St Albans Cycle Campaign (STACC)

What we do...and how you can help

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STACC campaigns for people cycling in St Albans and the surrounding area, including  Harpenden, Redbourn, London Colney, Wheathampstead & Sandridge:

Our approach is to work co-operatively with key bodies such as the local authorities whilst lobbying for better funding and provision for cyclists with particular regard to cycle paths & routes, lower speed limits & cycle-parking.

Get Involved with STACC

Find out a bit more about what we do and where we need help here

Interested in joining ? Register here

For anything else, please contact us at info@stacc.org.uk


Latest News (and member actions in red!)

AGM - 7th November 7:30pm

You are strongly encouraged to come to our AGM and public meeting on 7th November at 7:30pm at Marlborough Road Church Hall, AL1 3XG where cycles can be parked inside!  After a very brief AGM element, we will hear from two STACC members on the joys of cycling holidays.


We hope that we have less to do to make St Albans City and District a better place for residents and visitors to cycle in the coming years - but to keep going for the time being we urgently need a more members to get involved with our monthly 'committee' meetings.  At these meetings we review current infrastructure and any relevant proposals and decide what we are going to do about it and then do it.  For various reasons a number of our long-serving stalwarts cannot be as active in the campaign now and so we need to expand our pool of activist members if we are to continue our work on behalf of everyone in our area who 'wants to cycle, but...'  .  Do please consider getting more involved.


Your first committee meeting might seem a bit daunting, as the agenda can be quite long and detailed and there are a lot of acronyms to get to know, but you soon get up to speed.  The agenda is detailed so the meeting flows quickly, and the acronyms are listed on our website for reference - scroll down the home page. It is called the committee, but the meetings are very informal and efficient, there is no fusty-dusty standing on ceremony.  We understand if every month is too big a commitment, but the meetings are on Zoom and we welcome members who come as often as is feasible.  The STACC committee is a supportive and pro-active team - do join!  

Marlborough Road

The  traffic scheme for Central St Albans funded by the Active-Travel Fund is now almost complete. The contraflow cycle lane in Marlborough Road is now in place, as are the new traffic lights at the junction with London Road, with phases for cyclists, who are automatically detected and a push-button pedestrian crossing phase. What remains to be done are the modifications to the No Entry signs facing cyclists heading south at the junction with Victoria Street, where rectangular Except Cycles signs will be placed. The exception plate is deemed sufficient to give cyclists the go-ahead to go ahead although the traffic lights have only right & left arrows.


When using the contraflow lane, keep a good lookout for pedestrians forced off the footway by the obstructive parking - seen in the photo above - by residents who think it's ok to park a massive vehicle partly in their former garden and partly on the footway.  This parking is especially a problem for people who use mobility aids such as walking sticks, pushchairs, rollators, wheelchairs or mobility scooters.  The small sliver of footway that is left is on a sideways slope and is hazardous for those with mobility aids.


To see a video of the passage south down Marlborough Road, and how a lorry obstructs the mandatory cycle lane and a taxi blocks Keyfield Terrace, click here.

If you haven't been in person yet, our AGM is being held in the church hall on this road on 7th November, so there's an opportunity!

Herts - Cycling, Wheeling and Walking

STACC attended a recent update meeting for cycle campaigners across the county hosted by the excellent HCC team that covers all things cycling and also walking and wheeling - for definitions, see this Wheels for Wellbeing explainer.


Updates included:


The Hertfordshire Active Travel Strategy is now a approved document, find it here.  The consultation on this in 2023 generated a huge number of comments and the county officers have done a lot of work in reviewing the comments and developing a strategy that will be effective as a supporting document of the HCC Local Transport Plan.

Being in favour of active travel is not 'anti-car'; the only way to solve congestion is to reduce car use.  Highway changes that only work for cars do not solve congestion, they just move the bottlenecks to somewhere else.  Creating an environment where walking, wheeling or cycling are the mode people choose for short trips will improve driving conditions also and have huge public-wealth and economic benefits.


The Hertfordshire Cycling map is being thoroughly updated; this has taken longer than envisaged as the team have been determined to do it really well, so we are looking forward to spring 2025 when the new edition will be published in an enhanced format.  The new format will enable regular updates. Meanwhile, the 2017 PDF of the map (6MB) is here.


The public workstands are gradually being installed across the county, with 26 of the 45 to be provided are already in place.  The Hertfordshire Cycling Walking and Wheeling team would love to receive your pictures of the stands in use - email them to cycling@hertfordshire.gov.uk.  Sadly, that is also the address to report any vandalism; do report any problems to the team, they are working with the manufacturer to improve damage-resistance of the equipment.

Victoria Street

Herts County Council are working with St Albans District Council and residents to transform Victoria Street.  This is a significant route for walking, cycling and buses between the St Albans City station and city centre.  The aim is to create a more sustainable street that enhances the safety and quality of life for the whole community as well as supporting local businesses and tourism. Local communities are invited to interactive drop-in events at:

HCC want to hear what you think would make this street better for everyone. You can submit your ideas - and they do not need to be just about cycling, this is a 'public realm' project - up until 12th November by clicking here

Cycling Asset Register


The Cycling Asset Register has been developed alongside the LCWIPs, as a tool to identify existing provision and gaps.  The Herts CC team is very keen to have ongoing input - the register is designed to help everyone understand what infrastructure is available for cycling and what is planned. It also provides the way to suggest missing parts of the network which can be considered for future works.  So do contribute; you can find it under its alternative name of Cycle Facility Register.


Five of the county's ten Districts / Boroughs now have approved Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs), one is being reviewed and three are currently being developed.  The odd one out is Broxbourne which is being separately developed. The LCWIPs are iterative rather than fixed; they are intended to be periodically reviewed and updated.  The Stevenage LCWIP was approved in 2019 and is due to be reviewed in 2025/26.

Cottonmill Cycle Hub

From 1st October the Cafe and Community Centre elements have been managed by Everyone Active, who also manage Westminster Lodge and have already run community outreach sessions at the CC&CC.


A message from Mat, Cycle Hub manager:

The St Albans Cycle Hub will continue to serve the teas, locally roasted coffees, and snacks you’ve grown to love—now through the bike shop. Please feel free to pop in, say hello, and enjoy your favourite refreshments while supporting your local not-for-profit cycle hub. Both card and cash payments are accepted for your convenience. Once again, thank you for your ongoing support. It’s been a privilege to serve this community, and we hope to see you at the Cycle Hub soon!

Bike Bus in New Greens

Every Friday is RideDay for the brand-new  Bike Bus in Batchwood, St Albans. The 'bus' service was launched in September by Damian Gaskin, a former teacher at Townsend School.

The Bike Bus consists of parents and children cycling to school together, en-masse.  This means :- 

The Bike Bus sets off at 8 am from the Toulmin Drive Playground and follows a route around New Greens arriving at the High Oak Shops at 8.15am.  The Bike Bus even has a phone tracker that can show you when it’s nearing your ‘bike-bus’ stop.  At High Oaks shops, the bike bus splits up High Oaks to Margaret Wix school or down to Garden Fields.

Any parent with a child can join the Bike Bus.  The only requirements are that each cyclist wears a high-viz or bright cycling jacket and a cycle helmet; it's better still to have a flashing light on the front as well.

The Bike Bus would welcome additional adult volunteers to help boost the size of the bus, enhancing the 'safety in numbers'.

For more information and to volunteer, join the Facebook group or phone Damian Gaskin on 07939244554. If you are interested in setting up a bike bus at your school, Sustrans have resources here.

Cycling Jumble sales!

There are two nearby upcoming cycle-jumble sales at the beginning of November, providing you with opportunities of both reducing the amount of cycle junk in your garage, or indeed, of increasing it. They are:


Chalfont Cycle Jumble 

Tewin Cycle Jumble 

Scarlett McNally Talk - 28th October

Soroptimist International St Albans and District are inviting you to join this special event on Zoom on Monday 28th October from 7.30-9.00pm when Professor Scarlett McNally, an orthopaedic surgeon & campaigner for more active travel to improve health and reduce pollution, will be speaking on the subject of “Women, Health, Exercise and the Economy – Is Exercise the Miracle Cure?” - The presentation will be chaired by a STACC member, and you can book your place via Eventbrite here.

PTROs - Jersey Lane

PTROs are ‘Permanent Traffic Regulation Orders’; they legally restrict some types of traffic & users on rights-of-way routes. The guidance surrounding PTROs suggests they should be reviewed regularly, and Herts County Council is currently consulting on the options available for each route.

A list of current RoW PTROs is here; Rights of way - Permanent traffic regulation orders | Hertfordshire County Council, and a map of the routes being reviewed and their current restrictions can be found here; Rights of way - Permanent traffic regulation orders consultation | Hertfordshire County Council.  There are PTROs across the county, but you will be particularly interested in Jersey Lane, listed as 'Sandridge UCR').  The link includes the response form, for you to make any comments you may have on any of the routes.  The review is open for comments until 31st October, 11.45pm.

The group Friends of Jersey Lane that helps manage Jersey Lane are hoping to recruit more cycling members to their committee. They say: "We have a cross section of users and neighbours on our committee, but currently, we do not have a cyclist amongst our active committee members. The committee meets on the 2nd Monday evening of each month. If anyone would be interested in joining and helping to represent cyclists views, we would love to talk to them. Please get in touch by emailing friendsofjerseylane@gmail.com"

Pothole and flytipping reporting!

Hertfordshire Highways Fault Reporting is the page to go to if you see a pothole and want it fixed. Potholes more than 50mm deep tend to be fixed quickly and those deeper than 100mm are fixed very quickly.  Smaller potholes tend to be 'noted'.

Other faults tend to be less swiftly dealt with, if at all.  STACC continues to raise our concern that carriageway faults such as potholes get sorted while mud or vegetation on cycling and walking routes are put 'under review by local engineers' until they quietly drop off the system.  Our contacts at Hertfordshire Highways are aware of this shortcoming in the asset management system, and their message to us is KEEP REPORTING IT.  This will help them make the case for improvements to the system.  Contacting your County Councillor about a particular problem can also help to move things along.

Alternatively, call up a mapping app while you are in situ and take a screenshot of your location.  Another option is to make use of What3Words. Here's a short video to simplify reporting of potholes (also works for fly tips and other issues) by using the What3Words app, which puts the three word location identifier onto the photo.

You can then make a report to the relevant local authority..... ah, but which authority is that, and how to contact them?   Symondshyde Lane is in Welwyn Hatfield, not St Albans.

Well, there's an app for that... we suggest ClearWaste or  FixMyStreet, which use the location that you supply to work out which local authority your report should be sent to. If you have time, you can make the report in situ when you take the photos; the app knows where you are when you do this so you don't have to tell it.  You may find the flytip has already been reported.

You may have known of another app specifically for pot-holes, called FillThatHole that was created by Cycling UK. This app is no longer available, but a website with the same name that interfaces to FixMyStreet has taken its place. 

Wanted - Bikes, locks, lights and helmets

Do you have adult men's bikes in good condition and any helmets, bike locks, or lights that can be given to local asylum seekers?

Before being given a bike, the asylum seekers need to pass a Bikeability course, the cost of which is covered by Herts County Council. All the bikes are checked over by Andy Brock of Herts Welcomes Refugees before being given out.

If you can help, please contact Nick Clarke, clarkefamily2004@yahoo.co.uk, 01727 855026.


Acronyms, Links and other useful stuff

We try not to use abbreviations in our website and newsletters, at least not without prior explanation; however some do slip through the net so here is a list of those we commonly use:

More news in the October newsletter here