Peter Hayman, who has long been an active and effective GoBike campaigner, is a true cycling legend. Today, the 28th of March, he turns 80, and to celebrate his birthday, he is planning a hefty 80 mile cycle ride. For this adventure (and Peter is no stranger to adventures), he hopes to cycle to the coast via his previous homes in the West of Scotland and through the home town of his adopted football club, Kilmarnock FC, before returning to Glasgow.

Peter originally hailed from England, where he was born in Long Melford, Suffolk during World War Two and was then brought up in London after the war. He moved to Scotland in the 1970s and worked for Glacier Metal in Kilmarnock as an Industrial Designer, before setting up business on his own. When living in Fenwick his already keen interest in cycling became serious. This was, in part, owing to a cricket match that was organised between High Fenwick and Low Fenwick, in which Peter and two of his sons played for Low Fenwick. Although Peter found he could wield his bat and hit the ball well enough, running the distance between the wickets felt a bit of a struggle. His solution was to turn to his bike, and he began to cycle commute to work, building up his fitness and strength. This effected his interest in cycling to grow so much so, that he took up membership with the Cyclists’ Touring Club or CTC (now called Cycling UK).

When Peter and his wife, Anne, later moved to Glasgow, Peter joined GoBike and became one of the small band of people who kept the campaign going through its leaner years. Peter was one of the campaigners instrumental in having the segregated cycle path installed beside the A77, a route that continues to be heavily used by people on bikes every single day. Peter’s enthusiasm for cycling knows no bounds and has been a massive part of his life for decades. It was this, allied with his work as an Industrial Designer, that encouraged him to enter a design competition, with an innovative bike design, many years ago, becoming one of the finalists.

Peter responds very positively to anyone who shares his interest in cycling, and his youngest grandchild, still at primary school in New Zealand, is very fortunate in this regard, since she is very keen on her bike. He has been such a good influence that his three older grandchildren have followed a similar choice of career to their grandfather and have studied art and design at university.

In addition to campaigning with GoBike and Cycling UK, Peter also advocates for safe cycling provision in Glasgow through his membership of the Merchant City & Trongate Community Council. He is a well known figure among people who cycle in Glasgow and we all thank him for everything he does.

Peter, who is fit and healthy and a shining example to us all to keep active, is now in training for his 80 miler. So if you see him, either practising for the return of fans to football stadiums on his standard cycle trip to Kilmarnock, heading over the Cathkin Braes and Fenwick Moor, or even pootling out to get his messages, do give him a wave!

Here is the 80 for 80 route that Peter will be undertaking, if you wish to check your own cycling prowess in honour of our Mr Hayman: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1440288

Wishing you a great big Happy 80th Birthday Peter!

This blog would not have been possible without the help of Alasdair, Andy, Anne, Bob, Garry and Iona.

Join GoBike (if you haven’t already)
Why? Joining gives you access to our Slack channels, where you can discuss and progress all sorts of things pertinent to GoBike’s actions and campaigns.
Joining, just by the addition of your membership, strengthens GoBike’s arm when campaigning and negotiating for better cycle infrastructure.
Is it affordable? For the majority of people it certainly is. A mere £5 per year, to support our campaigns for good cycle infrastructure.

Respond to consultations
GoBike publishes a fortnightly Digest of local consultations affecting people who live in the area around Glasgow and along the River Clyde. By writing in to the authority issuing the consultation you are adding to the influence of those of us who support active travel.
On a monthly basis we publish a Digest of Scottish and UK consultations that impinge on our rights as people who support active travel and public transport.
If you don’t respond then the motor lobby wins.

Campaign with us
We campaign for protected cycle lanes that extend for meaningful journeys and help us negotiate such daunting features as roundabouts. While things are slowly improving there is still a long way to go before anyone and everyone will feel comfortable about replacing the protection of a car with the joy and freedom of cycling.

Cycle with us to look at the infrastructure we have
Well, not just at the moment, given all the Covid 19 restrictions, but we do normally have a led ride on the first Sunday of the month that we can guarantee will take you somewhere new.
Hopefully, though, you have seen the blog we put out on 20 December? To allow you to see the current cycling infrastructure, including the Covid 19 pop-up lanes, our ride leader, Andy, proposed 3 rides to cover most of Glasgow.
Our intention was for as many as possible to ride these routes on Sunday 03 January, ie tomorrow. Weather permitting, this is still the aim, but if you do venture out on Sunday, or any other day, do please take every care to avoid the ice and do wrap up warm.

Mark Ruskell launched his Safer Streets Bill in 2017 and it is now making its way through the Scottish Parliament as the Restricted Roads (20mph Limt)(Scotland) Bill. The full details may be seen here.

The Bill has now moved to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee for scrutiny and this committee has launched its own consultation, which closes on 28 January. There is information about the bill and a link to the committee’s survey here.

You can help us support this bill by doing two things – respond to this survey and contact to your MSP. We pulled together some help for you to do those things below.

RESPOND TO THE SURVEY

The link again is here.

We need a 20mph limit. The reasons for a 20mph default speed limit include:

1. Consistency from town to town across Scotland. Drivers will expect to drive at 20 not 30mph unless there is signage that allows them to drive at speeds in excess of 20.
2. Consistency within towns. Drivers will expect to drive at 20mph unless there is signage that allows them to drive at speeds in excess of this. Currently there is a lack of consistency, with some proactive communities aiming to protect their schools and their local residential areas with a 20mph limit. There is an increasing number of city areas where local authorities are imposing a 20mph limit to make places more people-friendly and to encourage active travel.
3. Reduction in signage. As urban speeds go up and down there is signage at each change in speed and this will be reduced if the default speed is 20mph. Local communities will see the benefits of a lower speed limit and will resist moves to increase a limit to 30mph.
4. Reduction in pollution. As motor traffic moves at a lower, but importantly, more consistent speed, vehicle emissions will be reduced as there is less requirement to accelerate away from traffic lights. See link, (a), below
5. Reduced danger to pedestrians. It is widely recognised that a vehicle travelling at 20mph is less likely to kill or seriously injure a pedestrian with whom it collides, than if it is travelling at 30mph or more.
6. An improved environment for cycling. The speed differential between a motor vehicle and a bicycle is reduced from a factor of 3 or 4 to a factor of 2 or less. Bicycles can regularly travel at 10-12mph and more people will feel confident of cycling on road alongside motor traffic moving at no more than 20mph.
7. A reduction in motor traffic within towns. Drivers will tend to use the outer ring roads where speed limits are 30mph or higher rather than a more direct route through an urban centre.
8. A reduction in congestion. This would come as more drivers avoid urban centres and those who do travel within urban areas move at a more consistent speed, with less need to overtake etc.
9. Improved compliance, monitoring and enforcement of the speed limit. A consistent speed limit of 20mph, rather than one that changes across an urban area, will encourage compliance by drivers and ease any monitoring and compliance to be done by the authorities. See note (b) below.
10. Reduction in the requirement for “traffic calming”. Local authorities are finding it necessary to install traffic calming measures, usually speed tables or cushions, to reduce motor traffic speeds to no more than 20mph. This expensive practice will not be so regularly required with a default speed of 20mph (Note that traffic calming can cost in the region of £60k vs £1k per km for speed limit signage).

(a) – see point 4 above – this link from a contribution to the Guardian newspaper provides interesting reading, including this quote:

“Research in Germany has shown that the greater the speed of vehicles in built-up areas, the higher is the incidence of acceleration, deceleration, and braking, all of which increase air pollution. German research indicates that traffic calming reduces idle times by 15%, gear changing by 12%, brake use by 14%, and gasoline use by 12% (Newman and Kenworthy 1992, 39–40). This slower and calmer style of driving reduces emissions, as demonstrated by an evaluation in Buxtehude, Germany. Table E-1 shows the relative change in emissions and fuel use when the speed limit is cut from 50kmh (31mph) to 30kmh (19mph) for two different driving styles. Even aggressive driving under the slower speed limit produces lower emissions (but higher fuel use) than under the higher speed limit, although calm driving produces greater reductions for most emissions and net fuel savings (Newman and Kenworthy 1992, 39 –40).”

The AA have carried out tests, see this article, to support a view that lower speed limits raise fuel consumption and hence pollution, although there is no mention of the reduced acceleration and braking when driving at a steady speed of 20mph. However the overriding concerns should be to reduce the severity of accidents and to encourage the switch to active travel. This article, “Speed reduction methods to promote road safety and save lives” gives a good summary of what can be done.

(b) – see point 9 above – Enforcement is an issue, as it is with ALL speed limits, from 20 – 70, but, like smoking and drink driving, the public mood must change. However, some enforcement will be needed and, given the other benefits – fewer and less-severe accidents, for example, Police Scotland and/or our Local Authorities should be funded accordingly.

CONTACT TO YOUR MSP

It is really important that we visit or write to our MSP to show our support for the 20mph Bill,  particularly those of us with MSPs on the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee.

Here is our official response and we also have a template letter here  with a pdf of that  too, that you might want to work from if you need some help getting started.

For the west of Scotland, the essential MSPs to contact are:

John Mason (Shettleston) john.mason.msp@parliament.scot

Richard Lyle (Uddingston & Bellshill) richard.lyle.msp@parliament.scot

Jamie Greene (West of Scotland Region) jamie.greene.msp@parliament.scot

As the bill progresses Cabinet Ministers will have the final say, so it’s important, particularly if your MSP is a Cabinet Minister that you meet them or email them. In the West of Scotland these people are:

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow Southside) nicola.sturgeon.msp@parliament.scot

Humza Yousaf (Glasgow Region) humza.yousaf.msp@parliament.scot

Derek Mackay (Renfrewshire North & West) derek.mackay.msp@parliament.scot

Aileen Campbell (Clydesdale) aileen.campbell.msp@parliament.scot

In addition to all the points in favour of the Bill listed above, here is a reminder of the MSP briefing that Mark Ruskell sent to us:  SaferStreetsMSPbrief

This fortnight we have two new consultations in from East Dunbartonshire, plus high level previews of two Strategic Development Frameworks (SDFs) for Glasgow (the River Clyde corridor and Govan – Partick), as well as an update on campaigning for a 20mph default speed limit in our towns and cities.

Contents:

Section 1: Current Consultations

1. Glasgow City Centre Traffic Management Order Bus Priority, closes this Friday, 21 December
2. **NEW** Glasgow, Maxwell Drive and Bruce Road, Traffic Calming, closes Friday 04 January 2019, but views accepted until 11 January
3. **NEW** East Dunbartonshire Proposed Traffic Calming Measures – Newdyke Road, Kirkintilloch, closes Friday 04 January 2018
4. **NEW** East Dunbartonshire Proposed No Waiting & No Loading At Any Time Restrictions on Westerhill Road, Bishopriggs, closes 28 January 2019
5. The Scottish Parliament, Restricted Roads (20 mph Speed Limit) Bill Survey, closes 28 January 2019
6. **NEW** Scottish Law Commission Automated Vehicles consultation closes 08 February 2019
7. **NEW** Glasgow Strategic Development Frameworks for the River Clyde and Govan Partick closes 08 February 2019
8. East Dunbartonshire Council, Local Development Plan, closes 11 February 2019

Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations

1. Glasgow Battlefield, news of the website and next Design Group meeting
2. East Dunbartonshire Council, Local Development Plan, Transport Options Report Stakeholder Workshop Thursday 24 January 2019 – 10am-12noon

Section 3: Consultation Feedback and other information

1. Living Streets, the Pedestrian Pound Report
2. Without consultation! Glasgow City Council Minor Cycle Works, upgrade to shared path North Street / Piccadilly Street
3. Glasgow North East Active Travel Routes
4. Glasgow Elmbank Street one-way – interest from Blythswood & Broomielaw Community Council

Section 1: Current Consultations, in date order for responses

1.1 Glasgow City Centre Traffic Management Order Bus Priority, ie Oswald Street and Union Street, closes this FRIDAY, 21 DECEMBER

Please do write in about this. All the details were in our last two digests, 22 and 23, which you may read here. It’s important that we get good active travel infrastructure everywhere in the city, not just on the super designated avenues.

1.2 Glasgow City Council, Maxwell Drive and Bruce Road, Traffic Calming Scheme 2018, closes 04 January, but views will be accepted until 11 January 

On Friday 14 December we received this email from the City Council:

“Dear Sir / Madam

THE GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL, (MAXWELL DRIVE AND BRUCE ROAD), TRAFFIC CALMING SCHEME 2018

The Council propose to consider the introduction of the above named Traffic Calming Scheme and I wish to establish the views of your organisation.

Background to the proposed Scheme

The scheme is aimed at improving road safety by reducing vehicle speeds.

Roads affected by the proposed Scheme

The list of roads affected by these proposals are:-

MAXWELL DRIVE

Details of the proposed Scheme

The proposed Scheme (as depicted on the attached plan) will comprise of:-

• 6 sets of 4.5m long, 75mm high speed tables

BRUCE ROAD

Details of the proposed Scheme

The proposed Scheme (as depicted on the attached plan) will comprise of:-

• 5 sets of 4.5m long, 75mm high speed tables

Please provide any comments you wish to make on these proposals within 21 days.

In the meantime, should you require any further information or clarification on any points arising from the proposals, do not hesitate to contact my assistant Scott Downie on 0141 287 9351.

Should the Council proceed with these proposals; I will write to you again and confirm this.

Yours faithfully

Andy Waddell, Head of Infrastructure and Environment, Neighbourhoods and Sustainability”

We haven’t got long to get this back, 21 days, which means 04 January! However, in a  phone conversation on Monday 17 December Scott Downie confirmed that, given the number of public holidays coming up, views would be accepted until 11 January (and possibly after that). In comparison to Albert Drive, which we responded to back in October, see Digest 19 Item 1.2, cycle lanes are in evidence here, although for Bruce Road, there is reference to an “existing 750mm paved channel for cyclists”. This is only half the width given as the “absolute minimum” in Cycling by Design. In the phone conversation yesterday Scott also offered to have a look at the 750mm width to see if he could increase it to allow for cycles generally, ie including tricycles. If changes are to be carried out to the road to reduce speeding by “boy racers”, then surely cycling facilities can also be brought up to a good standard?

The three drawings provided by the Council are here: Bruce Road speed table spec Maxwell Drive speed table details Plan for Maxwell Drive and Bruce Road

This is not a Traffic Regulation Order; Scott Downie yesterday stated that one is not required for traffic calming. It is a notification that work is proposed and thus a standard consultation is carried out

If you know the area do please get your views into:  LandServices.Mailroom@glasgow.gov.uk

1.3 East Dunbartonshire Council, Proposed Traffic Calming Measures – Newdyke Road, Kirkintilloch

We first reported on something very similar to this back in August in Consultation Digest 16 item 1.3. The roads outside Hillhead Primary School are subject to a 30 mph speed limit but drivers exceed this. We  supported the introduction of traffic calming measures with this letter: GoBike Newdyke Road speed tables Letter 300817

We have now received this letter and information, again by snail mail (and it got a bit lost in our system!): Newdyke Road 2 . The letter refers to a previous letter of 5 November, which we do not have, but it looks as if the consultation has been reissued because a speed cushion on Newdyke Avenue had been ignored – oops. The proposal is now to remove this speed cushion; its function being overtaken by the larger speed table at the junction (see the drawing included in the information).

We will be writing a similar letter to the one of 30 August to maintain our support of this traffic calming measure.

1.4 East Dunbartonshire Council, Proposed No Waiting and No Loading at any time Restrictions on Westerhill Road, Bishopriggs, closes 28 January 2019

Here is all the information we have received, 08 December, from East Dunbartonshire Council by post (we’ll follow up on this to see if we can get details electronically in future) including the plan: Westerhill Road

This view on GoogleEarth shows industrial units on the south side of this section of road with cars parked 2 wheels on the footway, 2 wheels on the road all the way along. This obviously prevents effective use of the footway by anyone trying to walk, use a wheelchair or push a pram and there is the risk of “dooring” for anyone who is cycling along here on the road. Our reply will be to support the proposal and support the potential for increased active travel. If you know the area and have any comments do get them to the Council and do please let us know at consultations@gobike.org so we can submit a well-informed response.

1.5 The Scottish Parliament, Restricted Road (20 mph Speed Limit) Bill Survey, closes 28 January 2019

We have been telling you about this bill in our two previous Digests 22 and 23 and we now have this extra bit of guidance for if you are contacting the MSPs specifically on the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee (John Mason (Shettleston), Richard Lyle (Uddingston & Bellshill)  Jamie Greene (West of Scotland Region)) or the Cabinet Ministers who might have the final say,  (Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow Southside), Humza Yousaf (Glasgow Region), Derek Mackay (Renfrewshire North & West) and Aileen Campbell (Clydesdale)).

1. Consistency – from town to town across Scotland, drivers will expect to drive at 20 not 30 unless there is signage that allows them to drive at speeds in excess of 20.
2. Consistency – within towns, drivers will expect to drive at 20 unless there is signage that allows them to drive at speeds in excess of this. Currently there is a lack of consistency, with some proactive communities aiming to protect their schools and their local residential areas with a 20mph limit. There is an increasing number of city areas where local authorities are imposing a 20mph limit to make places more people-friendly and to encourage active travel.
3. Reduction in signage – as urban speeds go up and down there is signage at each change in speed and this will be reduced if the default speed is 20mph. Local communities will see the benefits of a lower speed limit and will resist moves to increase a limit to 30mph.
4. Reduction in pollution – as motor traffic moves at a lower, but importantly, more consistent speed, vehicle emissions will be reduced as there is less requirement to accelerate away from traffic lights. See link, (a), below
5. Reduced danger to pedestrians – it is widely recognised that a vehicle travelling at 20mph is less likely to kill or seriously injure a pedestrian with whom it collides, than if it is travelling at 30mph or more.
6. An improved environment for cycling – the speed differential between a motor vehicle and a bicycle is reduced from a factor of 3 or 4 to a factor of 2 or less. Bicycles can regularly travel at 10-12mph and more people will feel confident of cycling on road alongside motor traffic moving at no more than 20mph.
7. A reduction in motor traffic within towns – drivers will tend to use the outer ring roads where speed limits are 30mph or higher rather than a more direct route through an urban centre.
8. A reduction in congestion – as more drivers avoid urban centres and those who do travel within urban areas move at a more consistent speed, with less need to overtake etc.
9. Improved compliance, monitoring and enforcement of the speed limit – a consistent speed limit of 20mph, rather than one that changes across an urban area, will encourage compliance by drivers and ease any monitoring and compliance to be done by the authorities. See note (b) below.
10. Reduction in the requirement for “traffic calming” – local authorities are finding it necessary to install traffic calming measures, usually speed tables or cushions, to reduce motor traffic speeds to no more than 20mph. This expensive practice will not be so regularly required with a default speed of 20mph (Note that traffic calming can cost in the region of £60k vs £1k per km for speed limit signage).

(a) – see point 4 above – this link from a contribution to the Guardian newspaper provides interesting reading, including this quote:

“Research in Germany has shown that the greater the speed of vehicles in built-up areas, the higher is the incidence of acceleration, deceleration, and braking, all of which increase air pollution. German research indicates that traffic calming reduces idle times by 15%, gear changing by 12%, brake use by 14%, and gasoline use by 12% (Newman and Kenworthy 1992, 39–40). This slower and calmer style of driving reduces emissions, as demonstrated by an evaluation in Buxtehude, Germany. Table E-1 shows the relative change in emissions and fuel use when the speed limit is cut from 50kmh (31mph) to 30kmh (19mph) for two different driving styles. Even aggressive driving under the slower speed limit produces lower emissions (but higher fuel use) than under the higher speed limit, although calm driving produces greater reductions for most emissions and net fuel savings (Newman and Kenworthy 1992, 39 –40).”

The AA have carried out tests, see this article, to support a view that lower speed limits raise fuel consumption and hence pollution, although there is no mention of the reduced acceleration and braking when driving at a steady speed of 20. However the overriding concerns should be to reduce the severity of accidents and to encourage the switch to active travel. This article, “Speed reduction methods to promote road safety and save lives” gives a good summary of what can be done.

(b) – see point 9 above – Enforcement is an issue, but, like smoking and drink driving, the public mood must change. However, some enforcement will be needed and, given the other benefits – fewer and less-severe accidents, for example, Police Scotland and/or our Local Authorities should be funded accordingly.

Do remember the MSP briefing that Mark Ruskell sent to us,  SaferStreetsMSPbrief and please contact your MSP, particularly if they are mentioned above, to ask them to support this Bill.

1.6 Scottish Law Commission, Automated Vehicles Consultation, closes 08 February.

GoBike member, Derek MS, alerted us to this one, see this link and here’s the introduction from the News Release:

“The Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission are launching the first of a series of public consultations about crucial legal reforms which will ensure the country is prepared for the introduction of automated vehicles.
This is an early milestone in a three-year review to examine any legal obstacles to the widespread introduction of self-driving vehicles and highlight the need for regulatory reforms.
The work will be crucial in examining how current driving laws – designed with traditional motoring in mind – can support the next generation of vehicles.
The consultation will ask a series of questions to examine the types of changes that may be required to ensure the country is ready for the introduction of automated vehicles. This includes questions on if and how road rules should be adapted for automated vehicles, who would be responsible for accidents and how to ensure safety for passengers and the wider public.
The review is part of the Future of Mobility Grand Challenge set out in the Government’s Industrial Strategy.”

There’s no obvious mention of how these vehicles will interact with cycles, pedestrians and other non-motorised road users, so we will be thinking about our response.

1.7 Glasgow Strategic Development Frameworks for the River Clyde and Govan Partick closes 08 February 2019

Here’s the message we received earlier this month, just too late for our last Digest, from Glasgow City Council:

“Help shape the future of the River Clyde and Govan-Partick

As part of the implementation of the City Development Plan, ‘Strategic Development Frameworks’ (SDFs) are being prepared for 6 areas of major spatial change across the city. These SDFs are key instruments for implementing the Council’s strategic priorities, linking spatial planning and placemaking objectives with the priorities of communities. 

The Council are now consulting on draft versions of the River Clyde SDF and the Govan-Partick SDF.. These SDF documents along with an introductory document providing further information with regard to the background and Updates on the progress of the preparation and adoption process for the SDFs will be provided on the Council Development Plan webpage.

The Council is now required to process personal information in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).  For more information about this please see our privacy statement.

All comments should be submitted by 4pm on 8th February 2019.  In the interim, if you have any questions or want further information please contact SDFconsultation@glasgow.gov.uk.

Best regards

Spatial Strategy Team

Planning & Building Standards, Development & Regeneration Services, Glasgow City Council, SDFconsultation@glasgow.gov.uk ”

The link to the consultations is here and the River Corridor Strategic Development Framework is here.  The Govan and Partick Strategic Development Framework is on this third link here.

Please get your views in if you live, work or travel in these areas and help us to develop our response either by an email to consultations@gobike.org or on the GoBike Slack Consultations channel.

1.8 East Dunbartonshire Council, Local Development Plan, closes 11 February 2019

Don’t forget to get your feedback in for this important consultation. Get your support in for an extension to the Bears Way, south to the Glasgow boundary on Maryhill Road. Plus other strategic routes are needed in East Dunbartonshire. There were details of the drop-in sessions in our previous Digest, No 23, see here . There’s news of the Transport Options Report, the first stage of the Local Transport Strategy here on the EDC website. Do have a look at it; all the drop-in sessions are listed too.

Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations

2.1 Glasgow Battlefield, news of the website and next Design Group meeting

Progress continues with the redevelopment of Battlefield. There’s a blog on this website showing the display boards from the drop-in event on 15 November along with photos from the day. The next meeting of the Battlefield Street Design Working Group, which includes GoBike, will be held on Tuesday 15 January. Further public events will be announced in due course.

2.2 East Dunbartonshire Council, Local Development Plan, Transport Options Report Stakeholder Workshop Thursday 24 January 2019 – 10am-12noon

We have been invited by East Dunbartonshire Council “to a stakeholder workshop we are holding on the Transport Options Report on Thursday 24 January 2019 – 10am-12noon. If you or any members of your organisation can join us at the workshop, please let me know by Monday 14 January 2019.”

This is, of course, in conjunction with Item 1.8 above. If you are a GoBike member who lives in East Dunbartonshire and would like to be one of our representatives at this event please email our co-convenors to let them know at convenor@gobike.org by Monday 07 January at the latest.

Section 3: Consultation Feedback and other information

3.1 Living Streets, the Pedestrian Pound Report

Earlier this month, 07 December, we got this message:

“Today we launched our updated Pedestrian Pound report which puts forward the business case for walking. Funded by Transport for Scotland, it looks at 20 case studies across the UK which show how making high streets better for walking can boost footfall and sales. The report finds shoppers arriving on foot spend up to six times more than those who arrive by car.

Read our full report here

High streets and town centres that are walkable, accessible and offer a diverse range of retail, culinary and cultural activities have a bright future.  

Read our Pedestrian Pound report here and use it to inspire your local council to invest in your walking environment.

Many thanks for your support.

Stuart Hay
Living Streets Scotland”

Clearly walking, and cycling, are the way to go, so do use this report to strengthen your arguments for an improved active travel environment. We have added it to our ever growing Evidence pages on our website.

3.2 Without consultation! Glasgow City Council Minor Cycle Works, upgrade to shared path North Street / Piccadilly Street

Yes, that’s right, Glasgow City Council carry out minor works to cycle routes in response to individual requests and the new improved raised table across the exit from North Street to Piccadilly Street is one of them. It’s just at the turn off from the northbound carriageway of North Street into Piccadilly Street (outlined in red above) and concern had been expressed that vehicles were crossing the shared path too quickly. The path now continues at grade. There aren’t any road markings to announce this change to drivers as yet, but GoBike have asked that the council ensure these are added.

If you would like something to be added to Glasgow City Council’s Minor Cycle Works Contract do email in to either: sustainabletransport@glasgow.gov.uk or LandServices.Mailroom@glasgow.gov.uk and then hope that it gets on the list.

And here’s further evidence that these small things get done, see: https://twitter.com/erniemarples/status/1074598863552565248?s=12 Well done not only to Glasgow City Council but to the people who report these small suggestions for improvments. It’s the small things that can make all the difference.

3.3 Glasgow North East Active Travel Routes

Just received yesterday – clearing the decks for the holidays – is this message from Glasgow City Council:

“Dear Ms Fort,

I write further to previous correspondence regarding the North East Active Travel Routes (NEATR) project and can advise as follows:

The findings of the consultation have been reviewed and were recently published in a report available via glasgow.gov.uk/neatr.

A summary is presented below:

• Improvements to active travel and sustainable transport must come by supplying the conditions for encouraging positive choices that are either missing or currently unattractive.
• Enabling people’s choices by introducing enhanced infrastructure is critical to achieving these aims.
• The NEATR design proposals aim to reflect those priorities.
• A variety of individuals and organisations with a wide range of opinions made representations to the consultation.
• Support for most aspects of the proposal were found amongst nearly all user groups.
• Where written comments raised concerns, specific responses have been provided.
• Following on from this consultation, a detailed design is being compiled, taking into account the scope for improvements made evident as a result of this review.
• The design is expected to be concluded by the end of 2018, with tenders sought subsequently.
• Construction is expected to take place in 2019.

I trust this is of assistance; should you require any further information, please contact Wesley Wright on 0141 287 9478.

Tam McKee, Asst Group Manager (Sustainable Transport), Land and Environmental Services”

You might remember that back in August in Digest 16 we encouraged you to support these ambitious plans for the north east of the city, so we look forward to seeing the results.

3.4 Glasgow Elmbank Street one-way – interest from Blythswood & Broomielaw Community Council

You may remember that for some time now we have been campaigning to ensure that two-way cycle traffic is allowed on that part of Elmbank Street between Bath Street and Sauchiehall Street? Here’s the e-mail correspondence: Sauchiehall Elmbank email chain 2017-8 which we published in November in Digest 22 . GoBike has now heard back from the local Blythswood & Broomielaw Community Council, who might be able to help us. We will keep you informed, but if you live in Ward 10 Anderston/City please do ask your City Councillors what is the position here.

So that’s it for this Digest and for 2018. We’ll be back in January but, when you are writing your letter to Santa, do remember to ask for a few good quality cycle routes – and let’s hope we all have a Happy New Year.

Good news: Glasgow City Council is looking to reduce traffic on Oswald Street and Union Street (pictured left) in an attempt to cut emissions. Not so good news is that no cycle lanes are proposed but see more detail in item 1.5. Excellent news: consultation is underway on improving walking and cycling on the “Underline”, (see Item 1.3) but bad news is that there is still no word on the status of contraflow for Elmbank Street to allow northbound cycle access to Sauchiehall Street (see Item 3.1 for this). We have lots more for you in this issue so do please read on.

Contents:

Section 1: Current Consultations

1. Station Road Millerston – Robroyston, FINAL REMINDER, CLOSES TOMORROW, 21 November
2. **NEW** Glasgow Early Years Capital Investment, closes Sunday 02 December
3. **NEW** Glasgow Underline Avenues Project, Sauchiehall Street to St George’s Cross, closes 09 December.
4. **NEW** Glasgow Secure Cycle Parking, closes 17 December
5. **NEW** Glasgow City Centre Traffic Management Order Bus Priority, ie Oswald Street and Union Street Bus Gates, closes 21 December
6. **NEW** The Scottish Parliament, Restricted Roads (20 mph Speed Limit) Bill Survey, closes 28 January 2019
7. ** NEW** TOMORROW! North Toryglen Green Space and Active Travel Design Proposals, Wednesday 21st Nov

Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations

1. Transport Scotland Active Travel Meeting 22 November, STOP PRESS – POSTPONED to the New Year.
2. SPT Regional Transport Survey
3. Glasgow Avenues: North Hanover Street and Cathedral Street

Section 3: Consultation Feedback

1. Glasgow City Centre Traffic Management Sauchiehall Street Elmbank Street
2. Road Justice, Westminster debate TODAY
3. Battlefield Design Event 15 November
4. Glasgow Avenues: Argyle Street
5. New bridge linking Yoker and Renfrew gains approval

Section 1: Current Consultations, in date order for responses, except for item 1.7, a late entry – it happens tomorrow, 21 November.

1.1 Glasgow Station Road Millerston – Robroyston, parking removal, closes TOMORROW, 21 November

We first raised this in Digest 20 and if you haven’t done so already do please get those fingers on the keyboard to support our response: GoBike Station Road Support and comments Letter 171018  If we don’t all get our view in that cycle lanes will act as both traffic calming (by narrowing the road) and encourage active travel, Station Road will become just one more road in Glasgow with speed tables, or even build outs, which we believe discourage active travel.

1.2 Glasgow Early Years Capital Investment, closes Sunday 02 December 

This is one that GoBike member Neil L, has told us about. It doesn’t apply to all of Glasgow but, if it applies to where you are, then you might wish to respond. Positive responses could encourage cycling to school and outdoor cycle practice or training. See here for details.

1.3 Glasgow City Centre Avenues Underline, initial designs for Sauchiehall Street precinct, Cambridge Street & New City Road to St George’s Cross, closes 09 December.

This is an exciting project, encouraging walking and cycling from St George’s Cross to Sauchiehall Street. It is proposed to light the underside of the M8, reduce the space given to motor traffic on New City Road and replace the death-defying cycle lane down the centre of Cambridge Street (see photo above). All the information is here and, if you ignore the artistic licence where the weather is better in the future, we hope you will agree, that this is just the thing Glasgow needs and what the City Deal money should be spent on. Click on “Consultations” once you have opened the link to the City Council website for further information, including the survey, to be shown.

1.4 **NEW** Glasgow Secure Cycle Parking, FOR RESIDENTS, closes 17 December

Iona, our co-convenor, told us about this one after she represented GoBike at the recent meeting of Glasgow City Council’s Active Travel Forum and here’s the introduction to the consultation from the Council’s website:

“Glasgow City Council is currently performing a feasibility study on the introduction of secure covered cycle parking for residents of Glasgow. The provision of these will help remove one of the major barriers to the uptake of cycling, namely the ability to conveniently and securely store a bike.
In the first instance we are looking to provide facilities at 50 locations across the city. 
This will prioritise those areas where housing includes tower blocks, flats and tenement properties.
This consultation page can be used by individuals and by organisations (such as community councils or housing associations) to suggest locations.”

This is for YOU, if you live in a flat with nowhere to store your bike(s), so do please get your community council and/or housing association and/or factor to add their voice to yours.

1.5 **NEW** Glasgow City Centre Traffic Management Order, Bus Priority on Oswald Street (north of Midland Street) and Union Street plus parking changes including West Nile Street, closes 21 December.

Behold the current cycling horror that is Union Street (left). Scottish Government Policy and Glasgow City Council, in line with the Low Emission Zone (which we fully agree with Friends of the Earth Scotland, could be better), propose to restrict private motor vehicles from here and the northern part of Oswald Street. That’s the good news. Not so good is that there are suggested parking changes that could have a negative impact on cycling in West Nile Street. If you have ventured onto the contraflow lane from St Vincent Street down to Gordon Street you will be aware that there is car parking on your left with moving traffic on your right. The proposal is to change this parking to disabled parking, something we are definitely not against. However, compared to standard parking spaces,  disabled parking spaces are wider (2.4m as opposed to 2.0m), and this could push people on bikes further towards the moving traffic in the northbound lane. There is a solution to this which we have suggested that relocates the cycle lane next to the footway, out of the stream of traffic, and also, with a buffer, out of the door zone. Given that only a couple of years ago we were shown plans by the City Council for cycle lanes right along West Nile Street (where are they now?) this change would be minor in comparison.

Another concern we have is the absence of any move to incorporate cycling into that major artery, Jamaica Street and Union Street. When, just a year or two ago, traffic was diverted along Midland Street and the northern part of Jamaica Street was made one way southwards, GoBike committee member, Peter, proposed a two-way cycle lane from the Clyde to Gordon Street, along Jamaica Street and Union Street, and then on to Queen Street, thus bringing cycle traffic from the Southside into the city with access to the two main railway stations. There’s no mention of that in the proposals. Read the detail in the “Advert” here with all the documents supplied by the City Council for you to peruse: CCTROv24Advert TS-5199-M-000-P-001A_TRO CCTRO(v24) Report Oct2018 CCTRO(v24)_SOR

You can see our response here: GoBike City Centre Bus Priority TRO qualified support 201118 . Please do add your voice: the email address for responses is land@glasgow.gov.uk

1.6 The Scottish Parliament, Restricted Roads (20 mph Speed Limit) Bill Survey, closes 28 January 2019

GoBike member Ellie, who’s also a leading light with Get Glasgow Moving alerted us to this survey from the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee. GoBike has been campaigning for the default urban speed limit to be reduced from 30 mph to 20 mph ever since our member Bob put his petition forward to Glasgow City Council early in 2015. It’s a short survey, do please complete it. Let’s make our towns and cities safer for us all by reducing motor vehicle speeds.

1.7  **NEW** North Toryglen Green Space and Active Travel Design Proposals, Wednesday 21st Nov

Just in in the nick for time via the Urban Roots twitter, and spotted by our member Brenda, green spaces and active travel routes are being looked at in and around North Toryglen at some presentations and sharing of ideas at Prospecthill Circus tomorrow.

Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations

2.1 Transport Scotland Active Travel meeting with Campaign Groups, 22 November, postponed until the New Year.

Tricia, the author of this Digest, was, until 5pm today, going to this meeting at Victoria Quay in Edinburgh on Thursday. Our colleagues from Spokes and Pedal on Parliament, among others have been invited. Transport Scotland have postponed, apologised for the short notice and will re-programme for the New Year, when the discussion will include a detailed discussion of the budget allocation for active travel, which was doubled at the last budget.

2.2 SPT Regional Transport Survey

GoBike committee member Rachel and our new co-convenor John attended a meeting with SPT on November 15, along with representatives from Cycling Scotland, Living Streets, Paths for All and Sustrans. There was a consensus that SPT should play a positive role in effecting modal shift from private transport to public and active travel. SPT are consulting with lots of partners, including twelve local authorities to develop a strategy. One of their next steps is to issue a public survey, which is going to look at what is not working across all transport modes. Sounds a bit negative – surely something must be working, but it should help their strategy and it’s clear that they are looking to improve. As soon as we hear the date for the survey, we’ll let you know.

2.3 Glasgow Avenues, North Hanover Street and Cathedral Street

If you read the Glasgow City Council website page for the Avenues in relation to the Underline, above, you will have seen this:

“North Hanover Street and Cathedral Street: consultation on these proposals will take place in early 2019.”

With Sauchiehall Street, the Underline, works at St George’s Cross/Woodside, Argyle Street (see Item 3.4 below) and modal filtering in the city centre (ie reducing private cars) and the South and East City Ways the city will really be changing if these two streets become avenues. North Hanover Street links in well to Sighthill and the North East Travel Routes we told you about in Digest 15 and Digest 16 . Goodness, it’s almost like there’s a plan!

Section 3: Consultation Feedback

3.1: Glasgow City Centre Traffic Management Sauchiehall Street Elmbank Street

Most of you will be aware that work is proceeding on the cycle lanes on Sauchiehall Street from Charing Cross to Rose Street, but there is one factor that really concerns us. Some road changes are being made and one of them is to make Elmbank Street from Sauchiehall Street to Bath Street, or for those of you who navigate differently, from the Variety Bar to the Griffin, one-way southbound, with NO exemption for bikes!

Essentially, our concern is that there will be no route from the area around Charing Cross Station to Sauchiehall Street without either going west over the motorway to North Street and then into Sauchiehall Street or going south down Elmbank Street and via St Vincent Street, Pitt Street and Blythswood Square!

In February 2017 we submitted this response to the consultation for the cycle lanes: GoBike Sauchiehall Street partial support 280217 and in February this year we responded to the City Council who were not amenable to two-way cycling on Elmbank Street. We have heard nothing since then and so emailed again on 15 November. Here is the grand email chain: Sauchiehall Elmbank email chain 2017-8  The only response so far is from the newly formed Blythswood and Broomielaw Community Council, who were not operating at the time of the original consultation.

3.2 Road Justice, Westminster Debate TODAY

We raised the issue of consultation on new cycling offences in Digest17 along with the call to action from CyclingUK. 13,000 people responded to CyclingUK, so well done if you were one of them. The consultation closed on 05 November but our MPs are debating this today. Last week CyclingUK put out a call to its members to contact their MP, which some of you might have responded to. If you didn’t you might want to check the link and let your MP know your view.

3.3 Glasgow Battlefield Public Consultation Event 15 November

Several GoBike members, including co-convenor Iona, and Digest author Tricia attended this event, along with members of the public and the local councillor, Anna Richardson. The proposals currently for Battlefield show one of the three roads around Battlefield Rest being closed – which one will be decided further to consultation. Also, uni-directional cycle lanes are shown from Grange Road through to Battlefield Road, so it’s generally, despite concerns about the number of homes Sanctuary wish to build on the old hospital site and possibly on the car park on the new hospital side and a view from some residents for no change, looking positive. News just in today from Sustrans:

“Last Thursday we displayed the feedback we’ve gathered so far and gave you the opportunity to put your ideas into designs using a 3D miniature model kit and maps of the area. To view the information on display and photos of the event please visit our latest project blog.
The next stage of the project is to gather these comments and ideas from the event and with the background data, material and facts from the discover stage we will commence forming the outline design for the area. These designs will be open to your comments in March. In the meantime we will be holding more local events in your area including led rides, local walks and film screenings. Please follow our project news for the latest updates by visiting https://battlefield.commonplace.is/ where you can subscribe to the ‘News’ section.”

Further updates as they become available.

3.4 Glasgow Avenues, Argyle Street

Also on Glasgow City Council’s Avenues website page is this news: “Argyle Street eastwards from M8 junction 19, Trongate and Dixon Street: consultation on these initial proposals took place in June 2018 and has now closed.  The visualisations used for that public consultation have been archived under Related Documents.” So it’s looking good, folks.

3.5 New bridge linking Yoker and Renfrew gains approval.

Neil L told us about this news from Renfrewshire Council. Scottish ministers have approved the construction of a new opening bridge across the Clyde – and it will have cycle lanes, we are told. See here for details.

Quite an exciting bumper bundle there – do get your responses in to ensure Glasgow City Council staff get a lot of mail in the run-up to Christmas!

Over the last year some of our members led by Euan, Iain and Jim have been working very hard on a ‘Space for People’ @peoplebyresroad campaign based around the planned changes to Byres Road. They’ve just put out a really interesting blog illustrating connections within our current cycling network, with suggestions on how Byres Road can help start to create better connections locally and also throughout the wider city network.

Have a read – it’s great – and if you like what you read give them a follow and a share. And thanks to you three for your excellent work.

https://space4peoplebyresroad.wordpress.com/blog/

“Cycling is going to change the world. Er, hold on you say, that’s a bit much isn’t it? Well, it changed my world in the little part of it I started really using a bike to get around in, here in Glasgow, and I truly believe that that can extend to the rest of the world. When I first realised that through travelling by bike, I could ditch the crowded bus, avoid the congestion, yet get to work faster and still not have to go to the gym in the evenings, my opportunities and horizons were opened up and suddenly I’d grown wings. I no longer had to worry about travel timetables, I had the freedom to go wherever I wanted to, by whatever route I chose, and I could stop off wherever took my whim. And I saved so much money on travelling around the city that it meant I could buy even more bikes! Oh and there’s more, I was fitter, healthier, energised and happy in the knowledge that I wasn’t impacting on the environment. And my happiness was fed further by all these other wonderful people on bikes, who’d chat about the weather at traffic lights, encourage me at locking stands, and nod conspiratorial hellos when out on the road. Cycling has given me absolute freedom.

I am aware though, that if you cycle in the West of Scotland you will know all of this, because these are the things that keep people here riding, because as you will also know, riding a bike here can often be really tough. The cycling infrastructure we have is few and far between, and the design and maintenance of what little we do have is decades behind the forward thinking cities in Europe. Our cycle paths tend to meander the long way round through back streets, taking us away from our desire lines of travel. What we need are direct routes if people are going to see cycling as a viable transport option. Direct routes such as the ill-fated and incomplete Bearsway that needed and failed to find brave political decisions to take space away from the motorist. We have a proliferation of shared use paths as the majority share of our cycling network. Shared use paths put people walking and cycling into conflict, they create confusion, they disappear as invisibly as they appear, and are simply not a good design for cycling speeds. Yet even now they are being built as standard into new infrastructure in areas like Govan Fastlink. Cycling around our networks, it is clear that very few of our paths join up, and we are often spat out with no consideration into busy roads. Some roads provide non-enforcable bike lanes in paint, often in the door zone, offering no protection and in many ways actually putting us in greater danger. Maintenance of the parts of the network we do have is given very low priority within our councils, where leaves can render some parts unusable during Autumn, ice, the same during Winter, and glass, potholes and parking are rife within our cycling spaces during the rest of the year. Our car-centric provision and attitudes can make folk on bikes feel very unwelcomed on our roads. Put in short, it’s not always pretty out there.

But things are slowly improving, thanks in a large part to cycling campaigners in organisations such as GoBike who have given up their free time and put in masses of work and effort into fighting for cycling to be considered and for better design. It is starting to feel like our voices are being heard in parliament and by some forward thinking councillors, and even out on the roads I am starting to see a difference not only in the improved design of lanes such as the South West City Way, but in the number of cyclists out using them all year round. I’m so excited that one of my main commuting routes up Victoria Road is soon to become a segregated cycle lane. There are big plans afoot for more people friendly spaces all over the city, in Woodlands, Battlefield, Byres Road, Queen Margaret Drive, and many others.  We have our hands full making sure that these plans have our needs properly met, but that’s a good thing, and it’s why we need your input. Already we have intrepid GoBike members out there working hard on mini-campaigns such as Space for People Byres Road, and Friends of the South City Way. This coming year we are going to need you all to get more involved and if you feel like you can be a part of our movement, you can help by joining our membership and having your head counted to make our voice more significant. Get involved in our conversation on Slack (drop us an email expressing your interest), you can help us write to councillors, show them your local roads, respond to consultations, like and share our social media, write us a blog, tell your friends about us, and engage in some real world action like the Ride for a Better Byres Road. We’d also love to know what you would like to see from us, and how you think we can improve as a campaign. Let us know your feedback and ideas – both Dave and I can be reached on convenors at gobike dot org .

It’s clear that these positive changes we are starting to see are going to take time to manifest onto our roads, and while that happens, people on bikes are facing challenges on a daily basis. I too face these daily challenges and that is a part of what gives me the push to want to fight harder to make the changes better and make them happen faster. I know that my co-convening sidekick Dave also faces similar regular challenges out on the road, and having already worked closely with him on projects like Pedal on Parliament, and Friends of Bearsway, I’ve seen how his energy, smart thinking and innovative approach can be of a huge benefit to pushing campaigns forward. I hope that by working together Dave and I can continue to lead GoBike forward as a force to be reckoned with.

So can cycling really change our world? In a country where 26% of us are living in poverty and 91% of low income families do not own a car, yet our roads are congested and overloaded and our health is putting pressure on the NHS to breaking point, I think the answer has to be yes. I believe that campaigns like GoBike will help to bring about a turning point towards a more utopian and people friendly way of living for us all. Dave and I are both really super excited about becoming co-convenors of GoBike and hope that you can help us guide you to change the West of Scotland to become better for people of all ages and all sizes, on and not yet on bikes. Thanks for having us along for the ride!”

“When I am talking to someone in my cycle campaigning capacity I often find myself saying, ‘Current cyclists cycle despite the conditions, not because of them’. With a small adjustment that saying accurately describes the world of cycle campaigning up until very recently:

Many campaigners have campaigned for better cycle infrastructure, despite the political conditions, certainly not because of them!

For many years the ‘political will’ has not existed for the changes required to bring active travel to the masses. Many politicians in the past have given short shrift to the idea of adjusting the balance of the environment, away from the motor vehicle and towards more sustainable transport. The car has very much been the king in Glasgow and the surrounding areas for many years with the M8 being the greatest monument to the cause.

Despite a very unfavourable environment, campaign groups like GoBike have worked tirelessly over the years to try and improve the lot of those who chose alternative forms of transport. It’s been tough, and whilst the victories haven’t been widespread, there have been victories.

When I helped to set up the Pedal on Parliament campaign back in 2012, I got a taste of that environment, having attended a meeting where a transport minister almost shouted at us for not praising his pitiful attempts at ‘driver education’, and another meeting where a Glasgow councillor stated that he would never set a percentage of the transport budget aside for active travel, as long as he was in post.

However, even back in 2012, the environment was changing. The Times were actively campaigning for better infrastructure, City of Edinburgh Council were starting to talk about a big change in policy. The political environment was changing, all be it slowly.

Fast forward to today and we find ourselves in a very different situation. We have an Environment Minister who not only talks a good game, but actually puts his money where his mouth is. We have the council in Edinburgh spending 10% of its transport budget on active travel, and we have a Glasgow council that actually rates active travel and the local environment high up on its priority list.

Things are far from rosy of course. Edinburgh is still making significant design mistakes in its proposals, ‘Bikelash’ is a very real thing (I know this personally from East Dunbartonshire and Bears Way), and there are still areas where paint is seen as an adequate solution. However, the debate has well and truly moved on, with the vast majority of new cycle lane design proposals including segregated infrastructure. That just did not happen 10 years ago.

The  campaign discussion itself has also moved on, and more and more we are talking about ‘place’ and ‘people friendly’, rather than focusing on just the cycle infrastructure. It’s not about catering for cyclists, its about catering for people and enabling people to make their own decisions on which mode of transport suits a particular journey, and making sure that that mode is catered for.

Personally I’ve been lucky with my timing. Pedal on Parliament was a great achievement and all of us involved should be proud of what we achieved, but that only happened because there were also improvements in the political environment. It also feels like I am lucky in my timing for being accepted as Co-Convener of GoBike along with Iona. Glasgow is in a great position to make big strides over the next few years. Those that came before us have not been so lucky.

Thus, I think it is entirely appropriate to say that Iona and I, ‘stand on the shoulders of campaigning giants’. We are truly thankful to Tricia and all those who have been working hard in GoBike for many years, who have helped bring us to this point today.

We must not, though, be complacent. As demonstrated in Bears Way, something I will be revisiting in the future, there will be trouble along the way and we must prepare for that. As well as being willing to criticise the bad, we must be willing to praise the good, and to help our politicians to make the difficult decisions. We must also understand that not every decision will be exactly what we want, and we must accept that there will be a compromise or two along the way.

However, I am excited to be jointly at the helm of GoBike at what is undoubtedly an exciting time. I am particularly excited to be working with Iona, who I worked with in organising PoP Glasgow. Iona is full of fantastic ideas (far more then me!) and has the drive to take them forward. Along with Iona, and of course the rest of the GoBike team, I will strive to work with councillors and council officers to ensure that we get the best value for our money and the highest quality possible in Glasgow and the surrounding areas. I also aim to encourage more hyperlocal campaigns such as Friends of Bears Way, which will benefit from the backing of GoBike.

How are we going to achieve this? With your help. GoBike is only as good as its membership, so if you care about anything I’ve written about above, join us. Join as a member , join the conversation on Slack (drop us an email at convenor at gobike dot org to ask for a Slack invite) and spread the word to cyclist and non-cyclist alike, that Glasgow has the potential to be so much greater than it is already.

Together we can help to put people and people friendly environments back at the heart of our communities.”

We put a call out a few weeks ago for members to add support to a 20mph bill being put forward in Holyrood. If it goes through, it will see a reduction in the default speed limit from 30mph to 20mph for built up areas in Scotland (while allowing local authorities to keep appropriate arterial routes at current speeds). As well as reducing accidents, lowering air pollution and making our streets more people friendly, this will also negate the need for the costly and pollutive traffic calming measures that our members have been discussing over on Slack (drop us an email if you’d like to sign up!). It would also save our councils on the currently lengthy and costly process they need to undergo to designate a particular 20mph zone, in fact this was a cause we as GoBike fought on locally for Glasgow just a few years ago. http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13213540.Victory_for_cycle_campaigners_as_petition_to_turn_Glasgow_into_20mph_city_referred_to_council_policymakers/

The great news is that Mark Ruskell MSP who has been working on the bill has now reached the threshold of support to take 20mph to vote, but he has let us know that if he can get a wider range of cross party support on it, it will make the bill proposal stronger when moving forward. So we still need your help! If you can ask your MSPs to sign up to the bill (particularly those from the Lib Dem and Scottish Conservatives Party of whom none have signed up so far) it could be a really significant help.

You can do this simply by sending an email voicing your support, perhaps outlining some reasons why, some of which you might find here https://greens.scot/saferstreets or here https://www.cyclinguk.org/campaign/20-mph-lower-speeds-better-streets

Find how to contact your local MSP here: https://www.writetothem.com/

The deadline is 19th December.

Thank you GoBike members!

The 2 SNP councillors for Scotstounhill /Garscadden, Michael Cullen and Chris Cunningham (MSP Roseanna Cunningham’s brother) toured Ward 13 with GoBike committee member, Alasdair Macdonald and member, Neil Lovelock, on Friday 01 December.  They are all pictured above, in discussion with a local resident on the canalside.

Route cycled

Andy Preece provided this route: Councillor Ward Tour – Scotstoun map but the actual route cycled is here: http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/2600587315

Space for Cycling guide

See this PDF: space_for_cycling_guide_for_decision_makers  of the document that Neil handed across a copy on Friday.

Cycle path access points upgrade

See below for a few before and after photos of some of the improvements made to the access points back in Feb 2015.

Dock St planning approval

This is via West Dunbartonshire Council. Original application was submitted in 2012 and a revised version approved in 2016. Latest ref no is DC15/251 http://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/planning-building-standards/planning-applications/view-and-comment-on-planning-applications/

Info on the two original applications is here https://dumbartonroad.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/north-clyde-recycling-centre-update/

nextbike membership discount

Details of how to get the 50% discount are here:

https://twitter.com/nextbikeUK/status/936597517780901888