Strathclyde Cycle Campaign
We will head out of Glasgow along the Loch Lomond Railway Path, but only as far as Dumbarton. After the lunch stop there will be a tour around the Dumbarton area to see some of the local attractions, including passing Strathleven House, before returning to Glasgow.
Continue reading “GoBike Ride – Sunday 1st March – Dumbarton Loop”This ride will consist of a circular route into the east of the city, taking in a number of newish developments, as well as a few parks. The furthest extent of the ride will be Robroyston with its new station, and Hogganfield Loch. We will also visit the canal at Hamiltonhill, Sighthill regeneration site, Tollcross Park, the Cuningar Loop park, the Polmadie Bridge, Govanhill Park, and finally end up at the Tradeston Bridge.
Continue reading “GoBike Ride – Sunday 2nd February – Eastern City Excursion”
You may have seen in our last Consultations Digest that Byres Road Traffic Regulation Orders are out for consultation until Friday 14th February. We are expecting there to be some backlash against these and so your emails of support could go a long way to countering any opposition.
Continue reading “Byres Road TROs Need Your Support”
When is away from busy roads not away from busy roads? When it’s beside it, but protected from traffic.
The results are out from the latest travel survey undertaken at the University of Glasgow and are online here and here for everyone to peruse.
We have been looking through it at GoBike and have major concerns with the wording of one of the provided responses to questions about cycling – “More cycle routes away from busy roads”.
Table 3.12 – Encouraging Cycling (top responses for Gilmorehill Campus)
What would encourage you to cycle more?
39% – Better / safer cycle routes and improved lighting
39% – More cycle routes away from busy roads
34% – Nothing would encourage me to cycle / cycle more
28% – More direct cycle routes
We would argue (and we know others had highlighted this during the survey process too) that “away from busy roads” could as easily be read as “protected from busy traffic” and therefore “segregated cycle lanes” as opposed to the assumption the report is making, that respondents are indicating a preference for quieter cycle routes through the campus, and away from direct routes such as University Avenue. We certainly would suggest that a fear of mixing with traffic is at the heart of why these respondents have chosen this answer for why they don’t cycle more, and not necessarily that they want to be able to cycle a longer more convoluted route to get to where they are going.
The finding of a preference for “away from busy roads” is repeatedly referred to within the final report (e.g. 5.3.2 The most popular response for both staff and students is a desire to see better / safer cycling routes and improve lighting around the University campuses and / or more cycle routes away from busy roads.)
We fear that the ambiguity of the wording may allow for this finding to be artificially skewed. UofG are likely to be looking for backing for their plans to provide cycle routes through their campus in lieu of ignoring the more important direct arterial route of University Avenue. We are highlighting it here in the hope that it might avoid this happening and the 700 people who signed our petition agree.
Protected bike lanes seem the most obvious solution to providing space for cycling “away from busy roads”, and they also tick the important requirement for routes to be direct. The cost of inconvenience is that people will often choose not to cycle. There has also been another suggestion from within our team though. How about solving the need to create space “away from busy roads” by “making the roads not busy”. Now wouldn’t that be a mind blowing idea!
Buried within the appendices of the UofG Travel Survey Report 2019 are a couple more pertinent comments which we sincerely hope will be taken on board:
We have recently linked to a new report published by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Scottish Government on our Evidence pages (see Health) called the UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines that provides a wealth of evidence to show just how valuable exercise such as active travel is, not just to ourselves personally, but also on a much wider scale. We believe this goes a long way to show just how much of a health issue active travel is and should be treated as, particularly when it comes to funding considerations.
Here are some key quotes and infographics pulled out by one of our members for us.
Continue reading “More evidence that improved cycling infrastructure is good for health.”
GoBike is heartened to learn this week that Glasgow City Council will no longer be counting bus corridors as part of the city’s cycling route network. Years of wishful thinking had allowed GCC to claim 310km of cycle routes in the city by counting any road designated as a bus corridor – even when some included roads are without bus lanes for long stretches. We hope that this newer, more realistic approach will allow officers and elected members to fully appreciate the work that needs to be done to fulfill the aspirations in the council’s Strategic Plan for Cycling.
Continue reading “Glasgow City Council to no longer count bus lanes as cycle routes!”
There will be a peaceful demonstration to show support for the Safer Streets 20mph Bill at 1pm this Tuesday (11th June) in Edinburgh at the Scottish Parliament.
Continue reading “Demo to support the Safer Streets 20mph Bill – Tuesday 1pm”We are devastated to have heard that we lost someone cycling on our roads today. We send our condolences to this woman’s friends and family, and strength to the wider cycling community who we know are feeling the shock.
We would like to stand with her in solidarity and join with others in a brief and respectful silent protest for safer cycling. We will gather at 17:30 on the pavement at the corner of Pollokshaws Road and Nithsdale Drive this Friday 24th where we will hold a two minute silence signalled by a bell, and then disperse.
I am standing down as GoBike co-convenor this week and I wanted to say a big thank you and goodbye from me. After a year and a half in the role it’s time for me to move on and let others take up the fight.
Continue reading “Thank you GoBike !”
** Sign and share our petition. **
It’s crunch time for University Avenue, and we would like to ask for your help. Current plans for the redesign of this key arterial street do not include protected space for cycling and we simply cannot allow for the plans to go through unresisted. It would be a tragedy for the future of a safe linked up network of direct cycling routes in our city if University Avenue does not make space for protected cycling – for the staff and students who travel to the University, for the commuters who use the direct route to pass through, for parents taking their children to school or to the park, and for everyone who would like to chose to cycle but won’t, because sharing road space with heavier and faster moving vehicles stops them.