Agenda item

JW tabled the report in the papers on this issue.

Cycle Hire Scheme - Members want to know why the three new docking station locations were chosen given that members feel there is a lack of cycling infrastructure on carriageway between the docks. For instance there are sporadic green cycle lane patches along Langley Road, whose benefit is questionable. 

JW agreed to ask what the Council’s recommended routes are between docking stations and their evaluation of the safety of these.

TE suggested LA’s can get access to interesting data from Strava, a route recording app which is becoming popular with users.  Despite the fact it is generally leisure and fitness cycling and walking use, rather than every day, the data recorded could potentially be useful to Local Authorities’ as infrastructure providers in identifying where improvements are needed.

Members queried the expectations for the use of the cycle hire scheme before it was implemented as its aim was supposed to encourage the use of public transport as a way of getting to work in Slough.  Members requested the raw data for the cycle hire scheme usage. 

The Cycle Hub – JW would forward the planning application to members so that comments can be made in time.  There was a strong feeling that cyclists should be asked what they would like to see as part of this new facility.  More information is needed about the detail of what is proposed as the LAF has the expertise to advise the Council on what will work and what won’t.

Cycle Training – Bikeability (previously cycling proficiency) training wasn’t fully taken up by slough schools last year and so the Council offered the left over spaces during the summer holidays.  TE felt encouraged by Stoke Poges Primary School with its new travel plan aimed at reducing car journeys to school and working with the charity called Living Streets and Sustrans.  He put this positive move down to the Head Teacher.

DM would look at a randomly selected Slough primary school travel plan and report back to the LAF about its contents concerning cycling to get an idea of why the uptake of bikeability has been so poor.  Members felt that the Council could expand their training by targeting other youth groups outside school like the Scouts, Guides, Cadets etc.

DfT’s Cycling Delivery Plan – Expressions of Interest – SBC has confirmed it is intending to submit an expression of interest when the final Delivery Plan has been published.  It is expected that guidance for LA’s will be published as part of the final Plan.

Resolved – actions to be taken as above and JW will invite someone from Transport to the next meeting to continue this item on Cycle  Hire, Training, Hub and Delivery Plan.

TE raised a safety issue at St Paul’s Ave/Stoke Road junction traffic signals.  In his experience the signals are set to change too quickly so that a cyclist or pedestrian on Stoke Road crossing over Queens Road on amber does not have the expected time delay between amber and the lights going green for traffic on Queens Rd to St Pauls Ave. TE said this has resulted in a couple of near misses. JW agreed to take this issue to the Traffic Signals Team in Transport.