Big Bike Revival News

Bike shops are all open for repairs and sales during COVID, they provide essential service for allowing peoples independent mobility. DfT have awarded Cycling UK funding to allow more grassroots teaching of bike mechanics, and Im happy to say some of this work is coming to Bournemouth soon. You remember how many people were riding again in the first lockdown? well thats set to continue with the help of the Big Bike Revival.

Across GB there will be local initiatives set up to get those wheels moving again like they should be, and we hope youll get involved and help BHAT share this info. Read on.

Co-ordinated by our partner John whos been in attendance at BHAT for about a decade now, he has made a successful bid to deliver the work of doing minor repairs to bikes that need refreshing for the Winter. All from a booking system and workshop in Boscombe BH1, this december.

Pleased to be able to help promote this, as I co-taught several courses of basic bike maintenance a few years ago with Pat at BU, hes a great mechanic and teacher very skilled and patient. The initiative will have a workshop space in the Sovereign Centre – between café and bus station entrance – each Thurs/Fri/Saturday during December – start and finish times to be confirmed. Watch this space for the timings and booking arrangements- post will be updated as they come through. Many thanks to my friend Peter who manages the Sovereign centre for authorising this initiative, he used to be a MTB riding pal from Ride Bike Poole when that was operating and now Cycle commutes Poole- Boscombe- a leader.

There could also be a Livingstreets project started in BH area,. conversations are ongoing so watch out for this.

Also I have been told by a Sustrans staffer that BH is due to have an Active Travel Officer,  post announced soon, this would link in well with any school work led by other partners.

Picture below shows the forum in one of the previous 3 times yearly meetings at Town Hall Bournemouth with previous Chairman and several members in attendance. Meetings now held on Zoom and next one on 8th December

What is the Forum doing this week? Cllrs have to hear about Lansdowne scheme, see here for our thoughts on this unfortunate victim of timing. Friday we are meeting with Cllr Chris Rigby who has asked to talk about accessibility issues into parks and open spaces as we experience another lockdown where peoples exercise and well being is paramount again. Being as TCF schemes over the next 3 years will be changing networks into better routes for Active Travel- theres lots of minor changes that can be made that would make a major difference to route quality, and we know where and what they are. Forum members are volunteering today to deliver flyers regarding Keyhole Bridge Poole to residents in BH14, where Poole Park is- we are aware of great support for this modal filter, however dont know that many if any local people are using the consultation that has been open since the August opening. The aim is to bring consultation responses up to what would be a realistic level of appraisal on this, and other schemes, unlike the Leven avenue one where decisions were based on 0.41% of the Ward residents responding. We have be trying to communicate with the new Portfolio holder for transport to no avail so far. If any of these new developments in transport are to have success for BCP, collaboration with interested groups would seem essential. If you want to contribute to posts on this website- send content to bhactivetravelforum@gmail.com

there is a Facebook group-do join if you use that platform.

Thanks to Media Marc for managing this.