Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 108, 17 March 2022

Learning Quarter routes map ('people-first' Townhead/Cathedral St)

It’s a long road that has no turning.

Happy St Patrick’s Day! There’s good news about Spaces for People measures in the city – the TRO for Kelvin Way is out. However, there’s more mixed news on SfP measures in towns. After East Renfrewshire’s about turn on Ayr Rd/Fenwick Rd, now Renfrewshire’s Paisley to Howwood protected route is being removed. In contrast, Inverclyde vote to keep an SfP route in Greenock.

The long-awaited city centre campuses consultation is open about (steep!) routes around Strathclyde Uni and City of Glasgow College. Meanwhile, a few Avenues are under scrutiny, there’s more secure bike parking on the way and Barclays is nearly finished with West St.

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Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 107, 3 March 2022

Ayr Rd A77 cycle lane protected by rows of wand bollards

Coming unstuck?

After praising East Renfrewshire Council for sticking with their temporary bollards on the A77, they now have a consultation about removing them! It has a tight deadline before the official pre-election period starts.

There’s even less time to respond about active travel hubs in North Lanarkshire. NHS Lanarkshire have published plans for the new Monklands Hospital in Airdrie, including active travel paths. Also, North Lanarkshire Council have a TRO about parking at schools.

In Glasgow, the George Square consultation ends soon. The next Liveable Neighbourhoods consultation starts for Yorkhill to Anderston. In contrast, construction for the South West City Way Extension hasn’t started due to an issue between the council and contractors. There are also a few TROs for Glasgow and East Dunbartonshire.

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Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 106, 17 February 2022

Plan of George Square showing statues repositioned

March-ing Orders & musical statues?

The Public Sector is getting close to its ‘end of year’ in March. That may explain why half a dozen new Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) have just been published. Also, an older Order was passed for 20mph on Byres Rd in the West End. A few TROs are for Spaces for People measures in Glasgow. Obviously, none of East Dunbartonshire’s TROs are for SfP (as the only mainland Scottish council not to put in a bid).

‘What do we want for our city’s front room?’ – asks the latest George Square consultation. Elsewhere, North Lanarkshire is sounding people out about two active travel hubs and East Renfrewshire is sticking to its guns.

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Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 105, 3 February 2022

School Street zone signs at St Anne's Primary School, off Crownpoint Rd, Glasgow

Back to School Streets…

Traffic Orders in this issue include School Streets road restrictions and banned turns on Haggs Rd at Pollok Park. Glasgow’s Active Travel Strategy has gone through changes and council committee.

The first two Liveable Neighbourhoods areas, Langside–Toryglen and Ruchill–Cowlairs, have progressed to planning projects. The next two, Dennistoun–Cranhill and Govan–Kingston, are still online but there’s probably not much time if you want your suggestion included in the first lot of projects…

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Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 104, 20 January 2022

Ardrossan Connections illustration

Let’s go round again.

A repeat consultation for Pollok and next steps at an Ayrshire harbour (in time for Burns Night). Also, South Lanarkshire’s Ayr Road (A70) pops up again.

After criticism of Spaces for People measures in South Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire, now East Renfrewshire‘s Ayr Road (A77) completes the hat-trick.

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Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 103, 6 January 2022

Visualisation of proposed new Shawlands Arcade

Happy New Year!

The first Digest of 2022 has a few loose ends to clear up from last year. Firstly, there’s the proposed regeneration of Shawlands Arcade on Kilmarnock Rd (as shown in split image, above). Secondly, there’s North Lanarkshire Council’s Active Travel strategy, which is a long way off the pace set by Glasgow’s.

The last edition featured negative reaction to Spaces for People lanes in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire. Another issue has come up elsewhere – a petition against SfP lanes between Paisley and Howwood in Renfrewshire.

While cycling is usually on the agenda in Glasgow it’s often missed out in surrounding areas, which feed the city’s traffic issues. Cars are king in suburban towns so any projects that try to redress the balance will need support. On a more positive note, Sustrans are funding minor upgrades to existing NCN routes in Renfrewshire and elsewhere.

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Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 102, 23 December 2021

Side-by-side crossing at Brouster Hill, East Kilbride

Season’s greetings

This time of year is known for excess and there’s a glut of consultations and responses in this issue. Contra-flow cycling is a theme with responses from Glasgow ruling it out while South Lanarkshire have quietly implemented it in East Kilbride.

However, EK’s Spaces for People project (as seen in featured image, above) is up for consultation and needs support to counter local criticism.

Without wanting to tread on the toes of our national consultations digest, Transport Scotland’s long-delayed pavement parking consultation has started. Most GoBike members will have experiences to add to that!

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Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 101, 9 December 2021

Argyle St west plan (Central station)

Intro 101 or Room 101?

The number 101 can mean an introductory course in a US college. Alternatively, it could be a torture chamber of your worst nightmares in the book Nineteen Eighty-Four. The Digest covers both bases with some horribly complicated plans to try to explain in simple terms.

If only this didn’t apply to any of the latest plans from Glasgow’s Avenues Project. While safer routes are welcome, issues with side streets don’t seem to have improved since Sauchiehall St. The lanes on Argyle St west (Central Station end, shown above) seem to be based on a retro movie poster.

Elsewhere, the south-west of Glasgow has the most consultations in this issue (there’s no prize, by the way).

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Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 100, 25 November 2021

SEC Arrival Hall plans and sections

Ton up!

The one hundredth issue of the Digest is perhaps a moment to reflect on what’s happened in the past nearly four years. While things could always be better, there is more cycling infrastructure in place now than there was then. Projects like Spaces for People, Connecting Woodside or the East Kilbride Active Travel Network have gone in the ground (even if the rest of the South City Way hasn’t).

Around three quarters of those issues were written by the previous editor, Tricia Fort, who deserves a lot of credit for establishing the Digest (especially as it used to cover national issues too). Digest 1 in January 2018 mentioned work starting on the Sauchiehall St Avenue, just as events are due for the next phase along the precinct…

Forthcoming consultations:

Glasgow Avenues consultation events:

Provisional plans seen by GoBike didn’t match current standards in the updated Cycling by Design guidelines. Please attend if you can to speak up for better quality cycle lanes.

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Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 99, 11 November 2021

Polar bear cycling in George Square

A bear on a bike in the Square.

The route of the March for Climate Justice on Saturday 6 November started on Kelvin Way and passed more Spaces for People measures in George Square. An order has come out to help make the temporary Spaces for People measures around the square permanent.

The march couldn’t get anywhere near the COP26 venue at the SEC. It has just lodged a planning application for its sometimes public cycle/footbridge. Looking further to the future, this Digest also includes two long term strategies for Glasgow and another for South Ayrshire.

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