Questions are answered on funding and future plans
KENT Highway Services head of transport and development David Hall answers questions about how funding is secured for cycling facilities and what is planned for the future:
How does an area secure funding for cycling facilities?
"Bids for funding for all highway schemes across Kent – including cycling facilities – are put forward through Joint Transportation Boards (JTB).
"Communities and groups wishing to put forward a request to the JTB in their area need to first contact their parish council or resident group to ensure any requests are supported by the community.
"When a request is put forward to Kent Highway Services, we look at the need for and viability of the request and draw up a proposed scheme if appropriate.
"When schemes are put forward to the JTB, they are prioritised according to how they meet key objectives in the Local Transport Plan (LTP), such as relieving congestion and improving road safety and air quality.
"Kent County Council receives an annual allocation from central Government for schemes as part of the LTP."
What has Kent Highway Services done in terms of providing for cycling across Kent, and how is money allocated?
"Kent has 500km of cycle routes in total. There are also bike lockers at 56 railway stations across the county.
"Priorities in the next few years for cycling are to work to complete missing links in the network and improve maintenance of the existing network.
"Kent Highway Services is aware there have been other priorities in the Sevenoaks area and we are aiming to increase the number and range of cycling schemes put forward in the next few years.
"The Sevenoaks Transport Strategy is currently being written and this will help to identify the range of schemes to be supported as a priority."
Explaining why 20mph speed limits in Sevenoaks were recently refused, Mr Hall said: "A speed limit review is being carried out in a trial area south of Maidstone to improve the consistency of speed limits across the county.
"Any requests for changes to speed limits will be looked at in the context of the trial results."
Mr Hall added the traffic light problems experienced by cyclists at Sevenoaks Railway Station would be investigated.
Comments
by Velochick, Kent
Thursday, January 22 2009, 2:15PM
“Why do they have to follow Maidstone when there is plenty of evidence that 20mph works in London?
The Strategy is being 'written' but why no date when it will be finished?
How come all this has taken so long to do? Sevenoaks is a very rich borough (in general) Many houses are over half a million and they can't even improve basic cyclist safety? If Cameron and Boris come to Sevenoaks they may get run over it is so dangerous in Sevenoaks.”