Author: Andy Henderson

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Hayling Cycle Survey

Cycle Hayling is planning to run a number of cycle surveys, to gather information about cycle traffic on the island and usage of the Hayling Billy Trail.

We are seeking volunteers to take part in our initial survey, which will be purely a counting exercise, based at the south of the bridge. A later survey will involve a count and a short questionnaire and will take place on the Hayling Billy Trail.

We plan to run the initial counting survey on Sunday 17th May (8am to 8pm) and Monday 18th May (7am to 7pm). It will essentially involve working in pairs over two-hour slots.

If you can spare two hours on either or both of these days, and would enjoy counting bikes (!), please contact Sue Underwood at sue@cyclehayling.org. Please state your preferred times/days and the number of time slots you can manage. Sue will then contact you with a choice of slots before the end of April. 

If you’d like to help with the survey work but cannot make those dates, please get in touch anyway, as we hope to perform extra counts in May and the HB survey later in the year.

Hampshire County Council has run a number of surveys in the recent past:

Bridge traffic surveys in 2005 and 2011. Please see the recent post “Bridge traffic & cycling stats” with excellent summary from Wilf Forrow, at: https://cyclehayling.org/bridge-traffic-cycling-stats

These surveys were based on electronically recorded data. A similar electronic count is currently in progress at the north end of the bridge, and has been running since completion of the west-side cycleway. Our count will help to verify this data but also provide more detailed information on cycle journeys once on the island.

Hayling Billy Trail survey in 2004. Implementing this detailed survey was organised by Paul Fisher (HIRA) on behalf of HCC.

The survey can be accessed here:
https://cyclehayling.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Billy-Trail-Survey-2004.pdf   

With the associated appendices at:
https://cyclehayling.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Billy-Trail-Survey-Appendices-part1.pdf

The Hayling Billy Trail survey looked at all types of users of the trail: cyclists, walkers, dog-walkers, disabled users, joggers and horse-riders. It included a count survey and a questionnaire survey.

The results showed that the trail was “heavily used, and most popular with cyclists”. In fact 70% of users were cyclists! A telling statement from the questionnaire analysis was that “The majority of people said that they would use the path more if it provided a continuous and safe route to Havant”.

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Hayling Ferry company goes into administration

We understand the company that runs the Hayling Ferry has gone into administration. According to the company’s Twitter account, service is closed.

There’s still some hope the service will return if:

  • Another company buys the company or some of its assets
  • One of the councils takes it on
  • An entirely new service is created in place of the old one

That would seem to require renegotiation of either the controversial pontoon fees, a subsidy from Portsmouth City Council (which withdrew its subsidy last year) or both. That leaves little scope for a return in the short term.

That’s sad news for Hayling Islanders. It’s particularly bad for cyclists and cycle-tourism because it disrupts National Cycle Network route 2 which relies on the Ferry. The obvious alternate route (across Farlington Marshes and down Eastern Road) by-passes Hayling Island altogether.

We’ll post an update if we learn more.

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Thank you from Cycle Hayling

Thanks to everyone who came to Wednesday’s public meeting.

We had an impressive turnout and were able to discuss a range of issues affecting cyclists on Hayling Island. Your attendance and words of encouragement renewed our motivation to bring about a cycle-friendlier Hayling Island. Your suggestions were welcome and we will follow-up on them.

Attendees included all but one of the prospective parliamentary candidates for Havant: Alan Mak (Conservative), Graham Giles (Labour), John Perry (UKIP), and Tim Dawes (Green party). There was therefore a very good chance we were able to brief our next MP on the problems we face and what we seek to do about them. I offered each of the PPC’s the option to send you a message via the web site and email list. Hopefully their messages will give you a good idea of the support for cycling you can expect from each candidate should they be elected.

I’m pleased that we continue to get support from our local councillors. Frank Pearce, Andy Lenaghan and John Perry (playing a dual role) all attended and renewed their assurances of help where they can give it.

If you would like to get more involved in what we are doing, there are several opportunities available to you. As just one example, Sue Underwood has started a new project to survey cycle traffic on the island. Please let me know if you’d like to play a bigger part in this or any other aspect of our work.

Thank you again,

Andy Henderson
Chair, Cycle Hayling