Wheels turning…
As the engine revving goes on in Westminster, active travel consultations continue in the West of Scotland. One is for infrastructure that could be seen as levelling up for the North(-East of Glasgow). There’s more voting in the East End and Southside as locals have a say in how to spend funding. There are other city plans and town centre transformations in South Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire.
Apologies this issue was late – a lot on just now…
Contents
(new consultations in bold)
1: Current Consultations
- Glasgow Transport Strategy – Spatial Delivery Framework
- Your Citizen Voice: Calton & Greater Pollok
- Local Development Plan for North Lanarkshire (Participation)
- Connecting Battlefield Phase 1 (Queens Drive and Langside Road TRO)
- Our Johnstone (Town Centre consultation)
- Connecting Woodside – Phase 2 (St George’s Road)
- North East Active Travel Routes
- East Kilbride town centre: A new vision
- Waiting to Happen (junctions consultation)
2: Consultation Feedback
3: Proposed Traffic Regulation Orders
1.1: Glasgow Transport Strategy – Spatial Delivery Framework
Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: A second attempt at this consultation, which seemed to have a false start last month (and still has a broken link to the Transport Strategy – fixed below). The Spatial Delivery Framework covers some important parts of the strategy, especially the Bus Priority Corridors and Active Travel Network, which may conflict on some key routes. Also, Mobility Hubs, Freight Hubs, Road Hierarchy and the Environmental Report. Online sessions with stakeholders are taking place during September and early October.
Website links: Spatial Delivery Framework survey and Glasgow Transport Strategy information.
Deadline: 12 October 2023.
1.2: Your Citizen Voice: Calton & Greater Pollok
Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: A chance for citizens to vote on proposals that came out of an earlier phase of consultation. Just over 500 people took part in the ‘Greater Pollok’ consultation while less than 200 did in Calton. Maybe as a result of that, the Pollok suggestions are more varied –often about upgrading and adding facilities – while the Calton ones are mostly about basic maintenance and CCTV. This process may not deliver much new infrastructure in these areas but it has potential to do so when rolled out elsewhere.
Website links: YCV Calton webpage and YCV Pollok webpage.
Deadline: 13 October 2023.
1.3: Local Development Plan for North Lanarkshire (Participation)
Council: North Lanarkshire.
Subject: NLC say: “The LDP… sets out the policies and proposals for future land use and development in North Lanarkshire. For example, it will guide where new housing, business and infrastructure will be located. …we want to make sure everyone with an interest can get involved. To help with this, we have prepared a draft Participation Statement.”
But, since the Participation Statement is a PDF file: “Accessibility: These files may not be suitable for users of assistive technology. Please contact us to request an accessible format.” Sigh…
Website links: NLLDP2: Participation Statement Survey.
Deadline: 13 October 2023.
1.4: Connecting Battlefield Phase 1 (Queens Drive and Langside Road TRO)
Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: A belated return for this extension to the South City Way. Last time, it had one-way lanes and went down Grange Rd. A lot seems to have happened since, including various comments by residents in Queen’s Drive. So, now there’s a two-way cycleway on the western side of Langside Rd (avoiding Queen’s Dr on the eastern side). Also, the route stays on Langside Rd instead of going down Grange Rd. After some discussion with GCC during Stage 1 of this TRO, we received the following:
“The proposed… Bi-directional cycle lanes on Langside to the monument are an addition to the project. I can confirm the cycle lanes towards the Battlefield monument will not replace the cycle lanes towards the [Battlefield] rest. The Bi-directional cycle lane on Langside to the monument will be constructed using light segregation. To confirm the cycle[way]s do connect, but for TRO purposes we only show the green hatch on the carriageway. The cycle lanes will join within the large buildout at the junction.” So, it seems we get a bonus lane with more still to come (even later than planned).
Featured: Digest 114, 1.7, Consultation Extra (18 February 2020) and earlier.
Website links: Proposed TRO webpage (original consultation storymap).
Deadline: 14 October 2023.
1.5: Our Johnstone (Town Centre consultation)
Council: Renfrewshire.
Subject: Consultation for Johnstone town centre, west of Paisley and Elderslie. The council say: “We want to hear from people who live, work and visit Johnstone Town Centre. This is to help us prioritise improvements, identify growth opportunities and develop a new strategic vision for its future.” There’s an online survey (by Page/Park architects no less) but no further details on any plans so far. There was a day of consultation events on 27 September in and around Houston Square.
Website links: Johnstone town centre article and Our Johnstone online survey.
Deadline: 16 October 2023.
1.6: Connecting Woodside – Phase 2 (St George’s Road)
Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: Updated plans for St George’s Road, between Charing Cross and N Woodside Rd. The 2-way protected cycleway will connect from the existing Avenue on Sauchiehall St and eventually link into existing infra next to Garscube Rd. There are some changes to junctions and new crossings along the route. The plans include the more direct crossing option at Phoenix Rd/Maryhill Rd. Also, there’s a rare sighting of a continuous pavement; at a side access road (with barrier) next to Woodside Library. Nearby is a novel cycle crossing going diagonally across a pedestrian crossing (with bike light phase apparently). Two side roads were already going to be restricted: Clarendon Place will be stopped up (opened at other end) and Glenfarg St will be filtered. Lastly, a cycle maintenance station has been added to the plans between Grant St and W Princes St (handy for the M8 off-ramp!).
Featured: Digest 121 (1.13).
Website links: St George’s Rd ‘Storymap’ (link fixed now), Connecting Woodside webpage (PDF drawings under St George’s Rd heading) and St George’s Rd survey.
Deadline: 20 October 2023.
1.7: North East Active Travel Routes
Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: Updated plans for a stretch of permanent protected cycle lanes on Wallacewell Rd, between Broomfield Rd and Northgate Rd. Wallacewell Rd will keep the ‘soft segregated’ lanes it’s had since before the pandemic. These plans would add permanent infrastructure at junctions and link to neighbouring streets and a school. The current roundabout at Northgate Rd was going to be replaced with a Dutch-style roundabout but will now have a ‘cyclops’-style junction with traffic lights (similar to those on the South City Way and A77 Ayr Rd). It’s good to see best practice being used with Barmulloch’s existing 1-way lanes, which were a template for Spaces for People. The mix of ‘soft segregated’ lanes and kerbed junctions in these plans could be a model for the rest of the City Network. However, the rows of black & white ‘armadillos’/‘zebras’ need to be well fixed down to remain continuous and avoid issues with car parking (see main post image).
Featured: Digest 15, 1.1.
Website links: NEATR Storymap.
Deadline: No obvious deadline (previous consultation took place in 2018 so this new process may just be for info).
1.8: East Kilbride town centre: A new vision
Council: South Lanarkshire.
Subject: The same old story of changing (online) shopping habits, empty units and redevelopment. Surprisingly, the most recent building, Centre West, is due to be demolished for housing, with a new north-south street put next to it. Other demolitions would create space for a new town square and car parking by the Queensway trunk road. However, there doesn’t seem to be any new crossing to the square or the path along the south of the site. The existing underpasses often have issues with broken glass and poor sight-lines/personal safety. This is why SLC are building segregated on-road cycle lanes on Churchill Avenue (not in the plans). Will the path be upgraded with improved links west near Blacklands Rd or across to Churchill Ave’s 2-way protected lanes? Also, could there be a further north-south link between Brouster Gate and the new square? Drop-in events were in the former Toytown shop, Princes Mall.
Website links: EK consultation boards and EK questionnaire.
Deadline: No obvious deadline but events finished late September.
1.9: Waiting to Happen (junctions consultation)
Company: New Practice (architecture practice).
Subject: Community engagement by the practice where Emma Burke Newman worked. She was killed by an HGV driver while cycling at the George V bridge/Broomielaw junction, near the casino, in February 2023. This consultation is about that junction and two others – Gorbals St at the Clutha Vaults pub and Albert Bridge/Clyde St (by the High Court). NP say: “These junctions are our focus of study as they feel like incidents-waiting-to-happen, and one is the site of Emma’s death.” Diagrams show movements around each junction (and include the council’s plans for the South City Way extension at the Clutha). New Practice carried out previous consultations like George Square and have applied their knowledge to make a user friendly page. “We want to hear your experiences when walking, wheeling, scooting, or as a driver to help inform solutions specific to these locations and create systems for a safer city for us all.”
Featured: Digest 141, 1.7.
Website links: Waiting to Happen consultation page.
Deadline: No obvious deadline (but New Practice say they’ll review the submissions and present to councillors).
Section 2: Consultation Feedback
2.1: City centre secure cycle parking
Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: Secure cycle parking pilot scheme run by Cyclehoop (called Trips). It officially launched on 28 Sept with 20 city centre Bikehangars, like the units in many residential areas (but some painted in UCI stripes). You book a space using their mobile phone app, which also locks/unlocks the unit via Bluetooth (apparently, the unit’s batteries are very efficient and replaced regularly). Prices vary by time, similar to car parking charges (but much cheaper – for example, 30p for up to an hour). While not ideal for people without a smartphone the benefit is detailed data about usage. That will be important as this seems to be the first scheme of its kind in Scotland (if not the UK).
Featured: Digest 98, 1.2 (indirectly related).
Website links: Cyclehoop short term parking page.
2.2: Duke St Avenue update
Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: An ‘Avenues Plus’ route, due to go between High St and Bellgrove St. The summer consultation had two options – putting the 2-way cycleway on either the northern or southern side of Duke St. The team had a stall at the secure cycle parking event and confirmed Option 1 has won. So, the bike lanes will be on the southern, Calton side of Duke St (which the designers told us they preferred at a previous consultation event!). While this option will simplify the junction at High St, it will present issues joining and leaving the 2-way lanes at the edge of Dennistoun. Duke St is Sustrans-funded and expected to start construction in 2024 but isn’t due to be complete until 2026. The cycleway on George St is part of the City Deal plans for George Sq and won’t start until later into 2024/2025. In the meantime, the Meatmarket development is due to build a path between Reidvale St and Melbourne St. Neighbouring ‘Calton Village’ will add a filter at Armour St to make a potential ‘Quietway’-style alternative route to Bell St in the Merchant City.
Featured: Digest 137, 1.5.
Section 3: Proposed Traffic Regulation Orders
3.1: East Ayrshire TROs
Subject: TRO for road humps on Dean Road, Kilmarnock – deadline: 13 October 2023.
3.2: East Dunbartonshire TROs
Subject: Traffic Management Scheme (speed tables/humps) for Menteith Ave & Springfield Rd, Bishopbriggs – deadline: 3 November 2023.
Website links: East Dunbartonshire TROs.
3.3: Glasgow City TROs & Traffic Calming
Subject: As above, TROs for South Portland St and Queens Drive and Langside Road plus the traffic management order for Riverside and Merchant City. Also, a TRO for bus/taxi/cycle lanes on Paisley Rd West (by Bellahouston Park). The number of emails from GCC suggest there may be many more TROs to follow…
Website links: Glasgow City Proposed TROs and Glasgow City Proposed Traffic Calming Schemes.