Buy your shares in Speed Cushions now – and prepare for a bumpy ride!

Glasgow City Council are currently consulting on 3 proposals, one to install 8 asphalt road humps (similar to the photo) and two to install a total of 251 speed cushions, in 3 separate areas of Glasgow where a 20mph speed limit is being introduced.  This is despite Councillor Anna Richardson, Convenor of Sustainability and Carbon Reduction, saying, infront of about 200 people at today’s Cycling Scotland Conference in Glasgow, that her aim is to go for a city-wide 20mph speed limit with a justification being made for retaining limits of 30mph.  We have studied the proposals and have submitted objections.  In each case we have objected on the grounds that there has been no consideration of cycle traffic, that the money would be better spent on a city-wide scheme and have suggested that there should be liaison with Police Scotland to educate motorists who risk injury and death by exceeding the speed limit. The 3 proposals are:

Kempsthorn Road, Beltrees Road and Beltrees Crescent in Pollok, where 8 asphalt road humps are proposed.  We have suggested in addition that if the area is being used as a rat run that the through route should be blocked to motor traffic, which would have the added benefit of encouraging active travel.  A copy of the initial e-mail and the plan from GCC, plus the GoBike letter of objection are below:

Kempsthorn Road Traffic Calming email sent 11October 2017 Kempsthorn Road Traffic Calming GoBike Kempsthorn Road traffic calming objection 311017

Kingsland Drive and Thurston Road in Hillington/Cardonald, where 7 sets of cushions, ie 14 cushions in total, are proposed.  We have suggested that cycle lanes should be installed using armadillos or similar on each side of these roads, which, by narrowing the roadway, would reduce traffic speeds and also encourage active travel.  We do not know whether any analysis of the speeding vehicles has been carried out, but should it be that the roads are being used as a rat run then, either as an alternative, or an addition to the cycle lanes, consideration should be given to stopping off the through route to motor traffic.  A copy of the initial e-mail and the plan from GCC, plus the GoBike letter of objection are below:

Kingsland Drive email sent 09October 2017 Kingsland Drive traffic calming GoBike Kingsland Drive and Thurston Road traffic calming objection 311017

Consultation on both these schemes closes tomorrow 01 November, so if you wish to also submit an objection – or even a letter of support, we haven’t left you much time – sorry.

The third scheme, for which consultation closes on Friday 03 November is:

The Citywide 6A Traffic Calming Scheme, which, we are very pleased to see, covers a much bigger area than any proposed to date by Glasgow City Council, see this photograph of the plan:

This covers the very area where, with no consultation of which we are aware, shared footways are being installed under the guise of Fastlink Cycle Upgrades – see our previous post of 25 October.  While it is good to see a bigger area proposed for 20mph we are not pleased to see that it is proposed to install 237, yes 237, speed cushions in this one area alone.  At this rate, how many will be required for the whole city?  A truly citywide scheme is required where it is clear that, unless otherwise signed, speed limit is 20mph, and is managed as such.  We have suggested that cycle lanes using armadillos, or similar, be installed on either side of each road here to reduce motor traffic speeds and encourage active travel.  GCC’s e-mail to us and our letter of objection are here: Citywide 6A email sent 13 October 2017 GoBike Citywide 6A traffic calming scheme objection 311017