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Kingston cyclists unimpressed with Mini Holland plans

Campaigners say full segregation has been replaced by a white line

Cycling campaigners have been left frustrated by changes to the first phase of Kingston’s Mini Holland project, reports This Is Local London. While early drawings depicted a segregated two-lane cycle path, revised versions show just a single lane separated by a white line.

Kingston was one of three London boroughs to win a share of a £100m pot from the Mayor of London’s Mini Holland cycling initiative with consultation on the first phase due to begin on Monday. The initial £1.3m project is focused on the addition of a cycle lane on Portsmouth Road, but campaigners have been left unimpressed after seeing the revised drawings.

Jon Fray, co-ordinator of Kingston Cycling Campaign, said:

“We were led to believe that there was going to be some sort of barrier between the cyclists and traffic, but now it is just a white line. This scheme is supposed to encourage people to cycle and ease congestion but they won’t do that if they don’t feel safe. Our main concern is there is not enough protective space for cyclists.

“The council is certainly not presenting a Holland-style cycling space at the moment. Cyclists want complete segregation to feel safe. If this is how the council is treating the first phase, we don’t hold out too much hope for the other phases.”

Councillor David Cunningham, lead member for transport and environment, defended the plans, saying: “It is not a scheme to encourage cycling to the detriment of other road users.”

Committee chairman, councillor Richard Hudson, also chose to emphasise that the scheme wasn’t just about cyclists. “This scheme is there to benefit pedestrians and motorists as well as cyclists, and everyone will have the opportunity to give their opinions during the four-week consultation period.”

Kingston’s Mini Holland submission document read:

“On Portsmouth Road (north), a segregated two-way track will be provided along the west side of Portsmouth Road where there are no junction conflicts … On Portsmouth Road (south), semi-segregated cycle lanes will be provided in both directions.”

Semi-segregated was defined within the document as “cycle lanes that are at carriageway level, but separated by some form of light segregation device placed at regular intervals.”

Other major projects in Kingston’s Mini Holland scheme include a 700-metre boardway along the Thames and a pedestrian and cyclist-only plaza outside Kingston station.

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26 comments

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matthewn5 | 9 years ago
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Yes, the two pasted in autumn leaves show even the graphic designer thought it was dead...

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severs1966 | 9 years ago
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They should forthwith be denied the right to use the term "Mini-Holland" any more. This modified proposal has nothing whatsoever in common with agenda, policy, practice or standards in Holland.

I don't know what this is any more, but it certainly is not anything intended to improve the lot of bike riders.

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Bigdai100 | 9 years ago
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Please head over to the Kingston Borough webpage to leave your comments on the public consultation page

http://www.kingston.gov.uk/info/200316/cycling/947/mini-holland_cycling_...

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Jon Fray | 9 years ago
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The money for this scheme and the other projects in Kingston's mini-Holland bid has not been paid over to the council. For the scheme to be built it still has to be approved by a 'Sponsor' at Transport for London, no doubt after input from Andrew Gilligan, the Mayor's Cycling Commissioner. It will be interesting to see whether TfL will give it approval. Feedback to the council we hope will help them to say "go back to the drawing board it provide enough protected space". Jon Fray, for Kingston Cycling Campaign.  102

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FluffyKittenofT... | 9 years ago
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Councillor David Cunningham, lead member for transport and environment, defended the plans, saying: "It is not a scheme to encourage cycling"

Well he got that bit right!

The rest of the comment seems to be an acknowledgement that nothing can ever taken away from motorists ('other road users' as he evasively describes them - is he embarrassed to say the word?). Apparently they are kings of the Earth and the lords in perpetuity of all who dwell upon it

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bikebot | 9 years ago
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Having just woken up on a miserable Sunday morning, something has just struck me about all those revised impressions.

They look awful.

That's not a comment on the design changes. When was the last time any council showed off its latest piece of urban design with bad weather? In one of the other pictures on the council's website, it all looks a bit grubby and unswept.

I'm so used to seeing ugly pieces of urban design portrayed in permanent Californian sunshine, that it's comical. But here, they've even put a woman in with an umbrella.

It looks like whoever put those together, wanted to create a bad impression.

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gwildar replied to bikebot | 9 years ago
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I saw that too. I think who every had to rework the visuals did it through gritted teeth.  1

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Quince | 9 years ago
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Eurgh...

Cycle infrastructure should really amount to more than 'street art'. The challenge of 'exploring what can be achieved with a single line of paint' is all very admirable within the school of Artistic Minimalism, but such principles do not apply so well to effective road design.

These 'mini-Holland' schemes are meant to set an example; to act as a proof-of-concept for other schemes to follow and develop from. The only concept seemingly proven here is that of infidelity.

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gmac101 | 9 years ago
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I wouldn't put all the blame on the change in the council, if you read the original document there was some small comments about "maintaining flow" and "subject to study" or similar. I really hoped this would make a difference. I commute by bike into Kingston and my journey is pretty stress free but I do take a route that's a third longer than the direct route to avoid the dreadful traffic and poor infrastructure on the main roads. Looks like I'll be sticking to the long route for a while longer.

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georgee | 9 years ago
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You really expected something more that is supported by Ed Davey?

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hampstead_bandit | 9 years ago
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We have the same b.s. going on in London borough of Camden.

Royal college street has been held up as a shining example of 'soft' dutch style infrastructure.

They removed a segregated cycle lane and replaced it with white paint, rubber armadillo bumper and steel plant pots. Apparently 1/10th of the cost of installing concrete barriers?

Within the first year we've had numerous plant pots smashed up, numerous armadillo ripped off their mountings and vehicles ignoring the paint line and parking in the cycle lane.

Just before christmas I nearly crashed after riding at night into two planters that a lorry had squashed and thrown into the bike path, twisted jagged metal and dirt/plants across the cycle lane. I could hardly see this mess despite using a 50 lumen front light, as the lane is badly lit.

Since Christmas, another planter north of my near collision has been squashed.

http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p4pb11778522/p4pb11778522.jpg

Unfortunately the council and Camden cycling think this soft infrastructure is the future, apart from concerns about 'careless drivers', and want to roll it out across the borough including Kentish town road. God help us....

Ride across Southwark bridge, really simple and effective. Pre-cast concrete barriers dropped by lorry crane, aesthetically not ideal but 100% protective of cyclists = win!!

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Some Fella | 9 years ago
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I help run a not for profit organisation and if i was to apply to a funding body for something and then not deliver what was set out in the funding bid then we would have to pay the grant back.
It seems when it comes to councils and cycling funding they bid with fancy ideas, secure the money and then just spend it on any old shit (often absolutely nothing to do with cycling) and consistently get away with it.
I just wish we, as cyclists, could band together with enough legal know-how to challenge councils on this and have them made accountable for squandering public funds in such a way.
 102

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jacknorell | 9 years ago
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If the revised scheme doesn't meet or exceed cycling infrastructure standards as submitted for funding, the Mayor's office should de-fund it.

Else, nothing will ever change. Better no infra than bad infra.

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Jonny_Trousers | 9 years ago
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I despair.

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kie7077 | 9 years ago
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It is not a scheme to encourage cycling to the detriment of other road users.

It doesn't look like it's a scheme to encourage cycling at all now. And a short term detriment to motorists is a long term improvement for all people when more take up cycling.

The money is for a 'mini-Holland' if they aren't going to spend it on a mini-Holland then they should give it back.

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Tony H replied to kie7077 | 9 years ago
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The current road system gives precedence to motorised vehicles to the detriment of all other road users. A fact that is so glaringly obvious I wouldn't have attempted to use it as an excuse to dumb down cycling. ...

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jacknorell replied to Tony H | 9 years ago
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Tony H wrote:

The current road system gives precedence to motorised vehicles to the detriment of all other road users. A fact that is so glaringly obvious I wouldn't have attempted to use it as an excuse to dumb down cycling. ...

Glaringly obvious to anyone but politicians or road planners that is...

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Tony H replied to kie7077 | 9 years ago
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The current road system gives precedence to motorised vehicles to the detriment of all other road users. A fact that is so glaringly obvious I wouldn't have attempted to use it as an excuse to dumb down cycling. ...

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bikebot | 9 years ago
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And for the curious, this is how it looks today

//i.imgur.com/Km6gDfe.jpg)

So it looks like for that section after repainting the white line, most of the budget will go on repaving the pedestrian path.

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therevokid | 9 years ago
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and we're surprised by yet more back tracking ???? .... not  14

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bikebot | 9 years ago
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The picture above is from the original mini-holland bid, and shows a section of the Portsmouth road which runs alongside the Thames in Kingston.

Here's a picture of the same road from the revised plans.

//i.imgur.com/Rbprzeq.jpg)

Seriously.

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harrybav | 9 years ago
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You have to hope they can haul the cash back if they're backtracking.

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Housecathst | 9 years ago
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Arrah, so once they get there hands on money for cycling, it then becomes money to benefit motorists, sounds like they have been taking lessons from the new forest.

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bikebot replied to Housecathst | 9 years ago
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Housecathst wrote:

Arrah, so once they get there hands on money for cycling, it then becomes money to benefit motorists, sounds like they have been taking lessons from the new forest.

Not quite.

The mini holland bid was put together when Kingston was controlled by the LibDems. The Conservatives gained majority control in May last year.

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mrmo replied to bikebot | 9 years ago
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bikebot wrote:
Housecathst wrote:

Arrah, so once they get there hands on money for cycling, it then becomes money to benefit motorists, sounds like they have been taking lessons from the new forest.

Not quite.

The mini holland bid was put together when Kingston was controlled by the LibDems. The Conservatives gained majority control in May last year.

Are you implying that the Lib-Dems proposed a cycle friendly scheme and the tories have decided that'll never do but have found a way of spending the money on something else, bit like the tories in the New Forest?

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bikebot replied to mrmo | 9 years ago
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mrmo wrote:
bikebot wrote:

Not quite.

The mini holland bid was put together when Kingston was controlled by the LibDems. The Conservatives gained majority control in May last year.

Are you implying that the Lib-Dems proposed a cycle friendly scheme and the tories have decided that'll never do but have found a way of spending the money on something else, bit like the tories in the New Forest?

I don't know enough about the New Forest to know whether they changed hands at the last election. I'm not seeking to blame a particular party, I've dealt with a few Tory councillors over the years who have been extremely pro-cycling.

I just want to provide a little background, which is that Kingston council changed hands between the bid and the detailed work, which is what accounts for the major difference in attitude.

I'm in neighbouring Merton, and at the time I was actually glad that Kingston won as I thought they had the better proposal. Now I hope the Mayor's office can find some way of clawing the money back on the merits of each individual scheme, as this simply isn't up to standard and there are other proposals across London that can spend the money better if they can't. The whole point of the competition was to encourage the best proposals, and direct the money to them.

I hope some of the pending design work is of a better standard. I note that the New Malden to Raynes Park linkup is finally a confirmed plan, which I think has been talked about for two or three decades! I'll be delighted if that finally happens.

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