Investment in landmark cycle routes delivering record share of journeys by bike in Scotland

• Record proportion of journeys being made by bike on Edinburgh’s new City Centre route and Glasgow’s South City Way
• Over 1,700 more people cycling on Glasgow’s South City Way in two-day survey period in September 2024 vs 2023, a 46% annual increase
• Edinburgh’s City Centre West to East Link sees additional 1,000 people cycling in two-day survey period in January 2025 vs 2024, an 83% annual increase
• Evidence of wider impact of South City Way, with growth in cycling on nearby streets

New traffic data collated by Cycling Scotland, Scotland’s national cycling charity, has revealed the growing success of two new landmark cycle routes in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and their impact in supporting more people to travel by bike.

Over a 48-hour period in September 2024, traffic surveys recorded 5,457 bikes on the South City Way cycle route on Victoria Road in the south of Glasgow. This was out of a total of 36,417 travel methods recorded, meaning that 15% of people cycled their journey – a new record cycling modal share for an urban street in Scotland.

Overall, 1,718 more bike journeys were recorded on the South City Way over the two-day survey period in September 2024, compared to the same period in September 2023. This is a 46% year-on-year growth in the number of people cycling along the route.

Illustrating the wider impact of the route, cycling was recorded as accounting for 4.3% of journeys on nearby Nithsdale Road, which has no safe cycle lanes, but which connects the nearby area of Pollokshields to the South City Way. The number of people cycling on Nithsdale Road increased by 45% from September 2023 to September 2024, with nearby Allison Street also recording a 22% increase in cycling over the same period.

Edinburgh’s City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL) – which connects Roseburn to the city centre – recorded a cycling modal share of 8.3% in September 2024, just nine months after it was completed.

A 48-hour traffic survey conducted in January 2025 on the CCWEL recorded a total of 2,199 people cycling on the West Coates section – 1,000 more bike journeys compared to the same two-day period in January 2024, shortly after construction of the route. This is a 83% year-on-year growth in the number of people cycling along this route.

Glasgow’s South City Way is one of the most ambitious urban cycle routes in the country, showcasing what investment in a good quality network of safe cycling routes can achieve. Running for 3km, the route’s fully separated, on-street cycle lanes provide a high-quality, direct link between communities in Glasgow’s Southside and the city centre. The route was developed by Glasgow City Council and Sustrans, with cross-party support and funding from Sustrans’ Places for Everyone Programme. Glasgow City Council continues to expand it further, with new connections planned through development of the citywide network of active travel routes.

Officially opened in early 2024, Edinburgh’s 4km City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL) provides a high-quality west-east cycling route connecting Roseburn in the city’s West End to Picardy Place, via Haymarket Rail Station. The project included improved road crossings, footways, street surfacing and greening improvements along the route, and was delivered by City of Edinburgh Council, with funding from Transport Scotland through Sustrans’ Places For Everyone programme, alongside additional funding from the Scottish Government and the Council’s transport budget.

At Picardy Place, the CCWEL now connects to the 2km Leith Walk cycle route, which saw a total of 580,000 cycle journeys in 2024 – a 40% increase on the number of cycle journeys recorded in 2023.

Cycling Scotland organises traffic surveys across Scotland to monitor changes in travel behaviour, working in partnership with all 32 local authorities at over 100 locations. Conducted biannually in May and September each year, these nationwide traffic surveys help to track changes in modal share, highlighting how new high-quality cycle routes such as this are supporting more people to make sustainable journeys.

Annalise, a commuter who cycles with her son to school along Glasgow’s South City Way several times a week, shared her thoughts on the route: “It’s brilliant to have this and it makes such a difference. I’ve lived in other parts of the city that don’t have anything like this, and I didn’t cycle as much as I do now. We cycle together to school a few days a week, and I then use the route the rest of the way to get to work in the centre. It saves me so much time.”

Julie, who uses the CCWEL to cycle to work in Edinburgh city centre said: “This is a route I take every day. It makes a huge difference in terms of how safe you feel. The biggest difference I’ve noticed are the different types of people on the road as well as regular commuters. So many school kids using it and people with cargo bikes. It’s joyful to see more people using their bikes.”

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop MSP, said: “I’m pleased to welcome this latest evidence from Cycling Scotland. It confirms what cities around the world and here in Scotland already know – where you create a safer environment for cycling through quality infrastructure and support to use it, you see more people cycling.

“In turn, this means more people living healthier lives, saving money, leaving their car at home and reducing their emissions

“To support the continued ambitions and leadership of our towns and cities – and to make walking, wheeling and cycling easier for shorter everyday journeys, in 2025-26 the Scottish Government will invest £188 million to make it even easier for people to choose sustainable active travel.”

Councillor Angus Millar, Convener for Transport and Climate at Glasgow City Council said: “The continued growth in the number of people using the South City Way demonstrates that when we build safe, segregated and accessible active travel infrastructure, Glaswegians will come and make use of it.

“It’s clear that rebalancing our roads by adding active travel infrastructure helps people feel more at ease when cycling and leads to a roads network that’s fairer for everyone. We know that many people only feel comfortable choosing the bike for everyday journeys where they have confidence that they can make use of safe, segregated cycle infrastructure for most or all of their route.

“With the recent completion of the final phase of the South City Way to Candleriggs in the city centre and ongoing work to extend the active travel network with the Connecting Battlefield project, the success of this key corridor is a great blueprint for Glasgow as we work to deliver our plans for a comprehensive City Network of segregated cycle infrastructure to connect communities across the city.”

Councillor Stephen Jenkinson, Transport and Environment Convener at City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Here in Edinburgh, it’s really encouraging to see these new figures which reflect the increased popularity and patronage of the CCWEL since its opening last year. Equally, the increase in cycle journeys at the junction of Picardy Place and Leith Walk is very welcome news. Providing quality active travel infrastructure across our city remains a key priority and I’m determined that this will continue.

“It’s clear that by providing these amenities which allow active travel in a safe, simple and integrated way we’ll see an uptake in use. In order to fulfil our climate objectives and goals for mobility in the city, we have a responsibility to our residents and visitors to maintain, improve and expand this infrastructure. Indeed, just a few months ago we saw the opening of the Roseburn to Union Canal route and with ongoing projects like Leith Connections and Meadows to George Street I’m really optimistic looking forward.”

Keith Irving, Chief Executive of Cycling Scotland, said: “This is yet more evidence that when Scotland builds high quality cycling infrastructure, it gets more people cycling. Given that cycling journeys typically account for around 2% of traffic on urban streets, the fact we are now seeing four to seven times that number of journeys being cycled on these routes – together with the huge growth in cycling numbers – shows just what can be achieved when Scotland invests in safe cycling routes.”

“Road safety is the single biggest barrier to more people cycling, and the strong success of these landmark routes demonstrates clearly that investing in well-connected, dedicated cycling lanes is having an impact: helping more people to travel safely and affordably, benefiting our health, reducing harmful pollution and our impact on the climate. We need more safe cycling routes just like these, to bring the benefits to more people across Scotland.”

Further data on cycle rates in Scotland can be found on the Cycling Open Data Portal.

A full breakdown of the data, with supporting data visualisations, can be found on the Cycling Scotland website.

Source: Cycling Scotland press release 6 March 2025

Contents:

Section 1: Current Consultations

1. Streets for All Glasgow Commonplace Map, a joint GoBike, Glasgow Eco Trust and On Bikes initiative, please add your views and concerns
2. ** NEW** Renfrewshire Council Spaces for People consultation, closes 26 July
3. East Renfrewshire Council, Spaces for People Commonplace Map, closes 31 July
4. Glasgow City Council, help shape the future of (Y)our City Centre Districts

Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations

1. GoBike is going to consult its members on the Consultation Digest!

Section 3: Consultation Feedback

1. Glasgow, Woodside Making Places, response to GoBike Submission
2. Glasgow, South City Way, Bus Gate prior to completion
3. Glasgow, Byres Road, Space for Distancing measures prior to cycle lane construction
4. Parking and the Transport (Scotland) Bill, when will it come into effect?
5. A Deposit Return Scheme for Scotland, 2 years to wait!
6. North Lanarkshire Council, work begins on Motherwell Station

Section 1: Current Consultations

1.1 Streets for All Glasgow Commonplace Map, a joint GoBike, Glasgow Eco Trust and On Bikes initiative, please add your views and concerns

Back in Digest 55, Item 1.1 in early March, we alerted you to the Streets for All Glasgow Commonplace Map, an initiative from GoBike in coordination with Glasgow EcoTrust and On Bikes. This was somewhat overshadowed by the Glasgow City Council and the East Renfrewshire Council Spaces for People Commonplace Maps, looking for concern areas where social distancing for active travellers was difficult or impossible to achieve. The Glasgow City Council map has now closed for comment and the East Renfrewshire Council map closes on 31 July, see Item 1.2 below.

The Streets for All Glasgow Commonplace Map is still open for your contributions. We have longer term aims than the Spaces for People maps, so please do get your fingers tapping and tell us not just where social distancing measures are needed but where dropped kerbs, better crossings, segregation from motor vehicles and all the measures that could improve your cycling experience are needed.

We will then be able to take these forward to the City Council in a measured way to make our city a better place to live and move.

1.2 **NEW** Renfrewshire Council, Spaces for People consultation, closes 26 July

News just in: Renfrewshire Council have a Spaces for People Fund consultation taking place, but it closes soon, midnight on Sunday 26 July. Here’s some of the information from their website:

“As part of this, we plan to create nine cycleways for active travel, but we want your views on the proposed plans.

These are located at:

• Howwood to Paisley corridor (including Elderslie Gap)
• Glasgow Road (West), Paisley
• Barrhead Road, Paisley
• Causeyside Street, Paisley
• Central Paisley and West – including Ferguslie, St Mirren and Kilbarchan Rd
• Inchinnan Road, Paisley
• Greenock Rd, Inchinnan
• Inchinnan Road, Renfrew
• Paisley to Renfrew

View the proposals

You can see the  proposed outline plans on this PDF document [2MB]

Give us your feedback

Let us know what you think on the proposed cycleways by emailing us at ei@renfrewshire.gov.uk Your feedback can be submitted until midnight on Sunday 26 July 2020.”

This is quite and impressive set of proposals, many on major roads, so please do have a look at the details and put your comments in. GoBike has submitted this letter today, which might give you a few pointers.

1.3 East Renfrewshire Council, Spaces for People Commonplace Map, closes 31 July

East Renfrewshire Council is consulting on Spaces for People until the end of this month, ie a week on Friday, 31 July. Here are details of their Transport Response to Covid 19 and here is a direct link to the ERC Spaces for People Commonplace map. Please do contribute if you know the area.

1.4 Glasgow City Council, help shape the future of (Y)our City Centre Districts

Just about everyone who lives in Glasgow or visits from surrounding areas goes to one or more of these areas, ie the Merchant City, Cowcaddens, Townhead or the Learning Quarter so must have views on how improvements could be made. Please do enter them on the Commonplace Map. No closing date given but don’t delay.

Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations

2.1 GoBike is going to consult its members on the Consultation Digest!

Yes, we are going to consult GoBike members who are on Slack about the Digests. The editor of the Digests will be standing down at the GoBike AGM in November and we want to know what you, if you are a GoBike member (and it’s easy to join), think of these publications and even whether you might wish to get involved in their production. Watch out on the GoBike Slack Consultation channel for news of the survey.

Section 3: Consultation Feedback

3.1 Woodside Making Places, response to GoBike Submission

In Digest 63, Item 1.8 we detailed this public realm consultation by Urban Realm and included the detailed response from GoBike, drawn up by GoBike member, Brenda, with contributions from GoBike member and local resident, Alasdair.

On 07 July, almost in time to be in our last Digest, we got this excellent email back from the Woodside Making Places team:

“Dear Tricia,

Thank you for taking the time to thoroughly look over the plans; we agree that it would be preferable to have a face-to-face assessment of the plans, however at the moment, this is not something we are going to achieve unless Scottish Government restrictions change.

Going through points in your letter:

• Some roads are excluded primarily for budgetary reasons – we are keen to spend on people-focussed improvements, rather than descend into a road resurfacing project.
• We will look at opportunities for continuous footways with reduced radii at points mentioned – we would agree that this could be a very useful addition.
• We will consider the width of the paths and aim to provide 4m where possible.
• The area is relatively permeable at the moment, and we have picked up on a few existing desire lines, the next stage will review comments from the resident consultees and also bear in mind your note about ensuring permeability.
• We are looking at a variety of cycle storage, from individual (or family sized) lockers capable of taking trailers / cargo bikes etc. to ad hoc visitor parking (Sheffield-type stands). The refurbishment of the tower block included some cycle storage. The location of these will be reassessed at the next stage of design based on the criteria you have provided. The Oakgrove shelter is a sketch at this stage and not intended as sole cycle storage for the school, we would expect this to be funded through the Cycle Friendly School initiative; the shelter would primarily serve parents / visitors / residents.

In response to specific details raised in your letter:

• The shared path along Braid Street is currently shown 4m wide.
• We will be reviewing parking along Raglan Street and Braid Street in line with your comments – this is great advice as a way to treat parking in this situation.
• There is a large level difference between Unity Place and the back of the flats at Braid Street, the path that zig-zags through the green space is designed to be an accessible gradient and is the primary route between the two; the steps are a quicker cut through.
• Karol Path has a multi-level set of issues; primarily the existing trees (much enjoyed by residents) are causing issue with the paving. The balance between retaining existing natural capital and access by people needs to be struck.
• We will investigate the viability between the west of Torridon Court and North Woodside Road, however this needs to work with the existing trees, and provide an accessible route. From a quick look, it would appear that this would be similar in length to the accessible route that we have shown going to the new plaza area at the junction of St. George’s Road and North Woodside Road.

We will be consulting on further phases and hope that there are clarifications and refinements which reflect your helpful advice and points of discussion above. Thank you again for your input. 

Best regards,
The Woodside Making Places Team“

Yes, they had read and taken note of our letter and not simply assigned it to either the Support or Objection box. We look forward to further dialogue and to overall improvements in this area.

3.2 Glasgow, South City Way, Bus Gate prior to completion

In Digest 25, Item 1, issued on 10 January 2019 we gave details of the proposals for continuing the South City Way from the Brazen Head pub at Cumberland Street along Gorbals Street and over the Clyde at the Victoria Bridge to the junction at the Clutha pub.

You might have noticed that construction on this section has not yet started? GoBike’s co-Convenors, Thomas and John, held an online meeting recently with Councillor Anna Richardson, who gave them this information:

• The appointed contractor is unable to start on site just yet.
• To improve cycling in the meantime the City Council has decided to install the bus gate, which was part of the consultation, at Cumberland Street for the southern section of Gorbals Street, ie from the Brazen Head junction to Cleland Street, just south of the Citizens’ Theatre. This will prevent private cars from travelling north on Gorbals Street between 7am and 7pm.
• Also, a cycle lane will be formed on Victoria Bridge.

While it’s disappointing that the South City Way is delayed (again), these 2 moves will improve road conditions for cycling.

3.3 Glasgow, Byres Road, Space for Distancing measures prior to cycle lane construction

At the same meeting GoBike was told that the construction of cycle lanes on Byres Road is not yet to be started but, to allow for social distancing, the following 2 measures will be put in place:

• The footways at both sides will be widened to allow social distancing for pedestrians
• Parking will be banned.

While these measures are not what GoBike and Space for People Byres Road campaigned for, the removal of parking will make cycling significantly better and we will all be able to enjoy the wider pavements on Byres Road in the meantime.

3.4 Parking and the Transport (Scotland) Bill, when will it come into effect?

GoBike has been campaigning for a ban on pavement parking since at least September 2015 as this post on our website demonstrates. We have responded positively to consultation too.

Anyone who has been out and about during lockdown will have seen that pavement parking is endemic; car after car after car with either 2 or all 4 wheels on the pavement outside flats and houses. The photo above was taken in a residential area in Glasgow, the feature photo for this Digest shows pavement parking, not far from their place of work, by employees on a route into Renfrew. This really does cut down the space for walking and cycling, so just what is happening?

MSP Sheila White’s Pavement Parking Bill was subsumed into the Transport (Scotland) Act, which the Scottish Parliament voted to pass on 10 October 2019.  The Bill received Royal Assent on 15 November 2019, ie over 9 months ago. No news of any progress on the Transport Scotland website and even Living Streets don’t have any update on their website.

Something to follow up with your MSP? Please do.

3.5 A Deposit Return Scheme for Scotland, 2 years to wait!

The Scottish Government consulted on a Bottle Deposit return scheme in 2018 as featured in Digest 15, Item 1.5. It may now be seen, on the Scottish Government website, that the scheme was approved in May this year and will go live in July 2022. Details of The Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020 may be seen here.

What’s this got to do with cycling, some might ask? Anyone who cycles around our towns and residential areas can’t have failed to see broken glass, let alone litter, and it’s the very fortunate person who hasn’t had a puncture on broken glass. Surely we all hope that with the implementation of the scheme there will be enough people who see the financial benefit of returning their bottles, to at least save a few tyres?

3.6 North Lanarkshire Council, work begins on Motherwell Station

GoBike responded to a Planning Application for a cycle access path to Motherwell Station earlier this year, as featured in Digest 61, Item 1.1, which will be a wee bit better than the existing. We received this update from North Lanarkshire Council on 17 July:

“ScotRail have appointed Balfour Beatty to carry out the works to redevelop Motherwell Rail Station. The station plans are the first phase of a wider project to create a transport integration hub in Motherwell town centre. The second phase on Muir Street will be carried out by the council in 2021.

The station works are being led by ScotRail. Transport Scotland and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) are also providing funding for the £14.5m project. Work started on 29 June with the demolition of an old building at the bottom of Platform 1 to make way for a new staff car park and will continue at the station itself in early August.

The taxi rank at the front of the station will close later in July to make way for ScotRail staff portacabins. Taxi pick up and drop will remain available on Muir Street. Two disabled parking bays will also be provided close to the station entrance during the works.  

For further information about the project, please visit: www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/motherwellstation ” 

It looks as it it will be a wee while, though, before access to the station is upgraded, but do take care near the works if you use Motherwell Railway Station.

______________________________

We’re moving out of lockdown and into the holiday season with only a few weeks before the schools go back.
Do enjoy the rest of the summer! More news early in August.

Contents

Section 1: Current Consultations

1. **NEW** GoBike, Glasgow Eco Trust and On Bikes, Walking & Cycling in Glasgow: Give us your views, open
2. Glasgow, Connecting Woodside, commonplace map for comments, closes 09 March
3. East Dunbartonshire, Dalkeith Avenue, Wellington Road and Westerhill Road, Bishopbriggs, No Waiting and No Loading at any time, closes 16 March
4. **NEW** East Dunbartonshire, Townhead, Kirkintilloch, No Waiting at any time restrictions, closes 16 March
5. **NEW** Glasgow, North Kelvin and North Woodside, Traffic Management and Parking Controls, closes 27 March
6. **NEW** Glasgow, Low Emission Zone Phase 2, online consultation, closes 29 March
7. Scottish Government — Fourth National Planning Framework, closes 31 March
8. **NEW** Glasgow, Hutchesontown (New Gorbals) Parking Controls, closes 13 April

Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations

1. Scottish Government — Fourth National Planning Framework, drop-in session and workshop, Glasgow, 17 March

Section 3: Consultation Feedback

1. Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Community Council Cycling Village consultation event held on 19 February, brief notes
2. ScotRail, future of Cycle Forum uncertain, with completion of contract by Kathryn MacKay, Cycling Officer
3. North Lanarkshire, Local Development Plan update
4. Glasgow, Ardencraig Road Traffic Calming, City Council’s response to our proposals
5. Glasgow, Belmont, confirmation of Traffic Management Order
6. Glasgow, Castlemilk Drive Traffic Calming, City Council’s response to our proposals
7. Glasgow, Connecting Woodside, Garscube Road, work started on 2-way segregated cycle lane
8. Glasgow University, March newsletter from Multiplex
9. North Toryglen Greenspace & Active Travel Project update
10. South Lanarkshire, new cycle lanes!
11. Glasgow, Active Travel Forum
12. Sheriffhall success – what next? Update from Scottish Greens

Section 1: Current Consultations, in date order for responses

1.1 **NEW** Walking & Cycling in Glasgow: Give us your views, open

Yes, GoBike is consulting. Along with Glasgow Eco Trust and On Bikes we are working together to collate information across Glasgow to help improve walking and cycling to create Streets for All, see here for more information and the commonplace map.

If you like what GoBike is doing, with our very limited funds – our only funding comes from our members, unlike most other groups who get public funding – then do please join us. Our minimum annual membership fee is £5 and you can join online here. The more members we have, the stronger our voice.

1.2 Glasgow, Connecting Woodside, commonplace map for comments, closes 09 March

This featured as Item 1.3 in our previous Digest, Digest 54 and here’s the link you need to the most recent update and the commonplace map. Do get your comments in soon!

1.3 East Dunbartonshire, Dalkeith Avenue, Wellington Road and Westerhill Road, Bishopbriggs, No Waiting and No Loading at any time, closes 16 March

This proposal, to remove on-street parking from a short section of Westerhill Road just off Kirkintilloch Road in Bishopbriggs and the junction areas with Dalkeith Avenue and Wellington Road, arrived by email on 11 February from East Dunbartonshire Council and the details were given in Item 1.4 of Digest 54. GoBike normally supports the removal of on-street parking, since it generally interferes with clear routes for cycling – unless we are told of good reasons otherwise. So do please let us know if there are reasons for not supporting this!

1.4 **NEW** East Dunbartonshire, Townhead, Kirkintilloch, No Waiting at any time restrictions, closes 16 March

This proposal, which came in on 18 February, just too late for Digest 54, is to remove parking in the section of Townhead where the van is. The wasteland now has flats built on it.
Here’s the email we received from East Dunbartonshire Council:

“Dear Sir/Madam,

PROPOSED: THE EAST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL (TOWNHEAD, KIRKINTILLOCH) (NO WAITING AT ANY TIME RESTRICTIONS) ORDER

The Council is promoting a Traffic Regulation Order which would introduce no waiting at any time restrictions on a section of Townhead, Kirkintilloch. Enclosed is a copy of the draft Order, plan and Statement of Reasons, together with a copy of the Notice that is to appear in the Kirkintilloch Herald which is published on 19 February 2020
Should you wish to comment on the proposal you must do so in writing by Monday, 16 March 2020. Your comments should be sent to Chief Solicitor & Monitoring Officer, Legal Services, 12 Strathkelvin Place, Kirkintilloch, G66 1TJ.
(See attached file: 200218 Townhead proposed Order & documentations.pdf)

Yours faithfully
Fiona Stirling, Legal Services, 12 Strathkelvin Place, Kirkintilloch, G66 1TJ“

GoBike will be supporting this proposal.

1.5 **NEW** Glasgow, North Kelvin and North Woodside, Traffic Management and Parking Controls, closes 27 March

Last November, GoBike responded to the Stage One consultation for this proposal and we highlighted 3 concerns:

• Removal of 2-way cycling. Streets are proposed to be 1-way with no exemption for cycling. Contraflow cycling is the default on 1-way streets in Cycling by Design and there is no evidence of it being unsafe.
• The lack of cycle parking. We suggested cycle shelters for residents and cycle stands for visitors to the area.
• Angled or perpendicular to the kerb parking. If this type of parking is to be allowed then common sense and guidance suggests that drivers reverse in to their parking place. Thus they will drive forward when leaving, rather than reversing into oncoming traffic.

Have our concerns been included in the public consultation?

Here’s the email that we received on 28 February:

“MESSAGE SENT ON BEHALF OF KEVIN HAMILTON, HEAD OF ROADS, NEIGHBOURHOODS AND SUSTAINABILITY

Dear Sir / Madam

THE GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL, (NORTH KELVIN AND NORTH WOODSIDE), (TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT AND PARKING CONTROLS), ORDER 202_

Further to my consultation email of 31 October 2019 regarding the above named Traffic Regulation Order, and in accordance with the statutory procedures, I now enclose a copy for the press notice of the proposed Order, relevant map, statement of reasons, detailed report and frequently asked questions (FAQs).

Details of the proposals will also be available on the Glasgow City Council website at www.glasgow.gov.uk/saferparking.

Please note the following modifications have been made since the consultation phase:

• The inclusion of 8 more electric vehicle recharging bays; 1 on Fergus Drive, 4 on Hopehill Road, 1 on Hotspur Street, 1 on Raeberry Street and 1 on Shakespeare Street to promote more sustainable vehicles.
• Removal of 6 No. shared use parking spaces on Hopehill Road to accommodate a project to re-design the junction of Hopehill Road with Maryhill Road.
• The inclusion of the following roads which were missed from the previous list of affected roads due to an administrative error; Belmont Street, Clouston Lane, Kelvinside Grove, Lothian Lane, Malloch Street, Un-named Road (north of the west section of Henderson Street) and Yarrow Gardens Lane.

As stated in the attached documentation, any person wishing to object to the proposed Order should send details of the grounds for objection in writing to Kevin Hamilton, Head of Roads, Neighbourhoods and Sustainability, Exchange House, 231 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1RX or by email to NorthKelvinAndNorthWoodside@glasgow.gov.uk by Friday 27 March 2020.

Yours faithfully” etc

The documents referred to in the email are here: press notice of the proposed Order, relevant map A (see below – the link here is to the correct, updated version of this drawing), relevant map B, relevant map C, statement of reasons, detailed report and frequently asked questions (FAQs).

A promising extract from the documentation that local resident and GoBike member, Alasdair, has noticed is:
“Cycling permeability:
To assist with cycling throughout the area, a ‘no entry except pedal cycles’ restriction is proposed at the junction of Jardine Street with Garriochmill Road. In addition to this, the physical features on Clouston Street, Doune Gardens, Dunard Street, Hathaway Street, Hopehill Road, Hotspur Street, Kelvin Drive, North Woodside Road, Striven Gardens and Wilton Street to prevent vehicular access will also be assessed and upgraded where necessary to better facilitate cyclist permeability.”

We think this means that measures will be taken to prevent car parking where there are already filters across streets!

A query on the drawings was raised by phone with the Assistant Group Manager, Traffic and Road Safety in the afternoon of 03 March and 2 hours later this reply was received:

“Further to your telephone conversation with AB, Assistant Group Manager, Traffic and Road Safety, he has advised of a discrepancy regarding the “No entry except cycles” signage in the drawing 001 for the proposed North Kelvin and North Woodside parking control scheme. This has now been rectified and the online drawings available have been updated to show this.

I note your request for the location of proposed “Prohibition of driving, except pedal cycles” restrictions and can disclose that they are at the following locations (all areas where there is a physical barrier preventing vehicles from driving on the carriageway):-

Avenuepark Street

Clouston Street

Doune Quadrant

Hathaway Street

Kelvin Drive

Striven Gardens

The prohibition of driving except cycles on Shakespeare Street (northwards) and Maryhill Road onto Trossachs Street will remain in place.

Pedal cycles will also be permitted to travel in both directions through the Bus Gate on Hotspur Street and through the Fire Path on the north carriageway of Wilton Street.

As previously discussed there are no plans at this time to include contraflow cycling within the one way streets in this area. “

So there we are, better than it could be but it is still disconcerting that the City Council is ignoring the evidence on contraflow cycling.

1.6 **NEW** Glasgow, Low Emission Zone Phase 2, online consultation, closes 29 March

Here’s the email that we received on 25 February:

“Good Afternoon

Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone (LEZ) was introduced in 2018 to reduce air pollution from road traffic and to protect public health.

Our LEZ affects local service buses only at present, however its second phase, which is expected to be enforced from 31 December 2022, will apply to all vehicles driving into the city centre zone, including private cars.

LEZ Public Consultation

To inform how Glasgow City Council should implement the second phase of our LEZ, we are seeking views through consultation on key local aspects; including its boundary, enforcement dates and temporary exemptions – as well as how it might affect your future transport choices. The online consultation is open until 29 March 2020 and can be accessed at this link.

LEZ Stakeholder Workshop

To complement the online consultation, we are holding a Stakeholder Workshop on Tuesday 10 March 2020 at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and we would be delighted if you would attend.

Taking part in this Consultation Workshop will give you the chance to discuss and share your opinions on Glasgow’s LEZ.  There will also be the opportunity to hear from council air quality officers as well as Transport Scotland and Cllr Anna Richardson, Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction.

Registration is required to attend the Consultation Workshop as spaces are limited. Should you or a colleague be able to attend, please reserve your place (link removed by GoBike)

Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Many thanks.

Sustainable Glasgow
Neighbourhoods & Sustainability
Glasgow City Council“

One of GoBike’s committee members will be attending and we will have feedback in Digest 56 in 2 weeks, but do remember to complete the survey on the council website. It’s an easy one to do, but concerning that they propose exemptions! There’s always a get-out for the bad guy! So please do the survey and let’s get the air in Glasgow cleaner.

1.7 Scottish Government — Fourth National Planning Framework, closes 31 March

We mentioned the drop-in sessions and workshops for this consultation back in Digest 53, Item 2.1. There’s a drop-in session and workshop in Glasgow on 17 March, see this link for details of this and other events round Scotland.

The same link gives details of just how important this consultation is and GoBike member Sebastian says ” The NPF4 will be a hugely important Government plan for Scotland up to 2050 – it decides national investment, development and infrastructure plans for the future. They have said they will use is to take forward the transport projects needed for the future (from STPR2) – so a big opportunity to re-state what infrastructure we think is needed for cycling and active travel. NPF3 in 2014 included the National Cycling and Walking Network so NPF4 must do much more.“

We were also told about this by our friends in Transform Scotland; see this link to their website.

Do we have a volunteer to write GoBike’s response?

1.8 **NEW** Glasgow, Hutchesontown (New Gorbals) Parking Controls, closes 13 April

GoBike committee member, Thomas alerted us to this consultation, which we need to study. There are moves to prevent commuter parking, but a quick glance at the drawings shows a key for “proposed one / two way operation except pedal cycles”, which looks promising.

If you live or work in this area, or cycle through, do please have a look on the City Council’s website and let us know, at consultations@gobike.org the good and any bad points. We’ll have more information for you in Digest 56 or 57.

Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations

2.1 Scottish Government — Fourth National Planning Framework, drop-in session and workshop, Glasgow, 17 March

See Item 1.7 above and this link for details of the drop-in session and workshop to be held at the Women’s Library in Bridgeton on 17 March.

Section 3: Consultation Feedback

3.1 Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Community Council Cycling Village consultation event held on 19 February, brief notes

Brief notes from GoBike committee member, Brenda, who attended the event on 19 February (advertised in Item 1.2 in Digest 54)

• Centred on Argyle Street from PC World to a bit past the Kelvinhaugh Street junction.
• Current plans appear to include:
• Traffic lights at Argyle Street /Kelvinhaugh Street /Derby Street junction
• Derby Street and Kelvingrove Street to be one-way (opposite directions) between (at least) Sauchiehall Street and Argyle Street
• Bi-directional cycleways in Kelvinhaugh Street and Derby Street (and presumably Kelvingrove Street )
• Possibility of removing parking from the south side of Argyle Street and having charging points for electric mobility scooters / wheelchairs / e-bikes

Overall, it does look as if things have moved on quite a bit since some time ago when we were shown plans of cycle lanes behind Kelvinhall but it does look as if improvements for people walking and cycling are at a fairly developed stage of planning.

The Community Council in this area is particularly active in its attempts to improve life for its residents. It’s a shame we don’t have active Community Councils right across the city.

3.2 ScotRail, future of Cycle Forum uncertain, with completion of contract by Kathryn MacKay, Cycling Officer

GoBike has attended the ScotRail Cycle Forum over the years but here is some perturbing news, with this email that we received on 18 February:

“Dear Cycle Forum Member.

I write to advise you that Kathryn’s contract as Cycling Manager with ScotRail will come to an end at the end of this month.

In the short term, I would ask that all enquiries regarding cycling activities be directed towards my colleague (name and contact details removed by GoBike).

In the longer term, a review of our resource allocation is taking place in respect of priorities for the remaining two years of the franchise, and the key objectives of the recently published National Transport Strategy 2.

During her time with ScotRail, Kathryn has made a significant contribution to the development of our cycling programme and has overseen a number of successful pieces of work. It has been a pleasure working with her and I am sure you will join me in wishing her all the best for the future.

I will be sending out a note to the wider stakeholders group later today but wanted you to know first.

Regards

James
James Ledgerwood
Head of Economic Development & Communities
ScotRail“

Kathryn oversaw the introduction of the new 385 Class trains on the Edinburgh – Glasgow service and it is no doubt down to her that, while not perfect, we have as much bike carriage as we have on our trains. Let’s hope they take on a new Cycling Officer.

3.3 North Lanarkshire, Local Development Plan update

Here’s the email that we received on 21 February from North Lanarkshire Council:

“Dear Sir/Madam,

NORTH LANARKSHIRE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN UPDATE

Our modified proposed Local Development Plan went out to consultation last year.

We have since been reviewing the comments provided and the Planning Committee will be considering our responses at its meeting on 27 February 2020.

The relevant documents can be viewed at: www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/planningdocuments

Should you wish further information please contact us at Yourplan@northlan.gov.uk or phone 01236 632622 for assistance.

Strategy and Policy Team
North Lanarkshire Council
Enterprise and Communities
Fleming House
2 Tryst Road
Cumbernauld
G67 1JW
Telephone Number: 01236 632646

3.4 Glasgow, Ardencraig Road Traffic Calming, City Council’s response to our proposals

In Digest 54, Item 3.3, we published our submission for the proposal to install speed cushions on Ardencraig Road. On 24 February we received the following response, which continues Glasgow’s love affair with speed cushions:

“MESSAGE SENT ON BEHALF OF KEVIN HAMILTON, HEAD OF ROADS, NEIGHBOURHOODS AND SUSTAINABILITY

Dear Ms Fort

Thank you for your attached enquiry.

Whilst I appreciate your concerns regarding the installation of speed cushions on Ardencraig Road, I can advise that this section is focused on reducing injury accidents throughout the city. The council has limited funding and resources available to implement traffic calming schemes and in order to make sure these resources are directed at the locations with the greatest potential for casualty reduction, a site risk assessment is undertaken for each request. This process assesses the location against criteria including the history of injury accidents, measured vehicle speeds and the presence of any local amenities such as being close to a nearby school or nursery. Given the presence of Miller Primary School and the results of a recent speed survey carried out on this section of Ardencraig Road, this location met the criteria for the introduction of traffic calming measures.

With respect to your comments regarding a default speed limit of 20mph in Glasgow, I can advise the Council are currently seeking to implement mandatory 20mph city-wide speed limit restrictions on appropriate roads. It should be noted however that not all within Glasgow roads will be appropriate for the lower limit.

I can further advise that whilst the principles of Designing Streets should be applied on existing roads where practical, this would be subject to re-design and would involve considerable costs to the Council. Designing Streets is expected to be used predominantly for the design, construction, adoption and maintenance of new streets.

Finally, you may be aware that the Council and are currently running a pilot project known as School Car Free Zones. The project is running for an initial trial period of 18 months across 6 selected schools where it is known that traffic related issues at the beginning and end of the school day already occur. If the trial proves successful, it is anticipated that this project will be extended to include additional schools in appropriate locations across the city. Schools have been advised to contact the Council should they wish to be included within any future phase of the School Car Free Zone project.

I trust that the foregoing is of assistance, however, should you require further information, please contact (name and phone number removed by GoBike).”

3.5 Glasgow, Belmont, confirmation of Traffic Management Order

In Digest 50, Item 3.1 we supported the move to prohibit commuter parking in this area and on 25 February we received this confirmation that the Order was approved:

“MESSAGE SENT ON BEHALF OF KEVIN  HAMILTON, HEAD OF ROADS, NEIGHBOURHOODS AND SUSTAINABILITY

Dear Sir/Madam

THE GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL, (BELMONT), (TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT) ORDER 2005 (VARIATION NO.2) ORDER 2020

I am writing to notify you that the above named Traffic Regulation Order was made on 18 February 2020 to improve the safety and the actual and perceived security of travelling within the City by reducing accidents and enhancing the personal security of all users of the transport network.

This Order will:

• Prevent commuters parking all day, giving residents priority over these commuters.
• Reduce the availability of long term free parking to discourage people from using their private car to commute to work and thereby encouraging them to use other methods of travel such as public transport, walking and cycling. This can reduce congestion and pollution.

An advert will be placed in the Evening Times on 26 February 2020 stating that the Traffic Regulation Order has been made.

All those who objected to or supported the proposals will now be written to again and advised of the decision.

Please find attached a copy of the plans for your information.

Should you require any further information on the above named Order please contact my assistant (name and phone number removed by GoBike).

Yours sincerely,” etc

The plan attached to the email shows just how much resident parking there is in this area – quite a bit.

A further email on 26 February included this information :

“I refer to your support of the above named Traffic Regulation Order and can advise that your support was reported and considered. The Council have decided under its scheme of delegated functions to proceed with the proposal as advertised.

The Order was made on 18^th February 2020 and an advert was placed in the Evening Times on 26^th February 2020 stating that the Traffic Regulation Order has been made.“

3.6 Glasgow, Castlemilk Drive Traffic Calming, City Council’s response to our proposals

In Digest 54, Item 3.5, we published our response to the proposals for the installation of traffic calming measures, ie speed cushions, on Castlemilk Drive. Here’s the City Council’s rebuttal of our alternative proposals, received on 26 February:

“MESSAGE SENT ON BEHALF OF KEVIN HAMILTON, HEAD OF ROADS, NEIGHBOURHOODS AND SUSTAINABILITY

Dear Ms Fort

Thank you for your attached enquiry.

Whilst I appreciate your concerns regarding the installation of speed cushions on Castlemilk Drive, I can advise that this section is focused on reducing injury accidents throughout the city. The council has limited funding and resources available to implement traffic calming schemes and in order to make sure these resources are directed at the locations with the greatest potential for casualty reduction, a site risk assessment is undertaken for each request. This process assesses the location against criteria including the history of injury accidents, measured vehicle speeds and the presence of any local amenities such as being close to a nearby school or nursery. Given the results of a recent speed survey carried out on this section of Castlemilk Drive, analysis of the Police Scotland injury accident database and the presence of the nearby primary school, this location met the criteria for the introduction of traffic calming measures.

With respect to your comments regarding a default speed limit of 20mph in Glasgow, I can advise the Council are currently seeking to implement mandatory 20mph city-wide speed limit restrictions on appropriate roads. It should be noted however that not all roads within Glasgow will be appropriate for this limit.

I can further advise that whilst the principles of Designing Streets should be applied on existing roads where practical, this would be subject to re-design and would involve considerable costs to the Council. Designing Streets is expected to be used predominantly for the design, construction, adoption and maintenance of new streets.

I trust that the foregoing is of assistance, however, should you require further information, please contact (name and phone number removed by GoBike).“

There we have it: disappointing news about the use of “Designing Streets” and no consideration of our contention that installing cycle lanes would narrow the road and reduce traffic speeds.

3.7 Glasgow, Connecting Woodside, Garscube Road, work started on 2-way segregated cycle lane

Here’s some better news: work has started on the 2-way cycle lanes on the east side of Garscube Road, part of the Connecting Woodside works, (shame it’s not 2 1-way lanes, but, hey, it’s better than some of the items in this Digest). Here’s an email from one of our members, who is also a member of his Community Council, sent out on 27 February:

GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL(SAWMILLFIELD STREET, GLASGOW)(TEMPORARY TRAFFIC REGULATION) ORDER 2020 

I am pleased to advise that construction of the first phase of the Connecting Woodside project, a two-way segregated cycle lane on the eastern side of Garscube Road commenced on 24 February 2020. 
J McGeady Ltd is the appointed contractor to undertake the construction works. 
During the construction phase, a Temporary Traffic Regulation order will be in place on the eastern part of Sawmillfield street at junction with Edington. This section will be inaccessible by the general public as it will  be used as the main compound by the contractor. Traffic management will be utilised to prevent unnecessary disruption for both pedestrians and vehicular traffic using Garscube Road and the surrounding roads network.  
I trust this is of assistance; however, should you require any further information, please contact Sustainabletransport@glasgow.gov.uk  
Christine Francis, Head of Technical Services, Neighbourhoods and Sustainability“

3.8 Glasgow University, March newsletter from Multiplex

Latest newsletter on what’s happening at this University.

3.9 North Toryglen Greenspace & Active Travel Project update

It’s while since we heard much from Toryglen but here’s the latest update received on 02 March:

Dear All,

North Toryglen Greenspace & Active Travel Project

The latest design proposals were showcased at an information session in Toryglen Community Base on Tuesday 18th February. Thanks to everyone who came along.  For those interested to find out more, please see the latest updates on the project webpage here https://www.urbanroots.org.uk/northtoryglen/

There’s some good stuff going on here: do take a look.

3.10 South Lanarkshire, new cycle lanes!

GoBike member, Derek, told us about this, though we don’t recall any consultation coming our way:

Surprise announcement by South Lanarkshire Council that they’re starting to build a short stretch of segregated cycle way in East Kilbride on Monday. Hadn’t heard anything or seen plans beforehand. See: https://twitter.com/southlancouncil/status/1233425786574639104?s=21.

3.11 Glasgow, Active Travel Forum

Some news from GoBike committee member, Calum, who attended the recent Active Travel Forum in Glasgow on 26 February:

Officer update from Steve Gray, including updates on many items where GoBike has responded to consultation:

• Garscube Road construction started on Monday (see Item 3.7 above)
• East City Way works are to start at Mount Vernon from 01 April
• South City Way, Queens Park to Five Ways, ie Cumberland Street to be complete May 2020 (not before time, do I hear you say?)
• Wallacewell Road – Spring on site – this is upgraded and new cycle lanes
• Battlefield – paternity leave caused delay to consultation planned for 18 February (see item 2.1 in Digest 54) cancelled at very short notice
• George Square – working on Experimental TRO for July 2020, reducing traffic around the square for an initial 18 months.
• Underline Avenue works from Cambridge Street to St George’s Road – delayed until after COP26 to start of 2021. Embargo on construction works, related to security cordons for the event.
• Sighthill bridge over the M8, construction begins in March

3.12 Sheriffhall success – what next? Update from Scottish Greens

You might remember that in Digest 52, Item 1.1, we published a message put out by Alison Johnstone, the Green MSP, asking us to oppose the construction of a massive roundabout at Sheriffhall? Here’s the next step:

“Success!

Thanks to you and the thousands of other supporters who objected to the £120m Sheriffhall flyover, we’ve secured a review of this congestion-fuelling, climate-busting scheme. We hope that this will lead to this project being scrapped in favour of green transport investment instead.

The commitment was part of a budget deal the Scottish Greens negotiated that also includes a commitment to introduce free bus travel for all under-19s from next year and a £45m climate emergency package that includes more funding for cycling and walking.

Read all about the Green budget deal.

What’s next?

As the transport spokesperson for the Scottish Greens in Edinburgh, I’ll be writing to the leaders of Edinburgh and Midlothian councils, Adam McVey and Derek Milligan, and to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Michael Matheson, to urge them to change the plans for Sheriffhall. I’ll tell them about your strength of support for investing £120m in cycling and walking, instead of building a flyover that will only increase congestion, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

If politicians like Adam McVey and Michael Matheson want to declare a climate emergency, then they need to act on it!

Claire Miller
Green councillor and transport spokesperson in Edinburgh Council”

________________________________________________

Heartwarming to end with some good news. Let’s hope there is more in our next Digest, due out on 17 March.

“Southside community blasts consultation for potential Battlefield plans“

“RESIDENTS have complained they were not involved in a community consultation on ambitious proposals to redesign a South Side area.

Battlefield Street Design is an ongoing project to make the centre of Battlefield and Battlefield Road more pedestrian and cycle friendly.

Community engagement on the scheme, developed by Sustrans Scotland, took place last year.

But locals in Queen’s Drive, which is attached to Battlefield Road, said they were left out of the consultation process.

Now Glasgow City Council bosses have said they will hold another event – and Queen’s Drive residents will be contacted directly to invite them.

Local councillor Soryia Siddique said: “Queen’s Drive residents contacted me regarding not been included in the Sustrans consultation.

“I raised this with Glasgow City Council and they have now arranged another session allowing residents to discuss the concept design drawings produced by Sustrans.

“This is an opportunity for the local community’s views to be taken on board.”

Although it is not part of the nearby South City Way, a cycle route being developed to run from Queen’s Park, down Victoria Road to the Merchant City, the potential new cycle route would form a connection to it.

This would run along Battlefield Road to the Battlefield Rest and on to Mount Florida.

Last year design ideas were on display from March 19 for three weeks to give locals the chance to see the street design project plans.

They are being delivered jointly by Sustrans Scotland and Glasgow City Council.

The hope behind the scheme would be to make it easier for people of all ages and abilities to walk and cycle through the area and to improve the quality of the public spaces.

In 2019 13 events were held locally with more than 700 attendees to gather information and develop design ideas, including in Langside Library and Langside Parish Church.

A meeting for Queen’s Drive residents should have been held in December following a number of complaints to the council that the consultation had not be geographically broad enough.

But this meeting was delayed due to the General Election.

An new meeting has now been arranged for February 18 between 4pm and 6pm in Langside Library on Sinclair Drive.

Letters have been sent out to addresses on Queen’s Drive to ensure all residents know the event is taking place.

It will give the chance to give feedback on plans, which have now been handed over to Glasgow City Council.

It is hoped the scheme will be funded by the Sustrans Places for Everyone fund.

A spokesman for the council said: “There has been a very positive response to the proposals to improve the streets and public spaces connected to Battlefield Rest.

“The plans extend out from Battlefield Rest in either direction to Mount Florida and Govanhill and one of the main aims is to help make these streets more attractive for active travel. “

If you live, work or travel southside do please get along and support the proposals.

Contents

Section 1: Current Consultation

1. Transport Scotland, Second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), CLOSES THIS FRIDAY, 10 JANUARY
2. Law Commission, Highly Automated Road Passenger Services, HARPS, public consultation, closes 16 January
3. Glasgow, City Centre Strategic Development Framework, closes 17 January
4. Glasgow, South West City Way, St Andrews Drive extension on-line consultation, closes 03 February
5. Glasgow, Central District Regeneration Framework, closes 14 February
6. **NEW** Glasgow, Byres Road, 3 TROs now published on Glasgow City Council’s website, close 14 February

Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations

1. Glasgow, South West City Way, St Andrews Drive extension, consultation event 22 January

Section 3: Consultation Feedback

1. GoBike ride 05 January, to see what has been done and how much more is needed.

Section 1: Current Consultations, in date order for responses

1.1 Transport Scotland, Second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), CLOSES THIS FRIDAY, 10 JANUARY

This is important, setting the tone for what comes next. If you haven’t responded to this on-line consultation yet, please do so by 5pm on Friday afternoon. Here’s the link to the survey and here’s the letter that GoBike has also submitted. The survey is easy to do, but do remember to be ambitious; Scotland needs transport systems to match its scenery, ie superb.

1.2 Law Commission, Highly Automated Road Passenger Services, HARPS, public consultation, closes 16 January

This consultation finally closes next Thursday; we’ve been publicising it since Digest 46, Item 1.9 back at the end of October. Here’s the link to the consultation and here’s the letter we have written in to voice concern. It’s almost a fantasy world to expect automated vehicles to improve conditions on our roads but do have a look at the consultation for yourself.

1.3 Glasgow, City Centre Strategic Development Framework, closes 17 January

This high-level document was first featured in Digest 48, Item 1.11 and here is the link to the City Council’s consultation page. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find this one.
GoBike has submitted this letter outlining our views. Do please add your voice to the consultation.

1.4 Glasgow, South West City Way, St Andrews Drive extension on-line consultation, closes 03 February

This on-line consultation first featured in Digest 49, Item 1.13 and, as you can see from the screenshot above, there is plenty of room for cycle lanes for a route running from the city centre to Pollok Park. Do please get your views in – the link to the City Council’s consultation page is here (scroll down to find this one) – although you might wish to wait until after the consultation event on Wednesday 22nd Jan (see Item 2.1 below) to respond.

1.5 Glasgow, Central District Regeneration Framework, closes 14 February

This is a consultation that was confused with Item 1.3, sorry about that, but we featured it in Digest 50, Item 1.7 and here is the link, again, to the City Council’s consultation page. This consultation is the second item on page 1.

Previously we responded to the Broomielaw District Regeneration Framework with this letter in April 2019 and the St Enoch District Regeneration Framework in September 2019 with this letter. The response to this latest consultation will be along similar lines.

1.6 **NEW** Glasgow, Byres Road, 3 TROs now published on Glasgow City Council’s website, close 14 February

We’ve just found out that the TROs for Byres Road, proposed parking changes, cycle lanes and 20mph are now all on the City Council’s website, see: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/proposedtro
We’ll be having a close look at these over the next couple of weeks.

Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations

2.1 Glasgow, South West City Way, St Andrews Drive extension, consultation event 22 January

As mentioned in Item 1.4 above and in our Consultation Extra of 29 November, there will be a consultation event at St Albert’s Primary School, 36 Maxwell Drive on Wednesday 22 January from 3:30 to 7pm. You may see details of the proposals at this link.

Section 3: Consultation Feedback

3.1 GoBike ride 05 January, to see what has been done and how much more is needed.

This is the route of the 15 miles or so of the GoBike ride on Sunday plus a wee bit from Glasgow Green to the start at the SEC.

Much of the infrastructure that we travelled on has been the topic of consultation and that is shown in bold – search on our website at www.gobike.org to find details. From the SEC and travelling clockwise our journey covered:

• West City Way (consulted on and constructed before GoBike records were kept on our website)
• Woodside – recent and ongoing consultation
• Garscube Road – included in the Woodside consultation
• The Underline project – one of the Avenues projects connecting New City Road under the M8
• St George’s Road – to connect Woodside to Sauchiehall Street
• Sauchiehall Street – the first of the Avenues projects to be constructed, from Charing Cross to Rose Street
• Renfrew Street, Killermont Street and North Hanover Street – a further Avenues project to connect the Sauchiehall Street Avenue to the east of Queen Street Station
• South City Way from King Street via Bridgegate and Gorbals Street to Victoria Road and Queen’s Park – under construction
• Muirend to Queen’s Park Quiet Way – advisory cycle lanes
• South West City Way – constructed from Commerce Street to St Andrew’s Drive and currently under consultation for continuation to Pollok Park
• National Cycle Route 756

Well, that was shorter than usual but do try to respond to the consultations listed – the more voices the authorities hear, the more they will listen. No doubt there will be more in Digest 52 in two weeks time.

25 miles, ending back at Victoria Road.
Meet 10am Bell’s Bridge, Congress Road, Glasgow.

There’s more information about our rides on our website .
  

We have some interesting new proposals for you this time, from parking changes to allow a new cycle lane at Speirs Wharf to pedestrian crossings to climate change. Also, fascinating feedback that demonstrates a lack of overall compliance with aspirations for active travel, with contraflow cycling denied yet again in the west of Glasgow and ongoing concern about University Avenue. Read on!

Contents

Section 1: Current Consultations

1. **NEW** Glasgow, Port Dundas, Controlled Parking Zone Order 2002, Variation No 3, Speirs Wharf, closes 19 April
2. East Dunbartonshire Council, Lenzie – Waiting Restrictions , closes 22 April
3. Glasgow Pollokshaws Road/Eglinton Street Traffic Regulation and Parking Control, closes 24 April
4. North Toryglen green space and active travel designs, event Monday 15 April, open on-line until 30 April.
5. ** NEW** Edinburgh Napier and Transform Scotland, Pedestrian Crossing Facilities User Survey, closes 10 May
6. **NEW** Glasgow Climate Change Survey, closes 31 May

Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations

Nothing new coming forward that we are aware of.

Section 3: Consultation Feedback

1. Glasgow Broomielaw District Regeneration Framework
2. North Lanarkshire Council Local Development Plan
3. Glasgow, Blythswood Street and Holm Street contraflow lanes
4. Glasgow Byres Road Design Workshop
5. Glasgow, University Avenue
6. Glasgow, HYNDLAND, HUGHENDEN AND DOWANHILL WEST (MANDATORY 20MPH SPEED LIMIT ZONE) ORDER 201
7. Glasgow Avenues, Sauchiehall Street and others Consultation Event
8. Glasgow, Doune Gardens – fixed, or is it?
9. Renfrewshire, Glasgow Airport Improvement Area, Design and Construct contract awarded.

Section 1: Current Consultations in date order for responses

1.1 **NEW** Glasgow, Port Dundas, Controlled Parking Zone Order 2002, Variation No 3, Speirs Wharf, closes 19 April

This is one that almost slipped through the net but was rescued from the inbox just in time!
Here’s the email received from Glasgow City Council on 22 March:

“ MESSAGE SENT ON BEHALF OF ANDY WADDELL, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
NEIGHBOURHOODS AND SUSTAINABILITY

 Dear Sir / Madam,
THE GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL, (PORT DUNDAS) (CONTROLLED PARKING ZONE) ORDER 2002, (VARIATION NO 3) (SPEIRS WHARF) ORDER 201_

The Council propose to consider the introduction of the above named Traffic Regulation Order.
Please find enclosed a copy of the press notice of the proposed Order, relevant map, statement of reasons and detailed report.
Details of the proposals will also be available on the Glasgow City Council website at www.glasgow.gov.uk/proposedtro. 
As stated in the attached documentation, any person wishing to object to the proposed Order should send details of the grounds for objection in writing to Stephen McDonagh, Neighbourhoods and Sustainability, Exchange House, 231 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1RX or by e-mail to land@glasgow.gov.uk by Friday 19^th April 2019.

That doesn’t tell us much but the first paragraph of the Report does:

1. Reason for the proposal: Glasgow City Council proposes to implement a new two-way segregated cycle track on the north side of Craighall Road, linking proposed works on North Canal Bank Street with proposed improvements to the pedestrian and cycle link between Speirs Wharf and Garscube Road. This will incorporate a new signalised junction at Speirs Wharf and Craighall Road, providing a safe environment for pedestrians and cyclists to cross an otherwise busy road.

So that’s a lot better isn’t it? But, before you ask, no we haven’t been given sight of the plans for the segregated cycle lane. However, it’s a move in the right direction – best to support it. Here’s the GoBike letter of support.

The supporting documents are here: Advert/Press Notice, Report, Statement of Reasons and the Plan (showing only the parking changes)

1.2 East Dunbartonshire Council, Lenzie – Waiting Restrictions , closes 22 April

Our response to this consultation was submitted on 01 April and here’s the confirmation reply:
“Good afternoon Tricia
I acknowledge receipt of your email and would like to thank you for taking the time to respond.
Regards
Fiona Stirling“

If you haven’t done so already, and you know this area do please reply before the 22nd. Here are the details.

1.3 Glasgow Pollokshaws Road/Eglinton Street Traffic Regulation and Parking Control, closes 24 April

We mentioned this first in our last Digest, Digest 31, Item 1.8. The documents are the Advert, the Plan, the Report and the Statement of Reasons.

Here’s the wording of the Report:

“This order will amend the existing ‘Glasgow City Council (Eglinton Street, Pollokshaws Road, Allison Street, Calder Street, Kilmarnock Road, Thornliebank Road, etc.) (Traffic Regulation) Order 1998’ parking and no waiting/no loading and unloading restrictions on the existing western footway along Pollokshaws Road and Eglinton Street. This corridor will support and enhance ongoing regeneration of the surrounding area, manage parking and promote active and sustainable travel
Development of the route will provide links to a network of existing walking and cycle routes spanning the city and surrounding areas, serving: parks, shops, academic, leisure and cultural establishments along and close to the core route helping make cycling and walking the most convenient modes of transport over short distances.”

Thus it is one that we should all support to ensure that the South City Way may be built. The email from the City Council was in our last Digest, Digest 31, and the email address to send responses to is: land@glasgow.gov.uk. The GoBike response will be going in soon.

1.4 North Toryglen green space and active travel designs, Monday 15 April, open on-line until 30 April.

This was a new item, 1.6 in our last Digest, Digest 31 and, if you didn’t get along to the event yesterday, you can still respond on line from 15 – 30 April. Here’s the link:
https://www.urbanroots.org.uk/workshops/northtoryglen This is a neighbourhood programme of improvement so do please support it if you know the area.

The event yesterday was excellent, with attendees ranging from the Traffic and Transportation Engineer from South Lanarkshire Council to young children from the local nursery. The proposals include better cycle and walking access across North Toryglen plus park areas with activity equipment for young and old. It will become far more than a housing scheme with derelict land around it, for more an interesting and desirable place to live and to visit.

1.5 **NEW** Edinburgh Napier and Transform Scotland, Pedestrian Crossing Facilities User Survey, closes 10 May

Here’s one that arrived on paper in some flyers inside our newspaper (yes a paper paper!) and allows the use of my zebra crossing photo again!

Here’s the survey link: https://crossingsurvey2019.questionpro.com

The survey is being done by the Transport Research Institute of Edinburgh Napier University and Transform Scotland (of which GoBike is a member).

It’s an easy survey to do so do please complete it.

1.6 **NEW** Glasgow Climate Change Survey, closes 31 May

Here’s another survey that we heard about from the Tweet above and that GoBike member, Greg, also told us about. It’s at:
https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ClimateChange2019/ so do please complete it.

Helpfully, Greg provides some information from Extinction Rebellion: “The questions asked are not multiple choice and require some thought so we’ve put together a list of suggestions to help people complete the form. They are just suggestions so please do pick and choose, customise your answers, add in your own thoughts. The suggestions can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KKgT9ats_8yp9r5GTvvbDcCOJ9JcnitaaC271xjdol4/edit?usp=sharing

There are lots of ideas in this document so do please put those brain cells to work and tell the City Council what they need to do – and what we, as citizens, need to do.

Section 3: Consultation Feedback

3.1 Glasgow Broomielaw District Regeneration Framework

We finally got our response in for this consultation – and hope you all did the survey! Here’s the letter we submitted on 05 April and here’s the response we got – within minutes or submission:

“Thank you very much for making the time to read and respond to the Framework document. I will ensure that your comments are fed into the consultation process.
Best regards
Ian”

Let’s hope we see the transformation this framework promises.

3.2 North Lanarkshire Council Local Development Plan

Here’s the letter we submitted just in time on the closing date, 05 April, for responses. (See previous Digests at: https://www.gobike.org/consultations for details. We received this automated response soon after submission:

“Thank you for your email. Please accept this in acknowledgement of receipt and please note that we will contact you should further information be required.
If you wish more information on the Local Development Plan Modified Proposed Plan, please see our website:
Local Development Plan Modified Proposed Plan<http://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=32484> “

3.3 Glasgow, Blythswood Street and Holm Street, contraflow lanes

You might remember that in Digest 25, (in the final item) after the GoBike Infrastructure ride on 06 January we reported on the blocked contraflow lanes on these two streets? After two emails to the City Council and no response, it can now be seen that some improvement has been made; see this series of photographs, taken 07 April, going south down Blythswood Street:

On Holm Street, around the corner, things aren’t quite so good, with the fence horizontal rather than vertical and, along at the Robertson Street end we still have the part-time contraflow, part-time car park situation. We must, though, be grateful for a wee bit of progress? We have been trying to push the council to make cycling and walking diversions around works policy more effective and hope we will soon reach a status that won’t require us to complain to them about every individual instance before improvements are made.

3.4 Glasgow Byres Road Design Workshop

We were euphoric after a meeting with the City Council just before Christmas, see Digest 25, Item 3.4, where we were told that, despite previous denials, there is room on Byres Road for segregated cycle lanes. However, things have slipped; we were told the design would be completed in January with a Traffic Regulation Order following soon after. We heard nothing until then being invited to a Design Workshop, which finally took place on 21 March.
Here are the notes from the meeting, which were sent to attendees. Our Co-Convenor, Iona, who attended, sent back this response:
“Thank you for taking the time to gather this info and for sending it through. We are concerned that the record holds an inaccurate bias within the feedback of section ‘3. Cycle Infrastructure’ and would like to request that it is corrected. The notes state that
“There was very little consensus in relation to measures proposed to improve the cycle friendliness of the street. The decision to include segregated cycle infrastructure was not supported by a number of stakeholders who felt that the benefits to cyclists were outweighed by disadvantages to other users of the street. There was particular concern in relation to loss of on-street parking, localised narrowing of footways and the fact that the introduction of an additional kerb line will make it more difficult to cross the street.’
but the notes don’t make any reference to the support in the majority for the segregated cycle lanes within the voting, which showed that 3 tables were in support and only 1 in opposition.
We accept that the voting results are included within the report, however we have seen how evidence can so easily be overlooked when people are asked to give up space for active travel, and that those who oppose it can shout loudest, without necessarily being in the majority. It is therefore really important that the majority support for the segregated cycle lanes shown in the voting is also reiterated within the text.
Could you please confirm that the record can be amended to balance this correctly?

Another point to make is on the legitimacy of including the question of support for the segregated cycle lanes at all. Being that we agree that the transport hierarchy mandates that space for cycling needs to be included in redevelopment schemes, that question shouldn’t need to be asked at all. We wouldn’t ask “should there be pavements” or “should there be a road”.

Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Let’s hope there is no back-tracking on what we were told in December!

3.5 Glasgow, University Avenue

There has been NO consultation on the proposals for University Avenue, just the almost final nails in the coffin for what was once a flagship cycle route for the City Council, ie the Colleges Cycle Route linking Glasgow Caledonian University to Glasgow University and then out to the old Strathclyde campus at Jordanhill.

See our post of 12 April for our latest update on this sorry tale.

3.6 Glasgow, HYNDLAND, HUGHENDEN AND DOWANHILL WEST (MANDATORY 20MPH SPEED LIMIT ZONE) ORDER 201

Back in February, and reported in Digest 27, Item 1.6 we reported on the proposals for introducing a 20mph speed limit in this area. Back in 2017, Hyndland, Hughenden and Dowanhill West were brought into the city’s restricted parking zones and streets were made one-way to facilitate “legal” parking, but with no exemption for bikes – despite the default position given in Cycling by Design. GoBike submitted this letter supporting the 20mph but deploring the cut in permeability for bikes.

We received this response on 04 April:

“MESSAGE SENT ON BEHALF OF ANDY WADDELL, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS,
NEIGHBOURHOODS AND SUSTAINABILITY

Dear Ms Fort

THE GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL, (HYNDLAND, HUGHENDEN AND DOWANHILL WEST), (MANDATORY 20mph SPEED LIMIT ZONE) ORDER 201_

Thank you for your support for the above named traffic regulation order.
I note your comments reiterating GoBike’s aspirations for one-way roads with exemptions for cycling which was related to the Hyndland, Hughenden and Dowanhill West (Traffic Management and Parking Controls) Order 2019 however, this is unrelated to this Order.
As previously advised, once the parking controlled zone and associated 20mph speed limit zone scheme have been introduced and ‘bedded in’ the Council will have a better understanding of the parking demands and associated traffic movements. Any cycling improvements, including one-way except cycles could be considered as part of a future strategic cycling strategy which would require amendments to the existing parking control scheme and would require to undergo the statutory traffic regulation order process.
Your support will be considered and included within the final report to the Executive Director of Neighbourhoods and Sustainability. Once a decision has been taken in regards to these proposals I shall write to you again and advise of the outcome.

Yours sincerely”

This really does make a mockery of using design guides and having a policy of encouraging active travel. It’s another point to put in your response to the Climate Change survey advertised in Item 1.6 above!

3.7 Glasgow Avenues, Sauchiehall Street and others Consultation Event

Last week one of our members went to a Consultation Event about Sauchiehall Street and the other Avenues proposed for Glasgow (with City Deal funding). Here’s the feedback from what seems to have been a disappointing experience:

“Today I went to the Sauchiehall and other avenues event. A friendly lady from the community engagement company (Icecream, icebox? Something like that) was there and an Engineer from the company doing the streetscape. They had the usual post-it-notes on a street map for feedback on Sauchiehall St. This work should finish “soon” but when I was there zero construction was happening.

The only information they had on the other avenues was a timeline chart. Argyle St planned to start work May 2020 but this might change as traffic modelling by the council is not complete. Cathedral St work planned to start May 2022 but traffic modelling work is not done so no renders to show. No updates for George Square as traffic modelling work is not done so no planning can be done (You might start to notice a trend here)

There was supposed to be a council planner there but he was not there at 1300. I was there for a while, left for a coffee and went back and left again at 14:00 but still was not there.

Only 1 other member of the public was there when I was. He expressed total frustration with another round of consultations (Just build it! Was the best phrase) . Overall a total waste of everyone’s time but a nice box ticking exercise I guess.”

What a shame but then, just what is happening now with Sauchiehall Street?

3.8 Glasgow, Doune Gardens – fixed, or is it?

Over 18 months ago Alasdair and Tricia from the GoBike committee toured Hillhead and Maryhill wards with City Councillors Jane Morgan and Martha Wardrop, GoBike member, Steph, tells us that the cut-through for bikes on Doune Gardens has been fixed. Let’s hope that this arrangement does stop parked cars blocking access for bikes, as the previous arrangement did. The before version is below, with the cut-through blocked and the only access via the footway, see here on the right:

However, although it might be better for a standard bike, will it take a tricycle or a cargo bike? Here’s some guidance for “Making Streets Better: A Guide to Filtered Permeability” from City Infinity. It’s also on the Design Guides page of the GoBike website, at: https://www.gobike.org/cycling-info/design-guides

3.9 Renfrewshire, Glasgow Airport Improvement Area, Design and Construct contract awarded.

Here’s an email that should have been in the last Digest, sorry, but some good news from Renfrewshire:

“GAIA construction contract approved.

The design and construction contract for the Glasgow Airport Investment Area project has been approved for awarding to Wills Bros Civil Engineering Limited.

Councillors on the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board approved the £21million construction contract to the Motherwell-based company.

The Glasgow Airport Investment Area project is jointly funded by the UK and Scottish Governments through the £1.13billion Glasgow City Region City Deal and will see new roads, bridges, cycleways and footpaths being built to connect into a site at the centre of the emerging Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS).

The construction contract award was also subject to approval of the Full Business Case by the Glasgow City Region Chief Executives Group – this approval was given on the 28 March.

Final procurement procedures are now being completed, with construction work set to start this summer and be completed in 2020 on the enabling infrastructure and environmental enhancements underpinning AMIDS – a major innovation district being developed in Renfrewshire.

Abbotsinch Road will be upgraded and realigned, and a new bridge spanning the White Cart from Wright Street to an approach road off Arran Avenue, offering access for cyclists, pedestrians and Wright Street businesses. There’s also a new cycle and pedestrian bridge crossing the Black Cart and an off-road cycle link between Abbotsinch Road and the A8 Greenock Road.

This will improve connections into a 52-hectare site next to Glasgow Airport, which is already confirmed as the location for the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) and the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre (MMIC).

The construction work will ensure the site is ready to welcome its new tenants and provide the perfect investment opportunity, focusing on innovation, research and advanced manufacturing.

Planning Permission in Principle

Future development at the innovation district also took a major step forward with the granting of planning permission in principle.

Renfrewshire Council’s Communities, Housing & Planning Policy Board approved an application for planning permission in principle on 26 March 2019.

The planning permission in principle addresses common planning, environmental and statutory requirements for the land and establishes the appropriateness of the proposed uses: a business park with a focus on advanced manufacturing and research & development.

This helps streamline the planning process for future developers, making the site more attractive for investment.

The site has already attracted its first tenants in the form of two new national innovation centres; the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) and the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre (MMIC) which will be the catalyst for the development of Scotland’s advanced manufacturing and life sciences sectors, providing support for businesses of all sizes and connecting all of Scotland’s engineering universities and colleges.

Further information on investment opportunities can be found at www.paisley.is/amids and further information on all of our City Deal projects can be found on our website at www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/citydeal. “

Always good to end on a high; let’s hope we have more good news in a fortnight’s time.

Contents:

Section 1: Current Consultations

1. Glasgow Broomielaw District Regeneration Framework, closes TOMORROW, 05 April.
2. North Lanarkshire Council Local Development Plan, closes TOMORROW, 05 April
3. **NEW** Glasgow Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Community drop in event Saturday 06 April
4. Glasgow Woodside Health Centre, Traffic Regulation Order, to prevent obstructive parking, closes 08 April
5. Glasgow Battlefield on-line responses open until 12 April
6. **NEW** North Toryglen green space & active travel designs event – Monday 15th April
7. East Dunbartonshire Council, Proposed Waiting Restrictions in Lenzie, closes 22 April
8. **NEW** Glasgow Pollokshaws Road/Eglinton Street Traffic Regulation and Parking Control, closes 24 April

Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations

Nothing this time.

Section 3: Consultation Feedback

1. Glasgow, North City Way

Section 1: Current Consultations in date order for responses

1.1 Glasgow Broomielaw District Regeneration Framework, closes TOMORROW, 05 April.

We have mentioned this a couple of times already and the GoBike letter of response, penned by the redoubtable Brenda will be going in tomorrow, bang on the deadline.

Please do complete the on-line survey, and our advice is to “Strongly Agree” with the proposals but “Strongly Disagree” that the content of the document can make them real. Use the boxes to get your views in.

The Consultation information is here and the survey is here Enjoy!

1.2 North Lanarkshire Council Local Development Plan, closes TOMORROW, 05 April

This plan featured as item 1.5 in Digest 30 and a brief GoBike response will be submitted tomorrow, again right on the deadline. Do put your fingers to the keyboard and let NLC know your views if you live, work or cycle in North Lanarkshire.

1.3 **NEW** Glasgow Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Community drop in event Saturday 06 April

Just in this week on twitter, news from the Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Cycling Village. Do get along and support them if you can.

If this community can do it, why can’t yours? Time to get active in your community, persuade your councillors to do more for cycling and let’s make Glasgow and surrounds cycling-friendly.

We have today, 04 April, received this message from Glasgow City Council:

“MESSAGE SENT ON BEHALF OF CHRISTINE FRANCIS
HEAD OF TECHNICAL SERVICES
NEIGHBOURHOODS & SUSTAINABILITY

YORKHILL & KELVINGROVE CYCLING VILLAGE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EVENT – 06 April 2019
I refer to the forthcoming events and apologise for providing you with such short notice.
Community Links Plus is a design competition which is run by Sustrans Scotland and supported by the Scottish Government which allows local authorities and other statutory bodies to bid for funding to design and deliver exemplary and inspirational cycling, walking and place-making projects. As you may be aware, in previous years Glasgow City Council was successful in winning funding for its South City Way project and the Connecting Woodside project.
As part of the current competition, Glasgow has three submissions that have progressed into the second round of judging: Glasgow Avenues Plus, North City Way and Yorkhill & Kelvingrove Cycling Village.
Our bids will be submitted to Sustrans on 26 April 2019 and in the meantime, a number of street surveys and public engagement events are being held to support the bid. Officers from the Council, our consultants, Sustrans and representatives from the community will be available to answer any questions, hear community views and receive feedback regarding the proposals at the following events:

YORKHILL & KELVINGROVE CYCLING VILLAGE PROPOSALS

• Drop-in session

Saturday 06 April 2019  from 10am to 12:30pm

Kelvin Hall, 1445 Argyle Street GLASGOW G3 8AW

• Place Making (Public workshop)

Saturday 06 April 2019  from 12:30pm to 2pm

Kelvin Hall, 1445 Argyle Street GLASGOW G3 8AW

If you require any further information, or cannot make the event and wish to make contact, please email sustainabletransport@glasgow.gov.uk  or phone 0141 287 9171.

You can also follow progress of this project as it develops by visiting the cycling pages on the Council’s website: www.glasgow.gov.uk/cycling, or by visiting the community council’s website, visit https://yokecoco.wordpress.com/.”

1.4 Glasgow Woodside Health Centre, Traffic Regulation Order, to prevent obstructive parking, closes 08 April

All the details for this proposal were in Digest 30 and the GoBike letter of support is here This is a residential area and it should not be used as a car park; please do support the restrictions on what even the City Council call “obstructive” parking.

1.5 Glasgow Battlefield on-line responses open until 12 April

Do visit the website, https://battlefieldproposals.commonplace.is/ and put your comments in.

1.6 North Toryglen green space & active travel designs – Monday 15th April

Here’s an email from Urban Roots:

” From: <gemma@urbanroots.org.uk>
Date: Wed, Apr 3, 2019 at 1:26 PM +0100
Subject: Consultation – North Toryglen green space & active travel designs – Monday 15th April
To: <gemma@urbanroots.org.uk>

Dear All,

We would like to invite you to view the latest designs produced for the North Toryglen green space & active travel project on Monday 15th April. We are holding two sessions in Toryglen Community Base between 12pm-2pm and 3.30pm-6.30pm. Please see the poster attached and let me know if you plan to come along. If you are unable to attend you will be able to view and comment on the designs online at www.urbanroots.org.uk/northtoryglen from April 15th-30th.The interactive feedback map is also still live here if you wish to add any comments.  

Best wishes,
Gemma

Do get yourself there if you can.

1.7 East Dunbartonshire Council, Proposed Waiting Restrictions in Lenzie, closes 22 April

We first featured this in Digest 30 Item 1.7 and here’s the GoBike letter of support
Do write in to let East Dunbartonshire Council know your views.

1.8 **NEW** Glasgow Pollokshaws Road/Eglinton Street Traffic Regulation and Parking Control, closes 24 April

Here’s the email we received yesterday, 03 April:

“MESSAGE SENT ON BEHALF OF ANDY WADDELL
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
NEIGHBOURHOODS AND SUSTAINABILITY

Dear Sir or Madam,

THE GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL, (POLLOKSHAWS ROAD/ EGLINTON STREET)
(TRAFFIC REGULATION AND PARKING CONTROL) ORDER 201_

The Council propose to consider the introduction of the above named Traffic Regulation Order.
Please find enclosed a copy of the press notice of the proposed Order, relevant map, statement of reasons and detailed report.
Details of the proposals will also be available on the Glasgow City Council website at www.glasgow.gov.uk/proposedtro.
As stated in the attached documentation, any person wishing to object to the proposed Order should send details of the ground for their objection in writing to Group Manager, Sustainable Transport, Exchange House, 231 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1RX or by email to land@glasgow.gov.uk by Friday, 24 April 2019.”

The documents provided are here: Advert Plan Report Statement of Reasons

These changes are required, as far as we can see, to facilitate the long awaited construction of the South City Way and will be supported by GoBike.

Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations

We have nothing for you this time.

Section 3: Consultation Feedback

3.1 Glasgow North City Way, exhibition Milton Library 03 April

We featured this in our Consultation Extra last Friday and Calum and Tricia from the GoBike committee went along (hope some other GoBike members did too). The news is good, although things are at an early, information-gathering stage. Disability campaigners agree with us about the need for dropped kerbs (none outside the library) and the desire to get rid of pavement parking.
The City Council have revised their initial plans, responding to views from local residents. It was initially thought that radial routes to the city centre would be a priority, but east-west travel to Springburn, Bishopriggs and Milngavie is important, so it’s likely that a network of routes will be developed.

There’s more information at: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=24173

That’s it for this delayed edition but we’ll be back again a week on Tuesday.

If you haven’t caught our discussions so far you can catch up here:

and here:

We have now also had some discussions with Sustrans staff who have assured us that there will soon be a clear piece of published guidance on side streets, and now, just this week (six weeks after we emailed), we have had a response in from the council.

Further to your email dated 2^nd February, which I believe was subsequently discussed with Cllr Richardson, please find attached our response.
The Council’s primary design reference guide is Cycling by Design.  However, we are aware that this requires a refresh as it was introduced before we had many segregated cycle routes in Scotland.  Glasgow has been the pioneer in the installation of segregated cycle routes and also considers other design guidelines produced by TfL and Sustrans.  The concept designs for South City Way have been widely consulted on and a pilot was undertaken to show how the first section would look.  The current section is still under construction and all the lining and signing has not been completed for this section.
For our major cycle schemes we undertake a series of  Safety Audits where the designs are looked at by external safety auditors.  These are reviewed at:
·        Stage 1 – After preliminary design is complete
·        Stage 2 – After the detailed design is complete
·        Stage 3 – After Construction.  This is undertaken on site, where an external auditor, Police Scotland and members of the design team attend. The Audit Team will examine the scheme site during daylight and during the hours of darkness, so hazards particular to night operation can also be identified and the comments raised will also be highlighted to the audit team.  Any issues that have also been raised are also highlighted.
We will ensure that your comments are also highlighted as part of the Safety Audit review process and will consider your observations in a part of the design process in future schemes.
 
I trust this is of assistance.
 
Yours sincerely
 
Communication & Support Services
Neighbourhoods and Sustainability

We don’t feel that there is an awareness of the urgency we believe is required within this response and so have reiterated why.

Dear Communication and Support Services

Thank you for your response dated 18th March. There was no attachment to your email but we trust that the text below was the response you referred to.

We need to press on the urgency of a safety audit for the latest side street junctions on the South City Way, including those currently under construction. Presumably your procedures for major cycling schemes audits are new, and being that you admit that guidance in safely designing segregated cycling routes is lacking, we feel it is pressing that should safety be flagged up as an issue, as we and many of our members have done, that an urgent and intermediary safety audit is performed. It is clear that as it stands, there is going to be a collision at this junction soon, and we should be doing all that we can to prevent that. Not only that, but were this treated with the urgency we think it needs, a swift redesign that takes safety into account would prevent further danger being built into the rest of this major cycling scheme. We have after all, been promised that the SCW “will ensure safe cycling every inch of the way”. We also don’t believe that it is enough to leave the danger built in to SCW and only consider different designs for future schemes. If the audit outcomes are deemed as dangerous, could we suggest that the side streets have a lot of potential to be filtered from traffic.

We appreciate the limitations that come with the current Cycling by Design guide and believe that Sustrans are working on updated guidance for side streets. GoBike would encourage you to look further afield in the meantime though and would point out that while Glasgow certainly are indeed pioneering with regards to segregated cycle routes in Scotland, segregated cycling routes are most definitely not anything new in other nearby countries. Thank you also for considering our observations and links to other guides as a part of the future design process.

Can we please press again on the urgency of the need for an immediate safety audit and redesign. We are desperately aware that the safety of people on bikes is currently at risk on the South City Way and feel that a timely response that reflects the imminent danger is required.

It is clear that design guidance is desperately in need of a refresh. Not just from a safety perspective but also for the sake of other projects going into the ground. We are also finding other great new schemes are falling down in other areas such as the pedestrian crossing at the Avenues end at Charing Cross that we detailed in our last digest (section 3.3).

And it is also clear to us that if something dangerous is put into the ground, the danger needs to be rectified as a matter of priority. We hope that the council will hear our plea to look at this soon – we believe that the South City Way can create a wonderful space for cycling and want to ensure that it is fully safe and usable from the outset.

If you have any comments or issues with the side streets, please let the council know on sustainable.transport@glasgow.gov.uk . Our collective voice can help to add credence to the issue within the council.