Commuter cycle route from Thame?

THE much needed and longed-for safe cycle route between Thame and Haddenham railway station is looking more promising, following an announcement by Sustrans at the recent ‘pedal-powered’ cinema‘ event in Haddenham.

Peter Challis, Sustrans’ Area Manager for the Thames Valley, told members of Haddenham In Transition and visiting cinema-goers that as part of a Station Travel Plan he has been working on, Sustrans has recommended the future development of six routes to the station in Haddenham.

Apart from Haddenham itself, Thame is the main place served by the station and the travel plan recommends development of a cycle route between Thame and Haddenham. Peter explained that there are two, main, alternative routes: one following the road and one following local Rights of Way.

“The route to Thame crosses the Bucks county boundary into Oxfordshire,” he said. “However, Oxfordshire County Council felt unable to support the Rights of Way route – following local bridleways and footpaths – because of seasonal flooding and land issues. However, both counties have now agreed to pursue a route alongside the Thame Road and the A418. Sustrans will be investigating how a route can be accommodated alongside the road, so that plans can be drawn up, in order to bid for any funding that becomes available in future. Both counties are funding the study.”

Sustrans’ work in Haddenham has been funded by the Access to Stations project, through the DfT’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund.

Sustrans is also investigating what needs to be done to create a cycle route between Haddenham and Aylesbury. From Haddenham, this would follow the Green Lane bridleway, and then run alongside the A418 to Aylesbury. The Haddenham-Aylesbury study was commissioned by the Haddenham Safe Walking & Cycling (HaddSWAC) group, and funded by Bucks County Council. This study, and the Haddenham-Thame study, should be completed in the next few months.

Better links to stations in Buckinghamshire

Sustrans is helping to promote pedestrian, cycle and bus access to four Chiltern Railway stations in Buckinghamshire over the next two years in a new project funded by Buckinghamshire County Council through the government’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund. The four stations are Amersham, Beaconsfield, Gerrards Cross
and Haddenham & Thame Parkway.

The plans include introducing local maps and improved signage to promote bus and cycle routes to and around each station.

What is Sustrans?

Sustrans is the charity behind the National Cycle Network. It began in 1977, by converting an old railway line between Bristol and Bath into a cycling and walking route. In 1995 the organisation won a major Millennium Commission grant to create the National Cycle Network. This year is the 20th anniversary of the National Cycle Network, which now
has over 14,000 miles of routes all across the UK, including route 57 which includes the Phoenix Trail between Thame and Princes Risborough.

The vision is to double the number of short journeys made by foot, bike or public transport to four out of five by 2020.

Chiltern Rail

New cycle parking has been installed at all three of the stations, funded by the Access to Stations project, and Chiltern Railways who are also investing in the stations themselves. At Haddenham new catering, waiting and toilet facilities have been installed.