Mr Graham Brewster
Highways Project Manager
Rushmoor Borough Council Council Offices
Farnborough Road Farnborough
Hampshire
GU14 7JU

27^th February 2003

Dear Mr Brewster,

We are writing to request minor alterations to the Ively Road / Kennels Lane roundabouts to improve their use by cyclists.  Specifically the proposed measures would improve convenience, safety and cycle priority as well as increase choice for cyclists.

Importance of Ively Road to cyclists

The area to the west and south west of Farnborough is crossed by only two roads, the A323 Fleet Road and Ively Road.  The North East Hampshire Transport Strategy (NEHTS) identifies the Fleet to Farnborough corridor for improved connections between town centres (Figure 6.7.2).  Unfortunately the intervening aerodrome, Qinetiq and army lands leave cyclists only one direct route, following Ively Road, from Fleet to Farnborough town centre.  Ively Road also forms part of the only available route from Church Crookham to Southwood and the only route for cyclists from Fleet / Church Croockham travelling to the employment area of Qinetiq, Southwood Business Park and the new MeadowGate business development on Elles Road.

The strategic nature of Ively Road has long been recognised by Rushmoor Borough Council because of its link to places outside Rushmoor and employment areas (Policies R3 and R11, Rushmoor Cycle Plan, 1996).

Problems with the new Ively Road diversion

The poor quality of the cycle measures associated with this scheme stem from the developers failing to follow National Cycle Strategy recommendations, Cycle-Friendly Infrastructure design guidelines and NEHTS policies.  In particular, the developers did not consult the local Cycle Touring Club (CTC) groups in the neighbouring areas (Fleet, Rushmoor and Farnham).

The principal problem is the lack of traffic management at the junctions.  Cyclists are simply segregated and forced to give way on the exit arms of roundabouts.  At the two cycle path crossings in Rushmoor District, cyclists have no central refuge and have to cross both directions of traffic a once (see Photograph 1 and Figures 1 and 3). The rapidly changing speed and direction of motor vehicles at roundabouts makes crossing two directions of traffic flow particularly difficult to judge and achieve safely.  The lack of traffic integration at the roundabouts also means that cyclists are denied the ability to move between the road and the cycle path.   The reduction of cyclists' priority flatly contradicts the NEHTS policy of giving greater priority to pedestrians and cyclists (NEHTS, page 20).

Photograph 1 – Sunday morning traffic at the new Kennels Lane / Ively Road roundabout crossing, during final construction.

Proposed Improvement

We propose a simple measure, cheap to implement, that would go a long way to addressing these shortcomings.  Both the old Kennels Lane / Ively Road roundabout and the new Kennels Lane / Ively Road roundabout could have an additional, cycle only, arm added (see Figures 2 and 4).  All that would be required would be a short 0.8m long, 4m wide link from the existing cycle path to the adjacent roundabout and provision of a dropped curb at each roundabout.  The measures would be similar to the cycle crossing on Ively Road from the cycle path to the Southwood housing estate (between the Monkey Puzzle pub and Southwood Cottages).

The proposed measures would increase cyclist choice, as well as reduce delays and improve safety in rush hour traffic when this utility route is most used by commuting cyclists.  This is fully in line with Rushmoor Cycle Plan (1996) Policies R2 and R4.

Yours sincerely

Thomas Lankester, Cycle Rights Network (Farnham)

Johnathan Smith, Rushmoor Cycle Touring Club Right to Ride Representative

Colin Waters, Fleet Cycle Touring Club Right to Ride Representative