Arc Leisure to Matlock town center multi-user path

Claire O'Reilly, Project Manager of Pedal Peak Phase II, recently told us that a small amount of extra DfT money had been found and would be used to create a multi-user path alongside the west side of the A6, from a point opposite Arc Leisure towards Matlock town center, as far as the Derwent Way roundabout. This path will enable residents of the housing estates on the NW side of town to access the new path coming from Bakewell to Matlock. It will also provide a valuable link to Arc for potential cycling activities which might be based there in the future. The work on this new path has been going on now for about 4 weeks and is already well advanced. Most of its length has been tarmacked, and it remains to be seen how exactly this stretch will progress at either end, although by 2 March the digging out of the path had reached the opposite side of the road to Arc. I will keep updating this post. These pictures, taken on 22 April, show the finished path. It's about 600m long, very nice, and I use it to go into town, to Sainsbury's or to the station.

   

Our social ride 27 March 2015

At last, I hear you say! There will be a ride on Fri 27 March. Venue is the car park at Tissington on the Tissington Trail (NCR68/547). Meet at 10:00. This will be a circular route, making use of some of our less well known trails. Let's a have big turnout for our first ride of the year! I look forward to meeting our two new members and some of you whom I haven't seen for some time.

Social ride in Staffordshire next Saturday

We have been invited by the Stafford Rangers to a social ride from Stafford to Newport in Staffordshire, next Saturday (28 Feb). This will be over a new greenway part of NCR55. Details are in this link:

https://staffordsustransvolunteerrangers.wordpress.com/2015/02/21/social-ride-on-the-28th-february/

Let's support our neighbouring ranger groups!

Action needed to protect NCN 54 & 68 from A38 changes

      The Highways Agency has been given £220 million for 3 roundabout schemes in Derby on the A38: Kingsway, Markeaton & Little Eaton. The plans involve underpasses for the first two and a flyover at Little Eaton. There will be significant changes to the roundabouts and to nearby access roads.
      At Kingsway a new access road (called option K1) to the Mackworth estate via Greenwich Drive South appears to cut straight across NCN 54/68 about 280 yards after the cycle route has turned off Greenwich Drive South onto the greenway.
In addition the revised access routes are likely to greatly increase traffic flows (“including possible use by heavy vehicle” to quote the Highways Agency) on both Greenwich Drive South and Brackendale Avenue/Lyttelton Street. NCN 54/68 runs ON ROAD on these to pass under the existing A38 after coming down the cul-de-sac off Raleigh Street. The routes have to cross the traffic flow whichever direction you are cycling.
       Derby’s orbital cycle route – Regional route 66 - shares the same alignment as 54/68 at Kingsway and then continues on to pass the existing Markeaton roundabout on its way towards the University. The Highways Agency plans show no special provision for the 66 to safely cross the A52 Ashbourne Road which with the new arrangements may experience higher speeds & traffic flows. The existing toucan crossing of the A38 which is a local route for both cyclists and pedestrians into Markeaton Park seems to have gone.
       Currently at Little Eaton cyclists on NCN 54 are off road and then have a toucan to cross the A38; safe if not particularly convenient. In the new arrangements the A38 will be on a flyover and Alfreton Road will pass under it. The Highways Agency state “Existing footways and cycleways retained and diverted around the roundabout.” But how good that will be depends upon the detail; there will be extra slip roads to cross; will the cycleway be completely segregated as now?
      The main exhibition was on 6th and 7th February but if you missed that then the following are alternatives
The Highways Agency will attend the following two local exhibition meetings being organised by Breadsall and Little Eaton Parish Councils:
- Breadsall Memorial Hall, Brookside Road on Thursday, 26th February 16:00 - 20:00
- Little Eaton Village Hall, St Peter’s Park, Vicarage Lane on Monday, 2nd March 15:30 - 19:30
    All the documentation and a 3D visualisation are available at http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/road-projects/a38-derby-junctions/
Closing date for submissions to the consultation is Friday 13th March

Social ride with the Erewash Valley Rangers

Here is some news from the Erewash Valley Rangers Group. There will be a social ride on the borders of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, which will include some historical sites and good views, on Thurs 12 March 2015. For more details, go to:  http://erewashvalleyrangers.blogspot.co.uk/