People with bikes line the road towards the COP26 conference. Photo: Iona Shepherd
Early on Wednesday morning, hundreds of cycling activists, campaigners and residents of Glasgow marked ‘Transport Day’ at COP26, and joined GoBike to form a line of people with bikes stretching along the River Clyde to the conference. People of all ages stood peacefully along the side of the road asking that active travel is recognised at the conference as a part of the solution to the climate crisis.
The route of the March for Climate Justice on Saturday 6 November started on Kelvin Way and passed more Spaces for People measures in George Square. An order has come out to help make the temporary Spaces for People measures around the square permanent.
The march couldn’t get anywhere near the COP26 venue at the SEC. It has just lodged a planning application for its sometimes public cycle/footbridge. Looking further to the future, this Digest also includes two long term strategies for Glasgow and another for South Ayrshire.
This Wednesday morning (10th November) from 7:45am – 8:45am we are asking people with bikes to peacefully form a line along the edge of the pavement along Lancefield Quay, stretching out from the conference for everyone attending to see. We want to remind people going to the conference on that day (COP26 Transport Day) that active travel is a part of the solution to climate change. Please come and join us!!
Not one, but two rides for you this weekend; the first is a feeder ride for the COP26 demonstration on Saturday, see yesterday’s blog for details and the second is our regular first Sunday in the month GoBike ride. It has 2 themes: the COP Dire Visions and new infrastructure in Bowling, the Bowline railway arches rehabilitation.
This weekend hundreds of people on bikes from Glasgow and across the whole of Scotland are joining the Cycling and Sustainable Transport bloc at the Global Day of Action on Climate Justice march on Saturday 6th November.
Join Gobike, Pedal on Parliament and everyone else from around the country who knows that safer cycling can save us, to let the conference know that sustainable transport is a key part of the solution to the climate crisis and needs to be on the table for discussion.
Today, the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) and a global coalition of pro-cycling organisations are publishing an open letter calling on governments attending COP26 in Glasgow to commit to significantly increasing the number of people who cycle in their countries in order to reach global climate goals quickly and effectively.
The world needs much more cycling if we are to combat climate change. Without quicker and more determined action by governments worldwide to cut transport carbon emissions, we will be dooming present and future generations to a world that is more hostile and much less inhabitable.
There are no official consultations of relevance at present so this digest is different to usual. Instead this month there’s information on how you can raise your voice for the climate and cycling during COP26, and a look at the new Cycling by Design guidance.
Cycle parking is one of the topics in this Digest – the bike park inside Cadogan Square multi-storey car park (pictured, above) says something about the state of current facilities. Also, it contrasts with some of the points in Glasgow’s latest consultations; including about where cycling really sits in the transport hierarchy.
As shared paths are blocked around that big climate conference, there are question marks about whether the message on sustainable transport will get through. Drafts of two major strategies could set the tone for Glasgow in the next decade – both the Active Travel Strategy and Transport Strategy just happen to be out for consultation during COP26.
Starting this Thursday 21st October many of our city’s most used cycle paths and flyovers are due to close around the site of the COP26 at the SEC (and wider), and will remain closed until at least Monday 15th November.
GoBike have pushed hard for improvements to the initial diversion proposals and have had a few of our suggested improvements taken on board and implemented. We are however deeply disappointed that stronger decisions were not made to keep our sustainable form of transport safe and attractive to everyone during the climate conference. This was a missed opportunity for the city to make active travel the easiest choice during a period of road closures and predicted traffic chaos around Glasgow. We outline more on that further below.
Get Ready Glasgow (the COP communications arm of Glasgow City Council) have issued the following updated map to illustrate GCCs proposed diversions.
There is obviously quite a lot happening around Glasgow just now as well as a few consultations each for East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire and Argyll & Bute.
Forthcoming consultations:
Glasgow Transport Strategy: Policy Framework – following on from previous consultations last year.