Thank you to the 50+ people who came along to tonights Go Bike! open meeting.
We heard Sue Hilder, Access Officer and Andrew Brown of the sustainable transport team, both from Glasgow City Council, give presentations and answer questions on their respective areas of expertise about Core Paths and the City Centre Transport Strategy. The evening finished with an opportunity for everyone to add their comments to maps of the city centre and the existing and proposed cycle routes. Thank you to Sue and Andrew for their valuable contributions to the evening and event.
Go Bike has arranged this meeting to provide feedback to Glasgow City Council (GCC) on their plans for cycle paths in the city centre.
Agenda
Welcome and Introduction: Patricia Fort, Go BIke
The role of Core Paths, particularly in the city centre; Sue Hilder, GCC
GCC’s city centre transport strategy, including possible measures for traffic calming, 20mph speed limits and consultation arrangements; Andrew Brown, GCC
Feedback on routes, an opportunity for all participants to mark their regular routes, desired routes, known obstructions and locations of concern on large-scale city maps.
Open discussion
Please come and help to improve cycling in Glasgow!
Rides through Glasgow parks like this one would need prior consent under the proposed rules.
Glasgow City Council is proposing new rules for the management of parks, see: http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/parkmanagementrules – and note that “park” has a wide meaning and includes George Square in the city centre. 2 of the rules, in particular, are of interest to cyclists.
Clause 1.4 of the proposed rules refers to an “Unauthorised Gathering” which means any gathering, meeting or assembly in a park of 20 or more people, which has not had the prior written consent of the Executive Director of Land and Environmental Services, however it was organised.
This has implications for any group, not only of cyclists, who assemble in an area deemed to be a park, prior to setting off on a cycle ride, or something such as a trip to an art gallery. For example, cyclists from Glasgow arranged to meet in George Square last year prior to cycling to Edinburgh for the Pedal on Parliament event. Go Bike, since it achieved the right for cyclists to cycle through the city parks some 25 years ago, has led several rides through parks, the latest being on Sunday 05 January, when 30 of us did an excellent cycle tour of the parks on the southside of the city. We stopped several times to regroup and, finally, we admired the view once we had all made it to the high point, the flag pole, in Queen’s Park. 30 of us “gathering” together in this way – without the prior consent of the Executive Director of Land and Environmental Services – could thus be considered to be “unauthorised“.
Clause 7.2, second sentence of the proposals states that “Cycle speed should not exceed 5 miles per hour.” Anyone who has tried cycling alongside a pedestrian will know that it is very unstable to cycle at such low speeds; even children, or adults, learning to cycle will be going at speeds above 5mph – if only to try and keep their balance. The average “moving speed” of the Go Bike ride through the parks last month was 7.6 miles per hour, with a maximum of 16.3 mph. A limit of 5mph, if and when enforced, would thus remove our hard-won right to cycle in parks and other parts of the city covered by these new rules.
Go Bike proposes that, if the City Council wishes to ban some types of “Unauthorised Gathering” then they should be specific about the type of behaviour they wish to ban. A blanket ban covers not only cyclists but a group of families meeting together.
Most cyclists cycle at speeds appropriate to their surroundings so the second sentence of Clause 7.2 quoted above should be removed leaving the clause as: “Cyclists must maintain proper control of the cycle and ensure they do not endanger other road users.” Those who don’t would be in contravention of Clause 2.1 “No one shall in any park: (c) commit any act of anti-social behaviour in any park,”
Thus, there is a plethora of rules drawn up to cover almost any eventuality. The Council would do far better to employ park wardens to look after and maintain these “dear, green places” in our city.
Andy Preece e-mailed the Go Bike yahoo group on 16 December to inform people of the link http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4216
to 2 Traffic Regulation Orders relating to the Fastlink Bus scheme which is proposed to run from the city centre out to the Southern General Hospital. The 2 Orders relate to the section from the Finnieston Bridge (otherwise known as the Clyde Arc Bridge or Squinty Bridge) to Whitefield Road and Whitefield Road to Elder Street. Some of you may have looked at these and/or you may have been in the Clyde Arc, Pacific Drive or Govan areas and seen that work is already proceeding on this segregated bus link.
Objections to the Orders must be received by Friday 24 January and should be sent to:
Projects Manager,
Project Management and Design,
Land and Environmental Services,
231 George Street,
Glasgow, G1 1RX
(FAO Brian Hubbert)
by post or by email to brian.hubbert@glasgow.gov.uk.
The proposals detail the segregated bus link going over the Clyde Arc Bridge and along Pacific Drive; the bus lanes will be for the bus only, ie no taxis or cycles will be allowed in these lanes. This means that all vehicles, apart from the buses, will be restricted to one lane in each direction over the Clyde Arc Bridge and along Pacific Drive. The Orders give no details of cycle routes and no information about the National Cycle Network Routes 7 and 75. However, information on proposed cycle routes was given at the GCC Glasgow’s Strategic Plan for Cycling: Transport Sub Group meeting on Tuesday 14 January, which was attended by members of the Go Bike Committee. It is proposed that the cycle route will be along Congress Road, over Bells Bridge and then back on a shared footway to cross Pacific Drive via a Toucan crossing to reach Govan Road and then on to Brand Street. For cyclists heading towards Govan the proposed route is along a shared footway on one side only of Pacific Drive.
Thus, although cyclists will not be banned from the Clyde Arc Bridge, Pacific Drive, Govan Road and Golspie Street, there will be a strong deterrent not to cycle there. The segregated bus lanes are in the centre of the road over the Clyde Arc Bridge and along Pacific Drive and Govan Road as far as Burndyke Court (ie the start of the straight part of Govan Road near the river) where they become kerbside for most of the remainder of the route through Govan. Where they are kerbside, cyclists will have to cycle in the outside lane with all other road users.
This means a big reduction in safety for cyclists going from the Broomielaw towards Govan by way of the Clyde Arc Bridge and for cyclists who live adjacent to the route. The additional cycle route information given on Tuesday does not give reassurance that the needs of cyclists in the area are being catered for; it is already well-known that the shared footway past the hotel near the Clyde Arc Bridge is inadequate and the route via Bells Bridge adds quite a distance to the cycle journey either to Govan or to Cessnock.
Go Bike is amending its original draft letter of objection further to receipt of the cycle route information on Tuesday and this will be posted on the Go Bike website when it has been submitted but we encourage all our members and supporters to write or e-mail in by Friday 24 January if you share our concerns about this lack of recognition of the needs of cyclists.
Are you aware that the use of cycle rickshaws on the streets of Glasgow and to carry spectators to and from Commonwealth Games venues is under serious threat? They are used extensively in other cities, including Edinburgh, so why not in Glasgow?
At the moment Glasgow City Council is applying taxi testing structures to pedicabs and refusing licenses due to alleged safety concerns. This is despite the fact that for over 4 years rickshaws have been licensed and in service in the city without issue. Apparently the Council has now turned its back on rickshaws for reasons best known to themselves.
9 licence applications have currently been refused and, as a test case, one owner has appealed this refusal, with a court case due to be heard at Glasgow Sheriff court on Monday 06 January. The City Council has now instructed Counsel, ie employed an Advocate, at not inconsiderable expense to council tax payers, to speak in court. To have any chance of success, the appellant now has to do the same, at his own expense.
Owen O’Neill of Evolution Rickshaws has tirelessly campaigned to get rickshaws into use in Glasgow and now your support is needed. The Commonwealth Games, lauded as a “green” games will be in the city next year, but there will be no green public transport to the venues if the case on 06 January fails.
The City Council’s Licensing Regulatory Committee oversees all taxi and rickshaw licences. Please e-mail the Convenor of the Committee, Councillor Chris Kelly, to let him know what a disaster it will be for the green image of Glasgow, and Scotland, if these licences are not granted.
Also, if you live within the city, please e-mail your councillors to voice your concern and ask them to speak out so that we can have cycle rickshaws on our city streets. You can find details of the 3 or 4 councillors for the ward in which you live at: http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/councillorsandcommittees/addressSearch.asp
Go Bike is delighted to support the Road Share Campaign for Stricter Liability. Go Bike aims to get more people cycling and better infrastructure for them to cycle on. More people will cycle if road users respect each other and behave responsibly, leading to a safer road environment for all. The Road Share Campaign for Stricter Liability is one of the tools that will help us achieve this aim.
Go Bike AGM – many thanks to all who attended and participated. Attendance was up 142% on last year – let us know if you liked the new venue. Best of all, though – Frank McAveety mentioned a focus on radial routes – good news, although not before time.
Go Bike is delighted to announce details of its Annual General Meeting, which will include a talk by Glasgow’s Cycling Tsar, Frank McAveety. The meeting will take place on Wednesday 27 November, in the downstairs function room of The Admiral Bar, 72A Waterloo Street, Glasgow, assembling from 7pm for a 7.30pm start. We look forward to seeing everybody there, and if you’ve not already tried out the new Connect2 Anderston “Bridge to Everywhere”, come along and put that to rights! Flyer
A new country park is being developed on the north-east side of Glasgow. Seven Lochs Wetland Park, between Glasgow, Gartcosh and Coatbridge, encompasses almost 20 square kilometres of wetland, woodland, burns, ponds, lochs and meadows in the Bishop’s Estate at Provan Hall and the surrounding area. The Seven Lochs Wetland Park will be Scotland’s largest urban nature park.
There will be a walk starting from Provan Hall on Saturday 21 September to see the area and explain the plans, as part of Doors Open Day. Further details are available at Doors Open Day.
75 The NCN 75 Clyde Walkway cycle path has closed again at Shawfield and Dalmarnock for work in connection with the construction of the new Smartbridge and Cuningar Bridge. The closures will last until April 2014, The new Smartbridge will be located between the ends of Carstairs Street and Clydeside Road, and there will be a signed diversion will be between Rutherglen Bridge and Cotton Street via the Clyde Gateway, French Street and Swanston Street. Some localised improvement works will be done on the diversion route. The Cuningar Bridge will be located on the east side of Dalmarnock, and the diversion route will be signed via Springfield Road. Map of diversion routes.
Bike shops come and go, but of late there seem to have been more opening than closing in Glasgow. Lately, Pronto Gara has opened in Parnie Street and Tokyobike in Osborne Street, both in the Merchant City area, plus Wonder Wheels Bikes has opened its reconditioned vintage and retro bicycles shop in Maryhill Road near St George’s Cross. This is in addition to chain Evans Cycles opening its city centre store, to add to its Braehead store. Best wishes are sent to all concerned!
North Lanarkshire Council is developing plans for cycle routes connecting Airdrie, Bellshill, Holytown and Mossend to the key business areas of Eurocentral, Biocity, Newhouse Industrial Estate and Strathclyde Business Park. The council is being assisted by Dutch firm Royal HaskoningDHV Consultancy, which has experience of designing cycle routes. Staff will be on hand in Airdrie Library on 12 September from 12.30pm to 6.30pm to explain the proposals and listen to comments from residents. The plans will remain in the library until 17 September, before moving to Strathclyde Business Park and the Maxim Office Park/Eurocentral between 11am and 6.30pm on 18 and 19 September respectively, for workers and employers to see.
756 Following completion of work on the Connect2 Anderston Bridge project at Anderston, attention has now turned to the Stobcross Bridge over the Clydeside Expressway. The bridge is to be refurbished and due to the nature of the work the bridge will need to be closed for some time. A diversion route will be signed, but this route is described by Glasgow City Council as “quite onerous”. The refurbishment works will consist of cope and parapet replacement to
bring the parapet up to standard for cycle users, resurfacing and major landscaping. The bridge will be closed from 10 September 2013 for 22 weeks.
7 We have been advised that the path between the SECC and the Riverside Museum will be closed from 2 September for 6 weeks, for rebuilding work. A diversion route will be signed via the old route of NCN 7, which involves crossing the Clydeside Expressway on the footbridge with steps at the foot of Kelvinhaugh Street. The path that is closing has acted as a de facto routing of NCN 7 ever since the Riverside Museum was opened and the route made useable. The work is being done as part of the wider cycle route improvement works in connection with the Commonwealth Games (see below).
G The Glasgow to Cumbernauld cycle route is presently blocked at Sighthill due to demolition work. No diversion route signage was evident. We have not been advised how long this closure will last for.
SCSP Glasgow City Council is proposing to rearrange London Road near The Barras so that there would no longer be a one-way system around a large traffic island. The eastbound carriageway between Charlotte Street and Ross Street would be converted into a conventional two-way road and the current westbound carriageway removed. However the existing cycle track alongside the westbound carriageway would be retained and improved, with a 7 metre wide area available for cycle races going to and from Glasgow Green. Anyone who wishes to object to this has until 23 August to do so.
7 Transport Scotland is proposing to build a bypass for Dalry. This intersects NCN 7 on the outskirts of Dalry, at Highfield, where a new roundabout is to be constructed. Transport Scotland has proposed building a cycle track around one side of this roundabout, with an uncontrolled crossing on the main road. The new section of road will run from the A737 at Easter Highfield to a new roundabout on the A737 near Hillend Farm. A public exhibition of the proposal has been organised at Dalry Primary School for Friday 9 August, between 12 noon and 7:30pm.
Road narrowings on Milngavie Road at Hillfoot are under investigation. If you have any information regarding this project, please get in touch.
