Strathclyde Cycle Campaign
There’s a petition going on 38 degrees to get this bridge reinstated. It’s a vital link to Glasgow Green and Glasgow City Centre for people living just south of the river in Oatlands. Please sign it: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/free-the-polmadie-bridge-1
Our friends at Camglen Bike Town are holding a Bike Town Cycle Festival and Open Day and invite you to come and join them at their celebration of cycling and opening day for their brand new Bike Town premises.
Date:
Saturday 29th October
11am-4pm
Bike Town
Unit 5
Thomson Court
Rutherglen
G73 2RR
It’s on Cathcart Place in Rutherglen, just behind Aldi – and GoBike will be there!
In today’s Herald (Wednesday 12 October) a letter from Bob Downie, who’s a member of GoBike’s Strategy Group, see: http://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/14795780.Time_to_buy_into_cycling/
We have reported recently on the terrible decisions made by councillors in East Dunbartonshire and South Ayrshire. Here’s the Sustrans view, by the Director of Sustrans Scotland, John Lauder:
We have now booked the Admiral Bar on Waterloo Street, Glasgow for the GoBike AGM on Wednesday 23 November, at 7:30pm
This will be followed by our Public Meeting and Councillor Martin McElroy, Glasgow’s Cycling Commissioner (no longer a Czar!) will outline the City Council’s views on the following aspects of the Strategic Plan for Cycling:
You can find the Strategic Plan for Cycling from this link: http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/councillorsandcommittees/viewDoc.asp?c=P62AFQDNT1Z3DX81ZL
We hope to see you all on the 23rd!
What are we paying our Council Tax and Income Tax for if we don’t get the infrastructure? Councillors, and yes, it’s the SNP again, voting to rip up the new Holmston Road Cycle lane – funded by Sustrans. See: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/ayrs-holmston-road-cycle-lane-8991434
First it was the Bears Way under threat, and now Holmston Road – Council elections next May!
After the very low key launch of the 20mph speed limit in Glasgow City Centre back in March this year, the City Council have finally got round to putting up banners proclaiming the limit.
Now all we need is compliance – and enforcement as necessary.
One of our members has asked us to publicise his correspondence with Glasgow City Council, Land & Environment Services. This makes his views clear about the quality of design, or lack of supervision and oversight, of both design and construction of facilities to be used by people on bikes. Here is his e-mail to us:
“To Members GoBike
From Pat Toms
Recently, GCC LES constructed a steep link path from Garrioch Drive G20 to join paths on the Kelvin Walkway (see attached photograph). After it was opened I informed LES it was hazardous. They replied it was constructed to the “best available profile”. Not long afterwards a commuting cyclist with child in a rear seat fell off the path. After the accident Andy Keba of Sustrans had the path inspected and stated it “is not suitable for all users at present” (Sustrans part-funded the path). LES had no alternative but to close the path. Letters and documents exchanged with LES are attached to this email.
This is an instance of inadequately designed cycle and pedestrian facilities in Glasgow. LES lacks the expertise to design quality facilities. An independent assessment of existing cycle and pedestrian facilities should be carried out and a strategy prepared to employ officers with appropriate expertise.
Pat Toms”
Here is his collection of correspondence, in chronological order, although his last attachment, numbered 7 is the one that summarises the current view: 0-5083a_works_and_site_information_for_tar-on-kelvin-walkway-and-garrioch 1-5749435-toms-civil_engineering_works_and_site_information_for_kelvin-walkway-botani-1 1-hazardous-pathway-hs-270516 2-email-from-coun-m-razaq-about-cycleway-profile-130616 3-hazardous-pathway-accident-200816
4-emails-from-and-to-sustrans-290816
5-cycleway-foi-request-to-les-290816
7-complaint-to-les-about-link-path-031016
Message from Cycling UK, which we fully support: Cycling UK understands that there is to be a discussion about the Holmston Road cycle lane in South Ayrshire on Thursday 6 October at 10am. We urge Cycling UK members in South Ayrshire to contact their local councillors today to express their support for the cycle lane remaining until some objective evidence is produced to justify its removal.
Here’s a link detailing the meeting: http://heyevent.uk/event/cfyrza23k2dp4a/council-meeting-discussing-cycle-lane
You can find details of your local elected representatives here: www.writetothem.com
In a disgraceful turn of events yesterday evening (Thursday 29 September) East Dunbartonshire Council voted against Phase 2, the continuation down to Kessington, of the Bears Way, A81 segregated cycle way. This is how the Milngavie & Bearsden Herald reported the story: http://www.milngavieherald.co.uk/news/local-headlines/phase-2-of-bears-way-is-not-going-ahead-1-4245341
It was the SNP and Liberals who voted against! The SNP, in government at Holyrood, who support, so we hear, the aim of 10% of journeys being by bike by 2020! If you live in the area, please write to your councillor – apparently some of them have never had a communication in support of the cycle route. The car lobby has won this battle but we must make sure they don’t win the war (of words).