20 is plenty demo Worthing Tomorrow night 6.30 heene road community hall

[BigonaBianchi]

The 20 is plenty campaign are holding a demo tomorrow night. Worthing is the most dangerous place to cycle in sussex
All,

BBC South Today will be covering the demonstration tomorrow - so we need as many people as possible to turn up - including children! There'll be balloons, some posters, and FREE stickers. You can print your own poster with the attached.
6.30pm tomorrow (Wed 4 September) at Heene Road Community Centre, Worthing, BN11 4PL.
PLEASE then stay for the CLC meeting at 7pm - and tell Worthing Councillors what you think of the idea of the funds which would be needed to implement 20's Plenty being used for the repaving of Montague Street shopping precinct. We understand if you can't do this if you have brought your children along to the protest but please come to as much as you are able.
Your voice and your presence will really make a difference.

See our press release below and our open letter to the CLC.

Thanks for your support and looking forward to seeing as many as possible of you there tomorrow! Do let us know if you are hoping to come.
--
Duncan Kay
20's Plenty for Worthing
Follow us on twitter: @20mph4worthing
www.20splentyforworthing.org.uk

PRESS RELEASE FROM 20's PLENTY FOR WORTHING
Funds for road safety to be used to repave shopping street?

On Wednesday 4 September, Worthing County Local Committee (CLC) will vote on a recommendation which could mean funds for road safety and sustainable transport schemes such as traffic calming, cycle routes and 20 mph limits for residential streets being used to pay for the re-paving of a shopping precinct.

Worthing has the highest numbers of pedestrian and cyclist deaths and serious injuries in West Sussex, yet some Councillors support a plan to take £750,000 and instead use it in an effort to regenerate one of the safest streets in Worthing - Montague Street, the main pedestrianised shopping street.

20's Plenty for Worthing, Sustrans and Transition Town Worthing have written an open letter to the CLC demanding that this decision is deferred until Councillors address their concerns. They believe use of these funds in such a way may be contrary to West Sussex County Council's own policies. They have also discovered that alternative funding sources for a town centre regeneration scheme, such as the 'Growing Places' fund available through the Local Enterprise Partnership, have not been explored.

A demonstration is to be held prior to the CLC meeting at 6.30pm on Wednesday 4 September at Heene Road Community Centre, Worthing, BN11 4PL.

Email: 20splentyforworthing@gmail.com Phone: 07968 707883

Website: www.20splentyforworthing.org.uk




--


...5 biker car incidents yesterday alone.
http://www.worthingherald.co.uk/new...-bikes-in-worthing-in-last-24-hours-1-5452584


So...i'll be there flying the cycling flag...if anybody else on here is relativly local or knows peeeps in the area spread the word.
Ta

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Currently two cyclists in my cycle club are seriously injured as a result of idiot drivers...one just this morning broke his back in 3 places after a van hit him . I don't know them personally but wish them well. It's become a war zone in the town/coastal road especially at rush hour.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Oops..I got my days mixed up..the event was yesterday so I missed it...thought today was wednesday...anyway it went ok and here is a local paper link

http://www.worthingherald.co.uk/new...agreed-by-councillors-1-5456922#comments-area

 

[IncoherentJeff]

In my experience a 20mph zone might help but is not the solution. An improved cycling infrastructure would be a much better use of the money.

In Oxford they have a 20mph zone over most of the city centre. It's a cycle heavy city and the 20mph zone has resulted in a reduction in the overall number of accidents reported in the area. However delving into the data only the most minor incidents have seen a reduction. Major accidents still occur at the same rate when the 30mph zone was in place.
http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/yourtown/oxford/10634130.20mph_limit_makes_roads_safer/

Few people seem to take notice of the 20mph zone and those that do possibly have a couple more glances at their speedo than normal and look at the road slightly less!. Prior to the recent enforcement of the 20mph by the police they reckoned its seen a 1mph drop in the average speed across the zone (BBC South news if I remember correctly).

Education is the key, a slower road is a substitute for proper training and improved road layouts to reduce hazards.They should clamp down on people driving with distractions such as phones, in the event of any incident however minor the police should contact the mobile phone provider to see if a phone was in use at the time of the incident etc.

Also a cyclist can exceed 20mph, if you cycled passed a police car at 20+ they would be justified to have a word/fine you.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

It can only help save lives and injury. Drivers just need to accept thst they don't gave the right to bully , make and kill just so they.can get where they want when they want. Educating them would need really hard penalties like instant and permanent removal of license jail and financial fines. These people won't do anything unless it is in their best interests so the law has to change to make it in their best interests to slow down and drive safely and within the law .

 

[glenn forger]

Yep, the single most effective way of making roads safer is 20mph zones, properly enforced, they're proven to save lives and reduce injuries, quite apart from making roads more civilised places.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

I just had e mail.from lib dems ...apparently the local conservative council have suddenly found 4.5 million quid to finance the repaying of.Montague street (ped area town centre) and for 20 mph zones throughout the town.
I'm hoping I.understood it right..can't wait to see 20mph zones in place here. Strange how only a few days ago.they.didn't.have the cash but.do now...but I.may have misread it......anyway it's positive news .

 

[GrumpyGregry]

How about amending the road itself so that it's impossible to do more than 20mph? Chicanes, speed cushions, etc. If people won't be 'educated' into behaving better they will have to be forced into it.

The issue with that admirable suggestion is cost. 'Hard' measures cost megabucks. Some signs, paint on the road, and an education programme for drivers/residents/citizens which results in largely self-enforced 20's plenty zones are much, much cheaper and therefore overcome the Highway Authority's biggest gripe "We don't go no money" (Which isn't actually true but the good burghers of West Sussex buy it every time).

But before we hang the seaside bunting out, all that has been agreed is that there is to be a public consultation in Worthing. Winning over the hearts and minds of the population may not be straightforward.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Last night a drowning cyclist turned up on my.doorstep with stickers ..bike stickers..car stickers.wheelie bin stickers...all with 20 is plenty on them. I'm going to.stick them up.
You can get them from the 20 plenty website.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Last night a drowning cyclist turned up on my.doorstep with stickers ..bike stickers..car stickers.wheelie bin stickers...all with 20 is plenty on them. I'm going to.stick them up.
You can get them from the 20 plenty website.

I have several hundred at home. Can't give 'em away in the 'sham. Not even the members of the cycling club and cycling forum think it is a good idea. The former seem to drive their Audi's everywhere except on club runs on Sunday mornings and the latter want Dutch style dedicated infrastructure and leisure routes.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

PS BOAB. Make sure the public consultation actually asks people about what the local authority will actually implement. BHCC played fast and loose and implemented more that they consulted on. Doing that raises the ante and puts drivers backs up.

The downside with a side-roads only approach is the (current) need to sign the entry to each 20mph off a higher speed main road. A blanket "This is a 20mph town" approach is much cheaper to implement and may get people thinking about why they live in towns that have trunk roads running through them...

PPS Where are the stats to back up the "Worthing is the worst place in the county" statement.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

The former seem to drive their Audi's everywhere except on club runs on Sunday mornings

Vermin!

 

[IncoherentJeff]

How about amending the road itself so that it's impossible to do more than 20mph? Chicanes, speed cushions, etc. If people won't be 'educated' into behaving better they will have to be forced into it.

Unfortunately chicanes are all to often not designed with cyclists in mind and result in pinch points where the road narrows & vehicles still try to over take cyclists. Believe me I've had a couple of very near misses!

With speed bumps and the square bits that seem to be a speed bump for 1 lane, the people who would be speeding then driving irrationally to avoid the bumps as much as possible.
Also some pedestrians assume that any raised section (wider than a speed bump & raises the road to kerb hight) is a pedestrian crossing and may walk out unexpectedly. Unless their painted as a Zebra or have a toucan style crossing they are suggested crossing points where normal road crossing rules apply.

A 20mph zone is a better option than adding obstacles to slow drivers. I wasn't saying a 20mph zone was a bad idea in my initial post, I was saying it's only part of the solution. Until the current attitude from other road users towards cycles changes proper cycle lanes in my opinion are the way forward. I think the attitude towards cyclists has started to change in the last couple of years.

 

[User482]

I've lived in a 20 mph zone for several years. It has been a complete and utter waste of time: the police don't enforce it, so everyone ignores it. Apparently, average speeds have dropped by 1 mph!

 

[User482]

I've posted this elsewhere but it still applies. The village where I used to live was national speed limit (60mph) past the village school, and for years we were told that the conditions in the road meant we would never get a speed limit reduction. Then we got 40mph, then we got 30mph. Then people moaned that it wasn't being enforced. Then it began to be enforced. Every journey starts with a single step - lucky you that you're already one step ahead of the rest of us.

The thing is, it was implemented over three years ago! What has happened it exactly what everyone said would happen - nothing.

I wish I shared your optimism...