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European Cycle Challenge 2016 – May 1st – 31st. Take part, in Glasgow!

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Here’s a message we are passing on from Glasgow City Council:

European Cycle Challenge 2016 – May 1st – 31st.

MAKE GLASGOW A CYCLING CITY!

PRESS LAUNCH / PHOTO CALL

You are invited to participate in the photocall for the launch of Glasgow’s participation in the European Cycling Challenge.

When: 9.30am for 10.00am, Wednesday, 13 April 2016

Location: Anderston Bridge (previously known as the Bridge to Nowhere), by the cycle counter on the Argyle St side of the bridge. Please note, the bridge spans between Waterloo Street and Argyle Street, Anderston.

Details: Local cyclists and cycling representatives from various organisations including Police Scotland and Glasgow City Council come together to show their support for Team Glasgow as the city takes part in its first European Cycle Challenge. Glasgow is the only city in Scotland to have signed up for the challenge.

All those who attend and sign up for the challenge at the launch event will receive a promotional saddle cover and a Glasgow city cycle map bandana, courtesy of Glasgow City Council.

Download the cycling365 app available for all platforms and track your journeys.

Further information on the European Cycle Challenge is available at:

www.glasgow.gov.uk/cycling

www.cyclingchallenge.eu

How does it work and which cycle journeys count?

Each individual will be asked to register their cycle journeys, the more distance pedalled, the better the city will do. All cycle journeys will be tracked through the cycling365 phone app which you can download at: http://www.cyclingchallenge.eu/ecc2016-cycling365

Commuting, business travel by bike, leisure cycling, even training rides count. Only competitive sporting events and static bike miles aren’t included.

The information is used to create a live European wide ‘heat map’ to show where everyone, throughout Europe is cycling. The app also generates individual heat maps with stats on how far and how often you have cycled.

How can you help?

Your support will help encourage widespread participation. The more people who participate in the launch and event as a whole, the more useful the data provided will be.

At the end of the May, the city with the highest number of registered cycled kilometres will be declared the winner.

There are also excellent prizes donated by the leaders in cycling. Details of these will be available on the www.glasgow.gov.uk/cycling web page shortly.

Additional Info.

Social media

During the challenge GCC will have an ongoing promotion via social media and will be using the hashtags #glasgowcycling and #ecc2016

A banner is attached. Please feel free to circulate this or add to your website.

Contacts:

Glasgow City Council Land and Environmental Services Communications

Julianne.McGinley@glasgow.gov.uk

0141 287 9460

Glasgow City Council Land and Environmental Services Project Management

Collin.Little@glasgow.gov.uk

0141 287 9483

Regards

Collin

 

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Potential Off Road Cycle Track in East End of Glasgow

Provan Road to Glasgow Kelvin College Off Road Cycle Route

When responding to a recent consultation, GoBike members identified an opportunity for a new off road cycle route that would:

  • link two Glasgow Parks, Alexandra and Hogarth;
  • provide a safe route to cycle for those going to Glasgow Kelvin College’s East End Campus;
  • as well as enable people,from Kenny Hill, Riddrie and Carntyne, to cycle to the Forge Shopping Areas, while minimizing the amount of time cycling on the road.

Provan Road to GKCEEC Overview

The route follows part of the old Caledonian Railway line.  This stretch went from Blockairn Junction to Dalmarnock.  There are three railway bridges that cross the  route: Gadie Street, Cumbernauld Road and Edinburgh Road.

Unfortunately the Gadie Street bridge is currently being used as a dumping ground.

Gaudie Street Bridge

However looking south, over the rubbish, the potential can almost be seen.

South from Gaudie Street

This potential becomes more visible continues as you follow the railway line.  Looking South from the bridge that crosses the Cumbernauld Road a well worn track can already be seen.

South from Cumbernauld Road

The bridge that carries the 6 lanes of Edinburgh Road also shows promise.

Edinburgh Road Bridge

While turning around from the point the picture was taken above the flat surface of the old railway line stands out.

Edinburgh Road Bridge South

There would be a great deal of work to be done to turn this into a viable off road cycle track, taking cyclists away from the traffic on the Edinburgh and Cumbernauld Roads.  However, the potential is there and is waiting to be exploited.  This is something GoBike will continue to explore and discuss with the Council.  We will keep you updated on developments

The Google Map above shows the Cycle Path in context of Alexandra Park, Hogarth Park, Glasgow Kelvin College and the Forge Shopping Areas.

 

 

 

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Bikes on trains

bikes on trains

Excellent article in the Herald today (29 March) about bikes on trains and the reduction in bike spaces on the West Highland Line (Glasgow to Oban, Fort William and Mallaig) raising the threat to tourism.

Also, Ewan Jeffrey, from our sister organisation in the east, Spokes, was on Radio Scotland’s phone in programme, 09:00 – 10:00 this morning.  It was a very pro-bike, pro-tourism programme with, unfortunately, no-one from Transport Scotland appearing to defend their decision on the West Highland Line to cut the bookable bike spaces from 6 to 2.

Note: the photo above is just to catch your eye – this is not the way to transport bikes, or people, at speeds of 70mph or more.

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Glasgow Flagship Cycle Route may be blocked – beware

Waterloo Street 21 Mar 16

Regular users of Glasgow City Council’s flagship cycle route Connect 2 along Waterloo Street may be aware of the building works going on just where the route becomes shared with pedestrians, but all should be aware.  It is at times shared not just with pedestrians, but with coned-off excavations and construction vehicles.  Obviously the council department supervising these works is not aware of the council’s desire to encourage more of us to walk and cycle.

GoBike has notified GCC of concern.

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20mph – coming to Glasgow city centre now

20mph sign blue sky

Excellent article in the Herald yesterday on 20mph by Iain Macwhirter and a superb response from GoBike committee member Peter Hayman in today’s issue.  We are delighted that Glasgow City Council is introducing 20mph but why only for the city centre?  Why not for our further out busy streets and shopping areas?

Also in today’s issue, on page 3, a rebuke to plans for demolition of the Admiral Bar, the venue we use for our public meetings.

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GoBike Hustings 16 March – a Success!

Hustings March 16

Yesterday evening’s Hustings was deemed a success by organisers, the audience and, importantly, the speakers and our compere!  A good evening was had by all with questions and discussion on Presumed Liability, potholes, pollution, parking, the budget for cycling, the responsibility of government vis-a-vis local authorities, 20mph, segregated cycleways, the cost of public transport, bikes on trains – it was a busy 90 minutes.

The Election for our MSPs is exactly 7 weeks away so there is still time to ask your candidates their views on active travel.  The health of our nation depends on us getting out of our cars, reducing pollution and getting active – and we need our MSPs to take action.

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GoBike Hustings: Ivan McKee replaces Sandra White for the SNP

Ivan McKee

Ivan McKee has, at very short notice, stepped in to take Sandra White’s place at tomorrow’s Hustings.  He’s the SNP candidate for Glasgow Provan, see http://www.snp.org/ivan_mckee  and you can see more about him on his Facebook page

We look forward to welcoming Ivan to our Hustings tomorrow.

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GoBike Hustings TOMORROW: press release

 

In preparation for our Hustings tomorrow, see all the details on our Hustings 2016 page, we have issued our final pre-Husitngs press release: Press Release GoBike Hustings 2016 – it’s tomorrow

We’re looking forward to a great, informative event.

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Free Wheel North: grand opening of the White House, Maryhill Road, Glasgow

FWN 14 Mar 16

Today, 14 March 2016, Free Wheel North (FWN) formally opened their premises in Maryhill, the White House

The photo shows a smart looking Norman Armstrong explaining the FWN philosophy on sharing space, with, to the right in the white top, Councillor Martin McElroy, who stopped off for the event on his day off ride out to Loch Lomond.  Martin is GCC’s cycling comrade (my terminology) replacing the Cycling Czar, Frank McAveety in the council’s lead role for cycling.

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Hustings: candidate Cat Boyd, RISE

Cat Boyd

Here’s the text of Cat Boyd’s statement on active travel:

“Cat Boyd Candidate for RISE: Scotland’s Left Alliance RISE believe that less of the transport budget should be going towards trunk roads and motorways and more should be going to walking, cycling, buses and trains. 

Only 1.6% of the transport budget is spent on cycling, and that figure is falling in Swinney’s next budget while over £100m extra is going on roads. The spending on roads is £820 million now – a third of the total transport budget. We are subsidising the car industry and motorists. 

The health and ecological impacts of this, long term in Scotland will be huge. Glasgow was 17th out of 20 in a survey on cycle-friendly UK cities. Considering there is so many parks and green spaces in the city, that is a disgrace.
The Government is set to miss its target of 10% of people making everyday journeys by bike by 2020 by a long way. We think this simply isn’t good enough. About a third of carbon emissions comes from transport – if we are going to cut down on emissions we need to provide incentives to move people on to more green forms of transport.

The health benefits of people walking and cycling more are widely understood – it is especially important for children. We have an obesity epidemic emerging in this country – we are the fat men and women of Europe, with one in five obese and it could rise to one in three. We need to get people walking and cycling. 

RISE’s cycling policy: we need an increase in safe route funding with cycle paths laid down on roads all across the country, not cuts to safe route funding which Swinney has announced. We will argue this case in the parliament if elected.

Cyclists need to feel safe and secure – and also free of harassment. Too many cyclists get remarks made towards them from passers by and drivers, and the Scottish Govt needs to develop a strategy to tackle this sort of harassment. Women cyclists are twice as likely as men to get this sort of harassment as a cyclist, and it puts many women off cycling. It needs to end.

RISE have a policy to fight sexist street harassment which would cover cyclists. We believe that there must be a better, more democratic and sustainable way to use of public space in Glasgow – commercial events seem to be prioritised above all else. Safe cycle routes part of tackling that problem.

As well as ensuring that public space is well connected by cycle and walking routes, we
will demand a reduction in speed limits to 20 mph in all built up areas. Additionally, RISE supports free public transport for all.”

Find out more about the Hustings here