Agenda item

To share a brief update on the following items:

a)    Bicycle Policy Audit

-       Brief update regarding questionnaire & future workshop

b)   Cycling Strategy

-       Update on delivery

c)    Dockless Bikes Update

-       Update on the feasibility study being produced for the Council and feedback from London-wide Working Group

d)   Liveable Neighbourhood plans

-       Update on status of the bid proposal to TfL

e)    LIP Funding – Outcomes from Workshop

-       Update on LIP3 development including feedback from stakeholder workshop

f)     Terms of Reference

-       To include the Pedestrian consideration and representation

a)     Bicycle Policy Audit

The Transport Strategy Manager shared with Members of the Forum that the consultants were still undertaking background work to the Bicycle Policy Audit. There was a draft questionnaire that was under review and would be ready in the next few weeks. The questionnaire was intended to be a scoring exercise for stakeholders to assess how Croydon Council is performing with regards to cycle policy.

The forum was in consensus that the Cycling Policy Audit would be referred again in the future.

b)     Cycling Strategy

The Programme Manager updated the forum on what was currently being delivered on the Cycling Strategy.

Item 11 - a full presentation for those on that tour will be delivered as part of the tour. The heart of it is the cycle network focused on the town centre.

The main highlight from last month was the Ampere Way traffic orders and notices. There was no objections received and the technical designs were being produced.

The Fairfield Halls frontage - In advance of the traffic order and notices, early demolition and reconstruction work had commenced and would continue into the autumn. This is a key route up from the park lane cycle crossing to East Croydon station.

Bike Hangars - The Programme of introducing cycle storage on Council housing estates was still ongoing and had recently been extended to the public highway / streets around Croydon but there was resistance to the first tranche of proposed Bike Hangars going in on street.

The areas of concern has been notified to the Cabinet Member and the   relevant Ward Councillors in the north of the Borough.

c)     Dockless Bikes Update

Officers updated the forum on the feasibility study that looked at the high level strategy level and transport was ongoing. The study was being developed, however because there was much flux in the market we have asked to delay finalising it until further information is received from TfL and London Councils on the progress of a London wide byelaw.

Officers continued to state that TFL developed their second edition of code of practice - http://content.tfl.gov.uk/dockless-bike-share-code-of-practice.pdf.

They continued informing the forum that currently boroughs had no powers to enforce the bikes on the streets, except if it is blocking footway entirely and then would be considered as an obstruction. TfL and Boroughs have been investigating routes for managing the schemes properly and enforcing against rogue operators. TFL and London Councils in partnership with Borough officers are looking to progress a pan London byelaw. The byelaws would take at least a year which was a long term process.

The forum learned that the service would be in a better position in a few months to understand the direction of travel across London and provide recommendations for delivery in Croydon.

The Borough will need to identify funding for the delivery of a dockless bike share scheme.

Action: Dockless bikes to be revisited.

d)     Liveable Neighbourhoods Plan

The officer updated the forum on the status of the bid proposal to TfL. The forum learned that the service was waiting for feedback but was looking to submit shortly to TFL. The proposal was to improve crossings over the ring road to make it easier to walk and cycle at the south and west of the Town Centre.

The Strategic Transport Team and Public Health teams were in discussions to extend the zone further to Broad Green, to incorporate a secondary school as part of the Super Zones concept. This was to tackle obesity, physical health, gambling, fast food shops, pubs, other acts to travel and accidents.

The forum learned that the service would consider that the plans would be available to view before they would be submitted to TfL and fit within the project concept. The forum was also informed that the bid was due to be considered in November 2018 and gathering feedback would help refine and strengthen the bid.

Officers said that the plan had evolved from other major schemes. Croydon had chosen the specific area as there was the Old Town master plan with proposals for development, which looked at cycling and the Mitcham Road, which was a key component. The Old Town roundabout was also looked into at a development stage.

The issues in the Broad Green area are rat running traffic between Mitcham Road and London Road. Officers noted that there was potential to work with the neighbourhood and schools nearby to better the area. Though the task was a challenge, the work was long overdue.

e)     LIP Funding – Outcomes from Workshop

The officer updated the forum on the LIP3 development and the feedback from the stakeholder workshop.

The forum learned that they were expecting a fifteen percent budget cut for the Local Implementation Plan (LIP) in 2019/2020 following the recent announcement of delay in Crossrail that had impacted the TfL budget.

They learned that the stakeholder workshop that took place last week had been successful. The workshop provided a great sense check on the proposals and policy considered. The feedback was also generally good highlighting that work was going in the right direction. There was a total of eighteen people that attended both sessions.

The officer informed that the consultation had not closed yet, so the figures would change. Public consultation on the draft will commence in November 2018 around the same time it is submitted to TfL. The final document would be published online in April 2019.

f)      Terms of Reference

The forum discussed whether there should there be a cycling and walking forum, although the discussion at the forum do not always include walking this would be a working progress.

The walking and cycling commission and the challengers for walking were somewhat different to cycling. The forum discussed how the walking mode share was high compared to cycling, which was low (slightly higher at the Town Centre). They further discussed that cycling would be the key focus, and with TfL or the Mayor of London the agenda was just one. This was quite complimentary rather than competing for one space.

The forum discussed that motorists would probably campaign for walking and cyclist to be considered together, though there was a consensus that this was a concise term of reference.

Action: The forum to go away and think of how to add value to the terms of reference and a view for walking to be included.

Members of the forum NOTED these updates.