. This extension should provide an opportunity for more robust data to be collected.”

This data will only be truly robust if it is balanced against the detrimental effect cut-through traffic has on limiting access to the park’s roads for less confident cyclists, and its urbanisation of the park’s environment which affects the experience of all types of visitors. The data should also be placed in context with wider London traffic patterns. For too long, there has been an assumption that journey times on areas close to the park are much worse than other roads (indeed, statistical evidence in the responses from Richmond and Kingston councils to the Movement Strategy is notably absent). In fact, a TfL survey from 2017 suggests that Petersham Road – invariably the first place mentioned when complaints about traffic levels arise – mostly has higher average bus speeds than Roehampton Lane, which also takes some of the traffic that would otherwise go through the park. (The TfL survey, which Tim Lennon from the Richmond Cycling Campaign has allowed us to share, is available here in the file marked “TfL borough book”). 

And let’s not forget that TRP launched the Movement Strategy to prioritise walking and cycling. Can councils in the surrounding boroughs provide statistical evidence that TRP should override that aim on the busiest section of the roadway to accommodate shortcut journeys?

10K RUN-THROUGH

There were 10,765 responses to the Richmond Park traffic trial public consultation. The vast majority said that the restrictions should be made permanent, the park was now a more pleasant place to be and the trial had had a positive impact. Here’s a quick run-through of some other figures in TRP’s 83-page report on the responses to the consultation…

• A total of 73 per cent were in favour of the measures taken on the east of the park and between Richmond and Roehampton, while 69 per cent were in favour of the closure to all cars on the East Sheen link.  

• The text box for open-ended comments at the end of the survey was used by 6,389 respondents. According to TRP, the most common theme raised by nearly half of these was “support for further measures discouraging motor vehicles in the park”. 

• About half again (presumably more than 1,500 responses, an astonishing number given this was an option which TRP deliberately chose not to give) called for the complete removal of all through traffic. 

While accepting that this was not a referendum, we nevertheless wonder why TRP would go through such a lengthy and rigorous process and then ignore the clear direction of public consensus. How is it that Richmond Council, which has no authority in the park, seems to have such influence over TRP’s trustees?

In next month’s bulletin, we will cover the “dangerous interaction between cyclists and other park users” which was raised by some respondents.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

Thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox with this special bonus bulletin. Our next regular monthly email will be with you at the start of April. Please let us know what you think about the trial extension and our approach to it  – 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 #38, March 2021

AT A CROSSROAD

With The Royal Parks due to announce permanent restrictions on through traffic in around seven days’ time, dramatic images of a car crash following a collision with a cyclist the week before last provided striking evidence of what can go wrong when motor vehicles are given unrestricted access to sections of the park’s roadway.

An elderly driver, who was carrying a passenger, drove uphill on Ham Gate Avenue, stopped at Ham Cross and then pulled out to turn right – but failed to see a female cyclist coming towards him from the direction of Kingston Gate. He drove into her path, causing the collision, and she fell to the ground. In a panic, the driver hit the accelerator instead of the brake (he was driving an automatic) which caused his car to speed off down the hill and crash straight through the metal barrier towards a tree.

Sergeant Peter Sturgess from the Royal Parks’ Police tells us: “Had the driver not turned his steering towards the end, he would have gone straight into the tree – and almost certainly he and the passenger would have died.”

The driver was taken to hospital with burn injuries to his hand. The cyclist had facial injuries and was discharged from hospital the same day. The attending officer’s accident report has been passed to the police’s traffic offenses unit in Sidcup, Kent, which will decide whether the driver should be charged.

The woman who fell victim to the driver’s apparent inattention was cycling on Queen’s Road – the busiest section of the perimeter road which, unlike the rest of it, is not subject to restrictions on through traffic as part of the current trial. No one can say for certain what permanent restrictions TRP will announce next week as the Movement Strategy draws to a close. But with more cyclists visiting the park – particularly women and other road users classed as vulnerable – it seems likely that there will be more incidents like this if the road between Kingston and Richmond gates remains open to through traffic. 

TRP should recognise that the welcome increase in the number of ordinary cyclists visiting the park should be matched with appropriate restrictions to make them feel safe at all times.

REBUKES OF ‘HAZARD’

Sarah Olney, the Lib Dem MP for Richmond Park, caused a few eyebrows to be raised three weeks ago when she told Radio Jackie that some cyclists treat our favourite cycling destination as “a sports venue” and in doing so present a “hazard” which puts people off cycling there. 

Well, it’s certainly true that no one likes inconsiderate riding. But as we have said in previous editions of this bulletin, the significant increase in people choosing to ride in the park for the first time, and doing so alongside sports cyclists, shows that most people recognise it is a safe environment for cycling. What really puts some people off riding in the park is high levels of through motor traffic.

So it was in a spirit of understanding that we requested a Zoom meeting with Sarah to put the other side of the story – and we were delighted when she accepted. And we are pleased to announce that she has chosen to endorse our Code of Conduct. Here’s Sarah’s statement in full:

“I encourage cycling of all kinds in Richmond Park, whether for leisure, exercise or just getting from A to B. Cycling in the park has become even more popular recently, so any measure to improve relations between park users is to be commended. I am, therefore, delighted to endorse and promote the new Code of Conduct prepared by Richmond Park Cyclists.”

Sarah will feature the code in her newsletter to constituents, and we look forward to working with her more closely in the future.

NOTICE ANYTHING DIFFERENT?

Speaking of the Code of Conduct, the full text of our guidelines will soon be publicly displayed on a brand new noticeboard which eagle-eyed readers may have spotted on the pathway next to Colicci. Our thanks to park manager Simon Richards for arranging its installation, thereby giving our organisation a permanent physical presence in the park. The noticeboard is empty at the moment, so please email us with any cycling-related non-commercial notices you may feel are of interest to others. It’s there for all of us, so please use it!

CLOSE TO THE LIMIT?

How many is too many? When it comes to visitor numbers, Richmond Park may be nearing the limit, if the closing remarks of a short report delivered at the last meeting of the Police Panel is anything to go by. 

Park manager Simon Richards told RPC and the other stakeholders attending the virtual meeting in January that some damage to grassland caused by more people coming to the park “will never be reversed”. Other areas will take years to recover. The minutes show that TRP is also concerned that the deer are “reacting to the continual disturbance from high numbers of visitors and their dogs”.

Most weekends, the car parks appear to be running close to full capacity – and Saturday was exceptionally busy, with some drivers once again parking on the grass. The overflow from the car parks back up onto the roadway, causing an unnecessary hazard for pedestrians and cyclists. TRP has resorted to costly marshalling, and with many new visitors having discovered Richmond Park, we anticipate many of them will carry on arriving by car.

If TRP has to eventually restrict the number of visitors to protect the park, then limiting access to the car parks would surely be an effective place to start – and, of course, it would make the roadway better for cycling. Or maybe there will be fewer visitors arriving by car if TRP decides to bring in parking charges as planned. We shall see...

GREAT SIXPECTATIONS

A few dates for your diary. The big one is Monday, March 29, when you will be able to enjoy riding in the park with five of your buddies as the rule of six comes into effect again as part of the Government’s easing of Covid restrictions. In roughly two weeks, the bi-annual deer cull will be over, which means you will be able to ride in the park again before 7:30am and after 8pm. And from Monday, March 8 until Saturday, March 27, Church Road in Ham will be closed for the annual toad migration – so if you usually enter the park by Ham Gate, you had better hoppit and find another route!

A MOMENT OF SI DRAMA

Finally, we’re bracing ourselves for accusations of bias as Simon Richards makes his third appearance in this bulletin – this time as a have-a-go-hero of sorts. The source is the park’s police unit, so you can take this as gospel.

It turns out that back in December a bike owner came out of the loos at Roehampton Gate car park one morning to find some toerag mounting his pride and joy and riding off. Simon, who was nearby, hears the cyclist shouting, and the two set off in hot pursuit. The thief rides over the cattle grid and climbs over the fence, leaving the bike behind him. The thief escaped, and the bicycle was reunited with its owner.

As ever, the lesson here is to take a portable lock if you are heading to the park, and consider removing a wheel as well if you are going to leave your bike unattended. Simon cannot be on hand to stop every thief, you know!

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK...

A special bonus bulletin will arrive in your inbox in around seven days’ time once The Royal Parks releases details of the permanent restrictions to motor traffic. Whatever happens, it will be a momentous day, chums! 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 #37, February 2021

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout that we sent in February 2021. 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.

CULL OF DUTY

Welcome to February, chums – and prepare for the usual scheduled restrictions to the park as the first of this year’s biannual deer culls begins.

From today for approximately six weeks, the pedestrian gates will open at 7:30am and close at 8pm, which means you will not be able to ride your bike in the park outside these times. Remember that the restrictions are for your own safety as firearms are used.

The Royal Parks’ team locks the gates in rotation each night. If you arrive at one of them shortly prior to locking time, please do not enter unless you are absolutely certain you can easily reach your exit before 8pm. Arrive at, say, 7.59 and you will most likely find your exit gate is already locked – so you will have to ride back to where you entered, which will now be shut as well, then wait for TRP’s team to return on its final sweep and open it for you. Save yourself the bother by using the roads around the park instead. 

The cull, which TRP has a duty to carry out in order to control the number of deer, could last longer or shorter than the allocated six-week period, depending on the health of the herd. We will let you know via social media if the pedestrian gates reopen before our next monthly bulletin comes out.

CODE SHARING

It’s out, pals! After months of refining, with lots of helpful suggestions and pointers from you, our super subscribers, the official Richmond Park Cyclists’ Code of Conduct is finally up on our website. Hooray!

These guidelines will help to create a safe and welcoming environment for every type of cyclist and other visitors to the park. If you see a cyclist falling short of the code, politely ask them to adjust their behaviour in future. And if you are an experienced cyclist, your good behaviour can be an example to others.

Put together with the help of The Royal Parks, the Royal Parks Police and the Friends of Richmond Park, the Code will also strengthen RPC’s links with these three important organisations as well as raising the profile of cyclists’ concerns among stakeholder groups in general.

To publicise the Code to the wider cycling community, a brief summary of it will appear on credit-card-sized flyers which will feature the link to the full-length version. We’ll let you know when they’re out. 

ALMOST THERE...

It has been more than a year and a half since we attended the stakeholder meeting at Holly Lodge where The Royal Parks officially launched its Movement Strategy – and now its project to facilitate cycling and walking in its eight green spaces, including Richmond Park, is in the finishing straight. 

Huge thanks to everyone who took part in the survey on the ongoing traffic trials after we issued our final reminder last month before the consultation closed. The permanent restrictions on through traffic in the park, which TRP will base on the findings of the survey, are due to be announced some time this month. We’ll send you an extra bulletin before our usual monthly missive as soon as it becomes clear what the plan is.

Even if the trial restrictions are made permanent, the park will still be an even better place to ride your bike than it was in those faraway pre-pandemic days. But as mentioned in our previous two bulletins, we have written to TRP’s trustees to make sure that they listen to the view that through traffic should be eradicated in the park (you can read the letter here). Making this a reality would be the best possible outcome of the process, and we are hopeful that TRP has a plan that is much bolder than the current restrictions. Let’s see what happens.

FROST REPORT 

Finally, a word of caution regarding the road conditions in the park. The ground has become waterlogged due to the recent wet weather, and some road users are consequently hogging the middle of the road where the standing water is shallowest, so please be mindful of others. Some of the water inevitably turns to frost, and when it is forecast, TRP’s contractors carry out salting – although it may not have bedded in sufficiently by the time you arrive in the park, and they may not be able to tackle it every single time. Please take care!

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

Thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox. As ever, let us know what you think about any of the subjects in this bulletin, or 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 #36, January 2021

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout that we sent in January 2021. 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.

LAST CHANCE

Hello, lovely subscribers! This month’s bulletin is relatively brief and has one chief purpose – to remind you that The Royal Parks’ survey on the traffic trial in Richmond Park closes in a matter of hours. 

If you have yet to fill in the survey, please do so now using this link. It takes just a couple of minutes, and there is a small box on the third page where you can tell TRP in your own words how the trial has impacted your visits. 

Use those 1,000 characters wisely, friends! Describe your own experiences, good and bad – and if you think completely eliminating through-traffic is a good idea, explain why with specific examples. 

You can also email your views to movement.strategy@royalparks.org.uk.

And remember – we have written to TRP’s trustees to make sure that they listen to the view that through traffic should be eradicated in the park. Whatever permanent restrictions TRP decides upon will be announced in February, followed by roadworks to install permeable barriers reflecting the outcome of the Movement Strategy. 

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff and contractors of The Royal Parks, and all officers of the Metropolitan Police Royal Parks Team who, with scant resources and much pragmatism, have looked after the park during this most tumultuous year.

And our thanks, chiefly, to yourselves. The readership of these monthly missives has doubled this year, with many of you providing us with valuable ideas and information, including contributions to our Code of Conduct for riding on the park’s roads which is due to be published in the next few weeks. Rest assured that we will continue acting on your behalf and for everyone else who rides a bike in Richmond Park.

Finally, have a great New Year – and please note that the park will shut tonight at 8pm to prevent the spread of coronavirus and reopen at 6am tomorrow.

See you in 2021!

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #35, December 2020

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout that we sent in December 2020. 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.

BOX CLEVER

Big thanks to every one of you who took part in The Royal Parks’ public consultation on the traffic trials in Richmond Park after reading our special bulletin last week. The response was superb – more than three times the average number of clicks compared to similar emails. 

The third and final consultation on the Movement Strategy is your last chance to tell TRP what you think. If you have yet to fill in the survey, please do so now – and remember that the third page of the four-page questionnaire has a little box at the bottom where you can tell TRP in your own words how the trials have impacted your visits. 

Use those 1,000 characters wisely, friends! Describe your own experiences, good and bad – and if you think no through-traffic is a good idea, explain why with specific examples.

To refresh your memory, or to give yourself some inspiration, take a look at our formal response to TRP, which also sets out our vision of how the park can become more visitor-friendly. But whatever you think, do take part in the consultation – you will be helping to shape the future of London’s No1 free cycling resource for the better.

NO EX-SKEW-SES

None of the questions in the survey asks if you think that permanent restrictions can go further than the trial, which means that the only opportunity you have to express such an opinion is in the little box at the end of the third page. As many of you have pointed out, this looks like it is simply a rubber-stamping exercise to turn the trial restrictions into permanent measures while ignoring all calls for a total elimination of through traffic. We will be writing to management ourselves, requesting that any response calling for more robust measures than the current trial should be given extra weight given the bias implicit in the form of the consultation.

If you think the format of the survey is skewed and you would like through traffic eradicated, please tell The Royal Parks by emailing Movement.strategy@royalparks.org.uk or writing to: TRP – Movement Strategy, The Old Police House, Hyde Park, London W2 2UH. 

As the car ban during the first lockdown showed, an absence of through traffic attracts a greater diversity of cyclists to the park, including the less confident and vulnerable. It is important that TRP realises this.

WHO SAID IT?

"What is a landscape without people to use it? Watching a child learning to cycle on one of the [park's] closed roads recently – that experience that individual has at that age will potentially stay with them their whole life. That's what these green spaces are able to do – they are able to provide those unique memories and experiences. In conversations I have with people, their strongest memories tend to be those that trigger within their times around green space. They are such important spaces to people that we're bound to see a great deal of pressure on them, but that's even more of a responsibility on us to try and protect and conserve them."

Those words sound like they could have come from us or another cycling advocacy group. In fact, it was Tom Jarvis, TRP’s Director of Parks, who said them. Tom was addressing Ham and Petersham residents via Zoom at a meeting in October which was kindly set up by Green Party councillor Andree Frieze (you can now watch the event – Tom’s quote is at approximately 1hr 10min – or read the minutes.)

It is encouraging that one of the most notable people in The Royal Parks has publicly recognised the importance of protecting Richmond Park as a place to cycle. One of the pressures on the park that Tom may be alluding to is the notion that it should accept some through traffic to keep the surrounding roads from getting clogged. But judging by what has been happening before and during the second lockdown, that argument is weaker than ever.

We have been filming the roads in the park and those outside at various times of day over the past month and a half – and traffic levels in the evening have been much lower than pre-pandemic times. In fact, on one recent evening, there was more traffic queuing inside the park at Richmond Gate than there was in the same direction on Petersham Road. More of these traffic checks will appear on our Instagram stories and highlights. 

Working from home is bound to become more commonplace in the future, so some commuter traffic will become a thing of the past. Meanwhile, TRP is monitoring car journeys in the park, and councils in the surrounding boroughs are watching theirs. If the figures that emerge tell the same story as our footage, how can Tom and his team fail to eliminate all through traffic?

KEEP BUSHY CUSHTY

Time for a big shoutout to Richmond Park’s little brother, Bushy Park. We’re rooting for you, buddy! The Teddington tiddler also has a traffic trial running at the moment, with cars currently banned from using the central road as a shortcut. The route is popular with many cyclists, so if you want to keep the north-south route between Hampton Court Gate and Teddington Gate a pleasant, welcoming space for pedestrians, family groups and cyclists, please take part in the separate survey. 

RIGHT ON QUEUE

Lockdown two will be over tomorrow – and, hopefully, so will the huge influx of cars queuing up outside the car parks every weekend, blighting the park’s roads for everyone who cycles on them. 

With so many restrictions on people’s movements, it was sadly inevitable that Richmond Park and other public spaces all over the UK would become a magnet for visitors, many of them driving to their destination. Recognising the frustration that many of you felt, we requested ahead of last month’s stakeholder meeting that TRP tells visitors to use another form of transport if they can, so it was pleasing to see it doing something along those lines on Facebook. And it appears they deployed marshals at Pembroke Lodge to turn away motorists after the car parks become full – thank you, TRP!  But if the weekend gridlock continues, we’ll be pushing them to take a firmer stance.

GATE FOR IT... 

Finally, a reminder that you will need to avoid the park for another two weeks or so if you usually cycle through it early in the morning or at night. The deer cull is ongoing, which means the gates are still closed from 8pm to 7.30am, so please do not cycle through if you arrive shortly before locking time unless you are confident that you can easily reach your exit within ten minutes – otherwise you may find yourself locked in. 

As usual, the cull could finish earlier or later than the set six-week period, depending on the health of the herd, so keep an eye out for announcements. 

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

Thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox. As ever, let us know what you think about any of the subjects in this bulletin, or 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

website: richmondparkcyclists.org

twitter: twitter.com/richmondpkcycle

facebook: facebook.com/richmondparkcyclists

instagram: instagram.com/richmondparkcyclists

RPC Bulletin #34, November 2020

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout that we sent in November 2020. 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.

LOCKDOWN LOWDOWN

Before this month’s bulletin gets properly underway, a few quick (and, perhaps, obvious) points about the new lockdown restrictions announced by the Government yesterday which come into force on Thursday. 

You will still be able to ride your bike in Richmond Park, but please be aware that you should only ride with a maximum of one other person from another household. You can exceed this limit if your riding companions live with you or are part of your support bubble, as outlined on the Government’s guidance (under section 3,  “Meeting with family and friends”). 

The park’s roads may be less busy as there could be fewer commuter journeys due to more people working from home in line with the latest rules – and with gyms shut, perhaps there will be more people getting out on their bikes, despite the cold weather. We shall see. For now, though, on with the newsletter!

VIRTUALLY CONNECTED

If you had the opportunity to speak directly to the people who run Richmond Park, what would you say to them? Well, it’s time to get your thinking cap on, because the next stakeholders’ breakfast meeting is taking place in just over a week and, as ever, we are one of the groups who have been invited to attend by The Royal Parks.

Hosted by Tom Jarvis, TRP’s Director of Parks, and Richmond Park’s manager Simon Richards, the event will take place virtually on the morning of Tuesday, November 10th. The Royal Parks Police will also be presenting. Richmond Park Cyclists has a slot to address the group, which we will use to speak about our proposed cycling Code of Conduct (and we’ll fill you in on small developments on that front later in this bulletin).

The stakeholder meetings enable us to represent the interests of all types of cyclists who visit the park. Please hit reply to this email and let us know what issues you would like us to bring up.

HERE IT CULLS AGAIN

The second of the biannual deer culls begins tomorrow (Monday) – which means that, for approximately six weeks, you will not be able to ride your bike in the park from 8pm until 7.30am the following day. These restrictions are for your own safety as firearms are used.

TRP’s team locks the gates in rotation each night. If you arrive at the park shortly prior to locking time, please do not enter unless you are absolutely certain you can easily reach your exit before 8pm. Arrive at, say, 7.59 and you will most likely find your exit gate is already locked – so you will have to ride back to where you entered, which will now be shut as well, then wait for TRP’s team to return on its final sweep and open it for you. Save yourself getting into a right pickle by using the roads around the park instead. 

The process, which is a sensible measure to control the number of deer, could last longer or shorter than the allocated six-week period, depending on the health of the herd. If we receive news of when the pedestrian gates will reopen after next month’s bulletin comes out, we will let you know via social media.

TRIAL SOMETHING ELSE

Not long now, chums! The third and final public consultation on the Movement Strategy is due to open in roughly a couple of weeks, and we will let you know via social media as soon as TRP announces a date for commencement. We will also give some tips for your response that should help increase the likelihood of Richmond Park becoming an even better place to ride your bike once whatever the specific measures TRP decides upon are put in place in February next year.

In the meantime, take a look at the letter we wrote to Mat Bonomi, TRP’s Head of Transport, and the park’s manager Simon Richards earlier this week. It sets out suggested improvements to the current traffic trial in the park that would benefit every type of cyclist and park visitor. Here is the main text...

Richmond Park Cyclists (RPC) welcomes The Royal Parks’ Movement Strategy and the efforts it is making to reduce through traffic in Richmond Park. During the first half of the six- month trial we have observed a very substantial and pleasing reduction in through traffic in all parts of the park, with the notable exception of the roads between Kingston, Ham and Richmond gates. We are now proposing a modest change to the Movement Strategy trial in order to observe the impact of a restriction on this stretch at weekends.

For the second half of the six-month trial RPC proposes that weekend restrictions on the through movement of motor traffic are extended to include the roads between Kingston, Ham and Richmond gates. The effect of these restrictions can then be compared with those of the first half of the trial when these roads have been largely open to through movement at weekends.

We suggest that to maximise the benefit to park users, vehicle access is restricted at weekends, which is when most people visit. Our suggested restrictions are as follows:

• Via Kingston Gate to the car parks at Kingston Gate, Broomfield Hill and the disabled parking facility at Isabella plantation, and through movement to Ham Gate.

• Via Ham Gate to the car parks at Isabella plantation, Kingston Gate and Broomfield Hill, and through movement to Kingston Gate.

• Via Richmond Gate to Pembroke Lodge car park.

We believe the visitor experience will be safer, quieter and substantially enhanced as a result. During the weekend, those who would normally choose to drive through the park as a means of taking a shortcut may instead walk, take a bus, cycle or ride an ebike to their destination. Some will persist, possibly out of necessity, and use roads outside the park to make the same journeys anyway.

The community impacted most by any displaced traffic at weekends would be Ham and Petersham. The traffic added to Petersham Road and nearby areas will be like that experienced in communities surrounding government-supported Lower Traffic Neighbourhoods. LTNs have brought calmer, safer shared roadspaces into the heart of communities, with the surrounding roads bearing the burden of the traffic they displace. But in the case of Ham and Petersham, our suggested restrictions would last only over weekends. An argument has been expressed by Ham and Petersham residents that additional restrictions on through motor traffic on their side of the park means safer, quieter roads for cycling into and out of their area.

The Ham and Petersham community already bears all displaced motor traffic from Richmond Park in the morning and evening rush-hour periods during winter as all vehicle gates in the park are closed during the hours of darkness. Petersham Road copes. We suggest that substantially more traffic evaporation would develop as resident and non- resident weekend motorists adjust and the burden falling on Ham and Petersham should fall.

We are confident that this proposal is in line with what other park stakeholders would like to see. But, as ever, we welcome any feedback, so please let us know what you think.
 

GONE IN 20 SECONDS

A quick word on security for your bike, following a theft at the beginning of October. Well-known local racer Jake Martin had his distinctive yellow and red Carrera pilfered from outside the Roehampton Gate toilets after popping inside for just 20 seconds to fill his water bottle. The speed of the theft, and the fact that a number of bikes have been nicked from there in recent years, shows that you should always take precautions. Use a portable lock, remove a wheel – do both, if you can – or, if you are riding with someone, get them to keep an eye on your bike. 

In an unrelated development, the park’s police unit recovered a bicycle which they believe was stolen from the park but they could not be completely certain as the identifying frame number was on a sticker that had been removed. The park’s police sergeant Peter Sturgess advises dabbing a solution known as ImmobiDot on your bike, which will make the ownership details viewable on the Police National Mobile Property Register and therefore increases the chances of your stolen bicycle being returned to you. See the Immobilise website to buy a marking kit and register or to find out more.

Staying with the lost and found theme of this item, a kind Facebook follower came across a rather expensive pair of headphones on Broomfield Hill last Saturday and has offered to post them back to the owner. If this is you, please email us with a description of the headphones and we will pass on your details.

ANGER? DON’T GO DOWN THAT ROAD...

With the traffic trial ongoing, it may seem like there are motorists breaking the rules by driving on closed or restricted roads. In fact, there is a long list of vehicles authorised to travel within the park, including those driven by teachers at the ballet school, delivery drivers, TRP staff and contractors – some of whom have been upset by the anger directed at them by cyclists who have leapt to the wrong conclusion.

It should go without saying, but please do not abuse any driver, and ask anyone you see behaving in this way to hold back. More prominent permits may be displayed in some vehicles in future, but in any case you should leave enforcement to TRP’s security and the police. Confrontations and anger can only damage the reputation of all cyclists who visit the park.

CODE TO PROGRESS

Finally, a note on some small but notable changes to our proposed Code of Conduct, which aims to make the park’s roadway a hospitable environment for every type of cyclist and other visitors. Following more suggestions from the park’s police unit, TRP and stakeholders, we’ve added the following:

• The long version of the Code will now begin: “Richmond Park is a National Nature Reserve, and cycling in it is a privilege as well as a pleasure.”

• The introduction advises: “If you are an experienced cyclist, your good behaviour can be an example to others.”

• Under Stopping And Slowing: “At the raised crossings, you should stop for pedestrians.”

• Also in Stopping And Slowing: “Deer are wild animals and can be unpredictable. Learn to read their behaviour – are they grazing or do they want to cross?”

• And in “Show care when passing” under the Care And Courtesy heading: “Overtake smoothly, without a sudden surge in speed.”

If you haven’t seen the previous version of the proposed Code, which did not have the above changes, or you want a reminder of what it said, take a look at last month’s bulletin and give us your views.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

Thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox. As ever, let us know what you think about any of the subjects in this bulletin, or 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

website: richmondparkcyclists.org

twitter: twitter.com/richmondpkcycle

facebook: facebook.com/richmondparkcyclists

instagram: instagram.com/richmondparkcyclists

RPC Bulletin #33, October 2020

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout that we sent in October 2020. 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.

STAY AT HOME, SAVE DRIVES?

Who is driving through the park at peak times during the week now that the Movement Strategy trial is in full swing? Judging by a recce we carried out this week, the answer could be mainly parents picking up their children.

On Monday evening, we cycled into the park around the time of the school run and waited at the roundabout by Kingston Gate to witness brief flurries of cars entering, in groups of four or five, punctuated by short periods where the road was almost entirely empty apart from cyclists coming down and going up Dark Hill. At around 6pm we went up to Richmond Gate where the roadway had even fewer cars on it – and outside the park, there was only a trickle of traffic heading down and coming up from Star and Garter Hill. 

Could these lower traffic levels within the park and around it be the result of the Government’s advice to work from home, which was issued after the trial began? If so, local councils which are monitoring traffic displaced onto their roads during the trial should take into account that working from home is predicted to become the norm for two or three days a week for many office-based workers. That would mean once the pandemic is over, projected numbers for displaced motor traffic should be much lower.

It should be stressed that all of the above is based on observations from only one afternoon and evening. Your experience In the park, day in and day out, could be very different. So in the run-up to the third and final public consultation in a month and a half, we will be doing similar recces at various times of day to see how the trial is progressing. We’ll be posting photos and descriptions on our Instagram page, so look out for updates. 

HOLE LOT BETTER

With the Movement Strategy progressing, The Royal Parks has launched a proposal which runs in parallel to it: the introduction of charges to use the car parks in Richmond and Bushy parks.

Its consultation paper points out that the scheme fits in with the strategy’s principle to “encourage the use of more sustainable ways to access and travel through the parks” and would “raise revenue” that would go towards upkeep costs of “related park infrastructure”. 

The proposed charges would be £1.40 per hour from Monday to Saturday and £2 per hour on Sunday. The charges would apply from 9am to 6pm whenever the car parks are open (which is contingent on the changing times of sunrise and sunset throughout the year) and the maximum stay is set at six hours. Blue Badge holders and motorcyclists would be exempt.

Undoubtedly, there will be opposition to these plans. When TRP tried to bring in car park charges in 2010, the plan was thwarted by local MPs brandishing no fewer than five petitions (listed in the index of an official report). Zac Goldsmith, then Conservative MP for Richmond Park, even organised a rally. But John Penrose, the Tory minister who kiboshed the plans, promised to “find alternative sources of income instead” – which, a decade later, appear not to have been forthcoming. And over the course of ten years, the pothole-strewn road surface of most of the car parks has deteriorated to such an extent that rain-soaked cyclists huddled over their lattes in Colicci whenever there is a downpour are treated to the remarkable sight of a paddling pool suddenly emerging outside the window. Even some of those who oppose the charges must surely wonder how long will it be before the car parks become unusable.

Crucially, TRP has become a charity since the first parking charge plan bit the dust. That means it is funded less by government, creating a greater need to independently source revenue streams – which might strengthen its hand when local residents and stakeholders begin lobbying in earnest. 

Richmond Park Cyclists supports The Royal Parks’ decision to implement charges for parking. It will further reduce the number of motor vehicles in the park which, as everyone has witnessed during the temporary car ban and the present trial, leads to more diverse populations of visitors coming to enjoy the unique environment of the park by bike – women, kids, young people and families happily riding on the roadway, many for the first time.

If you feel the same, please take a look at the outline of the consultation, which contains a questionnaire you can complete and has an email address for you to submit feedback. The consultation closes on November 1.

RULE IT OUT

Since last month’s bulletin, we have spoken and written to Cycling UK’s campaigns manager Keir Gallagher and British Cycling’s policy manager Nick Chamberlin about our concerns regarding the alteration of the Highway Code’s Rule 66, which is likely to have an impact on riding two abreast in the park if it is implemented as written.

To refresh your memory, and for the benefit of any new subscribers, the existing rule advises cyclists to “never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends”. The Government wants to replace that advice with this: “Ride in single file when drivers wish to overtake and it is safe to let them do so. When riding in larger groups on narrow lanes, it is sometimes safer to ride two abreast.”

This would create dangers for a wide variety of cyclists. A parent riding with a child on their inside would be obliged to ride in single file, removing the protection they were providing. A group of club cyclists riding in a 3x2 formation would be obliged to change to one row of six (twice as long, and therefore harder to overtake) which can open them up to more danger. And if the driver decides the situation is safe for him or her to pass, they are likely to take matters into their own hands – regardless of what the cyclist thinks.

It is our belief that the above applies to all roads, but especially to Richmond Park where all vehicles are restricted to 20mph on the outer roadway and the priority is more to enjoy the environment and less to get from A to B. We think it is reasonable for cyclists to ride two abreast wherever they choose in the park – and if a driver is slightly inconvenienced for a short period of time, so be it.

Generally, we support the revisions to the Highway Code and encourage you to respond favourably to the consultation. But please highlight the difficulty with the proposed Rule 66. British Cycling is considering to propose the following: “Cycling in groups no more than two abreast is safe and can make it easier for drivers to pass. When riding in larger groups be aware of the needs of other road users. Consider riding in single file if drivers wish to overtake and it is safe to let them do so.”

We are considering our own response. You have until 27 October to take part in the consultation. Please have a look at the proposals and respond.

CONDUCTING CONVERSATIONS

Now we’re getting down to the nitty gritty! Over the past month we have had conversations with The Royal Parks and the park’s police unit about our proposed Code of Conduct, which aims to create a welcoming environment for all cyclists and other visitors. That dialogue is still ongoing. Both parties and the stakeholders we have shown it to are behind the code and have offered ideas to improve it. Once the final wording is agreed, we’ll run it in a future bulletin. And if you haven’t got involved with the code, there is still time. Have a look at the existing text below (the short version is written to fit on a credit-card-sized flyer) and let us know what you think. 

Richmond Park Cyclists’ Code of Conduct for riding on the park roads

Credit card version:

CROSS CONSENSUS: Pedestrians have priority, so let them cross the road when you see them waiting. Stop for deer and horse riders. HARD AND FAST RULE: The speed limit, which applies to cyclists, is 20mph on the outer roadway and 10mph on the Quietway through the middle of the park. MIND THE GAP: Leave a space of 1.5m as you overtake. If you are passing a vulnerable road user, try to leave a bigger gap. RISKY BUSINESS: Look behind you before moving left or right. If you need to stop, get off the road. And when a car is in front of you, keep a distance of at least two bike lengths. JOY OF SIX: For safety, the maximum number of cyclists in a group should be six. Stick to two abreast.

Long version:

For many years, Richmond Park has been London’s No1 free cycling resource - and the diversity of its cyclists is growing. 

Since the temporary ban on motor vehicles during lockdown, many more people have been visiting the park by bike. Some are vulnerable road users, such as children, and the elderly. Many of them will have less confidence on a bike than those who typically cycle in the park. By riding kindly, courteously and considerately, you will help to ensure it is a welcoming environment for every type of cyclist and other visitors.

This code is self-policing. If you see a cyclist falling short of it, politely ask them to adjust their behaviour in future. 

Please obey the Highway Code and respect the police team who look after the park and its visitors. If another road user extends you a courtesy, thank them – they’ll be more likely to do so again. And try not to react discourteously when provoked by other people’s rude or dangerous behaviour – it could cause the incident to escalate and further compromise your safety.

Whether young or old, novice or expert, here are our guidelines for safe, enjoyable cycling.

STOPPING AND SLOWING

• Pedestrians have priority. There are no formal crossings, but you should stop when safe to do so if you see someone waiting to cross.

• Consider reducing your speed when passing cafes and car parks. It will give you more time to react to the greater number of people, dogs and traffic moving around.

• Be aware of your closing speed. Slow down if necessary when approaching slower-moving road users from behind.

• Deer can be unpredictable. Be ready to stop if you see them at the side of the road or approaching it, particularly if they are doing so at speed.

• Slow down for horse riders when cycling next to them, such as on the Quietway. 

• If you need to stop riding, please get off the road. Staying on it creates a hazard.

SPEED

• The speed limit on the outer roadway is 20mph. It applies to all road users. Sensible speeds create a more welcoming environment for everyone.

• The speed limit on the Quietway is 10mph. Please pay special attention to children, walkers and learner cyclists who frequent this car-free area which runs through the centre of the park between Ham Cross and Sheen Cross.

• Never race or time trial. Doing so creates a shorter time to react to hazards, and you are likely to exceed the speed limit. If you want to ride more briskly than the general flow, consider visiting the park when its roads are quieter.

CARE AND COURTESY

• Read the road ahead to anticipate hazards.

• Look behind you before moving left or right.

• Show care when passing. Always overtake on the right (except when filtering) and leave a space of 1.5 metres. Try to leave more room when passing vulnerable road users or less experienced cyclists – they can still be startled or intimidated even at a safe distance.

• Obey the solid white lines. They are on stretches of road where overtaking is dangerous. Crossing them is outlawed except to pass a stationary road user or anyone moving at 10mph or less.

• Motorists can be frightened too. Keep a distance of at least two bike lengths from the car in front of you, and don’t tailgate if you cannot overtake. Filter gently through stationary or slow-moving traffic so as not to startle.

• If you need to cough, sneeze or blow, check to your side and behind to avoid passing on germs.

• Use lights at night and take care not to dazzle oncoming road users.

GROUPS AND PAIRS

• Stick to a maximum of six riders. Any group larger than this can be less safe to ride in and makes overtaking challenging – both for you and others trying to pass you.

• Ride two abreast. More than this creates an overtaking hazard.

• When in doubt, single out. If you are not completely certain that you can overtake two abreast and leave a 1.5 metre gap, pass in single file.

• Keep it down. Try to use verbal warnings of hazards only when necessary, or use common hand signals. Shouting instructions to others in your group can cause alarm to other road users – especially if they mistakenly think you are addressing them. 

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

Thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox. As ever, let us know what you think about any of the subjects in this bulletin, or 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

website: richmondparkcyclists.org

twitter: twitter.com/richmondpkcycle

facebook: facebook.com/richmondparkcyclists

instagram: instagram.com/richmondparkcyclists

RPC Bulletin #32, September 2020

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout that we sent in September 2020. 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. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed.

TRIAL AND TRIBULATION

The countdown has begun, chums! With the commencement of the six-month trial restricting motor vehicles in Richmond Park, and the accompanying public consultation running from November to December, the Movement Strategy has entered the finishing straight. That means after the chequered flag is waved in February, our favourite place to ride a bike could become an even more cycle-friendly place than it was in those seemingly far-off pre-pandemic times. But Queen’s Road – the busy north-south stretch between Kingston and Richmond Gate – is now accessible by car seven days a week (you can see full details of the trial here). Will the park ever be as blissful, and its cycling population as wonderfully diverse, as it was during lockdown when the presence of cars was temporarily eliminated?

In a telephone conversation with ourselves and Richmond Cycling, The Royal Parks made it clear that the complete removal of through traffic remains on the table. The impact during the trial of displaced traffic on roads outside the park (which will be monitored by Richmond, Kingston and Wandsworth councils), as well as the views of park users, will shape whatever permanent measures are put in place.

Nevertheless, if the temporary ban on vehicles had never happened, many would have been metaphorically throwing their helmets in the air for joy at the trial reduction of motor traffic. In reality, the reaction on social media was one of disappointment as it was predicted that the mixed community of children, women and sports cyclists that had naturally evolved was going to be diluted by the reintroduction of cars. Then came reports of aggressive and dangerous behaviour cyclists had experienced, including footage of extreme speeding in the park on Queen’s Road, and an eyewitness alleging that a driver physically attacked cyclists for not using the cycle lane on Priory Lane after they left the park from Roehampton Gate.

Obviously, these incidents are not widespread. But cyclists typically do not report behaviour to the authorities that makes them feel unsafe, and yet these sorts of incidents will undoubtedly shape the park’s accessibility after the trial ends. The more aggression and danger there is on its roads, the greater the likelihood that less confident cyclists stay away.

So we want to hear from anyone who experiences bad driving or aggression in the park during the trial, especially incidents that result in injury. You should contact us after reporting anything you consider in breach of the law by calling the police on 101, or 999 if it is an emergency, or by reporting it online. Email us any details – date, time and location, and any other facts you think are relevant. We want to show The Royal Parks that through traffic must be reduced to such an extent that the likelihood of encountering dangerous behaviour is much less common. 

RETHINKING INTELLIGENTLY

What a difference six months makes! Prior to the temporary ban on motor vehicles, Intelligent Road Charging was, in a sense, our flagship policy. The idea of levying a fee for anyone who chooses to drive through the park, while keeping it free to those arriving by car to stop and visit, gained much traction with park stakeholders. Now that an unforeseen real-world experiment has provided a glimpse of what an almost entirely car-free Richmond Park could look like, does an idea aimed at reducing rather than eradicating the presence of motor vehicles have a future?

IRC has its advantages. It targets the source of the park’s long-standing traffic problems – shortcut journeys – while leaving genuine visitors unaffected. And unlike hard infrastructure, such as physical barriers, it has a useful variable: if the fee discourages too few journeys, increase it; if it pushes out too many people, charge less or offer exemptions. A change in the park’s regulations, which it would need to get the go-ahead, is achievable.

But the implementation could take two years, and TRP is now focussed on six months’ time when the trial ends and new measures begin. And it is probably accurate to say that the tolerance of any level of through traffic among some of those who ride their bikes in the park has lessened.

Ideas come and go… and sometimes come back again. In 2014, when then-MP Zac Goldsmith held a public meeting to discuss the tensions between cyclists and motorists in the park, a proposal emerged to allow different types of users access at different times. A working group considered the idea and shelved it, judging it to be too impractical to implement. But fast forward to today, and one feature of the trial has a similarly time-limited aspect: cars can use the road between Roehampton and Kingston gates only on weekdays.

So who knows? As the trial goes on, facts may emerge that cast the possibility of IRC in a new light. For now, though, we are pausing the idea and focussing on how all of us experience the park during the trial, and how we can feed back to TRP once the final public consultation begins.

66 PROBLEMS

Whether it’s with a group or just with a friend, almost all of us will ride two abreast in the park at some point. But changes to the Highway Code could limit the circumstances in which this safe, sociable formation could be used. And, oddly, the changes are intended to make roads safer environments for riding bikes.

The Government’s review of the code features a new Rule 66, which covers when to ride in single file or two abreast. The new wording states that cyclists should be “in single file when drivers wish to overtake and it is safe for them [to] do so. When riding in larger groups in narrow lanes, it is sometimes safer to ride two abreast.”

On the face of it, this appears to prevent cyclists riding two abreast unless they are in larger groups in narrow lanes and there is no driver behind them wishing to overtake. In that situation, some motorists may not like it because overtaking cyclists riding two abreast is harder. But in terms of visibility, the formation is safer for cyclists.  And in Richmond Park, where speeds of motorists and cyclists are broadly similar, two abreast is, we believe,  perfectly acceptable and safe.  

There is also a new Rule 72, which states that cyclists can ride in the centre of the lane but only in three situations:

1. On quiet roads or streets – if a faster vehicle comes up behind you, move to the left to enable them to overtake, if you can do so safely.

2. In slower-moving traffic move over to the left if you can do so safely so that faster vehicles behind you can overtake when the traffic around you starts to flow more freely.

3. At the approach to junctions or road narrowings where it would be unsafe for drivers to overtake you.

In effect, the proposed rule says get over to the left, except at approaches to junctions or road narrowings. Is this really better positioning?

A new Rule 213 reflects Rule 72 by telling motorists to expect cyclists in the middle of the lane but only on narrow sections, at road junctions and in slow-moving traffic.

The proposed rule changes reflect the establishment of a hierarchy of road users to ensure that those who do the greatest harm have the most responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they may pose to others. It’s a worthy goal, but the proposals could go further. Many people, including us, would like the concept to include presumed liability – the principle that the less vulnerable road user is considered to be liable in the event of a traffic collision, unless they can establish the fault lies with the other party. This is the case in almost every European country (the exceptions being the UK, Ireland, Romania, Cyprus and Malta). 

There is a public consultation on the proposals which closes on October 27. We are considering the details and are preparing a response. Please take a look at the proposals and tell us what you would like us to include in our feedback.

CODE READ

Huge thanks to everyone who had a gander at our condensed code of conduct and offered suggestions and help in putting it together. You have made it one of the most popular items to have appeared in our little bulletin!

To refresh your memories, and for the benefit of all our new subscribers (hello and thanks for joining us!), the idea is to draw up self-policing guidelines to help create a hospitable and safe environment for every kind of cyclist and park user. We plan to have a brief version, trialled in last month’s bulletin, printed on credit-card-sized flyers to distribute. A longer version will go on our website.

With your feedback, we reduced the maximum number for groups from eight to six and incorporated other ideas into the longer version. Please take a look at both – the wording is still very much at the prototype stage, so any more improvements and suggestions you make would be extremely welcome.

Richmond Park Cyclists’ Code of Conduct for riding on the park roads

Credit card version:

CROSS CONSENSUS: Pedestrians have priority, so let them cross the road when you see them waiting. Stop for deer and horse riders. HARD AND FAST RULE: The speed limit, which applies to cyclists, is 20mph on the outer roadway and 10mph on the Quietway through the middle of the park. MIND THE GAP: Leave a space of 1.5m as you overtake. If you are passing a vulnerable road user, try to leave a bigger gap. RISKY BUSINESS: Look behind you before moving left or right. If you need to stop, get off the road. And when a car is in front of you, keep a distance of at least two bike lengths. JOY OF SIX: For safety, the maximum number of cyclists in a group should be six. Stick to two abreast.

Long version:

For many years, Richmond Park has been London’s No1 free cycling resource – and the diversity of its cyclists is growing. 

Since the temporary ban on motor vehicles during lockdown, many more people have been visiting the park by bike. Some are vulnerable road users, such as children, and the elderly. Many of them will have less confidence on a bike than those who typically cycle in the park. By riding kindly, courteously and considerately, you will help to ensure it is a welcoming environment for every type of cyclist and other visitors.

This code is self-policing. If you see a cyclist falling short of it, politely ask them to adjust their behaviour in future. 

Please obey the Highway Code and respect the police team who look after the park and its visitors. If another road user extends you a courtesy, thank them – they’ll be more likely to do so again. And try not to react discourteously when provoked by other people’s rude or dangerous behaviour – it could cause the incident to escalate and further compromise your safety.

Whether young or old, novice or expert, here are our guidelines for safe, enjoyable cycling.

STOPPING AND SLOWING

• Pedestrians have priority. There are no formal crossings, but you should stop when safe to do so if you see someone waiting to cross.

• Consider reducing your speed when passing cafes and car parks. It will give you more time to react to the greater number of people, dogs and traffic moving around.

• Be aware of your closing speed. Slow down if necessary when approaching slower-moving road users from behind.

• Deer can be unpredictable. Be ready to stop if you see them at the side of the road or approaching it, particularly if they are doing so at speed.

• Slow down for horse riders when cycling next to them, such as on the Quietway. 

• If you need to stop riding, please get off the road. Staying on it creates a hazard.

SPEED

• The speed limit on the outer roadway is 20mph. It applies to all road users. Sensible speeds create a more welcoming environment for everyone.

• The speed limit on the Quietway is 10mph. Please pay special attention to children, walkers and learner cyclists who frequent this car-free area which runs through the centre of the park between Ham Cross and Sheen Cross.

• Never race or time trial. Doing so creates a shorter time to react to hazards, and you are likely to exceed the speed limit. If you want to ride more briskly than the general flow, consider visiting the park when its roads are quieter.

CARE AND COURTESY

• Read the road ahead to anticipate hazards.

• Look behind you before moving left or right.

• Show care when passing. Always overtake on the right (except when filtering) and leave a space of 1.5 metres. Try to leave more room when passing vulnerable road users or less experienced cyclists – they can still be startled or intimidated even at a safe distance.

• Obey the solid white lines. They are on stretches of road where overtaking is dangerous. Crossing them is outlawed except to pass a stationary road user or anyone moving at 10mph or less.

• Motorists can be frightened too. Keep a distance of at least two bike lengths from the car in front of you, and don’t tailgate if you cannot overtake. Filter gently through stationary or slow-moving traffic so as not to startle.

• If you need to cough, sneeze or blow, check to your side and behind to avoid passing on germs.

• Use lights at night and take care not to dazzle oncoming road users.

GROUPS AND PAIRS

• Stick to a maximum of six riders. Any group larger than this can be less safe to ride in and makes overtaking challenging – both for you and others trying to pass you.

• Ride two abreast. More than this creates an overtaking hazard.

• When in doubt, single out. If you are not completely certain that you can overtake two abreast and leave a 1.5 metre gap, pass in single file.

• Keep it down. Try to use verbal warnings of hazards only when necessary, or use common hand signals. Shouting instructions to others in your group can cause alarm to other road users – especially if they mistakenly think you are addressing them. 

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

Thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox. As ever, let us know what you think about any of the subjects in this bulletin, or 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

website: richmondparkcyclists.org

twitter: twitter.com/richmondpkcycle

facebook: facebook.com/richmondparkcyclists

instagram: instagram.com/richmondparkcyclists

RPC Bulletin #31, August 2020

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout that we sent in August 2020. 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. Have a look at our first bulletin to find out more about how RPC was formed.

SEVEN HEAVEN

It’s finally happened, chums! As of this morning, seven-day-a-week cycling has returned to Richmond Park – and with the car parks closed at weekends, you won’t encounter any motor traffic on Saturdays and Sundays. Hooray! Richmond Park Cyclists got in nice and early this morning for the first Saturday in four months, and it was wonderful to see so many riders doing the same thing. How on earth did all of us manage to stay sane without it?

We arrived in the park at 9am and stayed for two hours. During that time, there was a mix of sports cyclists, families and couples sharing the roadway on their bikes, as well as a few runners. There were even a pair of competitive dads pushing buggies up Sawyers Hill at a fair old pace! With no cars on the road, there was more than enough space for everyone. If it had been twice as busy, the park’s roads would still not seem crowded. 

The only note of caution is regarding the deer, who seemed to be enjoying the absence of motorists arriving to park. On three occasions they calmly trotted into the road, so please watch out for our ungulate pals – and wait for them to cross.

The weekend has always been the most popular time to cycle in the park, and with more people returning to their regular weekday work schedule over the past few weeks, the opportunity to ride on Saturdays and Sundays was especially missed by many. So thank you to everyone at The Royal Parks for listening to us and others in the cycling community. It took a long while for them to respond but they came through in the end!

TRP will be monitoring the numbers of cyclists using the park at weekends, which is likely to be higher than prior to the pandemic now that more people appear to be visiting on their bikes than ever before. With a greater range of cyclists on the roadway and shared paths, it’s important that everyone makes vulnerable road users and those new to cycling feel welcome by giving them enough space when passing – 1.5 metres is the recommended distance, although adding a bit more if it is safe to do so could make them feel less intimidated.

And echoing TRP’s social media campaign to “be kind” to its parks, please show as much consideration as possible to every type of park user. Pedestrians have priority, so let them cross the road if you are able to slow down. Do not tailgate when you are unable to overtake a car  – it can be quite alarming having a cyclist inches from your rear window. And as already mentioned, if the deer are crossing, you should be stopping.

With the next stage of the Movement Strategy on the horizon, these are exciting times for cycling in our favourite ride destination. TRP’s aim to reduce through traffic in all eight royal parks came a step closer last month with the publication of the implementation plan which included a trial scheme for Richmond Park. TRP has yet to unveil any details, but we want to share what you could expect to happen. Read on!

THE ROAD AHEAD

The suspension of cars on the park’s roads is exactly that – a suspension. At some point soon, cyclists will be sharing the roadway with motorists again. But as part of the Movement Strategy’s progression, the aim of the reintroduction will be to observe the effects of a greatly reduced presence of cars on the park – likely to be much lower than it was pre-pandemic – and the knock-on effects on traffic levels in the surrounding boroughs. At the end of the process, the ultimate prize of reducing through traffic permanently should be achieved.  

We understand that cars will be reintroduced in two to three weeks’ time. Measures will be put in place that will make it impossible to drive a full lap of the park, and to facilitate this reduction of access, we understand there is likely to be one gate shut as well as closures to part of the roadway. There could be two levels of restrictions, one during weekdays and another set of more stringent rules at weekends, which is when the park’s roads have traditionally been much busier. Richmond, Wandsworth and Kingston councils will monitor the effect of traffic levels on their roads.

TRP will unveil the details before our next monthly bulletin, so be sure to follow us on Twitter or Facebook to hear about the announcement as soon as it emerges. Links to our social media channels are at the foot of the email.

TO OUR CREDIT

We had an enjoyable socially distanced meeting at Pen Ponds cafe with Sergeant Peter Sturgess and Pc Paul Barber of the park’s police unit a couple of weeks ago where we floated the idea of a code of conduct for cyclists. As you may remember, in last month’s bulletin we mentioned our intention to draw up guidelines to help create a hospitable and safe environment for every kind of cyclist and park user. Since then, we’ve come up with the idea of putting five key points from the code on flyers the size of a credit card that could be handed out in the park.  

We are putting together the full code. In the meantime, here is a rough draft of the abbreviated credit-card version:

DON’T MAKE THEM CROSS: Pedestrians have priority, so let them cross the road when you see them waiting. Stop for deer and horse riders. HARD AND FAST RULE: The speed limit, which applies to cyclists, is 20mph on the outer roadway and 10mph on the Quietway through the middle of the park. MIND THE GAP: Leave a space of 1.5m as you overtake. If you are passing a vulnerable road user, try to leave a bigger gap. RISKY BUSINESS: Look behind you before moving left or right. If you need to stop, get off the road. And when a car is in front of you, keep a distance of at least two bike lengths. EIGHT IS GREAT: For safety, the maximum number of cyclists in a group should be eight. Stick to two abreast.

The park’s policemen seemed to like the idea of the cards, which would be small enough to fit in your wallet or purse, and TRP has said it would endorse the full version of the guidelines if the final wording meets their expectations. So what do you think should be in the code? We would love to hear your suggestions, so please email us with your thoughts.

The code would be self-policed, which means it would be down to all of us to politely approach anyone who has fallen short of the guidelines and ask them to adjust their behaviour. In a separate development, TRP has suggested there could be a cycling equivalent of the park’s volunteer rangers. The idea would be similar to Ride London’s safety captains – the event’s designated riders who help maintain safe riding. It’s an interesting concept, and we will approach the TRP managers who organise the rangers to see that they think.

CRACKING THE CODE

Finally, a word on the Department for Transport’s recent announcement that it intends to change the Highway Code. The aim is to improve road safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders. A public consultation is underway which will end on October 27. 

Next month’s bulletin will detail our view on the proposed changes. In the meantime, please take a look at the consultation. 

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

Thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox – and a special thank you to our many new subscribers who signed up over the past month. Let us know what you think about any of the subjects in this bulletin, or 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

website: richmondparkcyclists.org

twitter: twitter.com/richmondpkcycle

facebook: facebook.com/richmondparkcyclists

instagram: instagram.com/richmondparkcyclists