Author: Tricia Fort

The petition closes in just 4 days, 16:57 on Tuesday 17 March.  Follow these easy steps to sign:

1. If you live in Glasgow go to: https://www.glasgowconsult.co.uk/KMS/EpetitionHome.aspx?strTab=EPetitions&noip=1
2. Click on “View and create petitions” to go to the next page.
3. Click on the petition descriptor, in the centre of the right-hand for the petition signing screen.
4. Fill in your details, click submit – and wait for the e-mail back.
5. REPLY TO THE E-MAIL!  This confirms your signature and adds you to the list of signatories.

Please ask your friends, family and colleagues to sign as well.  If we can get the go-ahead for 20mph in Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland, it should be relatively easy to get this progressive measure approved in other parts of the Strathclyde area that GoBike covers.

IF YOU HAVE ALREADY SIGNED (or think you have), PLEASE CHECK THAT YOUR NAME IS SHOWN; there have been one or two glitches.

 

Watch STV views from 6 – 6:30 this evening to see Bob and Tricia on their bikes in the pouring rain on Victoria Road in Glasgow (barring breaking news we’ll be on, so hold back Jeremy Clarkson!)

Just time to watch this and then get to the Public Meeting at the Admiral, prompt start at 7:30 – and don’t forget to sign the petition at: https://www.glasgowconsult.co.uk/KMS/EpetitionHome.aspx?strTab=EPetitions&noip=1

Mark Beaumont presented the Road Share petition and research document to Holyrood this morning:

Road Share research news release final  Road Share Research Report

Here’s a summary of the press interest:

1.  BBC Good Morning Scotland will be speaking to Derek for the news at 8.15 at The Tun studios to discuss the campaign and the research document. They will also be speaking to one of our case study victims Jamie Aarons.  This came over really well; try and catch it on i-player.
2.  BBC Scotland TV in Edinburgh are sending a camera crew down to film Mark, Brenda and Derek deliver the report to Scottish Government MSPs at 8.45am. Their reporter will be there just after 9am to do interviews.
3. Edinburgh Evening News is scheduled to send a photographer and a reporter for the 8.45am media call.
4. Radio Forth is keen to get an interview with Mark Beaumont and have asked if we can head up to their studios on Forth Street for 10am.
5. STV’s Scotland Tonight programme is keen to use a pre-recorded piece in the evening and would like to interview Mark at their studios in Glasgow at 4pm. Alan Douglas, Motoring Correspondent may also be involved.
6. Scotland 2015 (Sarah Smith) have said they may be interested to have Mark speak on the sofa at 10pm at BBC in Glasgow if this is possible. TBC

 

Don’t forget the GoBike Public Meeting, Wednesday 11 March, 7 for 7:30pm in the Admiral Bar, Waterloo Street, Glasgow, with Phil Noble from City of Edinburgh Council talking about the introduction of a 20mph speed limit there and Carlyn Fraser from Clackmannanshire Council explaining how roads there have been calmed to encourage active travel.

Further details in our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bfAQUL

If you live in Glasgow and haven’t yet signed the petition, please do so.  The screenshot from the City Council website shows that today we are at 160 signatures.  We need more!  Please sign and ask your friends, family and colleagues to do likewise.  Here’s the link to the page shown on the screenshot (click on the petition descriptor to sign):

https://www.glasgowconsult.co.uk/KMS/EpetitionHome.aspx?strTab=EPetitions&noip=1

Read Bob Downie’s views on 20mph in Susan Swarbrick’s blog – and convince yourself, and others, that this is the way to go for our towns and cities.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/bloggers/cycle-pathic-could-20mph-speed-limits-make-glasgow-s-roads-a-safer-and-more-pleasan.1425670702

Now please sign the petition at: https://www.glasgowconsult.co.uk/KMS/epetitions.aspx  if you haven’t done so already, and please encourage your friends, family and colleagues to do likewise – although it’s Glasgow residents only.

 

Glasgow City Council is consulting, until tomorrow (06 April) on a proposal to redetermine the footways on Pollokshaws Road and Langside Avenue adjacent to Queens Park as available for cyclists as well as pedestrians.  Although these footways are quite wide and relatively little-used, we have objected to this proposal since Pollokshaws Road is a major commuter route and requires proper cycle lanes and cyclists who don’t want to use the road would go via Queens Park itself rather than on the adjacent footway.  The Council’s proposals may be seen here and our letter of objection is on our Consultations page: https://www.gobike.org/campaignsconsultations/consultations

 

GoBike has this morning issued its first press release: see it here to highlight the improvement in fuel consumption by travelling at 20mph rather than 30, and our inconclusive evidence (on a small sample) of changes in journey time when driving on city streets.

We will be on the John Beattie programme on Radio Scotland, 13:00 – 13:30 today!

Our first electronic newsletter is now available online

It contains news of our Public Meeting on 11 March at the Admiral Bar, Waterloo Street, Glasgow, with speakers from Clackmannanshire Council and City of Edinburgh Council.

Note that we are a MEMBER organisation; if you support us please join as a member – and come along to the meeting on 11 March.

 

We have decided against proceeding with an appeal to the Court of Session for Glasgow City Council’s proposals for Yorkhill.  We got some very brief, but to the point (and free) advice from a solicitor about the cost, not only of the application, but also engaging a solicitor and advocate.  We are also aware that there would be a further cost, for those of us who live in Glasgow, for the City Council to defend our appeal!  A further thing that we did learn from the solicitor is that successful  civil litigation has been brought against local authorities who have contravened the Traffic Signs Manual and cyclists have been injured at the location.  We do not want such accidents to happen in Glasgow and we have written to Councillors Alistair Watson, Matt Kerr and Frank McAveety to ask them to beware failure to comply with the manual.  Our letter may be seen here: https://www.gobike.org/campaignsconsultations/consultations

Have we lost face as a result of what might be seen as a climb-down?  Possibly.

Have we learnt from this?  Very definitely.

Do we need a better grasp of legal matters?  Yes, and if there is someone out there, reading this or someone you know, who could help us, please get in touch.