Junctions squinty and scary plus permanent and pop-up lanes.
Around the north of the city, plans for Maryhill Road’s squinty crossing are dwarfed by proposals for Canniesburn Toll roundabout in East Dumbartonshire.
In the city centre, another Bank Holiday building fire means the road is fenced off on High St at the junction of George St/Duke St.
The Scottish Parliament election has passed but it’s still a bit quiet on the consultations front. However, there are plenty of temporary and permanent projects going on so we have another Infrastructure Update. Most of them are in the city but East Kilbride is also getting in on the Spaces for People action.
Infrastructure Update
- Benalder St, Glasgow is having a cycleway installed over the River Kelvin after works on nearby Bunhouse Rd and Old Dumbarton Rd (for Yorkhill & Kelvingrove Cycling Village).
- Cambridge St, Glasgow – Spaces for People cycle lanes are up and running (including bike traffic lights at Renfrew St).
- East City Way phase 1 at London Rd/Mount Vernon may be nearly there – see 3.1, below.
- East Kilbride has Spaces for People lanes installed between EK train station and shopping centre (via Brouster Hill) including double decker planters on Cornwall St.
- Garscube Rd segregated lanes, for the Connecting Woodside project, have almost reached new bike traffic lights at Firhill St (installed but not put into service yet).
- George Square gets planter boxes and outdoor seating (mostly for The Counting House).
- Royston Rd, Glasgow – work started on Spaces for People lanes.
Contents
(new consultations in bold – link jumps to article)
Section 1: Current Consultations
- Glasgow City Council – Maryhill Road/North Woodside Road/Hopehill Road (Traffic Regulation) Order 2021, (ends 18 June)
- East Dunbartonshire Council – Active Travel Discussion
- East Dunbartonshire Council – Canniesburn Toll Signalisation Study
- North Lanarkshire Council – Town Hubs location surveys
- Glasgow Urban Sports – GUSM74 Urban Sports Sculpture Park survey
Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations
Glasgow City Council – Pollok pop-up lanes consultation (Spaces for People)
Section 3: Consultation Feedback
- Glasgow City Council – East City Way Phase 1 (London Dr to Daldowie Rd) Order 2021
- Glasgow City Council – London Road and Hamilton Road (30mph Speed Limit) Order 2021
- Multiplex – Glasgow Uni campus, May newsletter
- Urban Roots – Malls Mire, April Newsletter
Section 1: Current Consultations
(in date order for responses)
1.1: Glasgow City Council – Maryhill Road/North Woodside Road/Hopehill Road (Traffic Regulation) Order 2021
This traffic order has a long title for a short stretch of junction. It creates a diagonal cycle crossing on Maryhill Rd between the two filtered sections of N Woodside Rd. This is part of the wider Connecting Woodside project (which is installing other squinty crossings on Garscube Rd).
The accompanying report says it includes “the installation of a signalised pedestrian and cycle crossing at the junction of Maryhill Road, North Woodside Road and Hopehill Road”. It also restricts people cycling on the crossing from turning onto Maryhill Rd midway across. Presumably, in an effort to protect pedestrians who may be crossing alongside bikes.
The eastern side will have a 2-way cycle carriageway (according to the very small annotation, above). The order also prohibits motor vehicles from using the new cycle carriageway (the current road has been used for car parking).
There are the usual documents: TRO plan, TRO report, TRO press notice and (short) TRO statement of reasons. The deadline for responses is Friday, 18 June 2021.
1.2: East Dunbartonshire Council – Active Travel Discussion (11 May – 28 Sept)
This item came up just before publication and we’ll no doubt have more to say about it. However, for now, we’ll just highlight the online events starting on 18 May (for the Lennoxtown, Milton of Campsie, Haughhead and Clachan of Campsie areas). There are about a dozen online events in the next few months for different areas (using MS Teams). Paper forms are also available from local libraries.
See a full list of events and background info on the Active Travel Discussion webpage. EDC have set up an online map to gather suggestions, with links to highlight paths, etc. in the area. This consultation will feed into a new Active Travel Strategy later in the year.
1.3: East Dunbartonshire Council – Canniesburn Toll Signalisation Study
Canniesburn Toll is a main junction between Bearsden and Glasgow, which links Switchback Rd and Drymen Rd to the A81 (Maryhill Rd/Milgavie Rd). East Dunbartonshire Council is going to add traffic lights and pedestrian crossings around the roundabout itself. At the same time EDC are proposing to add a cycle lane (using space gained by removing pavement around the centre of roundabout).
There are two options being put forward for the bike lane – one on the carriageway and one on the footway. While it’s good that EDC is looking at cycling infrastructure again (after ignoring Spaces for People), there are some obvious issues with both options.
Option 1, on the carriageway, seems to give priority for people cycling round the edge of the roundabout. However, there’s an obvious risk of a ‘left hook’ collision, when cycling ahead from cars turning left across your path.
Option 2, on the footway, should be safer but slower with multiple waits at traffic lights to cross each arm of the roundabout.
It’s not clear if either option is trying to recreate a Dutch roundabout, which tend to be smaller, single-lane roundabouts with a cycle lane in a separate ring outside it (leaving a gap for cars to stop on each arm). There may not be enough space all the way around the roundabout to add bike lanes further out. However, there is a huge area in the middle of it.
The Canniesburn Toll consultation website has background info and a link to the survey, which takes general feedback and for each option. It’s apparently had a few technical issues which the consultants (Stantec) say are being resolved. If you have any issues with it you could try emailing canniesburntoll@stantec.com. There’s no obvious closing date for this one. However, a ‘Technical Note‘ by EDC for their councillors says detailed design will start in June 2021.
1.4: North Lanarkshire Council – Town Hubs location surveys
As covered in Digest 85, Item 1.2. The Hubs are about creating community facilities through school refurbishments (or other redevelopment). While not strictly about cycling, the new hubs should be accessible by bike/active travel. The areas involved are: Airdrie, Bellshill, Coatbridge, Cumbernauld, Kilsyth, Motherwell, ‘Northern Corridor’ (Chryston), Shotts and Wishaw.
Each area is covered in one of the videos on the consultation webpage. You can watch them on the page or by clicking the red link to open them in a new tab/window. There are also videos at the foot of the page explaining the thinking behind the project. Each area has a link to a survey to give your views. There’s no obvious closing date for this one.
1.5: GUS – GUSM74 Urban Sports Sculpture Park survey
First covered in Digest 81, Item 1.9, the GUSM74 skate park would transform an area under the motorway near West St underground station. The GUSM74 survey is still open for BMX riders, skaters, or their families, to have their say.
Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations
2.1: Glasgow City Council – Pollok pop-up lanes consultation (Spaces for People)
The city council added pop-up cycle lanes in Pollok on Braidcraft Rd and Brockburn Rd (as mentioned in the Spaces for People Update in Digest 84). As in other areas, the new lanes used ‘soft segregation’ (black & white ‘zebras’). They generated a lot of discussion on social media, especially Facebook. A Facebook post by Cllr David McDonald talked about a future GCC consultation. It was apparently due to start on 7 May but there doesn’t seem to be any further information so far.
Section 3: Consultation Feedback
3.1: Glasgow City Council – East City Way Phase 1 (London Dr to Daldowie Rd) Order 2021
This was covered in Digest 80, Item 1.5 with further responses in Digest 82, 3.1. GCC have emailed to confirm it’s going ahead as proposed. Hopefully, this and the image in the Infrastructure Update, mean the first phase is just about complete.
3.2: Glasgow City Council – London Road and Hamilton Road (30mph Speed Limit) Order 2021
This order has gone hand-in-hand with the above since Digest 80, Item 1.6. It’s also been approved. Both orders were made on 30th April 2021 with adverts in the Evening Times on 6th May 2021.
3.3: Multiplex – Glasgow Uni campus, May newsletter
Quick off the mark this month are Multiplex with their May newsletter about the Glasgow Uni campus redevelopment.
3.4: Urban Roots – Malls Mire, April Newsletter
First covered in Digest 74, Item 3.4, we’re a wee bit late with the April newsletter. Apparently some paths may be rerouted to allow work to take place. On the plus side, the bike pump track is looking good!