Olympics: Mens Road Race

10am Already Packed at Givons Grove

11:45am The crowd goes wild as the Pelaton races through

Trains for Olympic Cycling

Revised timetables:

http://www.southernrailway.com/your-journey/games-travel/trains-to-box-hill-and-westhumble/

Olympic Parking

As part of the road cycling road races weekend Mole Valley District Council are organising temporary car parks in four places around the district to provide parking for the visitors coming to watch this Olympic event.

More information can be found on the MVDC website: http://www.molevalley.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=13499

To promote these car parks Mole Valley District Council have designed a flyer which will be in all of the Mole Valley District Council car parks.

Olympic Cycling - Travel Plans

An Olympic tale from one of the members:

Website:  www.gosurrey.info/olympic-road-cycling/

Email:     olympic.cycling@surreycc.gov.uk

Tel:          0300 200 1018

Address: Surrey 2012 Team, Surrey County Council, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2DN

 

It has taken several phone calls and emails to Surrey County Council in Kingston for me to extract this info – so I hope this precious, time-consuming information will be of use to you!

 

The route through Surrey goes from Hampton Court, via Brooklands, West Byfleet, Pyrford, Ripley, West Horsley, East Clandon, Shere, Gomshall, Westcott, Dorking, Box Hill, Leatherhead, Oxshott, Esher and returning to Hampton Court, continuing into London (see map on website:  http://www.gosurrey.info/assets/documents/road-race-map-with-dates – takes several minutes to download).

 

This route is due to be closed on Saturday 28^th and Sunday 29^th July from 4.00 am until 21.00.  Rumour has it that it may not re-open over Saturday night in places.  The races are due between 12.45 and 15.30.  Therefore if you are landlocked inside the loop, the only “escape routes” that I have been informed of are the A3 and Junction 10 of the M25, (where I expect half of Surrey will be queuing to drive out!).  If you can face the crowds on the trains, you can try travelling by rail.  If you want to cross on foot, there will be pedestrian crossings, open until about 12.00 and from 15.30 (these are the times for Oaklawn Road in Leatherhead, they will be earlier in Dorking).

 

If, like us, you have an unavoidable appointment (we are due for a 60^th birthday gathering in Sussex on Sunday), you may like to plan ahead and drive out of the loop on the Friday evening beforehand, park the car somewhere safe and then walk across on your exit day in order to continue your “escape”.

 

The Olympic ticketholders are being advised to arrive at Dorking station and then walk up to an hour to their seats at Box Hill, also allowing time for the airport-style security checks (no liquids allowed, etc).

 

I hope this information is useful.  Please let me know if you have any updates, as this is only correct as far as I have been informed by Surrey County Council Olympic Cycling information department. 

 

You can ring Surrey County Council with further questions (0300 200 1018).

 

Good Luck with your travel (or stay-at-home) plans!

 

All the best – Enjoy the summer!

Notice of Major Road Closures

I have been told today of two sets of roadworks that will involve major road closures. The details are on the Surrey County Council website and I provide links below. They are:

1. A24 Leatherhead Bypass 11th June to 16th June.

2. Kingston Road, Leatherhead 1st August to 12th September

Also, of course, there will be many road closures on the 28th & 29th July for the Olympic Road Cycling Road Races. For full information click on this link to the
Go Surrey website's list of road closures.
 

Advanced notice of LRA Open Meeting on 28th May

The Presentation on the Olympic Road Cycling Road Race at 8.00 pm follows the LRA's AGM (17.30 - 8.00); both meetings are in the Abraham Dixon Hall of the Leatherhead Institute.

Agenda, reports etc for the AGM will be posted on the Blog on before the 21st May.

Please note that there are no meetings of the LRA scheduled for earlier in May and the next Open Committee Meeting will be on Monday June 11th (June 4th being a Bank Holiday).

Olympic volunteer - drop-in sessions

In case you are not aware, I am highlighting the 2 drop-in sessions we are running with Voluntary Action Mid-Surrey for anyone thinking of offering to work as a volunteer for Mole Valley for the Olympics.

Here is a link to the website article:

http://www.molevalley.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=13009

Sessions are tomorrow at Dorking Volunteer Centre (too short notice I know) and Monday 20 February at Leatherhead Leisure Centre.

Both sessions are 7-9pm 

If you can't make a drop-in but are still interested in volunteering, please contact VAMS on 01372 722911 or by logging on to volunteering@vamidsurrey.org. Alternatively, visit MVDC's volunteering page www.molevalley.gov.uk/london2012 or call 01306 879188 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            01306 879188      end_of_the_skype_highlighting for an informal chat.

The Dorking Volunteer Centre is located in The Mayflower Centre, Lyons Court, Dorking, RH4 1AB. Leatherhead Leisure Centre is located at Guildford Road Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 9BL.
Kind regards
Louise

Louise Bircher
Customer Service and Communications Manager
Mole Valley District Council
Tel: 01306 879155
www.molevalley.gov.uk

Follow us on Twitter @MoleValleyDC

LOCAL LEADERS...Get Ready to Celebrate

Dear All

Please find attached a flyer outlining the new initiative from LOCOG aimed at encouraging general public engagement in the London 2012 Games. I hope that you would be willing to circulate this amongst your residents alongside our own plea for volunteers to get involved in helping us make the Olympic Torch Relay and the men's and women's Road Cycle Races a great success for Mole Valley.

Look out for more information on Mole Valley's own Olympic celebrations called The Big Weekend too - see our website later this week!

Kind regards

Louise

Louise Bircher
Customer Service and Communications Manager
Mole Valley District Council
Tel: 01306 879155
www.molevalley.gov.uk

Follow us on Twitter @MoleValleyDC

Click image to open .....

Olympic Cycle Road Race Weekend

Celebrations are planned for the Olympic Road Race weekend ... read more

Olympics: Transport for London Advice

The London 2012 Games are fast approaching and the city will inevitably be a lot busier than usual at that time.

As some journeys and locations will be affected at certain times, a new Get Ahead of the Games website has been launched, to help you to avoid travel hotspots. This has:

• An interactive map showing the impact on travel
• Details of key affected stations
• Information on the Games lanes, the Olympic Route Network (ORN), the Paralympic Road Network (PRN) and how road restrictions may affect you
• Days and times of events
• Travel tips to help you get around in London

For more information, visit GetAheadoftheGames.com

Olympic Torch Relay

Hello,
 
Today, LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games) has announced the journey of the Olympic Torch in the 70 days leading up to the start of the Games.
The Torch will travel through Surrey on a number of occasions:

10 July – Egham
17 July – Felbridge
20 July – Godstone, Bletchingley, Redhill, Reigate, Dorking, Westcott, Shere, Godalming and Guildford.

The Torch will stay in Guildford during the evening of 20 July for an evening of events at Stoke Park.

Surrey County Council will be working with District and Borough Councils, Surrey Police LOCOG to make the torch relay run as smoothly as possible. This will mostly involve ‘rolling road closures’ that will be reopened as promptly as possible after the torch has passed along a street.
More information about the impact on roads will be provided at a later date.

To find out more about the Torch Relay, visit http://www.gosurrey.info/torch-relay.

Many thanks

2012 Team

Olympic Planting

 

Olympic Planting Colour Scheme 

 

Dear All

 

As many of you may know the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) have tight control over how the Games will look - including use of the Olympic logo, advertising along or close to the route and also how the route is dressed. Mole Valley District Council together with Surrey County Council and LOCOG are already thinking about this last aspect and have received printed guidance from LOCOG on the issue of route dressing. In it, there is guidance and ideas on planting for next year - how to get the right colours and which plants will do that so that any planting along the route is in line with the Olympic colours.

 

As it is the time of year when many gardeners are making plans for next year, it seems appropriate to forward this guidance now. Naturally it is most relevant to those of you who are on or near the Olympic Road Race route but I hope you will bear with me on this mass email.

 

I hope that this guidance is useful. It contains ideas on the relevant plants that will bring the right colours to your displays but they are not prescriptive and you may choose to use different plants. I would be most grateful if you could forward this on to any relevant clubs or associations that you may know of too.

 

Kind regards

 

Louise

 

Louise Bircher
Customer Service and Communications Manager
Mole Valley District Council

Ride The Route 4 September 2011

Ride the Route Sportive 4 September 2011
Information sheet
August 2011

Introduction
Ride the Route (RTR) is a non-competitive participation cycle ride taking place on 4 September 2011 for experienced cyclists. The route follows a 65 mile circuit based on the 2012 Olympic Road Race route within Surrey only.


Frequently asked questions
Q. Is this a cycle race like the London-Surrey Cycle Classic?
No, RTR is a Sportive (sometimes called a cycle-sportive), it is not a race. Cyclists take part in this ride at their leisure. Many other Sportives take place within Surrey every year.


Q. When did you start planning this event?
We started looking at organising this event in February 2011


Q. What is the exact route?
We do not give out details of the exact route until the day. This is to allow for any safety or emergency diversions.


Q. How many riders will be taking part?
We will have a clearer idea 7 days prior to the event but currently we expect a maximum of 500.
Ride Estimated Timing:
Riders leave East Molesey
Between 6:00 – 8:00
Ride Box Hill
From 07:00 – 12:00
Riders return to East Molesey
Between 10:00 – 14:30


Q. Which roads will be closed?
RTR takes place on open roads, no roads are closed.


Q. What has been done to minimise disruption to other road users?
We have picked an early Sunday morning start when most people take a more relaxed approach to their day. The date has been changed to ensure a gap between the London-Surrey Classic and RTR. The riders set off in staggered waves rather than all in one go.


Q. Have you been in touch with the National Trust?
Yes we have permission to use their private road.


Q. How many barriers will line the route?
We will not be using barriers on open public roads, these are not needed.


Q. Why has there been a delay in getting information out to areas where the ride passes?
We have had to wait to ensure both the safety procedures and date was confirmed otherwise the information we supplied may have been incorrect.


Q. How many spectators will be on the route?
We do not expect any spectators on the route, as this is not a race.


Q. Is it open to anyone?
Due to the nature of the route and the need to ensure safety we stipulate that those entering are experienced cyclists (not beginners) and 18 years of age or over.


Q. What safety measures are in place?
Safety is of paramount importance to us. We have been working with the Police, National Trust and Local Authorities and they are fully satisfied with our safety measures. The route has been fully risk assessed and we have gone above and beyond the government guidance for this type of event. This includes:
• Sign posted route
• First Aid and Paramedic support
• Two ambulances in attendance
• Static marshals
• Moto marshals
• Mechanical support
• Ride doctor


Q. What will you be doing to stop riders causing blockages and riding in groups spanning the road?
Riders will be given printed information to ensure they respect other road users and reminded that they must ride in accordance with the Highway Code. They will also be briefed before they set off to ensure they have received this information both in written and verbal format. We will highlight the more challenging parts of the route.
We will have static marshals and members of the National Escort Group (Moto marshals) that will help regulate the riders.


Q. When will the signage go up?
We will be using temporary signage. This will be in place before the ride starts and will be removed in sequence after the last rider has left the start point.


Q. The riders have timing chips surely you are encouraging them to race?
Not at all, it is essential we can identify riders in case of an accident and that we know that they have set off and returned to the start/finish point. In addition we have marshals who will be instructing riders to slow their speed at certain points if necessary.


Q. How are you helping areas that already see an increase in cyclists?
Anyone can legally ride a bike on an open road. Ride the Route offers a safe regulated platform for those who may already be thinking about following this route. 84% of current cyclists signed up to ride are local to the areas this ride passes.


Q. Who do I get in touch with if I have a question?
This event is organised by Active Surrey. Active Surrey is the Sport England funded strategic lead sports development agency for Surrey (hosted by Surrey County Council).
Please email info@ridetheroute.com or active.surrey@surreycc.gov.uk
Tel. 01483 518944

Olympic Test Event Final Drop-In Session

Dear All

This is just a reminder that the final drop-in session for the Olympic Cycle race test event on Sunday 14 August is happening this Friday - 29th July at Park House in Leatherhead. The session runs from 3pm to 8pm and is an opportunity for anyone to pop in and ask questions about road closures, crowd management, footpaths, access or whatever is of interest/concern to residents and/or businesses. Representatives from the District Council (me!), the County Council, Transport for London and LOCOG should be there.

Please do encourage as many people as possible to come in and ask any questions they may have. For those who cannot make it, Surrey County Council have a dedicated website for the Olympic Games at www.gosurrey.info which contains a wealth of information and there is some more generic information, including information on how to volunteer for next year's races, on the District Council website. Please follow this link:

www.molevalley.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=10638

These pages will be updated and added to as we move forward towards the main events next year.

Kind regards

Louise Bircher
Customer Service and Communications Manager
Mole Valley District Council
Tel: 01306 879155

Proposed Road Works for the Olympic Cycle Route

Dear All

We have received this alert from Surrey County Council regarding Highways work connected to the Olympic Test Event on 14 August 2011 and the Olympic Cycle Race on 28 and 29 July 2012. Please note items 4 and 5 which fall under Mole Valley.

Surrey County Council is hosting Olympic Cycle Events in 2012 with one of these events being the Men's/Women s Cycle Road Race (28/29 July 2012).   Ahead of this event there is a Test Event for the Cycle Road Race (known as the London-Surrey Cycle Classic), which is to be held on 14 August 2011.

To allow cyclists to safely negotiate the Road Race course the race organisers (LOCOG – London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games) require the removal of various elements of highway infrastructure (islands etc).  

These are to be removed and replaced with a temporary feature (such as water filled barriers or white lining) for a short 1-2 week period which can removed immediately before the Test Event. Following the Test Event and before the main 2012 Road Race a semi-permanent replacement feature will be installed (such as rubberised kerbing or white lining). This will again be removed before the 2012 event, following which a permanent replacement feature will be installed.

These works have been discussed and agreed with Surrey Police and the County’s Safety Audit Team. Similar works are also to be undertaken in the areas of London through which the race passes.

The funding for highway works associated with the Olympics is separate from Surrey County Council Highways budgets and has no impact on the availability of funding for highway schemes/initiatives across the county or any individual local committee area.

Officers have been working with LOCOG to minimise the extent of the works, which have now been identified and are being passed to the county’s contractor (May Gurney and Skansa) to progress.  

The works listed below are those identified for the Test Event, further works may be identified for the 2012 Road Race event following assessment of the Test Event.

The purpose of writing is to inform you of the locations, reasons and timescales for these works.

The works listed below are to be undertaken in July 2011 with advance electrical works commencing in late June 2011. All of the works are planned to be completed by the 31 July (2 weeks before the Test Event).  

Works will be carried out off peak during the working day to minimise traffic disruption and inconvenience to residents. Vehicular and pedestrian access to residential and business premises will be maintained at all times and local residents will be informed of the works as for all of the county’s highway works.

List of works and locations

1.        Oatlands Drive, Weybridge -  Remove/replace all small existing build outs on existing cycle lane (the central refuge islands can remain). With a fast moving peloton of riders there is not enough road space for competitors to negotiate the street furniture and therefore the build outs need to be removed.

2.        Oatlands Drive junction with Queens Road, Weybridge - Remove/replace section of central splitter island in Queens Road. To allow the competitors to enter Hanger Hill without having to negotiate a sharp turn the central island will have a section removed. This will allow riders to turn from Oatlands Drive into Queens Road and line up with Hanger Hill safely.

3.        Parvis Road junction with Brooklands Road – Remove lane splitter island on A245 Parvis Road and replace with road markings. The riders will be travelling at high speed into the junction, due to the camber of the A245 and the location of raised kerbs on the south side of the junction, the riders will take the racing line through the junction and removal of the splitter island is needed.

4.        A24 junction with A25 Deepdene Roundabout – Remove/replace part of the splitter island on south west side at junction. This is required to assist with the Traffic Management for the event and  allow vehicles to manoeuvre around the roundabout and minimise a full road closure at this junction.

5.        Leret Way, Leatherhead – Remove/replace central pedestrian refuge island. The riders will be travelling at high speed by this stage of the race. The riders would not have time to safely split around the island and then be in the correct position to make the turn into Bull Hill.

If you have any queries or would like any additional information please email london2012@surreycc.gov.uk with the subject heading Highway Works Enquiry.

 

Louise Bircher
Customer Service and Communications Manager
Mole Valley District Council
Tel: 01306 879155
www.molevalley.gov.uk

Olympic Torchbearers - nominations open

Dear All

 

You may have seen on the news that the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) are looking for 8000 truly inspirational people to be Olympic Torch bearers. The Olympics are of course particularly significant for Mole Valley as we have the honour of hosting a large part of the Cycle Road Race  on 28th and 29th July 2012 and we think it would be a great opportunity if some of the torch bearers were from Mole Valley.

 

The purpose of this email is to let you know that you will shortly receive a letter or email from our Chief Executive encouraging you and your residents to make a nomination for the Torch relay. I wanted to let you know today that this will be forthcoming as the closing date is, unfortunately, on the 29th June - so there isn't much time.

 

We do hope that you will be able to encourage your residents to make a nomination. I realise that time is against us, but nonetheless, this is a great opportunity and one we wanted to make sure you knew about. For your information, the website is www.london2012.com/olympic-torch-relay  but Darren's letter will explain more.

 

Kind regards

 

Louise

 

Louise Bircher
Customer Service and Communications Manager
Mole Valley District Council
Tel: 01306 879155
www.molevalley.gov.uk

Olympic Road Cycling events in 2012

In March we contacted you with news that Surrey had been chosen to host the men’s and women’s Olympic Road Cycling events in 2012 and also the test event this year on Sunday 14 August.

At the time of the announcement, exact details of the Olympic Road Cycling route had not been finalised and so we were unable to share with you the map of the route. We now have the route confirmation and attached with this email is a PDF of the first Road Race Newsletter, which will be distributed to residents living close to the route from next week. This includes a map showing road names and numbers, as well as other useful information about the races.

We hope you find the newsletter helpful and interesting. If you’d like to know more about how Surrey is celebrating and preparing for the Games visit our website www.gosurrey.info.

Kind regards

2012 Team

Surrey 2012 Team¦ Surrey County Council¦ Penrhyn Road¦ Kingston upon Thames¦ KT1 2DN¦ www.gosurrey.info¦ olympic.cycling@surreycc.gov.uk¦

Surrey - Host County - Be part of it