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1. Welcome & Introductions
14 cyclists attended, four apologies.

2. March Minutes
These were approved. Item 9, Finance has been modified

3. Matters Arising
(See above). Derek said the unclaimed amount was a further £1,500 which would be used for more schools training.

• Bike Week June 11-19. Programme as per March Minutes. Ray said he would lead a 22-mile ride on the final Sunday to end at Greenwich Park. Members doubted whether it would be possible to organise music for this event in the Royal Park because of park regulations.
• Hilary said in an e-mail that she had asked Sue at Greenwich Council for space at CSG for a stall during bike week but haven't had confirmation of that yet. She will chase Sue up for confirmation.
• Sustrans. Julian to contact Sustrans Ranger Rachel Dobson and invite her to one of our meetings. Members recalled that in the past we have helped the Ranger on the route through Greenwich but stressed that it was a voluntary task rather than an obligation.
• Pedal Power to include Bike Week programme, the CRIM study, Planning issues, a reference to cycles in the Greenwich Foot Tunnel.
• Insurance on Rides. Liz reported: This is a summary of the main points on insurance cover for LCC rides. All Greenwich Cyclists rides are LCC rides. For more details visit the LCC site at www.lcc.org.uk
  • If you are an LCC member You are covered for third party damage or injury, for example if you scratch a car or collide with a pedestrian. Cover is up to £1 million and only in the UK. You are, however, liable for the first £250 of any claim.
  • If you are not an LCC member You are covered by public liability insurance. This is for LCC liability towards you, but not your liability towards other people or their possessions. (Members said it was unclear whether this meant a non-LCC rider was covered if they suffered an accident while on an LCC ride.)
  • Ride leaders If you are not an LCC member you would not be covered personally for any incident. However LCC is covered provided the ride is an LCC one.

4. Rides.

• Karen Servadei in email said about 10 places are left on Wild Wales Challenge Aug 26-30, details on website.
• Mayor of Greenwich's ride on April 24, CSG 11.a.m.to Erith, Greenwich Cyclists invited to participate in this charity event but we're not offering to marshal/organise.
• John Hearns said May 1 weekend Isle of Wight Ride still on, he has to arrange accommodation yet.
• June 5 London Sustainability Week, we invited to run a stall in Greenwich Park. Any volunteers for this? Anthony said his ride to Crossness Beam Engines open day still steaming ahead.

5. Cycle Route Inspection Meeting (CRIM).
Anthony outlined the proposed LCN + Route 65 between Lewisham and Bexley. He, Liz and David Senior rode the route with traffic consultants on March 16. Julian, Nick, David and Ray rode the westernmost part of the route on April 7 and interviewed a number of passing cyclists.
As a group we have various comments which Anthony is passing on to Bob Castelijn, the Mayer Brown consultant.

• Halfpenny Bridge is not the ideal place to start. Most cyclists zip east and west on Creek Road. Eastbound, they turn right at the lights on Creek Road bridge, left into Haddo Street, left through the snicket into Roan Street and up to the Greenwich High Road/Stockwell Street junction. If this became part of Route 65 it would require a cycle lane on the south side of Creek Road Bridge to complement the bus lane on the north side.
• If we assume the route goes over Halfpenny Bridge, a majority of us prefer to turn left onto Norman Road, with suitable cycle access, right into Tarves and left in front of Greenwich Station into Straightsmouth. Some however felt this was a pleasant but non-direct route, and Liz had reservations about the road width of Straightsmouth because of parked cars.
• General agreement on continuing route through Stockwell Street/Greenwich High Rd new junction, Crooms Hill with daylight spur through Greenwich Park, Chesterfield Walk (to be upgraded).
• Some cyclists would like a cycle lane on the A2 Shoooters Hill Road, rather than a cycle lane/contraflow on Charlton Way. Regarding the criteria for an LCN + Route -- Direct, Safe, Attractive, Cohesive, Fast -- Nick said we should not lose sight of the original intention that these should be fast cycle commuter routes.
• If the route went eastwards on Shooters Hill Road it could link with the proposed Rochester Way route via Kidbrooke Park Road.
• Rest of route agreed as per Bob Castelijn's CRIM Briefing Meeting and his additional comments about the route east of Well Hall.

6. Planning Issues.
Nick said notes on our March 9 Meeting with Councillors are in the works. Meantime, he reported that we had taxed the Council over their tardiness in submitting projects, the perennial underspend on TfL projects to improve cycling infrastructure, and urged them to start the process much earlier. Lead cycle office Donald Anyiam had so far appeared to be more active and committed than his predecessor.

• Barry Mason by email expressed concern about possible closures on the Millennium Peninsula during development by English Partnership.
• Section of cycle path near Thames Barrier has been closed and cyclists told to dismount. (Later explanation was that Environment Agency had asked Greenwich Council to do some work to prevent reoccurrence of an accident involving a cyclist where the cycle lane crosses EA land. Dismount signs were to be installed at both sides of the road at two road/cycle track crossing points. LBG agreed to carry out this work and to carry out some other unfinished tarmacadam work on the site. After many attempts to get LBG to complete this work it proved unsuccessful. It was then decided to give LBG a deadline to carry out these works or the EA would close the cycle track until they have been completed. LBG failed to complete the works in the given time so the cycle track has been closed until these works are completed.)
• Mast Pond Wharf. Barry said he believed the Council had told us the path at this building site would be open again by March 31, 2005. Liz said in an email later the reopening was not due until Feb 2006. Nick said he would write to the Council.

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