Category Archives: Uncategorized

Cycling and walking: sharing not segregation

1 Reply
You probably haven’t noticed that small sign
on that tall post, pointing down the wrong path
MUG has negotiated a redesign of the Black Path aimed at making it more comfortable for walking and cycling. 

The Black Path is the diagonal path across south Millfields. It forms part of the London Cycling Network, and some years ago was widened and marked to segregate cycling and walking. 
Since then it has been realised that segregation may not produce the most comfortable shared use. The solid white line markings tend to suggest that the path is an extension of the street and some people behave accordingly. Better results can be obtained by removing the line, restoring the look of a park path, and making it clear that users are expected to share, with walkers having priority.
Temporary signs will
introduce the change

A study of this method in Kensington Gardens shows that desegregation does indeed reduce conflict. For some people this seems contrary to common sense, but, as so often, common sense is not what guides human behaviour.


The group decided back in 2008/9 to go for desegregated shared use. At that point the master plan consultations came along and put everything on ice for a couple of years. But with that out of the way, we reminded Streetscene earlier this year of this outstanding demand. Streetscene agreed that some of the borough’s TfL sustainable transport allocation could be used.

There has been a fair amount of negotiation about the exact method. Currently we expect the white markings to be burned off, leaving the fading green surface which people can be expected to overlook. But there is apparently a slight possibility of affording a complete resurfacing and we are waiting for an update about that.
Permanent markings
will be something
like this

 

Temporary signs will introduce the change, and be removed later to reduce visual clutter. While they are up they will be more noticeable than the current signs, which are small and perched eight feet up on poles. The only permanent marking will be a stencil on the ground at each end of the path.

We have had good advice and support from the Hackney group of  London Cycling Campaign. In late September we’ll hold a joint stall with LCC to publicise the change to cycle commuters. That’ll be at commuter time – a Cyclists’ Breakfast – and any sturdy souls willing to join the committee and LCC in the park with leaflets, coffee and juice at 8 o’clock will be very welcome! 

Leaflets, coffee etc will be funded by our Grassroots Grants award for summer stalls.

A welcome by-product will be the elimination of a hazardous depression in the path surface towards the south-west end, which becomes a large puddle after rain and an ice sheet in cold weather. At least one person has been injured on the ice — I know because I picked her up and took her indoors to recover. Streetscene assure us that the camber can be restored during the works. 

A nuisance in the wet, a hazard when iced up

 

Negotiating the orchard walk

1 Reply
By New Year we hope there will be a new all-weather walk by the orchard. Together with the new pedestrian span of Cow Bridge, this will give a pleasant circular stroll across the Lea and back via the filter beds.
The path follows the
desire line near the bench

MUG committee member, and designer, Harry Hewat researched a low-impact method which allows the path to run unobtrusively among the big waterside trees. The surface will be gravel chosen to look as natural as possible.

The committee has been working with council officers on this project since April (background here), when the group decided (minutes here) it would like a path, so long as the route, width and surface are right for the orchard area.

Worn ground shows where people like to walk behind the thicket
The walk will link to
the footbridge

The original council proposal took a line through the middle of this space, since it had to steer clear of trees because the proposed building method would have damaged the roots. MUG’s proposed alternative involves a plastic grid laid on a shallow base and filled with a gravel mix. So far, it has satisfied the requirements of both LBH Parks tree officers, for tree root protection, and of LBH Streetscene engineers for a practicable method for council contractors.

Funding is from Transport for London’s annual sustainable transport allocation to Hackney, so it’s not using any of the park’s own project funds. We explained LBH’s reasons for wanting to get on with the project in our April posting, and although it’s not MUG’s highest priority, it seemed sensible to take the opportunity.

Harry puts MUG’s ideas to a site meeting  involving Streetscene,
parks tree officers, and our park development officer

By engaging with the council on this, the committee has also been able to negotiate a council commitment to redesigning the walking/cycling shared use arrangement on the Black Path, something that MUG called for in 2008 but which was shelved during the master plan consultations. If it came to a choice, the group might prefer to spend TfL’s money on that, but it seems that both projects can be afforded from this year’s money.