Deal Cycle Forum 31st Jan

You are invited to an open CYCLE FORUM MEETING at the Royal Hotel (Map Room) on Monday 31st January 2011 starting at 6.15pm (ends 8.00pm).

Anyone can come -  we need the Cycle Forum back again - this time as a voluntary group, an independent voice for local cyclists of all sorts in the Dover, Deal and Sandwich area.

We aim to lobby KCC Highways and other local councils, to improve and maintain our safe cycle routes, get better facilities for cyclists, and generally encourage people to use their bikes.

The Dover District Cycling Plan, produced in 2008 after lots of consultation, points the way forward.

Good progress has been made on some aspects:  

- the River Dour Cycle route in Dover is underway, 

- the growing popularity of Fowlmead  Country Park, 

- increased usage of the coastal cycle route in Deal and Sandwich

But there remain big gaps in our local network of safe cycle routes, and progress has stalled on inland routes generally. We need family-safe cycle routes to Fowlmead, into Deal town centre, and an off-road inland route between Deal and Sandwich - you can probably add to the list.

And we need to lobby vigorously for proper maintenance of cycle paths - in fact, generally revive the momentum of progress. 

KCC Highways offer to attend the meetings, so we can keep up to date with their plans and feed in our comments; they'll be there on Mon 31st.

RSVP

Please let me know whether you can come to help get the new Forum started on Monday 31st, and whether you will represent an organisation (if any) - and do pass this on to anyone else who may be interested. 

There's more about the Forum at this temporary website, http://tinyurl.com/cycleforum

best wishes,

Ian Killbery earlystart@me.com
Tel: 01304-362569
PS please reply if you can come, so we can plan for numbers. The Royal Hotel on Deal seafront has kindly offered us use of their Map Room FREE on this occasion. Coffee will be served half-way through the meeting, and of course the Royal's bar is open. There should be space to lock up bikes safely at the back.