The council's Cycle Network Plan: Ambitions for Cycling 2023-2033, which went before Ealing's cabinet on Wednesday 6 December, contains many excellent proposals. Here are some of them:
Potholes
The council currently investigates potholes more than 40mm in depth, but plans to investigate and potentially fix potholes 20mm deep. It anticipates this will provide safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists and quicker and more cost-effective repairs.
Street Cleaning
All cycle lanes will be included in the street cleansing schedule for regular cleaning. The council will buy smaller mechanical cleaners able to clean segregated cycle lanes, like that in the photo above.
Overhanging vegetation
Highway inspectors will report overhanging vegetation to the Parks and Tree departments for action. The council will look into starting routine inspections of off-road cycle tracks so defects can be picked up and fixed
Dangerous Junctions
The council will conduct traffic surveys at Ealing's most dangerous junction for cyclists, the junction of Uxbridge Road with Leopold Road and Wolverton Gardens, to understand how traffic is using the junction and what measures could make it safer. It will work with TfL to identify areas for improvement at this junction and other difficult junctions.
Cargo Bikes
The council has signed up to the Borough Charter for cargo bikes. This will ensure they are catered for in cycle routes and cycling parking. Ealing already has a cargo bike hire scheme and is exploring other ways to support residents as well as businesses to use cargo bikes.
Parking in Cycle Lanes
This is a big issue for cyclists. The council wants to make it easier for residents to report it, to enable quicker enforcement. It also wants to make more cycle lanes mandatory, to reduce the parking issue along routes including Uxbridge Road. It says, "we will confirm next steps once the process for tightening restrictions is fully understood".
Rat Running
High volumes of motor traffic on residential roads, where there is little space between parked vehicles, make them intimidating for cyclists, particularly children. The council is exploring bolder ways to reallocate space from cars and make streets safer. It says it will introduce pilot schemes to tackle rat running in 2024, in line with ‘Free- range Urban Neighbourhood’ (FUN) principles, co-designing with residents to find a solution that works.
The Cycle Network plan will go out for public consultation in the new year. The report is available on the council's website. Item 8 on the agenda.
