Author: Secretary

2022 Highway Code Changes (Part 1)

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There are major changes to the Highway Code, which are coming into effect on 29 January. These are aimed at improving conditions for vulnerable road users, including cyclists.

Three of the biggest changes are outlined below:

Rule H1

This introduces a new “hierarchy of road users” which ranks road users according who has the potential to cause the most harm.

The full “hierarchy of road users” is as follows:

  1. Pedestrians
  2. Cyclists
  3. Horse Riders
  4. Motorcyclists
  5. Cars/taxis
  6. Vans/minibuses
  7. Large passenger vehicles or courier vehicles like buses and HGV

The law will place more responsibility on drivers to watch out for more vulnerable road users including cyclists.

Equally, cyclists will have a responsibility to reduce danger for pedestrians.

Rule H2

This rule gives greater protection to pedestrians and cyclists.

Other road users should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into / from which they are turning.

Other road users MUST give way to pedestrians on a zebra crossing, and to pedestrians and cyclists on a parallel crossing. They should also give way to pedestrians waiting to cross a zebra crossing, and to pedestrians and cyclists waiting to cross a parallel crossing.

This rule makes it clear that cyclists should give way to pedestrians on shared use cycle tracks and to horse riders on a bridleway.

It also reminds cyclists that ONLY pedestrians (including wheelchair and mobility scooter users) may use a pavement.

Rule H3

This rule makes it clear that drivers and motorcyclists should not cut across cyclists when turning into or out of a junction or changing direction or lane.

It applies whether the cyclist is using a cycle lane, a cycle track, or riding ahead on the road.

Drivers must not turn at a junction if this would cause the cyclist going straight ahead to stop or swerve.

Drivers are also advised to stop and wait for a safe gap when cyclists are:

  • approaching, passing or moving off from a junction
  • moving past or waiting alongside stationary or slow-moving traffic
  • travelling around a roundabout

Social Rides Review

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A word from William, our Social Rides Coordinator:

Spokes rides have now finished, well for 2021 at least. Due to Covid we didn’t start until April, but when we did, there was plenty of untapped energy and all places were filled until the rules were relaxed and summer “holidays” began.

We continued the trend from 2020 and rides went off in groups of six. Unfortunately, we did have to cancel two rides due to bad weather. Though in general the weather was pretty kind to us, and there was certainly plenty of coffee drunk and cakes eaten too. Although, for one group there was a bit of wait at Bedwyn for elevenses and for another, there was disappointment that the cake shop wasn’t open!

Anyways, overall it has been another bumper year for the rides, and we have launched a survey for those who attended our rides, so we can get feedback and make adjustments and improvements for next year.

For 2022, the rides will run from March to October. They are publicised through www.letsride.co.uk, and I will also take a leaf out of Newbury Road Club and look into using Spond to help with ride coordination.

Another trend also going about is to label rides green, blue, red and black. And for those not in the know, that’s a grading system used for ski runs. So for Spokes a black ride would probably be the once a year special 60 mile route organised close to the longest day (but don’t worry were back by 3.30pm this year, having started at 9am). And a green ride probably equates to a 25 mile, not so hilly, ride. Most rides this year were about 30 miles with some hills.

Finally, a shout out to those who helped leading the rides this year – Gordon, Tim, Steve and Mike.

NCN4 Gets Tar & Chip Surface

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It’s been about a year since the section of the Kennet and Avon Canal towpath between Hambridge Road and the A339 was surfaced. The Canal and River Trust (C&RT) consulted when this was first proposed, and the feedback was that people wanted the path to have a surface dressing to soften its appearance and make it appear less urban.

The C&RT have finally got round to finishing the job, and the finished result looks pretty good. However, it now means that there is a layer of loose stones on the surface, which is far from ideal for cyclists. The stones are laid on a thin screed of bitumen and are initially rolled in, but they then need to be compacted by people walking and cycling along the path, which is a process that takes place over several months.

This means that cyclists will needs to take extra care when using this section of towpath, since sudden braking or turning manoeuvres could result in skidding. The transition to and from the bridges now represent a particular hazard. This is a common maintenance technique for roads and schemes are usually accompanied by signs advising road users to slow down due to the presence of loose chippings. We will be asking for signs to be put up to advise cyclists of the issue and encourage them to slow down (or potentially dismount at critical locations) while the stones bed in.

World Car Free Day (22 September)

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West Berkshire Spokes is supporting World Car Free Day on 22 September by encouraging local residents to swap their car journeys for more sustainable alternatives such as cycling, walking and public transport.

Given the climate emergency that we are facing, it is vital that we all play our part in reducing our carbon footprint and working towards becoming carbon neutral. Transport is currently the largest contributor to UK greenhouse gas emissions, with road transport alone accounting for almost a quarter of our total emissions.

We know it’s not easy making changes, so we suggest starting with just one journey and taking it from there. Amazingly, 68% of all the journeys we make are under 5 miles, so whether it is going to the shops, visiting friends, doing the school run or the dreaded commute, most of us can find at least one journey where we could leave the car at home and travel differently.

You can find information on your local cycling and walking routes on the West Berkshire Council website, or why not make use of an online journey planner such as Cycle Streets or Cycle Travel. Alternatively, there are loads of apps to help you such as Komoot and Cyclemaps. There are loads of routes that are traffic-free or that make use of quiet roads.

We’d love you to send us some piccies of you out on your bike tomorrow – just connect on Facebook or Twitter #WorldCarFreeDay.

Newbury Town Centre Vision Consultation

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A consultation is currently underway on the draft Vision for Newbury Town Centre. West Berkshire Council has engaged Hemingway Design to help develop the vision and manage the consultation, which will run until 16 July.

The vision has been informed by a previous public engagement exercise, which ran from December 2020 to January 2021 and attracted over 4,000 responses. The results from this latest consultation will be used to inform the preparation of the spatial vision and masterplan, with a draft report expected at the end of August.

This will then form the basis of the Newbury Town Centre Vision Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). This in turn will be subject to a formal consultation in the autumn prior to adoption later in the year. Once adopted, it will set the formal planning framework for the future regeneration and development of the town centre.

The Vision includes many elements that you would expect. addressing concerns about the retail and leisure offers within the town centre, improving Market Place and Northbrook Street, and making better use of the canal. It is good to see that the vision recognises what other studies have shown, which is that people who live close to the town centre and walk and cycle there, visit more frequently and spend more money.

Improving access for walking and cycling trips is identified as an aspiration within the Vision, but it is recognised that these options will not be viable for all and there will still be a need to accommodate travel by car in future, which is reasonable.

The need to improve access to parks and open spaces is recognised, particularly Victoria Park, as well as improving access to and between these areas by walking and cycling. Signage within the town centre currently focuses on walking trips, with cycling barely featuring on any of the signs and monoliths.

Some questions do remain in relation to proposals set out in the Vision document, such as how future usage of the towpath will be managed if flows of pedestrians and cyclists increase. The towpath forms part of National Cycle Route 4 and is a key route for through-trips as well as those with the town centre as its destination.

There is also a proposal for a new pedestrian bridge between Bridge Street and Parkway, but it is not clear if this will be open to cyclists.

The Vision indicates a desire to make better use of the alleys off Northbrook Street – again it is worth noting that NCN4 makes use of Northcroft Lane, which although narrow, currently has few shops and is relatively lightly used by pedestrians.

Finally, there are proposals to allocate more space to pavement cafes and landscaping in Northbrook Street. However, this will inevitably restrict the space available for movement, and it would be good to understand how this space will be managed in order to minimise conflict between pedestrians and cyclists. As with the towpath, it should be recognised that Northbrook Street is a key route for cycle trips through as well as to the town centre.

SPOKES would encourage anyone who cycles to and through the town centre to have their say and ensure that the needs of cyclists are properly taken into account.