'Barriers' to Walking and Cycling – a Survey

Hampshire County Council has launched a Survey to determine what issues are 'barriers' to walking and cycling in local areas.

The kind of 'barriers' they are seeking that put people off from walking or cycling include:

• Locations for new cycle parking, or places where existing cycle parking is not meeting demand;
• Staggered or chicane barriers;
• Bollards placed too closely together.

Well-used cycle parking
removed by Whitchurch Town Council

WHITCHURCH has a number of the above 'barriers to cycling' and in particular has suffered from removal of cycle parking and a reluctance to deal with staggered railings on cycle routes.

 
In the town centre, because of parking removal by the local councilpartly to allow motor vehicles on to the pavement (!!!) cycles are again regularly leant against shopfronts causing annoyance to shopkeepers.
This can also make the town unattractive to visit and creates a safety hazard for pedestrians and the mobility impaired.

The town also suffers from excessive congestion, narrow streets and pavements, HGVs and speeding traffic. This is likely to worsen with planned expansion of housing areas.
There are also very few off-road routes with only one bridleway leaving the town that heads northwards.

As a small rural town in the Test valley that attracts a considerable number of cyclists and walkers, facilities need much improvement.

Whitchurch
has several of these

Other examples sought by the Survey are:

• End of route/cyclists rejoin carriageway signs (these are often used interchangeably) and no cycling signs. There are no current plans to remove these, but knowing where they are will help plan better in the future – for example, showing people cycling and where to go when a route ends;
• Crossings that are difficult to use because they don’t have dropped kerbs and tactile paving;
• Dropped kerbs which are not flush with the road; these can make travel difficult for wheelchair users;
• Items such as guard railing, lampposts and signposts which make the pavement too narrow.

The Survey runs until 11:59pm on Sunday 22nd December

The SURVEY can be accessed HERE:
https://www.hants.gov.uk/barriers-walking-cycling

Below

Staggered railings on Council land restrict use
for users of many types of cycles and mobility vehicles.
This is discriminatory and goes against national and local policies.

Below
Cycle parking was removed in the town and cycles are now parked against windows, causing difficulties for cyclists, pedestrians and those with mobility issues:

Below

A suggestion for a combined planting and parking installation was made to the Town Council.
SEE: 

https://cyclewhitchurch.blogspot.com/2024/08/use-of-community-infrastructure-levy.html
A response has not yet been received.
See below, as used in many other heritage locations:

•

Barrier work continues

The excellent work by Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity, in removing barriers on cycle routes throughout the UK continues.
Barriers can seriously hinder and stop use of cycle routes by a great many people.

Regretably Whitchurch has some which have been brought to the attention of the Town Council.
These barriers have led to several instances of the less mobile not being able to access the Council's Mill Springs open space. 

Sustrans this month issued the following statement:

"Removing barriers will lead to an increase of illegal use and antisocial behaviour."

This is one of the most common concerns we get when removing restrictive barriers on the National Cycle Network. But did you know removing barriers can actually do the opposite?

In our experience barriers often stop people with wheelchairs, adapted cycles, prams and trailers from using the path, but don't actually prevent those with motorbikes from illegally accessing the path. People with motorbikes can often wheel them under, around or lift them over barriers, or if they're really determined simply find an access point further up the path.

 

Removing barriers enables more people to use routes, making them busier, which can in turn make illegal use and antisocial behaviour less likely. In a trial in London, barrier removal led to a 20% increase in use and a reduction in anti-social behaviour.

This creates a positive feedback loop: people are more likely to use safe paths, so as a route gains a reputation for being safe, the number of people using the route goes up, making illegal use and antisocial behaviour less likely. It's a win-win.

Removing barriers is a key priority for us as we work to make the National Cycle Network more accessible.

 

Safer Primary School Access for cycling and walking

 

NEWS: Safer Primary School Access for cycling and walking

Work has commenced this week (w/c 25 July 2022) to improve safety for walking and cycling to the Primary School in Whitchurch. It has been scheduled to take place in school holidays.
The area of Alliston Way is notorious for drivers mounting and driving along pavements, and parking on corners and footways, particularly during the school run. This has increased dangers to all and has also resulted in casualties.

Safer for all
The scheme, one of the Whitchurch Accessibility Projects, is designed to make the area safer for all. It is being managed by Hampshire County Council with the support from Basingstoke & Deane and Whitchurch Town Councils.
Funds are primarily from developers’ contributions.

The path alongside Alliston Way and the Play Area is being widened to become ‘Shared Use’ and users are to be given protection from drivers by the use of dragons teeth ‘bollards’ along the kerbside.
A pull-in is also being provided to assist with the difficult sightlines that drivers have to deal with.

New school access
The verge alongside McFauld Way is also to be made into a shared use path, with a raised ‘cushion’ across the entrance to Sheppard Close. This is to provide a road surface level with the path for all who have pushchairs, mobility buggies, wheelchairs, scooters and cycles. There will also be tactile paving.
Pedestrian/cycle access to the school is to be around the rear of the existing garage court to avoid the daily foot/vehicle conflicts in McFauld Way.

Other changes include a better turning within McFauld Way particularly for larger vehicles visiting the school, while there will also be two additional parking spaces.

An earlier report shows the traffic problems in the area. It has taken 7 years for action – but at last something is taking place.
See: A HORRIFIC 20 MINUTES

This pavement driving MUST not be allowed to happen again

Whitchurch on the Map – after 10 years

 

Ten years after a special cycle ride one of the main suggestions has come to fruition.

A new cycle route
The new cycle/foot path linking Whitchurch to Tufton and the Test valley countryside is now open. It followed years of lobbying that started with a special cycle ride in April 2012 arranged for Town, Borough and County councillors, the Mayor at the time Barry Jackman, and the cycling baronet MP Sir George Young.

Safer access to the countryside
2022 now sees a much safer access route has now been constructed joining the town to Nuns Walk at Tufton and southwards into the tranquil countryside with its chalk streams, thatched cottages and country pubs. This also leads through to the National Cycle Network route No.246 (NCN246) which follows the Test and Bourne valleys.
It is also encouraging to see wild flowers starting to appear adjacent to the path, adding colour to the roadsides and providing habitats for insects and wildlife.

Cyclists are already being attracted to use the route which runs from Webbs Farm Close, along Winchester Road, past Mill Springs to a 90 degree crossing point near Clock Barn turn. It then goes under the A34 to Tufton, avoiding the necessity to cross the notorious A34 exit slip road while improving sightlines and visibility.

Part of a network
With an existing cycle path at the Shuttle Street junction into Mill Springs, it also has potential to join up with the cycle route through to the new Sports pitches and Micheldever Road, as well linking into the rear of Testbourne Community School. Cycling into school or to the sports area open space from the south of town has never been easier.

The project has been funded from developers contributions and put in place as a part of a wider Whitchurch Accessibility Scheme by Hampshire County Council.

Teething problems
Signage
As with all schemes there are a few teething problems. The signage seems rather awry in places and there are no clear signs at the start.
It would also be helpful to have Cyclist/Pedestrian crossing point warning signs when approaching the southern Winchester Road crossing from the north and also at the exit of Shuttle Street and Webbs Farm Close.

Bollards and bins
Some wooden bollards have also been placed in a section near the Charlcot housing entrances which have already caused danger to some users while refuse bins have also been stored on the path. However these are all relatively minor issues and should be easy to remedy, so maybe some more friendly lobbying is required.

“It’s great…”
For now the route it is a welcome addition to the area, and summed up by a recent family of cyclists heading towards the countryside with “It’s great, isn’t it” 

Where it all started – April 2012
Pictured below are those who took part in the cycle ride in April 2012 to look at the town’s cycling facilities, or rather lack of them, and which kicked off the idea for the new route. It’s a good plan that has now come to fruition.

Left to right in 2012 (below):
Harriet Titcomb (resident), Barry Jackman (Town Mayor), Jackie Day (Town Councillor), Claire Isbester (resident), Dave Titcomb (Town Councillor), Sir George Young (MP), Eric Dunlop (Borough Councillor), John Buckley (Hampshire Cycle Training and organiser), photo by Andrew Reeves-Hall (resident).

ABOVE: April 2012
Discussing the possible crossing point near the A34.
In 2022 this was eventually provided.

ABOVE: July 2022
Cyclists using the new crossing point near the A34.