The Glasgow City Council (City Centre)(Mandatory 20mph Zone) Order 201_

20 limit

This consultation is very welcome news and long overdue, but while it is not as ambitious as the 20mph for Glasgow petition launched by GoBike member Bob Downie, which is still proceeding through council committee, it’s very important that those who support the 20mph scheme participate in the consultation, and where there are aspects to be objected to, that the representations are constructive.

And a successful city centre scheme will be a platform for arguing to extend the 20mph limit more widely, ie in line with the 20mph for Glasgow petition.

It’s important that we all support this proposal; if we don’t and the car lobby opposes it the council might just take the easy way out and keep the status quo.  And, by ALL, I include the people who want to, and do, cycle faster than 20mph!  Slower vehicle speeds in the city will make our streets far pleasanter, improving air quality and encouraging more people to cycle.

PLEASE RESPOND TO THE CONSULTATION AND SUPPORT THIS MEASURE.

——– Forwarded Message ——–

Subject: The Glasgow City Council (City Centre)(Mandatory 20mph Zone) Order 201_
Date: Mon, 19 Oct 2015 08:48:17 +0100
From: Dewar, Graeme (LES) <Graeme.Dewar@glasgow.gov.uk>
To: Dewar, Graeme (LES) <Graeme.Dewar@glasgow.gov.uk>

MESSAGE SENT ON BEHALF OF ANDY WADDELL, HEAD OF INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES, LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

The Glasgow City Council (City Centre)(Mandatory 20mph Zone) Order 201_

 The Council propose to consider the introduction of the above named Traffic Regulation Order and my purpose in writing to you is to draw your attention to these proposals. In accordance with statutory procedures, I now enclose a copy of the Notice of proposed order CityCentre-Mandatory20mph Advert and Plan showing the extent of the order.  Note that the plan is too large for upload to the GoBike website but it may be seen at: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4216

The proposal is to introduce:-

A Mandatory 20mph Zone in the City Centre bounded by the River Clyde, Saltmarket/High Street, Cowcaddens Road/West Graham Street, Newton Street, Brown Street as shown on the attached plan.

Any person wishing to object to the proposed Order should send details of the grounds for their objection either in writing to Land and Environmental Services, Glasgow City Council, 231 George Street, Glasgow G1 1RX by Monday 30th November 2015 or by email to  graeme.dewar@glasgow.gov.uk.  Objections should state the name and address of the objector, the matters to which they relate and the grounds on which the objection is made.

Yours faithfully

Andy Waddell

Head of Infrastructure Services

Glasgow – UK Council of the Year 2015
—————————————————————————-

Cycling Celebration Day: Tradeston / South West City Cycle Way, Saturday 24 October from 1pm

 

GoBike is supporting the Community Celebration of the Tradeston Cycle Route – now known as the South West City Way – on Saturday 24 October 2015 from 1pm.  The official launch by the City Council is on Tuesday 20 October but the local Community Council, chaired by a GoBike member, is actively promoting cycling in Pollokshields with this event on the 24th.

See the poster for details: 151014 Press Release v4

and here’s the information sent to the press: 151017 NEWS RELEASE CYCLING CELEBRATION DAY

So please come along, join in one of the rides and enjoy yourself at Scotland Street School

Clyde Tunnel, Fastlink, new Hospital – the news from Glasgow City Council is not good

Fastlink dream

The latest on the tunnel/Fastlink/new Hospital is just as useful as this picture of a proposed Fastlink bus.  We are indebted to Bailie Fariha Thomas, one of the Govan Councillors, for meeting 3 of us from GoBike on 17 September and for writing to Land & Environmental Services (LES) at Glasgow City Council further to the meeting.  The reply she received is disappointing; here are 2 examples of her questions and the replies from LES:

  1. Go Bike believe there is to be a new pedestrian/cycle crossing across Moss Road from Peninver Drive to the hospital which will help keep people off Govan Road if appropriately signposted – can this be confirmed, with timescales?

Glasgow City Council prepared a package of measures to improve the connections for walking and cycling in relation to the Fastlink project and presented this to SPT for spend approval (SPT are the funding administrators for the project).  This included the improvement to the crossing facility at Peninver Drive.  To date SPT have not approved the funding to allow these works to commence.  The Council is, therefore, currently investigating alternative funding streams with a view to implementing this improvement by April 2016.

  1. Southbound tunnel – cyclists coming out of tunnel have real difficulties in getting across Govan Road – and will not go East to roundabout if that is what is expected.  The railings along the road seem to block what would have been seen as logical access and egress points so maybe some collaborative discussion could take place to examine this?

The railings are provided to ensure a safety barrier.  As vehicles are exiting from the tunnel into flowing traffic, to remove the barrier so close to the junction and allow cyclists to cross would create risk and conflict between parties and could lead to accidents.  As such, cyclists are directed to use the provided crossing points.

Here is the Q&A about cycle use of Fastlink:

  1. Can you update me on what parts of Fastlink route will be open for cyclists, and how, and when, that information will be conveyed?

Cyclists will be permitted to use the segregated Fastlink lanes while crossing the Clyde Arc Bridge.  They will also be permitted within all kerbside with-flow bus lanes along the length of the route.  This information will be available on the signage at each individual section.

The full text of the e-mail exchange from GoBike to Bailie Thomas to LES and the return may be seen here: Tunnel SGUH councillor emails

To be continued ……

Glasgow: Connect 2, work next week at Elderslie Street – St Vincent Street

 

We have been asked, by Glasgow City Council, to give you this information about the Connect 2 cycle route, oops, sorry, the West City Way:

West City Way – Temporary closure Elderslie St. / St Vincent St.

A section of the West City Way on Elderslie St. / St Vincent St. will be closed from 20 October until 24 October to facilitate essential electrical and telecommunications works.

Traffic management will be in place for the duration and cyclists are requested to comply with this.”

So, traffic management for a cycle route – that’ll be a first, but a move in the right direction.

(Note: the photo’s a generic one – I don’t think there will be cars and buses on Elderslie Street)

We Walk, We Cycle, We Vote – new website up and running

12038342_1592637817659022_7429854856033511629_n walkcyclevote

GoBike!, as a founder member of We Walk, We Cycle, We Vote, through the National Cycling Infrastructure Group, is proud to announce that the website is now up and running, see: http://walkcyclevote.scot

Events around Scotland for the run-up to the Holyrood Elections next year will be detailed.

The site, built by the hard work of one volunteer, is work in progress, but do have a look, and if you are on twitter, check out:

@walkcyclevote

Pavement Parking, Further action please on Holyrood Bill consultation!

 

Many thanks to those of you who have written to David Mundell and who have shared the previous post on Facebook.  However, the Footway Parking and Double Parking (Scotland) Bill was introduced to the Parliament on 20 May 2015 and has been referred to the Local Government and Regeneration Committee for consideration at Stage 1.  It  is a members’ bill and Sandra White MSP is the member in charge, as well as the Constituency MSP for Glasgow Kelvin.

 

The bill is currently out for consultation at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/91535.aspx

There is an option to give evidence or to complete a short survey; the survey gives lots of options for giving your views and is open until early November.  Please respond and give your views.

Previous post for reference:

Pavement parking Scotland

Yesterday evening, 22 September, the Cross Party Group on Cycling, chaired by Alison Johnstone, MSP (Green) met at Holyrood, and a presentation was given by Stuart Hay of Living Streets Scotland on the Responsible Parking Bill, being brought forward by Sandra White, Glasgow Kelvin constituency MSP (SNP).

Stuart explained that it currently not illegal to park on a dropped kerb, hence cars may park on the dropped kerbs at the end of cycleways, and while it is illegal to drive on a footway, the driver must be seen to drive onto the footway; no action will be taken if the vehicle is parked on the footway!  The bill also tackles double parking, which adds danger to the roads for cyclists but also, critically, impedes the passage of emergency vehicles.

Further detail is given on the Living Streets website

Please scroll down the page on their website and click on the blue box to e-mail David Mundell, the Secretary of State for Scotland to support this bill.

GoBike was represented at the Cross Party Group by the Convenor.  Other groups represented are: Spokes, Pedal on Parliament, CTC, Sustrans, Cycling Scotland and Road Share.

Stop pavement parking: please act now.

Pavement parking Scotland

Yesterday evening, 22 September, the Cross Party Group on Cycling, chaired by Alison Johnstone, MSP (Green) met at Holyrood, and a presentation was given by Stuart Hay of Living Streets Scotland on the Responsible Parking Bill, being brought forward by Sandra White, Glasgow Kelvin constituency MSP (SNP).

Stuart explained that it currently not illegal to park on a dropped kerb, hence cars may park on the dropped kerbs at the end of cycleways, and while it is illegal to drive on a footway, the driver must be seen to drive onto the footway; no action will be taken if the vehicle is parked on the footway!  The bill also tackles double parking, which adds danger to the roads for cyclists but also, critically, impedes the passage of emergency vehicles.

Further detail is given on the Living Streets website

Please scroll down the page on their website and click on the blue box to e-mail David Mundell, the Secretary of State for Scotland to support this bill.

GoBike was represented at the Cross Party Group by the Convenor.  Other groups represented are: Spokes, Pedal on Parliament, CTC, Sustrans, Cycling Scotland and Road Share.

Clyde Tunnel to new hospital, meeting with local Councillor

Tunnel2

On Thursday evening, 17 September, we held a meeting with one of the local Councillors for Govan, Bailie Fariha Thomas.  The orange barrier shown in the photograph has now been removed from Govan Road but no guidance has been provided as yet for cyclists emerging from the southbound tunnel.

The summary e-mail sent to Bailie Thomas after the meeting is reproduced in full below and you will see that we suggest a less hostile environment should be created in the area to improve conditions for walking and cycling.  If you have any suggestions how the ambiance of the area may be improved please let GoBike know either by e-mail or via the Facebook page.

“Dear Bailie Thomas,

Sincere thanks for meeting Alasdair Macdonald from the GoBike committee, Dr Andy Winter, a GoBike member who spends his working week between the new hospital and other venues in the city, and me yesterday evening, 17 September.  We were pleased that you understand not only our concerns but those of your constituents in the locality as well as the pressures on the City Council.
I have copied both Andy and Alasdair into this message and have also included Andrew Brown and his assistant Steve Gray, from Land and Environmental Services at the City Council, both of whom met us at the same venue on Monday 10 August.  It is unfortunate that despite the efforts of Andrew and Steve, the Fastlink team have not actively engaged with cyclists and pedestrians in Govan.

There has been a phenomenal increase in the number of people cycling to and from the new hospital and in the Govan area, which is very welcome, but this appears to have been done as a result of the very small number of parking places at the hospital and the severe traffic congestion, not because of any increase or improvement in cycling infrastructure on the commuter routes we looked at yesterday.
It seems that, overall, no consideration has been given to the route to and from the now-heavily-used Clyde Cycle Tunnels across the Fastlink Route and, although some changes are now being made to access to the Fastlink lanes, there is a lack of clarity.

To summarise our discussion, we have listed the points we covered below and we would be very grateful if you could assist in finding out some answers for us and clarifying other points of concern.

  1. At our meeting last month with Andrew Brown and Steve Gray we discussed the proposed resurfacing of the Clyde Cycle Tunnels, but as yet, we have not been told the timescale for these works.
  2. Steve Gray informed us that he had prepared a signing schedule to guide people to the cycle tunnels; this is very much needed.  You will remember that we saw someone on Peninver Drive yesterday asking how to get to the northbound tunnel?  It would be good to know that signage will soon be put in place.
  3. The crossing of Moss Road from the hospital gate to Peninver Drive is of concern.  It is heavily used but unsuitable for the number of people walking or cycling across.  We were told that improvements would be made promptly but over 5 weeks on we have heard nothing.
  4. Peninver Drive and Burghead Place, leading to the northbound tunnel: could you please ascertain the extent and timescale of the resurfacing to be done in this area?

I now turn to the exit from the southbound tunnel and Govan Road, where, as we saw yesterday, there is no provision for cyclists.  Despite it being City Council policy to install Advance Stop Lines for cyclists, none have been installed at the new traffic light junction of Moss Road and Govan Road.  The whole area has been made to look as if it has a busy highway through it and natural pedestrian and cycle routes have been blocked off by all the metal fences that have been installed.

  1. Cycle exit from the southbound tunnel and route to the new hospital: at our meeting with Andrew and Steve on 10 August they suggested that cyclists would be expected to exit from the tunnel, use a new toucan crossing over Cressy Street (ie taking them east and away from the hospital) use two more toucan crossings over Govan Road and then join the bus lane to continue their westbound journey.  There are many objections to this, not least being that it is impractical!  A suggested option of a shared footway on the south side of Govan Road now appears to have been removed with the erection of one of the many new fences.  We looked yesterday at the option of a shared system on a widened footway on the north side of Govan Road, with the possibility of crossing Govan Road at the high point (thus giving good visibility) directly over the road tunnel (the recently installed pedestrian crossing further west is not in a suitable place).
  2. However, our conclusion is that a more holistic solution is required and expert advice should be sought as to how a robust and usable cycle network may be constructed alongside good walking routes to allow commuters to the hospital, patients, local residents and people employed in the area to walk and cycle, not only from the tunnel to the hospital but to the new housing that is being constructed on the north side of Govan Road, to the new and existing shopping areas and to the schools and other local amenities.  The new housing being constructed is presumably to attract people to live in the area and now is the time to look at improving the ambience of the area, as has very successfully been done in other parts of Govan.

You told us that there would be a review of the traffic management around the hospital one year on – from either the opening of the new hospital or the completion of Fastlink, which, you informed us, is now scheduled for 02 October.  I’ve no doubt the completion of the route will be very welcome to all the people who have suffered from the congestion, noise and lack of access!  Could you tell us whether this review will cover vehicle flows along Govan Road before the opening of the new hospital, after the opening, before and after the completion of Fastlink and, of course, the numbers of people cycling along Govan Road and through the tunnels?
As we discussed there have been changes to the access allowed to cycles along the Fastlink Route, with the Clyde Arc section being the first to allow cycles, and now Govan Road.  GoBike proposed at the time of the initial consultation on Fastlink that bikes should be allowed on the entire route, since the lanes for all other traffic are so narrow.  Can you confirm that cycles will be allowed to use the entire route?

We did, of course, discuss many points of concern and we realise that all our questions won’t be answered immediately, but action is required on some points sooner rather than later.  We look forward to hearing of improvements being made!

With very best wishes and with thanks for the time you spent with us yesterday,

Tricia

Tricia Fort
Convenor, GoBike! The Strathclyde Cycle Campaign, www.gobike.org