London Cycle Network (Plus)

Maybe I'm a bit of an old cynic, but the LCN+ seems to generate a lot of paper and not so much on the ground. Every so often I'm sent an extract from one of the project documents showing me what £ has been spent or is being asked for, plus what's been done on the ground or is programmed, so I thought I'd decode it and show it here. I mean decode fairly literally - the item I'm looking at, for example, has a 'scheme code' and a 'barrier reference' - meaningless outside the project.

The LCN+ project has identified "barriers" to completion of the network. In B&D one of these is Barking's Northern Relief Road, the issue being how you cross it. There are two "grade separated" crossings at Wakering Rd and Linton Rd. The one at Linton Rd is in a pickle because of the redevelopment there, but as the report I'm looking at says, "Redevelopment in the area will contribute to necessary changes". Put another way, the route has been designed in to the redevelopment. Something of a breakthrough if it works.

The route to/from Wakering Rd ("Link 2") has suffered from rather bad "legibility" since the "Costa del Barking" development in the Church Road area was built. With new roads and flow restrictions it took a full strength Sat Nav to find one's way through, but I notice new signs are appearing to confirm that one is heading for Barking. I have to investigate fully, but thanks to our Cycling Officer for this long overdue work.

Link 3 includes "Goresbrook Road and A13 (Heathway to Havering Boundary). This is the first bit of the A13[06] route that we audited back in 'o3 in what is called a CRIM. The report says "Design and Implementation of improvements following review of CRISP recommendations." The CRISP recommendations are the ideas generated during the CRIM (which was a bike ride down the route taking notes and photos) or submitted at around the same time for the same purpose. I'm guessing the "review" was a look through to cross out which ones there are no plans to do.

The junction of Heathway and the A1306 is also part of link 3. The report says "upgrade of four arm ATS junction and installation of ASLs. It's actually a 5 arm junction - Goresbrook Road, Heathway, A1306 (east), Chequers Lane, and A1306 (west), but I suppose blocked off Goresbrook Road hasn't been counted. ASLs = Advance(d) Stop Lines. Not High Tech, just forward of the motor vehicle ones.

The third bit oflink 3 in the report is the junction of the A1306 with Thames Avenue - just our side of the A1306 Beam Bridge. This junction is to be upgraded to conform to the London Cycle Design Standards.I'm not sure exactly what that entails

Dagenham Heathway Upgrade

It's good to read in the Barking & Dagenham Post today (page 11) that work will start soon on doing up the Heathway. Everyone knows it needs it.

The changes are based, I belive, on work done by Living Streets, who recommend improving conditions for walking, cycling and public transport; Heathway has suffered from being designed too much around cars.

I would like to think that our audit of the road back in 2003 for the London Cycle Network (the so-called CRIM) would have been taken into account, but somehow I doubt it: Never mind, the Living Streets report was excellent and if half their recommendations are carried out it will be a massive improvement.