St Albans Cycle Campaign (STACC)
What we do...
St Albans Cycle Campaign (STACC) is campaigning for people cycling in St Albans and the surrounding area, including Harpenden, Redbourn, London Colney, Wheathampstead & Sandridge:
To encourage cycle usage in the St Albans District
To promote cycling to play a more significant role in a balanced transport system for the St Albans District
To support, assist and influence to local authorities responsible for managing the transport system in the St Albans District.
Our approach is to work co-operatively with key bodies such as the local authorities whilst lobbying for better funding and provision for cyclists with particular regard to cycle paths & routes, lower speed limits & cycle-parking.
Contact us at info@stacc.org.uk
2024 Subscription renewal
It's that time of the year again when subscriptions are due. If you do not pay by standing order or have not paid in advance, your membership fee for 2023, despite inflation, is still only £5.
Please send a cheque (payable to St Albans Cycle Campaign) or cash to:
Steve Brazier, STACC Membership Secretary, 5 The Limes, St Albans AL1 4AT
Latest News (and member actions in red!)
NCN6 Harpenden Road renovations
The resurfacing work on extensive lengths of the shared-use path alongside the A1081 has now been completed, and is a significant improvement. Near St Albans, the stretch between Woollams and the bridleway through Hawkswick Fruit Farm has been resurfaced. The dreadful mudbath is no more - or rather, the mud is not on the path; see how much has been scraped to the side all along the route! South of Harpenden the resurfacing extends from the cricket club to Beesonend Lane (excluding the short section by the bus stop and crossing which was renewed a few years ago).
This improvement of the worst sections of this route is very welcome, but some remaining sections desperately need siding and resurfacing, especially the muddy part between the bridleway and Childwickbury entrances, and the bumpy part between St Albans and Woollams.
Green Ring Improvements
A major impediment to cycling a complete circuit on the St Albans Green Ring has been the barriers half-way along the path linking Jennings Road and Avenue Road. Although these could be negotiated, with difficulty, by most 'standard bicycles', they excluded 'family cycles', such as tandems and box-bikes, from this section of the Green Ring. The nearest alternative routes are along Sandpit Lane or Hatfield Road - quite! The barriers were also a problem to for buggy-pushers and wheelchair users.
STACC takes full credit for these barriers at long last being removed. They were installed in 2020 and the spacing did not comply with design guidance. STACC has persisted in requesting Herts County Council to remove them, and at last it They have done it! All that remains of the barriers are 4 patches of fresh tarmac.
And you can see the tarmac - the clearance of thick mulch and mud in the autumn was a direct result of STACC meeting with Council Highways officers, as reported in our December 2023 newsletter, and we are pleased that this winter's leaf-fall has been promptly cleared.
LCWIP comes to Dacorum and Hertsmere - action!
News from Dacorum Borough Council is that they are working with Hertfordshire County Council to develop a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP). The plan forms part of the Government's strategy to increase the number of trips made on foot or by bike. It will help to identify walking and cycling routes of most importance to the community with the intention of implementing improvements over the next 10 years. Funding will be sought from central Government. The aim is to make walking and cycling around the borough more attractive and viable options than using a car. They want your views on how they can make cycling and walking routes in Dacorum better. Take part in their consultation here, which is now open until 11.59pm on Monday 26th February 2024.
Hertsmere is not quite so advanced, but invite your interest here Hertsmere LCWIP (arcgis.com)
If you cycle or walk in either of these local authority areas, do please contribute. Lots of people responding will demonstrate the enthusiasm for actvie travel!
Progress on existing Government-funded active-travel schemes in Dacorum and elsewhere in the county can be seen on the HCC Active-Travel Fund web-pages: Improving walking and cycling across Hertfordshire (Active Travel Fund and Capability Fund) | Hertfordshire County Council
We eagerly await an the anticipated update 'in early 2024' on the Central St Albans scheme in Marlborough Road.
Central and East St Albans supports 20mph
Many thanks to STACC members and friends who responded to the 'Public Engagement' for 20mph across Fleetville, Camp and Cunningham, as featured in our November 2023 newsletterl; HCC have now reported on the engagement.
There were 1252 responses from the 5771 properties in the area invited to comment, a response rate of more than 20%, well in excess of the 10% minimum required for the proposals to progress. Numerical analysis:
Do you support the proposal to introduce a 20mph zone in St Albans as outlined in the supporting documents YES 66% No 34%
Specific sections:
Clarence Road YES 62.3%, No 37.7%
Beaumont Avenue YES 65%, No 35%
Camp Road YES 64.7%, No 35.3%
Cunningham Hill Road YES 63.2%, No 36.8%
Drakes Drive (part) YES 61.9%, No 38.1%
Thirlmere Drive 63.7%, No 36.3%
The comments received were in line with the numerical results, with the majority in favour, and many comments labelled as 'negative' were actually critical that the proposals were not more strongly favouring active travel. Samuel Ryder Academy is very keen on the measures proposed for Drakes Drive. Respondents opposing the measures gave reasons such as 'increased congestion and pollution', whereas those in favour are looking forward to increased pedestrian safety and reduced traffic speeds and an increase in sustainable-travel choice.
This 20mph scheme is funded by national Government allocation, not from County Council money. So it is 'use it or lose it', and the signs are it has strong public support.
Spokes Cycle Gathering
Spokes, the South-West Herts cycle-campaign group, is inviting you to attend their annual Cycle Gathering on Saturday 1st June 2024. This year they are combining with the Willesden Cycling Club at the Tour De Ricky, based at Woodoaks Farm, Denham Way, Maple Cross, Rickmansworth. Farm attractions include the Tea Shack and Creative Juices brewing company. Cycling groups are invited to organise rides to Woodoaks Farm and enjoy the company of fellow cyclists and all that the farm has to offer. There will be various cycling and fitness-related stalls, and activities including led local rides. They suggest groups spend some time at the farm, and ensure they are there for a mass photo call at 1:00pm. Apart from the groups cycling to the Gathering there will be large numbers of cyclists departing to or returning from the various events of the Tour De Ricky.
Spring is around the corner...
Spinathon
We are delighted to include the following request from STACC member Marian Ferguson:
This is a short-notice friendly reminder to invite you and all your friends, family and neighbours, to the third Spinathon we are organising on SATURDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2024 to raise desperately needed funds for Headway Hertfordshire, the Charity that supports those with Acquired Brain Injury for as long as needed, after Health and Social Care input is completed.
A brain Injury can happen to any of us, any time. It is utterly life-changing, and as you will know it happened to James 8 1/2 years ago. Headway keeps not only James, but also myself and countless others afloat.
We twice managed to raise over £5,000, and we very much hope you are able to help us match it again this year, either by joining the Spinathon (NO experience required, you pedal as long as you want at your own speed) or by making a donation.Please enrol by calling the number on the poster above, and the Just Giving link is https://www.justgiving.com/page/headway-hertfordshire-1704385626620
Pothole reporting!
Hertfordshire Highways Fault Reporting is the page to go to if you see a pothole and want it fixed. Potholes more than 50mm deep tend to be fixed quickly and those deeper than 100mm are fixed very quickly. Smaller potholes tend to be 'noted'.
Other faults tend to be less swiftly dealt with, if at all. STACC continues to raise our concern that carriageway faults such as potholes get sorted while mud or vegetation on cycling and walking routes are put 'under review by local engineers' until they quietly drop off the system. Our contacts at Hertfordshire Highways are aware of this shortcoming in the asset management system, and their message to us is KEEP REPORTING IT. This will help them make the case for improvements to the system. Contacting your County Councillor about a particular problem can also help to move things along.
Wanted - Bikes, locks, lights and helmets
Do you have adult men's bikes in good condition and any helmets, bike locks, or lights that can be given to local asylum seekers?
Before being given a bike, the asylum seekers need to pass a Bikeability course, the cost of which is covered by Herts County Council. All the bikes are checked over by Andy Brock of Herts Welcomes Refugees before being given out.
If you can help, please contact Nick Clarke, clarkefamily2004@yahoo.co.uk, 01727 855026.
Acronyms, Links and other useful stuff
We try not to use abbreviations in our website and newsletters, at least not without prior explanation; however some do slip through the net so here is a list of those we commonly use:
ATF – Active Travel Fund – government money for local authorities. link
CMS – Countryside Management Service (part of HCC) link
CRoW – Countryside & Rights of Way (HCC & CMS)
DfT – Department for Transport – link to the public support-for-cycling survey
EATF – Emergency Active Travel Fund, link
GAP – Greenspace Action Plan, link
GTP – Growth and Transport Plan, drawn up by HCC, link
HCC – Hertfordshire County Council, link
LTN 1/20 – Cycle-infrastructure design issued by DfT, link
MMP – Maintenance and Management Plan – a follow-on from GAPs & last for 10 years
SAA – St Albans Abbey railway station, link
SAC – St Albans City railway station, link
SADC – St Albans District Council, link
SFRI – Strategic Rail-Freight Interchange, link
TRO – Traffic-Regulation Order, link; ETRO is an Experimental TRO, link.
VRRA – Verulam Road Residents Association, link
WMP – Widen My Path, CycleStreets website to suggest improvements, link