The Bins of Tooting Common - The Cafe

This is the first of an occasional series on the bins of Tooting Common (just joking, one blogpost is surely enough for anyone on this subject).

Here's the cafe, and you can just make out three bins in the photo - green, yellow and red

Here's a close up of the red one, sponsored by Walls

and here's the yellow one, courtesy of Lipton

Also within throwing distance is this big bin

and these two bins - dog poo and, is it finally the recycling bin?

Nope, a general litter bin

 It may be that all rubbish collected on Tooting Common is sorted for recycling, or maybe a clause in the cafe's lease requires the managers to extract recyclable items within a 100m radius of the cafe  (in either case why not say 'waste and recycling bins').

Or maybe none of the plastic bottles, aluminium cans etc. are recycled from here at all. Maybe the litter dropped on the ground is sorted for recycling, which is why people drop it near all these bins.

Who knows? Who cares?

UPDATE
I emailed the Parks contractor for Wandsworth (Enable Leisure and Culture) yesterday and had a prompt reply:

When the last trials took place people used the recycling bins for general waste and we were unable to recycle any and all went as general waste. If the café have there own bins it is their responsibility to dispose of the waste arising from them.
There is no allowance in the Parks Maintenance contract to recycle litter waste but we do ask our contractor to do this where ever possible which is not that often because of the sorting costs involved.
When Friends Of Tooting Common conduct their litter collections they do segregate recycling and take this off of the common. 

So if you care about recycling and see a can or a bottle thrown on the ground or in a bin, please pick it up to take home to put in your domestic recycling.

Transport Assessments feedback from Lambeth and Wandsworth

My recent posts on the numbers projected not to cycle to planned new Vauxhall and Battersea schools have attracted informative responses from Lambeth and Wandsworth, the respective boroughs.

The responses were kindly obtained, and sent to me today, by Nine Elms Vauxhall Partnership (@NineElmsTeam) who introduce themselves as follows.

It might be useful to explain in the first instance who we are and what is our mandate. As the Nine Elms Vauxhall Partnership we are the informal partnership for the Nine Elms Vauxhall Battersea Opportunity Area (or VNEB, now known as Nine Elms on the South Bank), working with Wandsworth and Lambeth Councils, TfL, the GLA and the various large developers and landowners in the area. Our role in the Partnership Delivery Team is strategic, in that we aim to create cohesion across all partners and to bring all their plans together; our partners are delivering the regeneration of the area.

I reproduce the replies from each borough in full below. My interpretation of these replies (without re-reading the Transport Assessments)  is that the Assessments predicts what form of transport will be used for the new building, based on similar existing buildings in places with similar transport infrastructure to that which currently exists, but don't make a second prediction incorporating the planned infrastructure developments such as the new tube line or 'better than Amsterdam' cycling facilities, based on a location where such infrastructure already exists. It seems to me that the absence of this second assessment can lead to flawed decision making.

Lambeth Council replied as follows:

All large developments are required to submit a Transport Assessment (TA) as part of their planning application. The purpose of this document is to set out the existing baseline transport and traffic conditions of the surrounding area; to make a robust prediction on the number and type of trips to be generated by the proposed development and then to assess the impact that those new trips would have on the highway and public transport network.

Therefore the figures quoted in the Waterman Boreham TA for Keybridge House stating the number of people cycling to and from the new school are predictions based on existing levels of cycling at other schools in similar locations. It is important to note that they are definitely not intended to be a target and are certainly not an aspiration. Lambeth Council works with all its schools to develop bespoke Travel Plans that seek to increase levels of cycling and walking. This includes providing cycle training for anyone who lives, works or studies in the borough. Lambeth Council have recently adopted an ambitious Cycling Strategy and are actively working with TfL to deliver major improvements to cycling routes through the borough in the near future.

All developments within the VNEB Opportunity Area are required to make financial contributions to overarching public realm improvements across the wider area. Better provision for cycling will be at the very centre of these improvements with proposals for improved cycle routes as set out in the Lambeth Cycling Strategy, major infrastructure projects such as a new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the river from Nine Elms to Pimlico, and a requirement for cycle parking as part of all new developments.

In addition to this developments are also required to fund improvements to the public highway directly related to their site and this will be the same for Keybridge House with the likelihood of contributions towards public realm improvements on both Wyvil Road and Miles Street, including improved cycling infrastructure.

Options are currently being investigated to remove Vauxhall Gyratory and return the streets to two-way operation. This would lead to improvements for cycling and walking at Vauxhall and to reduce traffic dominance. This is in accordance with the Vauxhall SPD and the council's aim to develop a district centre at Vauxhall with significantly improved public realm and permeability.

For the 415 new homes proposed within Keybridge House only 115 car parking spaces will be provided which equates to less than 1 space for every 3 homes; conversely every home will have at least 1 cycle parking space with more provided for the larger units. The car parking ratio has been negotiated down by around 50% from the developer's original proposals. The application has yet to be determined but the council will work with the developer to ensure that a comprehensive package of sustainable transport measures are delivered.

 Wandsworth Council said:

The point of the TA is to use known data as a proxy for what might happen. TAs have to apply a methodology compliant with TfL's Best Practice Guidance

It is not for the TA to make aspirational assumptions about future cycle use as this could then underestimate the likely impact on the bus and highway network.

However, we expect schools to develop more cycling as a result of planning and transport policies (cycle parking/travel plan etc), investment in cycling and schools cycling, and the cultural/demographic shift to cycling. We are statutory required to increase cycling mode share in the Borough from 2.7% of all journeys in 2008/09 to 7% in 2031 and are well on course for that (currently 4.2%). Have a look at Paper 13-526, including Appendix 3.

Not planning for a cycling revolution in Vauxhall, Nine Elms, Battersea

Last week I wrote about a planning proposal for a new primary school, at the Vauxhall Gyratory end of the Vauxhall, Nine Elms, Battersea (VNEB) Opportunity Area, to which no children are expected to cycle, despite Boris Johnson's statement that this area will be more cycle friendly than Amsterdam.

Bordering the other end of the Opportunity Area, Wandsworth have just granted planning permission for the St John Bosco College for 11-18 year olds to move into the former Salesian College site by Battersea Park .

The exact location is shown in red below, in the vicinity of the Royal Academy of Dancing, Health Centre, College, Sports Centre, and two other schools. The map also shows suggested cycle routes, one of which is Cycling Superhighway 8. This flat area must clearly be an incredibly splendid cycling location, and, yes, you can cycle through Battersea Park, away from the traffic, though it isn't shown as a cycle route for some reason.

Let's look at the planning application's Travel Assessment to see the projected number of cycle trips resulting from the 1300 pupil secondary school and 110 staff, and the occupants of 104 new homes, the majority having two bedrooms and presumably children living there:.

On weekdays just 30 out of 1500+ people, the vast majority too young to have a driving licence, are expected to cycle, with no-one cycling on Saturdays. I agree 'it is likely these possible figures could be higher for the Saturday results.' as they couldn't possibly go any lower than none.

Maybe a time-lapse sequence of photos could be taken over a few years of the 141 cycle parking spaces for the school and 116 cycle parking space for the 104 homes that are required to comply with regulations. 

The map below shows bus routes and red boxes according to how many pupils come from where. Over the near future the number travelling from the existing site near Putney will decline and the red boxes nearer the new site will increase.

How are the 11-18 year old school pupils expected to move around? 2% are expected to cycle, the same percentage as arrive by car..

68% however are expected to use one of the 110 buses per hour that run in the vicinity of the school.

For secondary schools with similar public transport provision in Wandsworth the picture is similar:

Perhaps a clue to the low number cycling is within this statement,

'Information of cycling will be provided on the school website and notice boards. This will include the free cycle training offered for those over 16 years old who live, work or study in the borough.'

Maybe if you're under 16 you're considered too young to cycle to school?

They're almost certainly right if the pupils are expected to share a cycling superhighway with the best part of 110 buses an hour. Could the cycling infrastructure be at fault?

The Travel Assessment does makes some recommendations for potential improvements that could be provided as part of the development:- providing contributions towards the improvement of local peak hour bus services and better pedestrian crossing facilities to improve pedestrian safety to and from the local bus stop. There are no recommendations for contributions to cycling.

And there you have it - at one end of the 'more cycle friendly than Amsterdam' VNEB Opportunity Area a primary school is being planned with the expectation that no pupils will cycle to it; at the other end a secondary school is being planned with 25 out of 1300 pupils expected to cycle.

Long live the cycling revolution.

TfL's seasonal funding announcement for 2012/13

Transport for London’s Press Office for south London appears to have had an excellent seasonal lunch on December 15th prior to issuing an individual press release for each borough revealing TfL’s financial Christmas present and what the borough will spend it on during 2012/13.

While the press releases for north London boroughs highlighted their individual successes in the last year, the south London boroughs of Southwark, Lambeth, Merton and Lewisham were all left to bask in the achievements of Bromley.

It’s vaguely interesting to discover that Bromley installed 118 new on-street cycle parking spaces but I’d rather know what my local boroughs achieved.

Let’s hope TfL can issue corrected press releases once the New Year hangover has subsided.

In the meantime here's what we can expect in 2012/13 from Lambeth and the neighbouring boroughs of Southwark, Wandsworth and Westminster: Overall, TfL report that funding to the boroughs to deliver improvements is to remain stable to 2013/14 at £147m per annum, rather than be reduced each year as they previously forecast..

LAMBETH
The £5m funding package in 2012/13 will finance a range of transport projects in Lambeth, including:

£1.16m to help pilot Lambeth's new 'cooperative approach' to designing transport and environment schemes and carry out improvements to pedestrian and cycle facilities in Oval, Stockwell, Vassall, Coldharbour, Ferndale, Larkhall and Clapham Town areas of the borough. As part of its plans to become the country's first cooperative council, Lambeth Council is developing a new 'community led' approach to designing transport improvements, working much more closely with residents through its 'Neighbourhood Enhancement Programme'. The LIP funding will help get this off the ground in the pilot wards of Oval, Vassall, Coldharbour, Ferndale, Larkhall and Clapham Town
£550,000 to encourage more cycling in the borough, including cycle parking (both on street and residential), greenways for off-street cycling and route and junction improvements to facilitate safe cycling
£110,000 for phase one of a two year project to make crossings and residential streets safe around Loughborough Junction


SOUTHWARK
The £4m funding package in 2012/13 will finance a range of transport projects in Southwark, including:

£400,000 to improve walking routes on Forest Hill Road, connecting communities and providing a link to local shops and schools
£342,000 for widespread improvements in East Walworth supporting 'Pocket Parks'. These will include improved walking and cycling routes between green spaces to encourage more walking and cycling trips
£150,000 for improved walking and cycling facilities in Camberwell to get more people walking and cycling for shorter journeys. Funds will also facilitate environmental improvements to link green spaces and the town centre


WANDSWORTH
The £4.7m funding package in 2012/13 will finance a range of transport projects in Wandsworth, including:

£1.4m towards an on-going scheme to improve Clapham Junction town centre and tackle traffic congestion. Works include improving the road layout, renewing pavements and road surfaces, decluttering footways, planting new trees and upgrading lighting, wayfinding and street furniture
£280,000 for public realm improvements and to create new pedestrian areas
£210,000 to promote cycling through improved cycle parking, cycle training courses, completing cycle route links and a programme of promotional events
£350,000 to improve the look and feel of streets around local shops and provide better pedestrian access to shopping parades.


WESTMINSTER
The £5.9m funding package in 2012/13 will finance a range of transport projects in Westminster, including:

£500,000 to extend the Legible London pedestrian signage in the City of Westminster
£1.173m to implement public realm improvements to the West End. This includes improvements for the vital pedestrian link from Leicester Square to Covent Garden
£1,000,000 to deliver Westminster's programme of urban realm improvements, including the implementation of the first phase of the important project at Queensway/Westbourne Grove

Albert Embankment - Ambulance & Cyclist

I know nothing about the incident reported in today's Standard about an Ambulance flipping onto its side apparently to avoid a cyclist beyond the reality that the Albert Embankment is horrible for cycling along.

Given the Vauxhall, Nine Elms, Battersea developments happening, all with thousands of cycle parking spaces, can we please have some assurances from the Councils and TfL that there will be a splendid, child and commuter cyclist friendly route along the south side of the Thames to Tate Modern and beyond sooner rather than later?

Cycling Facility Evolution

By applying pressure change can be effected, though it may take some time. The sensible but poorly implemented cycle link above, near Tooting Common in Wandsworth, was featured as the January 2008 'Warrington Cycle Facility of the Month'.

A few months later it was removed, thus:

I was pleased to find recently that it has returned, with a usable width and a decent dropped kerb too: