Strathclyde Cycle Campaign
Consultations about cycling infrastructure, transport and public spaces. GoBike gathers these together into Digests:
In my nearly 20 years of policy work, I’ve never known a time where there have been so many major consultations live at the same time. It’s time to get busy – plus there’s the local elections on 5 May, now less than 100 days away.
Continue reading “Consultation Digest (National) Issue 10, 28 Jan 2022: The one with the carrots”
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.
Continue reading “Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 104, 20 January 2022”
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.
Continue reading “Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 103, 6 January 2022”
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!
Continue reading “Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 102, 23 December 2021”
We are a few month’s into the current parliamentary term and here come the consultations on government policy. I expect quite a few over the coming months. The 4th National Planning Framework is the main focus of this digest with two live consultations – from the Government and from a Parliamentary Committee.
Continue reading “Consultation Digest (National) Issue 9, 10 Dec 2021: The one after the Budget”
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).
Continue reading “Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 101, 9 December 2021”
Tonight at our AGM Tricia Fort, who has been instrumental for many many years to the GoBike campaign, stood down from her role on our committee. She has been a key component to GoBike, leading the campaign for many years, as well as fighting hard in keeping up our consultations aspect of the campaign. Tonight, she echoed her calls to other campaigners to step up and get more involved – and what better inspiration for us than Tricia’s footsteps. We will miss her dearly but knowing Tricia, we are sure that she is going to continue to give up her free time for many years to come to make Glasgow and in fact our world a better place.
Messages of thanks to Tricia have flooded in and so we wanted to share some of them here.
Continue reading “Thank you Tricia Fort!”
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…
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.
Continue reading “Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 100, 25 November 2021”
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.
Continue reading “Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 99, 11 November 2021”
There are no official consultations of relevance at present so this digest is different to usual. Instead this month there’s information on how you can raise your voice for the climate and cycling during COP26, and a look at the new Cycling by Design guidance.
Continue reading “Consultation Digest (National) Issue 8, 29 October 2021: The one before COP26”