Forum Topic

RICHMOND PARK

The cycling lobby is some piece of work - now they've got the whip- hand in the discussions about Richmond Park - see the story on front page here.Richmond Park said: “We’ve been working hard to find a way to allow cyclists to return to the park that supports their safety and the safety of other park visitors. This interim measure will allow us to fully assess the impact of lifting restrictions, including whether any further safety measures are needed.“By re-opening in a limited capacity, we will be able to accurately monitor the impact of the re-introduction of cyclists on the park, and on other park visitors, informing any future decisions around opening the park more widely to cyclists.“We would like to thank everyone who has supported the temporary restrictions which have been in place during these unprecedented times, in order to enable the park to stay open for everyone who needs it. We would also like to thank all those cyclists, cycling groups and other park users who have given constructive feedback and suggestions on how to re-open the park safely. "Very happy for cyclists to cycle safely in R.Park - they have a very pleasant cycle track well away from any motorised traffic and can meander along enjoying nature, trees and wild animals.  But oh NO those cyclists want to use R.Park tarmac roadway as a training ground and a racing circuit.  They frequently overtake or frighten the life out of me, zooming at speed down hill towards me.  Agree, some road closures or restrictions need to be taken to stop the Park being used purely at a cut through.  As a disabled person I just want to drive slowly along enjoying our beautiful natural park - what do this vocal cycling lobby want?  They want a racing circuit NOT Richmond Wildlife Park!  Clear off and let those of us, walkers, gentle cyclists and drivers freely roam through this beautiful place.

Jennifer Selig ● 2172d34 Comments

Totally agree, we walk our dog in the park and we all thoroughly enjoy  wing in nature. Cyclist should be banned from the road, we drive at 20mph cyclist on the other hand overtake and go scary speeds down the hills cutting the corner, it is terrifying no wander some come off. Cyclist should use the cycle paths that’s what they are designed for drivers use the road it’s really very simple.

Jayne Thorburn ● 2172d

I totally agree with you both! The park is incredibly beautiful and mustn’t be used as a training ground for Tour de France.

Georgina Flint ● 2172d

I'm sorry but I had to laugh. I can only assume that Calum Rogers, marketing officer for the London Cycling Campaign (the chap filming himself in the video) doesn't practice  marketing for a living. Here's the script. "Cyclists are mixing in with clearly unsuitable levels of traffic and regrettably some impatient motorists are performing really reckless manoeuvres ...and it's just needless endangerment of cyclists' life and limb."Meanwhile behind Calum some very well-spaced out cars are slowly driving past along with some meandering cyclists, all happily obeying the rules and going on their way. All that is except one moron on a bike who is clearly waiting for no-one as he zooms past a car while obviously breaking the speed limit. I suppose that in his mind he's taking a run at Mont Ventoux. Sad. As somebody we won't mention would say.

Bruce Hammal ● 2172d

Has Calum Rogers, the marketing officer for the London Cycling Campaign left school yet? It sounds as though the LCC wants to stick their noses into every ones business, he better stay on the right side of the parks mounted police as they don’t take prisoners.

Bernard Allen ● 2172d

Jennifer,If your point was that you wanted to encourage all road users to use the tarmac road more safely, I would have some sympathy (both cyclists and cars break the speed limit on a regular basis).But no, your point seems to be that you want to ban cyclists from the public road so that cars can have the road to themselves...so cars can 'freely roam' as you put it.Are you serious?And don't you realize that speeding cars frequently frighten the life out of law abiding cyclists too?Just drive at 20mph and obey the road laws and you'll be fine.

Simon Pedley ● 2172d

Jennifer is asking that cyclists stick to their designated cycling paths which go all round the park. There is no need for them to ride on the road. Or on footpaths, come to that.

Susan Kelly ● 2172d

The cycle paths in Richmond park are not ALL suitable for road bikes (the clue is in the name).

Matthew Swain ● 2172d

What the park would benefit from is the installation of some zebra or pelican crossings. On sunny weekends it is often extremely hard to cross as cyclists in particular seem unwilling to slow to let pedestrians cross the roads. Clearly car drivers aren't all angels either, but the spacing/speed between the bikes makes gaps few and far between.

Rob Reynolds ● 2172d

The park is not suitable for speed training on a bike which seems to be the majority of cyclists in their Lycra. They tailgate cars to get in the slipstream then wheeze past the worst offenders are those cycling two abreast, the park is not suitable for this type of behaviour. They should use the cycle path and cars use the road it really is that simple so everyone can enjoy the park. Totally agree cyclists are not courteous and allow people to cross the road, cars on the other hand generally do slow to allow people to cross.

Jayne Thorburn ● 2172d

In that case cyclists should have bikes that are appropriate to the terrain and only cycle where permitted.

Loraine Pemberton ● 2172d

Loraine, cyclists are permitted to ride on all the roads, while many of the roads are not permitted to motorists.But over and above all this, Richmond Park has protected status as an important habitat for wildlife and is a National Nature Reserve, London's largest Site of Special Scientific Interest and a European Special Area of Conservation. Making it an integral part of SW London's road system is not compatible with that. Allow cars in so that those less mobile can enjoy the park, but engineer the road system so that through journeys are not feasible.As an aside to Bernard, I go to the park frequently, and haven't seen mounted police for a long time. Nowadays they seem to use people carriers and golf-buggy types of vehicles. What's delightful is to see a horse-drawn mower cutting the road verges.

Ken Munn ● 2172d

The LCC are not saying that the park should be closed to cars but that it should be closed to through traffic. That means people would still be able to visit by car although some parts would be more difficult for them to get to.On the face of it this is a good suggestion. The enjoyment of the park for all, even those who have to drive there, is marred by there being so many vehicles going through it.However, the question arises as to where the traffic is displaced to. If a good portion of it ends up in residential roads in the area then you are blighting the lives of some people for a marginal improvement in the park environment.Perhaps the solution is limited hours of operation for through traffic with it being allowed during the morning and evening peaks during the week but blocked for the rest of the week and the weekends.

Paul Corcoran ● 2172d

Good response to the uninformed

David Burke ● 2172d

Response to Ken Munn

David Burke ● 2172d

Zebra and pelican crossings in Richmond Park!!! I nearly fell off my chair at the very thought of them.  Please, stick to deer.

Anne Brown ● 2172d

Oh, I don't know. There are plenty of Parrots there..

Rob Reynolds ● 2172d

Ken, I'm more than aware of the rules and laws in Royal Parks through decades of riding in Windsor Great Park.My reply was to Matthew's post, whereby he appeared to be justifying cycling where it wasn't permitted due to road bikes not being suitable for certain tracks.

Loraine Pemberton ● 2172d

The dirt track is just as crowded and contentious as the road, btw. I'm sure many walkers and dog walkers often wish the cyclists would ride on the road. I'm sure many cyclists often wish the dog walkers would stop stringing their dog leads across the path, blocking the whole path.

Simon Pedley ● 2172d

"The cycle paths in Richmond park are not ALL suitable for road bikes (the clue is in the name)."Perhaps to non-cyclists this is an ambiguous statement but to me it is quite clear that Matthew is simply stating that the off-road paths in Richmond Park are not suitable for road bikes. Road bikes are a type of bike with drop bars and narrow tyres that are designed for tarmac and that do not grip or provide protection to wheels from damage on dirt tracks. It is hard to see how that can be interpreted as Matthew justifying cycling in areas where it is not permitted.

Paul Campbell ● 2172d

"just drive at 20mph and obey the road laws and you'll be fine."  Simon P what the f--k do you think I do,  treat it like the Grand Prix?Often my safety and that of many others is endangered and spoilt by by the racing cyclist who is certainly not there for nature viewing!  Take your skinny wheeled racing machines off road, waggle your sore-arsed lycra clad bums somewhere else,  NOT in my windscreen while I'm out enjoying the stunning scenery and animals in Richmond Park.

Jennifer Selig ● 2172d

If you are taking in the scenery and animals while driving through Richmond Park you are not driving responsibly. Neither cyclists nor motorists should be doing anything else other than concentrating on the road while travelling. Stop, park up your car or cycle, and then take in the scenery.

John Connelly ● 2172d

a hunk of polluting metal is not exactly adding to the vista for everyone else is it.

Matthew Swain ● 2172d

I love it when you talk dirty, Jennifer. Attagirl!

Roger Talbot ● 2172d

What exactly are these cyclists doing that’s dangerous Jennifer? Are they cutting you up? Are they holding you up? I’m just not clear what the problem is that’s endangering your safety - (not saying there isn’t something but I can’t work out what they are doing that’s dangerous to you when you’re driving your car)

Andrew Jones ● 2172d

Paul C.  "Perhaps the solution is limited hours of operation for through traffic with it being allowed during the morning and evening peaks during the week but blocked for the rest of the week and the weekends."  Yes I think that does have a lot to commend it.  The Park should be available for everyone who wishes to wallow in and fully take advantage of this stunning green oasis of trees, birds and animals in our midst.  It should be treasured not hurtled through.  All those racing bikes should be banned though - the people racing on them are NOT there to enjoy nature - they're there solely for the purpose of racing up and down the undulations, steep hills and curves of the roadway circuit of Richmond Park!  Off with them. 

Jennifer Selig ● 2172d

YES sometimes they do cut you up and very often they are going faster than 20mph.  What exactly are these racing bikers doing in a nature reserve?  Why are they there at all if not to use the road as a racing circuit?  They're certainly not there to enjoy the trees, plants, birds and deer.

Jennifer Selig ● 2172d

During lock down the park was closed to all vehicles  including cyclists. Then just cyclists, then access to car parks only, now fully open to all.Having experienced all the permutations access to car parks only would be OK by me.

Adrian Irving ● 2172d

I agree that access to car parks is the best and most inclusive solution.The residents of Ham are the main objectors to that outcome.

Paul Campbell ● 2172d

Loraine, in RP cycling is permitted on all roads, and also on the Tarka Trail (where pedestrians have priority). The rest of the park is a no cycling zone. Windsor Great Park has different regulations and is separately managed. It also has a very bizarre speed limit: 38 mph.

Ken Munn ● 2172d

'Having experienced all the permutations access to car parks only would be OK by me.'With you on that. Provided you can only get out of the car park via the park entrance you came in through.

Ken Munn ● 2172d

Jennifer is right too many cyclists use it as a race track and are extremely dangerous for cars and pedestrians. We have had to move on to a grass verge as cyclists at high speed cutting corners downhill it is terrifying to watch but I assume a real thrill for the cyclists. It’s plain dangerous and should not be allowed. Frequently cyclists overtake the car.....

Jayne Thorburn ● 2172d

38 mph is there for a very good reason, you work it out

Loraine Pemberton ● 2172d

Simple solution - install speed bumps.Also I've noticed that those cyclists who are not racing on the road are using all terrain bikes which makes the footpaths treacherous too.

Mark Diamond ● 2170d

Well said! I see cyclists getting stopped as many insist on using Richmond Park as a race track. Yet another case of the bully boy tactics of the London Cycling Campaign. Don't let them get away with it. Parks are for the enjoyment of everyone.

Mandy Waters ● 2166d