Category: GoBike

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Cycle Campaign Workshop. 29th July, 3 days to go!

3 days to go! Don’t forget to book!

Eventbrite - GoBike Call For Action Campaigning Workshop

Lets showcase two potential campaigning projects:

Cycle Desire Network map: Using local knowledge and cycling data we can highlight the missing gaps and most important direct routes that need to be made safe for all. Using QGIS mapping software people can help contribute to a configurable digital map which can be shown to councillors and decision makers; this has been well revived in other cities. Having a laptop will be useful for using the open source software.

Friends of South City Way: With a new protected bike path from Queens Park to the city centre, we anticipate a bike lash. By setting-up Friends of South City Way the hope is to minimise misinformation and increase local support. Looking for people to be involved in setting-up a website, social media, organising local events and of course joining our campaign!

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Cycle Campaign Workshop. 29th July, 4 days to go!

4 days to go!

We have some interesting 10 minute talks about what local campaigners have done recently in the Glasgow area.

  • 20mph – for a new default urban speed limit. Tricia Fort GoBike Convener
  • Pedal on Parliament in Glasgow. Lizzie Reather
  • Friends of the Bears Way. Euan Muir
  • Using cycling data. Bob Downie.

Some of the talks have a direct relevance to some proposed pitches, more about that soon!

Do sign up if you haven’t already.

Eventbrite - GoBike Call For Action Campaigning Workshop

 

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Cycle Campaign Workshop 29th July, 5 days to go!

With 5 days to go before the Call to Action cycle campaign workshop this Saturday, we encourage every one to sign up!

Eventbrite - GoBike Call For Action Campaigning Workshop

We have received a number of project ideas that will be presented and discussed on the day, these include a cycle network mapping project, creating a campaign group for Victoria Road and #GlasgowCyclingInfraDay2

Each day this week we will be highlighting least one of the pitches to wet your appetite for the weekend

We also have some short talks about what GoBike has been doing recently, more on them soon!

 

  • Hosted in Dennistoun’s hi-tech City Park campus and featuring state-of-the-art facilities
  • 29th July  10:30 – 16:30 (BST)
  • Lunch provided*, with breaks for tea and coffee
  • If you have an idea you’ve not yet submitted, please do put it here.

 

 

* Donation to cover costs, do sign up; we’ll have a better estimate for feeding lots of hungry people!

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Give your view, 20mph, Borders rail corridor, Air Quality and more …. Your view is important.

GoBike is a member of Transform Scotland, a body that campaigns for public and active travel and they have sent out this list of current consultations – all of which impinge on those of us who cycle.  If you haven’t already, then please do give your views on them all.

“Consultation on default 20mph speed limit in urban areas
Deadline: 7 August, NOW EXTENDED TO 15 SEPTEMBER. Please tell all your friends, family, colleagues etc
Mark Ruskell MSP is proposing a Bill to be put forward in the Scottish Parliament to make 20mph the default speed limit in urban areas. There is now a consultation on this proposed Bill, which aims to gather the opinion of the public on a default 20mph speed limit. You can share your views by filling out this survey. To read about the benefits of 20mph limits, please see here.

Transport Scotland — Borders Transport Corridors Study survey
Deadline: 11 August
Transport Scotland are welcoming comments from members of the public and organisations on future transport developments in the Scottish Borders. Chief among the priorities for the Borders should be extending the Borders Railway beyond Tweedbank. We would also encourage people to call for support for bus services in the Borders; and better infrastructure for cycling on key routes in the Borders. Views can be submitted here.

ECCLR Committee — Consultation on Air Quality in Scotland
Deadline: 18 August
The Parliament’s Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform (ECCLR) Committee have launched a public consultation on air quality in Scotland. The Committee are keen to hear about a range of issues relating to air quality, more information on which can be found here. To see the consultation and respond, please visit the Committee’s consultation page.

Scottish Government — Consultation on the Air Departure Tax (ADT) Bill
Deadline: 15 September
The Scottish Government is proposing a 50% reduction in ADT by the end of the current session of the Scottish Parliament and also abolishing the tax in the future. The Government has launched two public consultations on ADT relating to the overall policy, and the environmental impact of the policy. To read the consultation and respond, see here. To read one of our recent briefings outlining our position on a cut to ADT, please see here.

Scottish Government — Consultation on the Climate Change Bill
Deadline: 22 September
The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on the new Climate Change Bill. Proposals include setting targets based on actual emissions, increasing the 2050 target to 90% emissions reduction, and making provisions for a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target to be set. The Bill itself makes technical changes, but does not focus on specific policies — this leaves the risk of little action being taken to tackle transport emissions. To read and respond to the consultation, please see here. Stop Climate Chaos Scotland have also prepared a response that people can sign and send to the Scottish Government. To see this and add your name, see here.

For more information on these action alerts and others, see our website at  <www.transformscotland.org.uk/whats-new/action-alerts>.”

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Parking controls and 20mph for Partick but no contraflow cycling on one-way streets.

Glasgow City Council are currently consulting on a Traffic Regulation Order to introduce a mandatory 20mph speed limit in a significant number of streets in Partick, see https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=18127  This follows earlier proposals to “manage” parking, which introduced some new one-way streets.  Unfortunately parking is still being allowed to a significant extent on many streets, to such an extent in fact that the Council refuse to allow contraflow cycling on these streets.  This is despite contraflow cycling on one-way streets being the default position in the design guide the Council uses, Cycling by Design!  Further details on our Consultations page and our Design Guides page.  Our letter of support for the 20mph proposal includes our concerns: GoBike Partick 20mph support with concern 100717

We have also responded to on-line consultations for Glasgow City Council’s proposed Mini-Holland scheme (details were on view on 23 June), the Green Party’s ambitious proposals to update their active travel policy and the future of the Walk, Cycle, Vote campaign.  We have supported a minor proposal from Glasgow City Council to control parking on Havannah Street/Duke Street.  See our Consultations page for details.

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GoBike Call For Action – Campaign Workshop 29th July

GoBike – Strathclyde’s Cycle Campaign – in association with Pedal On Parliament presents: GoBike Call for Action

Aimed at people in the Greater Glasgow area who are looking to push things forward for cycling in the city and beyond, GoBike are delighted to invite you to our inaugural campaigning workshop event. Showcasing GoBike’s recent campaigning activity and successes, the day will provide attendees the opportunity to meet, discuss and collaborate with other like-minded members and volunteers in formulating ideas and target areas you think our campaign needs to focus on.

  • Hosted in Dennistoun’s hi-tech City Park campus and featuring state-of-the-art facilities
  • 29th July  10:30 – 16:30 (BST)
  • Lunch provided*, with breaks for tea and coffee
  • Do you have an idea burning at the back of your brain you would like to pitch at the workshop? Please tell us your idea and a short description and we can fit it into the agenda for the day!

If you have a passion for helping make Glasgow and surrounds a healthier, happier and more pleasant place to get about, our workshop is the essential cycling date of the summer. Book your place now – tickets to this exciting campaigning event are free but limited.

Eventbrite - GoBike Call For Action Campaigning Workshop

Any questions or discussions can be had in the Glasgow City Cycling Forum.

*voluntary donations to cover expenses

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Sunday 02 July, ride out with GoBike!

 

This coming Sunday, why not meet up with other GoBike members at the north end of the Bell’s Bridge in Glasgow at 10:00 and then cycle out to the Erskine Bridge and on to Greenock and Inverkip?

Here are the ride details from our Cycle Rides page:

Sunday 2 July – Dargavel & Clyde Coastal Path
A ride out straight out to the Erskine Bridge before taking a detour around the Dargavel development at Bishopton, then picking up the Clyde Coastal Path from Langbank. After lunch in Greenock, an option to continue to Inverkip, before returning to Glasgow by train.
Meet 10am Bell’s Bridge, Congress Road, Glasgow.
Ride on paths Ride on quiet roads Ride on canal towpaths Moderate hill climbing Train home from finish
Rated: Go Bike star rating Go Bike star rating Go Bike star rating

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New Cycling Scotland Strategy

GoBike is a member of Cycling Scotland and we have been informed about the new Cycling Scotland Strategy 2017-22 which has been approved by the Cycling Scotland Board.  Here’s a copy: Cycling Scotland Strategy 2017-22 – FINAL

(the online version will be available on the new website, which will be going live during the summer)

The Board and all the staff look forward to working with us all, in GoBike and the other member organisations, to achieve the aims and ambitions in this strategy, helping pursue our vision of a sustainable, inclusive and healthy Scotland where anyone, anywhere, can enjoy all the benefits of cycling.

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Glasgow’s Strategic Plan for Cycling wins a prize!

We now need to hold them to it!  You can read the Strategic Plan here.  Here’s the text we were sent by Glasgow City Council:

Pedal power for Glasgow as city council wins transport award for cycling
Glasgow City Council has been awarded for its achievements in cycling at this year’s Scottish Transport Awards.
Organised by Transport Times, the annual awards is now in its 15th year and recognises excellence, innovation and progress across all areas of Scotland’s transport industry.
Glasgow was shortlisted in four categories, winning Achievements in Cycling for its Strategic Plan for Cycling 2016 – 2025.

Glasgow’s award was received by Councillor Anna Richardson, City Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction.
Cllr Richardson, collecting the award on behalf of the council, said: “Winning this award is fantastic recognition for everyone involved.  Our strategic plan for cycling outlines the city’s vision, objectives, targets and actions for increasing levels of cycling across the city.  And it’s working.
“New investment in infrastructure, from safe, segregated cycle routes to traffic calming and 20mph limits, has led to an increase in the number of people choosing to travel by bike on a daily basis.
“We will continue to work with our partners and local communities to enhance the city’s cycling infrastructure, increase the provision of safe cycle routes segregated from traffic as well as improving road safety, introduce traffic calming schemes, and develop further safer cycle and walking routes.”

Several key cycle routes including the West City Way (safe route largely segregated from traffic from Kelvingrove Park to Central Station) and the South West City Way (2km of urban segregated cycle route linking Pollokshields to the City Centre via the Tradeston footbridge) have been introduced.

New developments already underway include the South City Way, a £6.5m segregated route from Victoria Road in the south side to Merchant City in city centre.  The council project won the Scottish Government’s first ever Community Links Plus funding competition, attracting £3.25m funding.

Key outcomes to date from the implementation of Glasgow Strategic Plan for Cycling include:
•    Each year, a cordon count is undertaken around the city centre.  The number of cycle trips across the cordon has risen 6.7% between 2015 and 2016.
•    Monitoring counts on the new South West City Way route has shown that its popularity has steadily increased by 11% since opening in 2015
•    Glasgow’s mass automated cycle hire scheme has been phenomenally successful, with growth in rentals during 2016 at just under 25%.
Further information about cycling in Glasgow www.glasgow.gov.uk/cycling
Further information about the Scottish Transport Awards www.transporttimes.co.uk
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Byres Road, Glasgow – read what’s happening with the redevelopment.

We have received this news about the redesign of Byres Road:

“What’s happening with Byres Road?

We may have been quiet since the launch event in February, but that doesn’t mean nothing has been happening!

Technical surveys
We’ve been using our enforced silence (due to elections in May and June) to do essential survey research.  A busy street like Byres Road is full of things we have to accommodate: underground pipes and cables, subway tunnel, buses, traffic and lots more besides.  

All of these things are ‘constraints’ that we have to design around, and we need to know what we’re dealing with before starting to work with you, the public, to redesign the face of the street.  We should finish that work in July.

Now that the elections are over and technical surveys are nearly complete, we’re almost ready to kick off our public engagement work again.  But to avoid conflicting with the holiday season, we’ve decided to wait until the school holiday season is over before organising any public events.

Library displays
So, for now, we’ve put up a display in Partick Library, containing the giant map of Byres Road from the February launch event with 200 people’s comments.  It’s a fascinating insight into Byres Road today, and people’s aspirations for it in the future.

The display will be moving up to Hillhead Library later in a few weeks’ time – we’ll let you know when.

Design events in late summer
Once the schools return in August, we’ll be holding a series of public design events, continuing on into September.  We’ll use these to test different options for the street with you. 

Dates will be announced next month in another email update like this – or you can keep up-to-date on Facebook (@ByresRoadCorners).

Over the summer we’ll also be engaging with the local business sector and specific user groups like disabled people, taxi drivers, bus companies and so on.

Overall timeline
The overall timeline for the project (see title pic) gives you an idea of what will happen when over the next couple of years.  You can see it at the Partick Library display too.

Thanks for your patience.  We’ll be in touch again next month!”

Please check in to the Facebook page (@ByresRoadCorners) to get direct updates.