RPC Bulletin #67, August 2023

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in August 2023. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Fears of more restrictions on cycling +++ Plans for CCTV +++ Two cyclists fined for high-speed descent +++ Rundown of latest road incident figures +++ Sign up for fitness study or volunteer at London Duathlon +++ 

Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Look Mum No Hands!, Pearson Cycles, Richmond Cycles, Sigma Sports Electric

ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN

Ever since RPC was founded, we’ve found that most people involved with Richmond Park are generally supportive of cyclists – but, like anywhere else, the park isn’t immune to anti-cycling sentiments you will often encounter in wider society. And over the past few months, we’ve detected a more critical tone in discussions about aspects of cycling in the park. 

In particular, we sense that stakeholders and the authorities want to use the fact that the majority of road traffic accidents in the park involve cyclists, not pedestrians nor motorists, to introduce further restrictions on cyclists. But more often than not, these cycling accidents are caused by loss of control rather than recklessness, and are mostly solo falls with no other party involved. Cyclists knowingly accept these types of risk whenever we jump on our bikes, and will resist well-intended but intrusive measures that restrict our freedoms. 

Statistically, the roads in Richmond Park are actually far safer to ride on than those outside. We know that no one wants us to ride with greater risk elsewhere and yet restrictions on cycling in the park will have that effect. 

It’s becoming clear to us that we need to take a strong stance against any further unnecessary alterations to the park that would make cycling less enjoyable. To do this, and to reach our long-term goals, most significantly the removal of through traffic, we will need more subscribers. Speaking for more people simply makes our message stronger – so please encourage your friends and acquaintances to sign up to this monthly newsletter here. 

BROOK NO ARGUMENT

The second safety consultation into the controversial new road installations and 10mph signage has been completed. Park manager Paul Richards informed us on Monday he will soon formally respond to our open letter, which expressed opposition to what many regard as hazardous, heavy-handed intrusions which make cycling in the park less enjoyable. 

Paul also told us during our regular quarterly meeting with him a few weeks ago that he plans to install CCTV cameras on the single lane on Beverley Brook Bridge. This section, which could readily accommodate cycle slip lanes in both directions without losing much of the ridiculously wide new pedestrian footway, is now a constant source of conflict, with many road users heading towards Roehampton refusing to give way to oncoming traffic which has priority. The footage should be very interesting for TRP’s consultants to study…

FINE EXAMPLE

Speed limits in the park do not apply to cyclists – but contrary to what some people would have you believe, that doesn’t mean you can go as fast as you like. Here’s the most recent example of that fact.

On a weekday at the beginning of last month, an officer from the park’s police fined two cyclists £50 each after observing them descending Sawyer’s Hill at 39mph, weaving their way around cars as they did so. This, of course, is far from typical behaviour – in fact, to our knowledge, the last time a cyclist was punished for doing much the same thing was in 2015 – but it serves as a reminder that anyone who rides in a manner that could endanger themselves or others is falling foul of the park regulations, and the police therefore have a duty to act, which we support. 

MAKING TYRE TRACKS

While on the subject of rider behaviour, there were a few aspects brought up at the latest Safer Parks Police Panel meeting, as well as at our regular quarterly catch-up with Paul Richards, the manager of the park, and Sgt Pete Sturgess.

• There appears to have been an increase in off-track cycling, which is prohibited. While it may seem harmless to venture away from the roads, tarmac paths and the shared-use Tamsin Trail, bike tyres can create furrows which rainwater exploits, leading to soil erosion. It’s unlikely that a typical Richmond Park Cyclists subscriber ventures off-track – indeed, at a previous SPPP meeting it was said that those on hire bikes who were unaware of the rules were the main culprits. But if you’re walking in the grassy areas of the park and a cyclist crosses your path, you would be doing the reputation of cyclists a little favour if you politely pointed out to them the damage they are doing to the natural environment, and that the police might catch up with them.

• As mentioned in previous editions of this bulletin, visitors to the ballet school are permitted to drive through the restricted areas of the park. Some may have permits displayed – but even if one is not visible, do not approach the driver or remonstrate with them. The police have a good track record of catching genuine rule-breakers, so leave the job to them. 

• Horses sometimes cross on Sawyer’s Hill. Slow down, or stop if it is safe, when you see them and their handlers waiting by the side of the road. 

FIGURE IT OUT

Time now for a look at the incidents in the park that the police attended over the past quarter-year, as detailed in their report to the Safer Parks Police Panel. As ever, we’re grateful to them for collating the figures and helping to keep the roadway safer for cycling. With reference to the introduction of this bulletin, note that while cycling accidents outnumber motor vehicle and pedestrian accidents, they are largely self-inflicted, and motor vehicle offences far outnumber everything else.

• In April two cyclists lost control in separate incidents which required visits to A&E, while a third fell for unknown reasons and suffered a bleed on the brain.

• As we reported last month, two cyclists collided head-on in May on the middle road with resultant head injuries, and in June a rider’s light fell into their spokes causing a heavy fall with arm fractures and dental injuries. There were no reported road user collisions/falls reported in July.

• As for offences, two motorists were reported for driving in a manner likely to endanger others or themselves and one cyclist was reported for the same. There were 62 motorists reported for speeding and 176 drivers of trade vehicles reported. Twelve motorists were found to have no insurance, three were found to be "driving not in accordance with a license”, and two were caught on their mobile phone. There were also 210 traffic offence reports related to parking, and 23 for contravening the restrictions on motor traffic and directional signs. *Many of the latter were for unauthorised driving at weekends between Richmond and Roehampton Gates.

• There were 11 off-track cycling offences committed during the quarter, and 75 motorists were caught driving off-road – many of them being attempts to park outside of a designated car park. The police mostly give verbal warnings to off-track cyclists (174 this quarter) compared with 15 verbal warnings to motorists.

• In other notable verbal warnings, motorists were warned five times and cyclists three over for behaviour that is likely to endanger any person.

HOT SPOTS

Our final item is two requests for volunteers. 

A sports physiologist at St Mary’s University in Twickenham is looking for injury-free male and female athletes aged 18 to 55 to take part in a study exploring the difference in heat acclimation between men and women. Personal data gathered from the research, which includes VO2 max tests and blood lactate measurements, can be used to maximise your cycling performance. The one-hour sessions involve exercises and being immersed in 40C water for up to 40 minutes. You must be able to attend 13 days over an 18-day period. For more information, email Andrea Al Hourani at aalhourani34@gmail.com.

Meanwhile, the organisers of the London Duathlon, which takes place in the park on Saturday, September 3, are looking for volunteers to man the event. Duties include issuing  race packs, helping at aid stations and handing out medals to the finishers. Shifts last six hours, with food and refreshments provided. Volunteers can claim back up to £15 for travel on public transport and choose free or discounted entry to one other event run by the organisers LimeLight. You can register on its website here or email volunteers@limelightsports.com.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #66, July 2023

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in July 2023. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Great response against controversial road changes +++ More road-related projects in pipeline +++ Cyclist-on-cyclist hit and run +++ Two riders injured in separate incidents +++

Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Look Mum No Hands!, Pearson Cycles, Richmond Cycles, Sigma Sports Electric

CHECK THEM OUT

Before this bulletin begins in earnest, a quick tip if you are riding to the park this morning. Head over to Colicci, where you can get a free bicycle safety check, courtesy of the bike mechanics from Fettle, and meet the park’s police officers from 10am until 1pm. Events like this, which are organised by the police, are usually quite popular, so don’t be late!

DIRECT MAIL

Thank you to everyone who took the time to let The Royal Parks know how they felt about the controversial new road installations and 10mph signage. We were copied into scores of emails from subscribers and followers on social media, all of which outlined intelligent, articulate objections based on their own experiences and observations. We are confident that they will make it much harder for the safety consultants to say there is nothing to worry about.

Here is a small sample of your responses:

“I note with some alarm the give-way change over Beverley Brook. [...] I certainly don't want to put cyclists on a higher moral ground than drivers, but I have seen a few near misses due to cars not giving way to cyclists at the give way section on the bridge and I am quite worried about it. I don't want people hurt – obviously – and I don't quite see how this makes this stretch of road safer. It's an incredibly lovely commute I have – I just love it. I hope that my son will use it to get to school when he's a bit older. The biggest problem is the aggression between cars and cyclists  – fault on both sides – and I fear that the give way section will add to this problem in the future.”

“The gates at the bottom [of Broomfield Hill] are narrow and lead directly onto a roundabout. Cyclists have to judge the width of the gate and look in two directions for traffic crossing their path. The height of the gates and the additional signage blocks the view of both cyclists and motorists, increasing the possibility of collision. The new gates are made of solid, sharp-edged timber, and a cyclist colliding with these gates could sustain serious injury. My suggestion for the Broomfield Hill gates would be to widen them and make them lower so as to maximize visibility, and also add padding to the gates.”

“The posts are solid and thick but they are covered in signage – it is very difficult to see.  Just today, three young ladies seemed completely oblivious when they almost crashed into me coming down Broomfield Hill – I was turning right at the roundabout and even though I was indicating before the roundabout and whilst turning, they said they did not see me!”

“When I moved over from the USA our family selected this area so that I could have a safe place to cycle and train. Richmond Park is a gift and I attribute my ability to escape there to walk, run, cycle and move through nature the reason for strong mental health. [...] What made the park special was the ability to cycle without the typical London obstacles which distract, disrupt and dampen the experience of moving safely around in nature. The timber posts and give way lanes now on the road make Richmond Park more like the busy London streets and greatly detract not only from the experience of exercising in nature, but promotes unsafe opportunities for all involved to take chances when moving through these areas. I have witnessed honking horns and verbal exchanges at these new junctions which I had never witnessed before at Richmond Park.”

“I was disappointed to see that there had not been a wider consultation with the public on what the permanent measures would consist of. What has been installed, for some of us, was a surprise to the extent and design of the new measures, especially when compared with the previous temporary measures. Whilst the temporary measures with the plastic bollards and blocks were not exactly perfect, they at least offered solutions to ensure free flow to permitted traffic without obstruction. I am a frequent cyclist in Richmond Park, often accompanying disabled athletes in wheelchairs and raise concerns from their viewpoint as well as mine.”

“Unreasonable speed restrictions (i.e. 10mph on a steep downhill) add danger as a small number grip their brakes hard while trying not to fall off (especially in the wet) while others come past them at more controllable (but significantly faster) speeds. Rules that are bound to be regularly broken detract from credibility.”

The second safety report, which has been carried out by the same independent firm that assessed the measures after they were put in, is now complete and going through the company’s internal review process. Park manager Paul Richards expects to receive it soon, at which point he will respond to our open letter outlining our objections.

A FEW FOR THE ROAD

The specialists who visited the park for the second safety report carried out their work on a Sunday and Monday, during daylight hours as well as at night. They also cycled the route as part of the assessment.

There are a number of other road-related projects that TRP has instigated. Here is the current state of play with each of them.

• A park-wide accessibility audit should examine how disabled people, cargo bike riders and others are impacted by the recent road changes as well as the limitations of the pedestrian gates. 

• Following the spate of cyclists slipping and falling in the park over the past two winters, Paul Richards has instructed a health and safety evaluation, known as a pendulum test, to be carried out on the roundabouts to see if the road surface passes local highway authority requirements. This work will be done at night when the park is closed to motor vehicles to avoid road closures.

• Tubular counters – pairs of thin cables covering the width of the road – were temporarily installed in various locations before and after the installation of the traffic-calming measures to record the speed and frequency of motor vehicles and bikes. The park management now has a draft report on cycle speeds based on this data. We do not expect this report to produce any meaningful insight on cyclists’ behaviour, as appropriate speed in each case would be impossible to judge without an observational study which could identify, for example, who else was on the road or crossing it at the same time.

• Last month contractors identified the location of potholes throughout the roadway, which have now been filled in. We have expressed our thanks to the park manager.

CYCLIST HIT BY… A CYCLIST

A cyclist was knocked unconscious in the middle road after another rider crossed into his path and collided with him head-on. A friend who was riding with the victim attended to him – and while he was doing so, the other cyclist left the scene. 

Adam Keliher, 61, from Wimbledon, suffered concussion, a cracked rib and cuts to his hands. The man who hit him was described as being in his forties or fifties and dressed in black-and-white cycling clothing. The incident took place at around 2.15pm during the Bank Holiday Monday in May and was reported in The Times along with other news outlets at the beginning of last month.

This cowardly and irresponsible act does not, of course, reflect the decent, considerate behaviour of the overwhelming majority of people who choose to cycle in the park. But a hit and run is a hit and run, regardless of whether the perpetrator is travelling on four wheels or, in this rare case, on two. 

Generally, the police only issue appeals for help with their inquiries into a traffic incident if the injuries are very serious or life-changing, which is why they didn’t do so in this instance, and the case has since been closed as the person responsible was not identified. Nevertheless, if you witnessed the collision or have any relevant information, it’s worth contacting the police by dialling 101.

INJURY REPORTS

News has reached us of two concerning recent incidents in which cyclists were injured in the park. A subscriber has told us that her husband witnessed a driver clipping a cyclist, causing the rider to fall off. She tells us that the female motorist got out of the car to check on the victim but her husband tried to get her back in and leave, insisting that the rider would be looked after by another cyclist. The incident took place on June 1 at around 6pm.

On Thursday, another subscriber saw a cyclist lying on the ground looking “pretty worse for wear” at Ham Cross. The subscriber writes: “Luckily lots of people had stopped to help them while an ambulance arrived.

The police tell us they have no details about any such incidents involving a cyclist, so if you were at the scene during either of them, or you were one of the riders who came off, please get in touch. 

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #65, June 2023

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in June 2023. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Tell the Royal Parks how the road installations have affected you +++ One-way proposal for roads outside Kingston Gate +++ Hero PC helps save stricken cyclist +++ Speed watchers revealed +++ 

Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Look Mum No Hands!, Pearson Cycles, Richmond Cycles Sigma Sports Electric

SPEAK OUT

It’s time for you to let The Royal Parks know how you feel about the controversial new road installations, which are continuing to cause frustration and conflict between cyclists and motorists. 

Last week we captured some of the issues on camera as we cycled over Beverley Brook Bridge with Tim Lennon from the Richmond Cycling Campaign en route to Holly Lodge, where we met with Paul Richards, the park’s manager, and Sgt Pete Sturgess from the park’s police unit. At that meeting, Paul agreed to give us a copy of the independent safety report which green-lit the hazardous new infrastructure and the 10mph limit on Broomfield Hill. A second safety report is due to be delivered on the 12th, and a separate park-wide accessibility audit should examine how disabled people, cargo bike riders and others are impacted by the road changes. 

A few weeks prior to speaking with Paul and Sgt Pete, we attended the latest Stakeholders’ Meeting at Pembroke Lodge, where Tom Jarvis, the outgoing Head of Parks, appeared to strike a conciliatory tone. Regarding Beverley Brook and the priority flow near Roehampton Gate, the minutes record him stating: “We will continue with the safety audit to ensure these areas are safe. If the audit shows that we’re then looking at our measures as an inconvenience, we then need to work with stakeholders to resolve this. [...] This is a learning process for us.”

But park manager Paul warned us last week that the safety audit may recommend that all the measures stay in place – which is precisely our fear, especially as the company carrying out the report is the same one that gave them the go-ahead in the first place.

During the meeting at Holly Lodge, it emerged that TRP has been landed with a £9,000 bill to remove graffiti sprayed in a number of locations on the road in protest. Naturally, we deplore this vandalism, and recommend a more constructive course of action: communicating directly in a civil way with the park management so they are aware how counterproductive their changes have been. We’ve set out our views, but we think TRP and its safety consultants may not appreciate the strength of your feeling unless they hear from subscribers directly. Please email richmond@royalparks.org.uk, expressing in your own words how the infrastructure and the new 10mph limit has impacted your enjoyment of the park, and copy us in. 

Here are the four key changes we want to see made which you may want to incorporate in your message: 

1. Move the timber posts back from the outside edge of the road at the new gateways to make them less threatening to cyclists.

2. Create free-flowing cycle slip lanes in both directions at the new give-way priority systems over Beverley Brook Bridge and next to Roehampton Gate car park.

3. Relocate signage on the back of gates and fencing which currently block sightlines.

4. Revert to 20mph signage on Broomfield Hill. When we brought this issue up with the police, they indicated that they would not stop cyclists if they exceeded 10mph unless they were riding in a manner that endangered others or themselves. But inevitably some will see the signs and dutifully keep their speed at around 10mph, which creates a potential hazard by increasing the difference between slower and faster riders.

For further inspiration, you can also read our open letter to park manager Paul, which is on our website here. He has said he will respond to it in due course.

Taken as a whole, the traffic restrictions introduced by the Movement Strategy have made the park a safer and more hospitable place to ride a bike. We want to make sure this good work is not undermined by the new changes which were not part of the trial.

THERE’S ONLY ONE WAY

Congratulations to the Friends of Kingston Gate, whose decade-long campaign against frequently dangerous local traffic conditions has succeeded in persuading the council to propose a one-way system, with a contraflow for cycling, on King’s Road and New Road. 

As documented on the group’s Twitter account over the years, the area outside the gate is often congested with little room for motor vehicles to safely pass each other, resulting in traffic queuing into the park, angry confrontations, injuries to cyclists, and motorists sometimes coming to blows. So this proposal seems like a sensible solution.

Some would instead prefer road filtering similar to Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, but the FoKG say councillors have ruled this out. It’s one-way or no way – and if this proposal fails, it would be particularly disappointing given that a similar scheme was rejected in 2019 after a public consultation. 

The council will vote on the scheme at a committee meeting on Tuesday, and the proposed start date for works is September 23. We will pass on details of how to show support when we have them.

THANKS FROM THE HEART

Take a bow, PC Paul Barber! The park’s long-serving police officer helped save the life of a cyclist who had collapsed on the grass after ascending Broomfield Hill last month – and now Paul is being given an award in recognition of his speedy help.

A couple of minutes after two members of the public stopped and gave emergency first aid, Paul arrived on the scene to administer a defibrillator on the stricken man. The cyclist, who is believed to be in his late forties or early fifties, has now made a full recovery.

Paul was typically modest about his role in the incident when we bumped into him at Pen Ponds earlier this week, so it is our pleasure to spread the word a little more widely, and thank him for his actions.

BAD SHOUT 

Unacceptable behaviour from a small number of cyclists in a couple of contexts has been a cause of concern for the park’s management recently.

The first is verbal abuse directed at visitors driving to the ballet school. Some cyclists direct their anger at these drivers incorrectly assuming that they do not have permission to be on Sawyer’s Hill. Many of these visitors will have a permit on display. If you see anyone on a bike acting aggressively in this way, please ask them to desist, as their behaviour causes huge distress to their targets as well as affecting the reputation of us all. And if you see a driver in any of the restricted areas, do not confront them – pass the details to police who can take appropriate action if necessary as they have successfully done many times. 

The second concern is regarding Royal Parks’ staff preventing traffic from heading towards car parks when they are full at weekends and Bank Holidays. A number of cyclists have berated them after being asked to stop which, again, cannot be tolerated. Treat these staff members with respect, and politely call out anyone you encounter who does not do so.

SPEEDY RESOLUTION

On a final note, a mystery has been solved: the two men who pointed a speed-recording device at one of our subscribers while she descended Sawyer’s Hill were representatives from the Friends of Richmond Park, who apparently measure cycling and driving speeds on a regular basis. 

We have thanked the Friends’ chairman Roger Hillyer for contacting us after he read the item in last month’s bulletin, and requested that his helpers refrain from pointing their devices at cyclists descending Broomfield Hill in case they startle or distract them, thereby causing a crash. We also look forward to seeing the Friends’ data once it is complete.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #64, May 2023

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in May 2023. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Our response following overwhelmingly negative reaction to road installations +++ Mystery men pointing speed guns at cyclists +++ Meet a new addition to our list of sponsors +++ Machete-wielding teen bike thief jailed +++ Round-up of road incidents over the past quarter-year +++ 

Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Look Mum No Hands!, Pearson Cycles, Richmond Cycles Sigma Sports Electric

THE WORKS DON’T WORK

The park’s road installations are now complete – and the overwhelming response from cyclists is that they are a hazardous intrusion which detracts from their enjoyment of riding, while delivering no additional safety measures for any other type of park user. Please read our open letter to park manager Paul Richards setting out our concerns, which we sent after meeting with him and Sgt Pete Sturgess from the park’s police last week. You can find it here.

The Royal Parks consulted with us long before its contractors began the works, and in line with our recommendation it chose the shallower type of speed humps which are more suited to cycling. Yet other significant aspects ended up being a surprise. The 10mph signs on Broomfield Hill were not trialled and will likely add danger by increasing the differences in speed between the slowest and fastest riders. The road narrowings at Beverley Brook Bridge and opposite Roehampton car park were also not trialled and do not have the contraflows for cyclists which, before the designs were drawn up, TRP assured us would be available in all their plans. And the timber gates with signage attached not only reduce sightlines – their height, sharp edges, narrow width and close proximity to the road could cause a serious accident if a cyclist makes a small deviation from the road. 

But the greatest surprise is that there are now three places where riders are expected to stop. Why try to prevent cyclists’ continuous movement on the outer roadway (while having regard for pedestrians and safe navigation through motor traffic) when it is the fundamental aspect of their enjoyment of the park – and the safety record for cycling has generally been excellent?

TRP is not anti-cycling, but many of the road installations and the absurdly low speed limit on Broomfield are significant misjudgments. Have a read of our letter, and let us know what you think of the changes, which we are hopeful the park’s management will alter.

CAMERA OBSCURER

Following our meeting with the park manager, a subscriber sent us footage from her bike cam, shot during a descent of Sawyer’s Hill, which shows two men with a clipboard and what appears to be a speed-recording device. She writes: “When I came alongside, the man lowered it and appeared to try to obscure it.”

Neither man is wearing a Royal Parks uniform; nevertheless, we will ask TRP if it is recording cyclists’ speeds in the park in this way. In the event of the answer being no, we will contact stakeholder groups to see if any of them can shed light on the matter. Only if all our enquiries draw a blank will we make the footage public in the hope that someone else can explain what is going on.

VOLT FROM THE BLUE

Time for a surprise announcement (which, if the new road furniture and speed limit hadn’t caused such a kerfuffle, would’ve been the top item in this busy little bulletin). Please welcome a fantastic addition to our roster of sponsors… Sigma Sports Electric! The shop in Kingston’s market square is the E-bike branch of Sigma, a name that needs no introduction to legions of cyclists who visit Richmond Park. Thank you to the team for backing us, and please show your appreciation by popping into the store or having a gander at their website here.

THE BREAKFAST CUFF

It’s not every morning that a 15-year-old walks into a cafe hiding a machete, a balaclava and around £1,000 in cash in his trousers – but that’s exactly what happened on the day that police from Operation Venice, the Met’s motorcycle-enabled crime unit, arrested the violent bike-jacker who rammed a stolen moped into professional cyclist Alex Richardson in Richmond Park to steal his £15,000 bicycle in October 2021.

The Met has announced that the teen, now 17, has been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment and six months on licence following an appearance at Wimbledon Youth Court in April. He had admitted moped-enabled robbery, attempted robbery and possession of criminal property at an earlier hearing. Sgt Sturgess, head of the park’s police, told us that the youth and the three other males who accompanied him were already known to him and his officers, so they will be keeping a close eye to see if any of them are foolish enough to ever return to the park.

The quartet also tried to steal a bike from a cyclist on Roehampton Lane and stole another from a victim on Danebury Avenue, both locations close to the park. Over the course of less than a week, the Venice team trawled CCTV, identified the 15-year-old as the key suspect (even though he was wearing a balaclava to hide his face), issued warrants for his arrest and then went to a cafe for breakfast – where, as luck would have it, the suspect walked in with a photograph of Alex’s bike on his phone.

Alex’s injuries have healed, but he continues to suffer from anxiety, stress and sleeplessness. You can read more about the impact that the incident has had on him and his family here. We hope that other criminals have the sense to stay away, realising that bike-jacking in the park is a losing game, and trust that the police will swoop on such gangs should they reappear.

TAKING A STAND

There has been a small yet promising development following the wrecking of a bicycle and a steel bike stand near Pembroke Lodge, caused by a driver who mistakenly hit the wrong pedal in his parked 4x4 which made it lurch forward across a public path. Park manager Paul Richards told the Safer Parks Police Panel, which we attended last month, that he is considering installing bollards at the front of parking spaces facing pathways – a move which would prevent more destruction or even a death if a person happens to be walking in front of a careless driver in similar circumstances. He also revealed that The Royal Parks claimed the cost of replacing the bike stand from the motorists’ insurance.

We witnessed the incident but, as mentioned in last month’s bulletin, the police did not ask us for a statement, and the driver was not prosecuted. Sgt Sturgess told the panel that the prosecuting team, which is separate to the park’s police, confirmed to him that a statement would have had no effect on its decision as the driver had admitted he was at fault.

There was also a discussion about the car that caught fire on a Sunday afternoon in February on Queen’s Road. Paul pointed out that if the incident had happened in the summer and the flames had reached dry grass, the resulting blaze would have been much worse. Sgt Sturgess confirmed that the car – an Audi A3 with 08 plates – had developed a mechanical fault and the driver had safely got out of the car before it caught fire.

The three policing priorities for the next quarter, agreed at the meeting, are dogs on leads/deer protection, road behaviour and courtesy crossings. 

Here is a rundown of the road and cycling-related incidents that the police attended over the past three months, as presented to us and the other attendees at the panel:

• In February, a cyclist was left with cuts to their face after hitting the rear of a vehicle on Queen’s Road. They said the motorist was attempting a close pass, while the driver maintained that the collision was caused by the cyclist trying to overtake.

• Three cyclists were recorded falling at the roundabout by Richmond Gate in February due to the slippery conditions caused by a build-up of winter grime and the subsequent treatment applied to the road. They suffered minor injuries, but we know that there were many more who came off during this period and did not report the incidents. Safety consultants have given advice to TRP on how to reduce this risk next winter

• A suspect confronted a cyclist in January for riding off-track and grabbed hold of their bike.

• As usual, there were a number of cycling accidents which did not involve any other party. On the ballet school road in February, a cyclist suffered bleeding on the brain after hitting a speed bump and banging her head on the tarmac. In January, a rider had a suspected seizure near Richmond Gate and fell onto the grass. Three other incidents that same month can be attributed to rider error, resulting in various fractures and dislocations.

• There were 28 verbal warnings for riding off-track and one, in January, for cycling in a “manner likely to endanger”.

• A locked e-bike was stolen from a stand in January.

• As for motoring offences: 69 drivers were reported for speeding, 115 unauthorized trade vehicles were reported, three drivers had no insurance and two were found to be “driving not in accordance with a licence”. Two were driving while using a mobile phone and one drove without due care and attention. There were also 135 traffic offence reports relating to parking, and 43 for contravening the restrictions on motor traffic and directional signs on the park’s roads. 

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #62, March 2023

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in March 2023. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Spate of cycling accidents on slippery roundabouts +++ Car ablaze on Queen’s Road +++ No further action on 4x4 driver who destroyed bike +++ Colicci closed this afternoon, and other maintenance news +++ Hoppit – toads are coming! +++

Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Look Mum No Hands!, Pearson Cycles, Richmond Cycles

ROUNDABOUT THIS TIME OF YEAR…

Twelve months after there was a spate of cyclists falling off on the park’s roundabouts, more have been hitting the tarmac in the same locations over the past month. As our subscribers and followers on social media sent us a steady stream of reports detailing various falls, we had a meeting with the police and park manager Paul Richards, who has called in health and safety experts to examine the sites which will hopefully uncover the cause.

The park management had already swept the roads at the end of January. Then, on Friday, February 3, they responded to reports of the first falls by applying absorbent white granules to the roundabouts at Kingston and Richmond gates, where an oil-like substance was detected on the road (diesel was ruled out as the liquid was odourless). But the following day, one of us at RPC recorded bike cam footage of a fall at Richmond Gate before witnessing another at Kingston Gate a few minutes later, prompting us to urge cyclists to report any similar incidents. People have since fallen at Roehampton Gate’s roundabout too, and we know of one person who has had to have surgery for their injuries.

Surface ice or frost was not a factor as all falls have been at above zero temperatures. Instead, the cause appears to have been a long period of no meaningful rain and weather cool enough to attract dew or condensation. Also, for some reason, salt that has been spread for ice prevention, not necessarily overnight, appears to draw moisture to itself more than an untreated surface. Combined with a lack of rain, this seems to build up to form a film of dust, lubricants and spilt fuel which creates a slick surface with the moisture. More recently, TRP has scrubbed and washed some of the roundabouts. 

As we await the conclusion of the health and safety investigation, please take care on the roundabouts, paying particular attention to your speed. And if you do come off or witness any such accidents…

✉️Drop us an email or a direct message via social media with as many details as possible (date, time and location) so we can build a clearer picture of the extent of the problem

📞Call 101 or use the Met’s online portal to report the incident to the police

🚑Dial 999 if you or anyone else is seriously injured.

Take care, friends!

BLAZE-Y SUNDAY AFTERNOON

The Friends of Kingston Gate photographed a car on fire in the park on Queen’s Road on Sunday afternoon. Fortunately, there were no fatalities. Unusually, all of the park’s officers were absent as they had been called to a protest in Hyde Park, so the local force attended the scene. There are barriers around the spot where the car caught fire until the road is repaired. We will try to find out the cause of the blaze before the next Police Panel meeting in April. 

RIDLEY SCOTCHED

Three of us from Richmond Park Cyclists arrived at Pembroke Lodge for a meeting on a lovely sunny day a couple of weeks ago, only to have the peace shattered by the monstrous sound of a 4x4 ramming into two of the steel bike stands in front of the refreshments kiosk. A single speed owned by one of us had a narrow escape as it was locked next to the scene of the smash; sadly, the owner of a carbon Ridley Orion wasn’t so lucky. You can see the wrecked bike on our Instagram reel.

The driver of the parked Mitsubishi apparently hit the wrong pedal, sending his vehicle lurching forward across a footpath into the bike stands. Pc Paul Barber, who is one of the park’s officers, was one of those who attended the scene, but his sergeant Peter Sturgess has since told us that no further action has been taken. It should be stressed that the decision was made by the Met’s Prosecutions Unit, which progressed the initial investigation, not the park’s police.

This was a very unusual incident, and no one was hurt. Nevertheless, for a weekday, there were quite a few people walking around in the vicinity of the crash, so it could potentially have been more serious. Sgt Sturgess has contacted the case manager to find out why no further action is being taken.

If you are the cyclist whose bike was wrecked, or you know them, please contact us in confidence. 

SPRING INTO ACTION

Spring is a time of renewal – and the park is undergoing a process of change which is disrupting its usual routines. As mentioned in last month’s bulletin, the Royal Parks’ main project is the replacement of the temporary barriers, cones and signs with timber gates, posts and fencing, as well as installing cycling-friendly courtesy crossings for pedestrians, all of which is scheduled to finish at the end of March. You should still be able to ride in the park with minimal disruption, but there are a few other ongoing projects to make a note of, some of which will bring additional vehicles into the park. 

Here’s everything you need to know:

• Colicci will be closed TODAY from 2pm for the rest of the day for essential maintenance.

• Tonight and tomorrow night, when the park is closed to cars, road works will be carried out.

• From tomorrow, Thames Water will spend a few weeks installing a tank by Richmond Gate Lodge. Crews may come in after the main gates are closed and will only operate by Richmond Gate.

• On Friday, the small cycle lane at Broomfield Hill connected to the car park will be closed for essential maintenance. Please dismount and walk through the car park. 

• On Monday, Southeastern Rivers will clear the drainage defender near Roehampton Gate.

• All routes will remain open as The Royal Parks’ contractors Ground Control continue with the barrier and crossing works. They will be working on the kerbs, which means there will be cones and barriers by the side of the road. Please obey any signage asking you to slow down.

• The deer cull is scheduled to continue for the next couple of weeks, which means you will still not be able to cycle in the park from 8pm to 7.30am. If we hear the cull ends earlier, we will let you know via social media (links at the foot of this email).

HOP STARS

Speaking of spring, the season hasn’t truly sprung until the toads start hopping across one of the roads near Ham Gate. Their annual migration began yesterday, which means the section of Church Road from the junction with Latchmere Lane to Ham Gate Avenue will be closed to all traffic until March 27. Please try to enter and leave the park via another route to avoid squishing our little green chums.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #61, February 2023

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in February 2023. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Deer cull starts TONIGHT +++ Roadworks until end of March +++ Crowdfunder for legal challenge to Sheen Gate closure fails – twice +++ Latest police stats and incidents revealed +++ 

Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Look Mum No Hands!, Pearson Cycles, Richmond Cycles

CULL OF THE WILD

It’s that time of the year again, friends – the deer cull is starting TONIGHT at 8pm. The usual rules apply: 

• Please find an alternative route for the next six weeks if you are riding anytime between 8pm and 7.30am, when the gates will be locked for your own safety. 

• If you arrive at the park shortly before locking begins, do not enter unless you are absolutely certain you can reach your exit before 8pm, otherwise you may have to ride back to the gate you entered and wait a very long time for The Royal Parks’ team to return on its final sweep and open it for you.

The last cull, in November, finished a few days before the full six-week period ended, so the gates were fully reopened early. If we hear that the same thing is happening this time, we will post updates on our social media. Links to our Instagram, Twitter and Facebook channels are at the foot of this email. 

GROUND CONTROL TO MAJOR WORKS

We have lift-off! Exactly a year to the day after we outlined the replacement of the temporary barriers, cones and signs with timber gates, posts and fencing, we can report that construction workers are now on site.

You may have already seen them on the middle road. They are from a firm called Ground Control, which will also be installing cycling-friendly courtesy crossings for pedestrians. All the work is scheduled to finish on March 31, and although the park’s roadway will remain open for cycling throughout that time, sections are likely to be closed for short periods. As mentioned in last month’s bulletin, we have requested weekday closures, which are preferable as the weekends are busier. We will post updates on social media if we get them, and you can also check on TRP’s website here.

Tubular counters, which look like pairs of thin cables covering the width of the road, have been installed in various locations to record the speed and frequency of traffic before and after the works to measure the effect of traffic-calming measures.

We have also requested signage at the gates to convey the message that the park’s roadway is a distinct environment from external roads, and as such motorists should drive with greater courtesy towards vulnerable road users, including cyclists. Encouragingly, park manager Paul Richards said he will look into it.

GATE OUTTA HERE

Anyone who, like us, cycled on the outer road last Saturday morning will have experienced the usual tale of two parks: a breezy, unencumbered ride through the restricted eastern roads, contrasted with frustrating moments on the western stretch between Richmond and Kingston gates where through traffic congestion makes perilous filtering more or less obligatory and crossing the road more difficult. So it is some consolation to learn that a small group of residents living near the park last month failed not once, but twice, to raise enough money to begin a legal challenge aimed at overturning the decision to close Sheen Gate to motor vehicles which has helped make the road from Roehampton to Richmond gates a much pleasenter place to cycle and walk.

Take Back Sheen Gate wanted £5,000 to commence proceedings, warning that in a “worst case scenario”, the total cost would be £45,000. Last week, with just one hour to go, the total amount of pledges was more than a grand short of the £5k target, so the organisers extended the deadline by three days – but in that time they did not receive another penny. Now they are going for broke by asking for £50,000 – that’s ten times the original amount, in the same one-month time frame. You may question the wisdom of that decision, especially as the totaliser is still stuck stubbornly below £4,000.

It should be stressed that the organisers have chosen to remain anonymous on their crowdfunding page; without any names, pledgers do not know for certain who will be holding the funds, which may be why so few people have wanted to part with their cash. Or maybe the main reason why a measly 42 people have contributed is that most residents like the extra space to walk and ride a bike, and aren’t particularly keen on having cars cutting through their neighbourhood en route to the park or exiting it. Our money is on the latter.

STUDY TIME

Staying on the subject of gates, some good news for cargo bikers and those using wheelchairs: the proposed accessibility study, which we last mentioned in December’s bulletin, has gone out to tender, with three companies competing to carry it out. This comes after subscribers who ride cargo bikes told us how difficult they find it to enter and exit the park through the narrow pedestrian gates when the main entrances are shut. Park manager Paul Richards spoke to us about the tender at our most recent quarterly meeting with him this month; hopefully there will be more news when we next see him.

CASE DISMISSED!

The latest quarterly police report on incidents officers have attended in the park contains a rare occurrence: a cyclist found not guilty. He had moved to avoid a rider coming down Broomfield Hill towards him and in doing so hit another cyclist. We mentioned the incident, which took place in May last year, in our August 2022 bulletin, noting that the cyclist was said to be on the wrong side of the road. But in the judge’s view, summarised in the latest court results: “His actions were deemed a reasonable response to danger in the road. Case was dismissed.”

In another court verdict, a motorist who had driven into the park via the exit gate as the entrance was closed was fined £274 and given three penalty points for driving without due care and attention. He had pleaded guilty.

As usual, Sgt Peter Sturgess presented the report at the Safer Parks Panel, which sets the police’s priorities for the forthcoming three months. The panel decided to continue the list set in October: apprehending trade vehicles and closed road offences, wildlife protection, and off-track cycling and cycle lights at night.

Here’s a summary of incidents and statistics featured in the report:

• A total of 276 trade vehicle drivers and 113 speeding motorists were stopped from October to December.

• 75 cyclists were stopped for venturing off designated tracks.

• A driver pushed a cyclist on Sawyer’s Hill (December 9). Sgt Pete explained the police spoke to the motorist about their behaviour, which was the course of action the victim agreed to be taken.

• On Ham Gate Avenue, just outside the park, a driver was treated for shock after pulling out and hitting a car, causing it to flip onto its roof (November 11).

• In an incident of common assault, a suspect got away after a pedestrian tried to stop them heading towards Thatched House Lodge on the restricted road close to Ham Cross (December 23). The police told us that the pedestrian believed there was cannabis in the car but did not call back when an officer phoned to investigate.

• One driver overtook another at Pembroke Lodge to nab a parking space. The other driver punched him, kicked him and pulled him out of his vehicle (December 20).

• A cyclist had an apparent medical emergency and fell from his bike (October 11).

• On Broomfield Hill, a cyclist swerved to avoid two other riders, resulting in another person cycling into him from behind (November 11). The cyclist who swerved fractured his hip.

• A cyclist broke their front teeth after U-turning on Sawyer’s Hill and hitting another rider, who was bruised in the incident.

• There was a usual crop of cycling accidents which appear to be the result of small misjudgments on the part of the victim. A girl came off and broke her arm after clipping her dad’s back wheel (October 1), and two cyclists came off on Dark Hill on Ocotober 29: one had been told to go slower by the police due to a collision further down, while the other lost control, possibly while reaching for her water bottle.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #60, January 2023

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in January 2023. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Lasers for speeding motorists +++ Roadworks during road improvements +++ Can you spare time to help blind cyclists? +++

HAPPY NEW YEAR, FRIENDS!

We’re on a little hiatus at the moment, most of which has been spent waiting for the rain to cease so we can enjoy a ride in the park (and do say hello if you see the distinctive recent addition to the RPC stable propped up outside Colicci between downpours). Nevertheless, we couldn’t begin 2023 without doing two things – acknowledging that 2022 has been a landmark year for improving the park for cyclists now that The Royal Parks has made the traffic restrictions permanent, and thanking all of you for subscribing to this monthly missive, thereby boosting our voice in the local community. And, of course, we also thank our sponsors Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Look Mum No Hands!, Pearson Cycles and Richmond Cycles for their kind support.

We’re also grateful to park manager Paul Richards for looking after the park and continuing our regular quarterly meetings after taking over from Simon Richards last year. The next meeting is this month, so please get in touch with any questions or subjects you would like us to bring up with him.

Due to our break, this edition of the bulletin is briefer than usual – so let’s crack on…

LASER FOCUS

Father Christmas has delivered a wonderful present to the park’s police unit – a snazzy new speed gun! The Pro Laser 4 apparently locks on to vehicles much quicker than the older one, which was harder to use and would sometimes take a while to record speed, resulting in missed opportunities as drivers slowed down when they saw it pointing at them. Sgt Peter Sturgess says officers start training with the new gun soon. Here’s to far more speeding motorists being caught from now on!

POSTS MODERN

Plastic, begone! The replacement of the temporary barriers, cones and signs with timber gates, posts and fencing, which we first outlined in February, is about to commence. There will also be some pedestrian courtesy crossings installed and two traffic-calming contraflows close to Roehampton Gate. 

We have asked that any road restrictions and closures if required during construction take place on weekdays. Visitor numbers peak at weekends, so closures during the week will inconvenience visitors least. 

Please comply with any roadwork signs during the works should there be any restrictions or partial closures – and remember that park regulations only permit cycling on the roads, the Tamsin Trail and the designated shared-use pathways.

LEADING THE BLIND

We leave you with a request for help from Chris Wright, a leader at Merton Sports and Social Club for Visually Impaired People, who has previously done lots of good work with Kingston Wheelers, one of our sponsors.

Chris’s small group of cyclists take out enthusiastic visually impaired local people on tandem rides, ranging from around Richmond Park to a 40-mile club run. Would you help them out as a pilot? 

The organisation, which has about 18 tandems, rides on the first Sunday and third Saturday of the month. Riders set out from the club’s base in Morden, and volunteers are not expected to ride every month.

The club is the only facility of its kind in London, and helping out is exceptionally rewarding. Plus, of course, you can ride as hard as you like as you won’t drop your stoker! If you want to help out, with no minimum commitment, then please email Chris at ccwright@blueyonder.co.uk.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

Thanks for allowing us to pop into your inbox for this briefer-than-usual newsletter. As ever, let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have in 2023, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #59, December 2022

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in December 2022. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Our sponsor line-up unveiled +++ Goodbye, Code of Conduct – hello Safer Riding Guide +++ Trial to ban through traffic? We put the question to Royal Parks boss +++ Accessibility study for cargo bikes and disabled people +++ ULEZ expansion – a plus for the park +++

Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Look Mum No Hands!, Pearson Cycles, Richmond Cycles

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

Say hello to our seven brilliant sponsors! We are proud to announce that Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Look Mum No Hands! and Richmond Cycles have all renewed their sponsorship for the next 12 months, and a new name has come on board – none other than Britain’s oldest bike shop Pearson Cycles. All of them value the park as London’s No1 free cycling resource, and we thank them for supporting our work. Show your support for them by visiting their websites – just click the links on their names above!

A QUESTION OF TIME

Two weeks ago, a representative from RPC attended the biannual Richmond Park Stakeholders’ Meeting hosted by The Royal Parks. We thanked TRP for its decision to make the traffic trials permanent, and asked the following question:

 "Since the Movement Strategy trials were introduced, TRP has recorded an increase in traffic on the road between Richmond Gate and Kingston Gate of 36 per cent on Sundays and 80 per cent on Saturdays. The vast majority is demonstrably through traffic. Will TRP consider trialling weekend closure of this road to through traffic at some point in the future? If so, would they speculate on a timescale?”

Tom Jarvis, the Director of Parks, responded:

"We have no plans for further traffic restriction trials in the immediate future as we are focusing on increasing the pedestrian safety and amenity across the park. This will include the introduction of permanent infrastructure to enforce the recent traffic restrictions and a number of new and improved pedestrian crossing projects.”

The infrastructure and crossings Tom refers to are the projects we outlined in February’s bulletin. The park’s management has shown us the outline of the designs which we are happy with so far.

Penny Frost, Lib Dem councillor for Ham, Petersham and Richmond Riverside, took a rather different view of through traffic to us, telling TRP: “You are part of the infrastructure of the roads in the area.” But Tom stated: “The role of the park roads is not to provide transport links.”

While TRP has no plans for trialling restrictions on through traffic in the immediate future, it has now clearly restated its stance on the use of the park as a shortcut for journeys made by car. So we are confident that they could engage with our proposal for a weekend-only trial carried out by impartial external consultants once the works have been completed.

NARROW QUESTION 

One more item from the Stakeholders’ Meeting. Following a question from our friend Tim Lennon of the Richmond Cycling Campaign about the difficulties of cargo bike riders and disabled people exiting and entering through the narrow pedestrian gates when the main entrances are shut, Tom Jarvis revealed that the park’s management will be carrying out an “accessibility audit” to look into such problems. That’s good news for our subscribers with cargo bikes who emailed us about their difficulties after we highlighted the issue in last month’s bulletin. We will speak to park manager Paul Richards about the study at our next quarterly meeting, which takes place next month, so there is still time for you to let us know about any cargo bike-related issues you may have had. 

IN THE ZONE

From August next year, there could be fewer polluting vehicles in Richmond Park following Transport for London’s plan to expand the area of its Ultra Low Emissions Zone from the North and South Circular roads to the boundary of the Greater London Authority. Drivers with the most polluting vehicles will be discouraged from driving in the zone by the levy of a £12.50 daily charge. You can read more about the initiative here.

While we remain committed to removing through traffic from the park, the ULEZ expansion is a step in the right direction. Indeed, some commentators believe it is a precursor to  London-wide Road User Charging – a smart fee for driving in areas where congestion and pollution is highest. Check out the London Cycling Campaign’s informative overview of RUC and ULEZ to find out more.

SAFER GROUND

The updated version of the cyclists’ Code of Conduct is now on our website, and it has a new name – the Safer Riding Guide. You can read it here.

We decided to change the title chiefly to avoid confusion. The term “code” led some to wrongly assume that it was a set of enforced or policed rules when it is actually just basic guidelines for safe, courteous riding, and the word “safer” now correctly implies that most cyclists already ride reasonably safely.

Reflecting conversations we have had with women who ride in the park, and a recent debate on social media, one new item has been added since we published the draft in September’s newsletter. It reads as follows:

Be a gentleman. Guys, if a cyclist ahead of you appears to be a woman, avoid the temptation to draft. Being in close proximity to a male stranger could be disconcerting for that person.

Here is a reminder of the other changes, all of which which appeared in September’s draft:

• New advice on riding in the centre of the lane and riding two abreast is in line with the recent changes to the Highway Code.

• Guidance on speed now reflects the agreement between The Royal Parks and the parks’ police that the limits in the park regulations do not apply to cyclists, while also acknowledging that speed can be a contributory factor in prosecutions of inconsiderate cycling.

• Riding on the left-hand side of the road now includes a focus on the restricted stretches of road in the park. This comes after some instances of cyclists riding on the right on Broomfield Hill, thinking this would not be an issue as it is closed to traffic, only to find that they were in the path of oncoming emergency vehicles trying to get to incidents.

Please note that the current Safer Riding Guide is still in provisional form. The Royal Parks and the park’s police will provide some input, and, of course, we would like your feedback before it is formally launched early next year. Like the first edition, published in January 2021, there will be a credit-card sized version for distribution in bike shops and local businesses once the wording of the guide is finalised.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #58, November 2022

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in November 2022 If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Gates shut at 8pm TONIGHT as deer cull begins +++ Analysis of traffic outside the park during the trial restrictions +++ Cargo bike riders – we want to hear from you! +++ Incidents and accidents in the park – a look at the quarterly figures

FIRST MOVE

Calling all commuters! The park’s gates will be shut from 8pm tonight as the biannual deer cull begins, so you may need to use an alternative route to get home. The usual rules apply: the cull will last up to six weeks, during which time the gates will be shut daily for the public’s safety between 8pm and 7.30am. If you arrive at any of the gates shortly before locking time, you should not enter unless you are absolutely certain you can easily reach your exit before 8pm. See our website for full details.

Those of you who have cycled in the park for some years may have noticed a welcome tweak to the culling schedule, which traditionally began on the first Monday of the month. This is because of the confusion caused last time when the first Monday in February fell on the 7th and the park’s management did not want the cull to go too far into March, so it began on January 31 instead, which caught some cyclists unawares as they arrived at the gates to find them shut. So the park’s new manager Paul Richards has sensibly decided that, starting from today, the culls will always start on November 1 and February 1. Our thanks to him – and update your diaries, friends!

And if you do ride in the park in the evening before the gates are locked, please remember not to dazzle your fellow cyclists. Even though there is no street lighting, it’s perfectly safe to use the standard setting and dip the angle, if not already adjusted to face the roadway, when passing riders going in the opposite direction. They will appreciate your courtesy.

FINAL ANALYSIS

Engineering consultancy Stantec and The Royal Parks have published an analysis of the Movement Strategy trials, which came to a close last month when the temporary restrictions were made permanent. The data on external roads detailed in the 88-page document comes from sources provided by Transport for London and Richmond, Kingston and Wandsworth councils, while a third party contracted by Stantec collected information on the use of the park’s roadway from vehicle counts and Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras.

The part of the study covering external roads mainly compares figures from May 2019 to May 2021. Yet while the presentation of data is fairly clear, the effect of positive and negative external factors on traffic levels is not. Is it possible to meaningfully compare post- and pre-trial figures during a tumultuous period which saw the closure of Hammersmith Bridge, the introduction of the 20mph speed limit throughout Richmond, temporary restrictions in East Sheen, the extension of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone and the effects of entering and exiting lockdowns? The authors of the study hint very strongly that it isn’t – but thankfully, like us, they recognise the overall benefits of less through traffic aligns with TRP’s vision set out in the Movement Strategy, particularly that its “parks are for people” and its roads “are not intended to be commuter through-routes for motor vehicles”.

It is very encouraging that some predictions of additional congestion in local areas haven’t played out (and we’re grateful to Tim Lennon from the Richmond Cycling Campaign for helping us wade through the figures). For example, on Petersham Road, a key focus for the through traffic debate, “traffic flows during the weekend and daily average hours have remained consistent” (p42), and while busy Upper Richmond Road may have seen a 17% increase in journey times travelling eastbound in the morning across a distance of 2.8 miles, it actually fell by 18% in the opposite direction (p17).

And when it comes to the park, the average number of motor vehicles entering and exiting dropped by 52% on weekday mornings, and 40% and 53% respectively on Saturdays and Sundays compared to 2015 (p50) which is a great step forward for making the park’s roads more accessible for every kind of cyclist. However, the stretch from Richmond Gate to Kingston Gate saw an increase over the same period of 36% on Sundays and a startling 80% on Saturdays (p51 and 52). These are concerning statistics for the park-visitor experience, but won’t be a surprise to cyclists who have experienced the increased congestion and pollution on this stretch, which is the only remaining part of the park’s roadway that is open to through traffic at weekends. 

PRIORITY VOTING

The latest Police Panel meeting took place three weeks ago and, as ever, a representative from Richmond Park Cyclists was in attendance. On this occasion, the panel was presented with a choice of four policing priorities for the forthcoming quarter-year that had to be reduced to three. A vote was taken, and we picked the option that covered two motoring offences: driving in prohibited areas of the roadway, and trade vehicles. We are pleased to say this priority was passed, along with wildlife protection and off-track cycling.

Two fairly unusual incidents, both in August, appeared in the police report which covers the past three months. Firstly, an elderly motorist fell asleep at the wheel on Queen’s Road and hit an oncoming car. We questioned Sgt Sturgess at the meeting about this, and he told us the driver had been heading to Pembroke Lodge for a cup of tea. While obviously an alarming incident, and a good case for the argument that pensioners should be tested to keep their driving licence, it is the only one of its kind in the park that we can recall. Secondly, a cyclist was stopped for a park regulation offence called “cycling to endanger any person”. Like other entries in the regulation sections of the report, no further details are given, although speed is likely to be a factor, and Sgt Sturgess pointed out that the cyclist could have been stopped if they had been riding in a way that was deemed to be a danger to themselves. (Note that a breach of park regulations simply results in the person receiving a warning; only if they are caught doing the same thing again is the case taken further.)

There were a total of 35 traffic offence reports for speeding and 254 for driving a trade vehicle from July to September. Here are the rest of the road incidents in the park listed in the report: 

July

• A driver clipped a cyclist’s handlebars with his wing mirror. The motorist appeared to have driven away after an altercation with another cyclist who had hit the car with his hand.

• A motorist driving at speed on Priory Lane (the road between Roehampton and Robin Hood Gates) made contact with a cyclist’s right side, knocking him from his bike and leaving him with minor cuts and bruises. The next day, a cyclist lost control on Broomfield Hill and hit the verge, suffering swelling to the head, facial injuries and a possible broken arm.

• In separate incidents three days apart, two drivers on Queen’s Road hit Thompson Teeth (the wooden stumps dotted along the side of the road).

August

• There were two separate public order offences. A cyclist reported that the driver of a maintenance van committed a close pass and shouted at him. Another rider made a comment to a motorist, who then caught up with him and “appeared to ask the cyclist if he wanted a fight”. Others intervened and the driver left the scene. (We filmed some of this incident and gave more details in September’s bulletin but the cyclist declined to take the matter further.) 

• As a van turned into Holly Lodge, a cyclist braked and slid off, resulting in shallow cuts and abrasions.

• On Priory Lane in the park, a cyclist ended up with a fractured pelvis after trying to avoid hitting a dog that had run into the road.

• A cyclist hit a crack in the road on Broomfield Hill and came off, grazing their knee and bruising their thigh. (Cracks had opened up due to the hot weather and were filled in a few days after this incident in time for the London Duathlon.)

September

• At Robin Hood Roundabout, a motorist failed to give way to a cyclist and then made a close pass, causing them to fall off.

CARGO CREW

Cargo bike riders: have you experienced difficulty exiting or entering the park through the narrow pedestrian gates when the main entrances are shut? We received a few emails about this subject earlier this year and spoke to Simon Richards, the park manager at the time, but it fell by the wayside while the Movement Strategy was in full swing. Now his successor Paul Richards tells us there could be scope to improve access for cargo bikes, although any changes may be limited as the gates are listed structures. So let us know what you think, and we’ll put the case to him.

We spoke to Paul at our regular quarterly meeting with him a few weeks ago. He told us that the crossings, permanent barriers and other road improvements that we detailed in February’s bulletin should be in place by the end of March, and he is putting together an implementation plan with the aim of keeping traffic disruption to a minimum. An independent safety assessment will be carried out, and we are interested to see what it will conclude with regard to the proposed narrowing of the roadway over Beverley Brook to a single vehicle width, requiring motorists to give way to traffic travelling from Roehampton Gate to Richmond Gate. Cyclists should be able to filter through in both directions, but will this cause conflict, with drivers racing past cyclists to get through the narrow gap instead of stopping and waiting for oncoming traffic to pass? This is a key concern that we want to resolve once we have seen the plans in more detail. 

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #57, October 2022

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in October 2022. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Campaign to reopen Sheen Gate to motor vehicles +++ Meeting with the park’s manager – tell us what you want discussed +++ Cyclist decides not to proceed to court with aggressive driver  +++ Rutting season – watch out for deer! +++ Polite reminder about ballet school +++ 

STILL WAITING…

In last month’s bulletin, we were looking forward to The Royal Parks making the long-awaited announcement in September confirming whether or not the traffic restrictions in the park are to become permanent. Sadly, that didn’t happen, and it may have been due to the extensive work TRP carried out at short notice for the Queen’s funeral and its associated events. Nevertheless, the park’s manager Paul Richards has assured us he will let us know as soon as a decision is made. Keep an eye on your inbox for a bonus RPC bulletin if the announcement is issued before our next scheduled newsletter at the start of November.

THEY THINK IT’S NOT ALL OVER

Imagine, if you will, a football team scoring in the first minute of the game – and then, at the 89th minute, the side that’s one-nil down complaining to the ref that the goal was offside. That, more or less, is the approach of an intriguing last-ditch attempt to “take back Sheen Gate” – or in other words, reopen it to motor traffic.

After being shut for more than two years as part of the traffic trials, and with The Royal Parks’ announcement on the conclusion of the Movement Strategy imminent, four residents who live near the gate have distributed a leaflet to kick-start a campaign on the basis that “few local people had heard of” TRP’s two widely publicised public consultations. Yet more than half the responses across all eight royal parks came from visitors to Richmond Park alone, which makes it implausible that residents of Sheen and Mortlake who care about the park would not have heard of or participated in the surveys. The foursome suggests that, as most responses were submitted online, “those who are not familiar with IT or are not able to use it, including older people and those who are disadvantaged, were disenfranchised” – although you may have thought, having been confronted with a shut gate for months on end, some of these people would have picked up the phone, written a letter or got an internet-savvy younger relative to find out what was going on or help them protest about it. 

A subscriber who sent us the leaflet said, as a local resident, he was “horrified” by it. You can read the full text here. It includes a claim that traffic has increased on Upper Richmond Road as a result of the closure, while failing to acknowledge that as cars can no longer exit the park through the gate, the residential roads close to it are more peaceful. Indeed, we detect that most residents would like Sheen Gate permanently closed as they were fed up with rat-running traffic and the use of their roads as a shortcut to the park. Of course, many would like dispensation for local residents, but the complexity and costs of a fair system which might also be sought by those who live near other gates is likely to be not only prohibitive, but excessively popular, undermining the concept of less traffic and a quieter park for cycling and walking. 

The campaigners urge residents to contact TRP and local politicians with their objections. We will also write to them, stating our support for the closure. We ask you to contact them as well, explaining how the closure has made the stretch from the gate to Sheen Cross more conducive to cycling and walking, and copy us into your correspondence. These are the people and the addresses listed in the leaflet who you should write to:

Andrew Scattergood, Chief Executive of the Royal Parks

chiefexecutive@royalparks.org.uk

Loyd Grossman, Chair of the Trustees of the Royal Parks charity

aantoniou@royalparks.org.uk

The Old Palace House , Hyde Park, London W2 2UH

Julla Cambridge, Local Councillor:

dir.j.cambridge@richmond.gov.uk

York House Richmond Road, Twickenham, TW1 3AA

Sarah Olney, MP

office@saraholney.com

Constituency Office, 108 South Worple Way, East Sheen SW14 8TN

With TRP about to blow the final whistle, let’s make sure that the idea of reopening Sheen Gate is given the red card.

MEETING THE BOSS

We’re looking forward to our second meeting with Paul Richards, the new manager of Richmond Park, on Tuesday, October 18. Email us with any cycling-related questions, queries or suggestions that you would like us to put to him. If you would like to meet us in person to chat about what you want to be discussed, come along to Chain Gang Cyclists’ monthly brunch ride on Sunday, October 16 – it’s a great way to meet other people like you who cycle in Richmond Park, and there will be groups for riders of all abilities. Alternatively, come along to La Ciclista after 12pm on the same day – but please drop us an email first. We look forward to hearing from you!

RUTS AND BOLTS

Have you noticed how deer seem to be crossing the park’s roads more often? We certainly have! Both red and fallow herds have begun their mating rituals, otherwise known as the rut, which continues until next month. The bellowing and fighting amongst the males can cause deer to bolt or trot unpredictably across the roads and pathways, so please take additional care during this season. 

You may also encounter motorists who stop unpredictably to avoid running into the animals crossing the road or to take photographs. If you decide to take photos yourself, keep your distance and please come off the road or pathway so that you do not impede the movement of others or create a hazard.

POLICE, CAMERA… NO ACTION

The cyclist who was threatened after he remonstrated with the driver of a black Mercedes for stopping in the road near Ham Cross to take a photo of a deer has decided not to press charges. Last month’s bulletin explained how we filmed the motorist being held back by his female partner as he tried to intimidate a second cyclist while the rider who he originally threatened was on the phone to the police. Now Sgt Pete Sturgess from the park’s police unit has told us: “The cyclist involved did not want to proceed to court with any police action. He was happy that the situation did not escalate further.”

We understand the victim’s reluctance to go through the process of court action, which can be lengthy and frustrating, and simply choosing to get on with his life instead. Nevertheless, we reiterate our advice from last month: speak to the police if you find yourself in a similar situation, even if you aren’t able to take photos or video evidence. Such confrontations are recorded in the park’s official statistics, so the more that are reported, the clearer the picture of the dangers that people who choose to cycle in the park sometimes face.

LODGE COMPLAINT

A grandmother has contacted us asking cyclists to show restraint when they see motorists heading to the ballet school at White Lodge. She was dropping off her grandson one Sunday last month when “a very angry male cyclist” yelled and waved his arms as he told them that the road was closed. This is true, but parents and guardians have permission to enter the restricted areas to pick up and drop off their children – as have other authorised motorists, such as those who use the riding stables.

It goes without saying that being the target of this sort of behaviour can be intimidating and frightening. It also does the reputation of cyclists in the park no favours. So if you see anyone berating a motorist in this way, explain to them, if it is safe to do so, why they should behave better. Driver compliance with the restrictions is generally high, and the park’s police regularly deal with those motorists who ignore the signs – so leave the job to them.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists