The GoBike Annual General Meeting will take place on Thursday the 19th November 2020 from 19:00. It will be followed by our annual public meeting and end around 21:00.
As with most events this year, we will have to undertake this remotely. To help us ensure that the technology is able to cope, we will be requiring people to register via Eventbrite. A further notification will come out shortly with the Eventbright link and details on our guest speaker.
We hope as many of our members and friends can attend, it has certainly been a quite strange year. However, one that has brought significantly more cycling friendly infrastructure to our roads than we would have imagined at the AGM last year.
GoBike welcomes Glasgow City Council’s announcement that they are going to be making improvements to enable people walking, wheeling and cycling to keep at a safe distance in the city.
The creation of temporary cycle lanes has been rolled out by many cities over the world, in response to Covid-19. It is heartening to see that Scotland’s main cities are following suit.
GoBike has sent a letter to the First Minister calling for the Scottish Government to take a pragmatic approach to outdoor exercise in Scotland. The tone emanating from Westminster has caused us some concern. We believe that even if the United Kingdom Government, as part of their Covid-19 measures, ban outdoor exercise in England, this should not be adopted in Scotland at this time.
Permission has been granted to a film company for the closure of South Portland Street Suspension Bridge, on the morning of Tuesday 12th November, between 9am and 12 noon.
The original request was for the closure to begin at 8am, however the council required this to be moved to 9am, with the intention of minimising inconvenience to commuter cyclists.
Please plan an alternative route, Such as Glasgow Bridge or Victoria Bridge, if you were intending to be crossing the Clyde over the Suspension Bridge after 9am.
On a separate note, we in GoBike Towers believe that this is the longest bridge name in Glasgow. If however you can think of another, please send in your answers on the back of a postcard.
Our 2019 Public Meeting and AGM is only 1 week away, next Saturday, 16th November. This year we are extremely pleased that Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Convener Edinburgh City Council Transport and Environment Committee, will be our Guest Speaker. This will provide us with an opportunity to understand what is being planned for Edinburgh, the issues they are facing and what lesson could be learned for Glasgow.
Please make sure you spread the word that everybody is welcome to attend the whole event. To help us gauge numbers you can book tickets on here.
The agenda for the afternoon is:
14:00 Registration, Tea and Coffee
14:15 Open AGM – Co-convenors welcome, apologies, quorum – Approval of 2018 minutes – Nominations to the Committee
14:20 Treasurer’s report
14:30 Co-convenors review of the year
14:45 South City Way Campaign – Bob Downie
14:55 Members Motion – Pat Toms Motion Text: GoBike is concerned that GCC officers do not act consistently in accordance with council policy on Active Travel – with regards to new inappropriate facilities (South City Way, Sauchiehall Street and elsewhere) and inappropriate approval of a planning application (the recent University development for which there is inappropriate provision for increased traffic on University Avenue). The council is asked to investigate why there is recurring non-compliance, to identify changes that would ensure compliance and to take appropriate action. This meeting wishes this motion be presented to the Active Travel Forum, all councillors, be sent to the press with a press release and be sent to Glasgow’s Urbanist, who is being employed by GCC to consider officer skills in part.
15:05 AOB – Cycling for Scotland Event Cancelation – Jimmy Keenan
15:10 Close AGM
ShortComfort Break
15:20 Guest Speaker: Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Convener Edinburgh City Council Transport and Environment Committee
16:00 Q&A Panel Session
16:30 GoBike Public Meeting 2019 Closes
The AGM will be held at Bike for Good’s Community Space at their Victoria Road location.
After the extremely dangerous conditions of the cycle paths last winter, we called for action from Glasgow City Council for a drastic reprioritisation of the winter maintenance policy. We requested a policy that more fairly reflects the right for all people to get around, not just those who have access to a car.
We are gladdened that the Council not only listened, but have acted upon this, with the announcement of the purchase of a vehicle which will de-ice segregated cycle paths with a salt solution.
It is with a great deal of frustration and sadness that GoBike, along with the other organisers of the World Car Free Day event in Glasgow, including Carfree Glasgow and Freewheel North, are no longer able to organise a Car Free celebration this year.
So, when on your bike today, as part of your commute, group ride, or just popping down the street for some cake, take a photograph of that piece of infrastructure that you like, as well as one of that makes your heart sink every time you use it or pass it.
Our annual event to record the Good and Bad cycling infrastructure returns this Friday 13th September. Get your phone out and take photos of all those bits of infrastructure you love, a well as the ones that get under your skin. Then post them online to your favourite social media platform with the hashtag #GlasgowCycleInfraDay19
