Tag: cycling

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Candleriggs Glasgow, hotel to be built and new contraflow cycle lane!

 

The old Goldberg site on Candleriggs, from Wilson Street down to the Trongate is being redeveloped and road access is being changed to facilitate access to the hotel being built there.  The good news for active travel is that there will be no through motor access from Bell Street to Wilson Street (the junction at the foot of the photo) and there will be a contraflow cycle lane on the south part of Candleriggs, to allow two-way cycling here.

GoBike’s letter of support, but with some related questions, is here: GoBike Candleriggs Traffic Mgt support 111117 and the City Council’s explanation of what is proposed is here: CCTRO Variation20 Candleriggs Report Feb2017 with this plan: P5056_06_02B_Candleriggs TRO

Full details of Glasgow City Council’s proposals may be seen here

Comments don’t close until 08 December, so there is plenty of time to get your views in!

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Buy your shares in Speed Cushions now – and prepare for a bumpy ride!

Glasgow City Council are currently consulting on 3 proposals, one to install 8 asphalt road humps (similar to the photo) and two to install a total of 251 speed cushions, in 3 separate areas of Glasgow where a 20mph speed limit is being introduced.  This is despite Councillor Anna Richardson, Convenor of Sustainability and Carbon Reduction, saying, infront of about 200 people at today’s Cycling Scotland Conference in Glasgow, that her aim is to go for a city-wide 20mph speed limit with a justification being made for retaining limits of 30mph.  We have studied the proposals and have submitted objections.  In each case we have objected on the grounds that there has been no consideration of cycle traffic, that the money would be better spent on a city-wide scheme and have suggested that there should be liaison with Police Scotland to educate motorists who risk injury and death by exceeding the speed limit. The 3 proposals are:

Kempsthorn Road, Beltrees Road and Beltrees Crescent in Pollok, where 8 asphalt road humps are proposed.  We have suggested in addition that if the area is being used as a rat run that the through route should be blocked to motor traffic, which would have the added benefit of encouraging active travel.  A copy of the initial e-mail and the plan from GCC, plus the GoBike letter of objection are below:

Kempsthorn Road Traffic Calming email sent 11October 2017 Kempsthorn Road Traffic Calming GoBike Kempsthorn Road traffic calming objection 311017

Kingsland Drive and Thurston Road in Hillington/Cardonald, where 7 sets of cushions, ie 14 cushions in total, are proposed.  We have suggested that cycle lanes should be installed using armadillos or similar on each side of these roads, which, by narrowing the roadway, would reduce traffic speeds and also encourage active travel.  We do not know whether any analysis of the speeding vehicles has been carried out, but should it be that the roads are being used as a rat run then, either as an alternative, or an addition to the cycle lanes, consideration should be given to stopping off the through route to motor traffic.  A copy of the initial e-mail and the plan from GCC, plus the GoBike letter of objection are below:

Kingsland Drive email sent 09October 2017 Kingsland Drive traffic calming GoBike Kingsland Drive and Thurston Road traffic calming objection 311017

Consultation on both these schemes closes tomorrow 01 November, so if you wish to also submit an objection – or even a letter of support, we haven’t left you much time – sorry.

The third scheme, for which consultation closes on Friday 03 November is:

The Citywide 6A Traffic Calming Scheme, which, we are very pleased to see, covers a much bigger area than any proposed to date by Glasgow City Council, see this photograph of the plan:

This covers the very area where, with no consultation of which we are aware, shared footways are being installed under the guise of Fastlink Cycle Upgrades – see our previous post of 25 October.  While it is good to see a bigger area proposed for 20mph we are not pleased to see that it is proposed to install 237, yes 237, speed cushions in this one area alone.  At this rate, how many will be required for the whole city?  A truly citywide scheme is required where it is clear that, unless otherwise signed, speed limit is 20mph, and is managed as such.  We have suggested that cycle lanes using armadillos, or similar, be installed on either side of each road here to reduce motor traffic speeds and encourage active travel.  GCC’s e-mail to us and our letter of objection are here: Citywide 6A email sent 13 October 2017 GoBike Citywide 6A traffic calming scheme objection 311017

 

 

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Ride out to Dumbarton Rock with GoBike! Sunday 05 November

 

Sunday 5 November – Dumbarton Rock
On this ride we shall follow the Loch Lomond Cycle Path out through Clydebank and Bowling to visit Dumbarton Rock. At Bowling we will see the latest developments at the Bowling Bridge. After lunch in the town centre we’ll take a tour up to Overtoun House before returning to Glasgow. Note that there will be a couple of short sections on main roads, plus a tricky main road crossing, on this ride.
Meet 10am Bell’s Bridge, Congress Road, Glasgow.
Ride on paths Ride on quiet roads Ride on canal towpaths Ride on busy roads Significant hill climbing
Rated: Go Bike star rating Go Bike star rating Go Bike star rating

For further details of GoBike cycle rides see the Cycle Rides page on our website.

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Urban Big Data Centre event, Glasgow, featuring our very own Bob Downie! Thursday 09 November, from 12:00

Bob Downie, the GoBike member who has analysed Strava data for Glasgow and the European Cycling Challenge data and cordon count data from Glasgow City Council, is one of the speakers at this free event which includes lunch on Thursday 09 November from 12:00 – 16:30:

http://ubdc.ac.uk/outreach-plus-training/events-workshops-training-more/upcoming-events/data-challenge-demo-day/

Who knows, perhaps some day people will look at the available data and realise that there are next to no cycle facilities where people actually cycle, for example Pollokshaws Road and Paisley Road West.  Think how many more might commute to work or school/college if there were good cycle lanes on these routes.  If you can, register on the Eventbrite link to attend this event and learn what good data can do for us.

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Why doesn’t Glasgow City Council go for a city-wide 20mph default speed limit – yet another isolated zone is proposed.

Yes, it’s time for some blue sky thinking in Glasgow.  We have been sent a raft of proposals to install speed cushions in 20mph zones across the city, and here’s our response to the first one: GoBike Carmunnock Road traffic calming objection 251017 and the text is below.  We recognise that it is counter-intuitive to some to object to traffic calming but please read our arguments:

“THE Glasgow City Council (CARMUNNOCK ROAD) TRAFFIC CALMING SCHEME Order 201_ Objection

Thank you for your e-mail of 06 October and the opportunity to comment on this proposal.

GoBike! objects to this proposed Traffic Calming scheme on Carmunnock Road 20mph. We are, as you know, fully supportive of 20mph speed limits in residential, shopping and education areas, but we cannot support the current approach.

We object to this order on the following grounds:

  1. As currently specified neither the written description nor the plan drawing indicate the limits of the proposed 20mph zone. The Council must make clear and publicise the extent of the proposed 20mph zone and until this is done GoBike will maintain its objection. To be clear, where will the 20mph signs be located?

  2. Without a clear definition of the extent of the proposed 20mph Traffic Calming Scheme it is impossible to comment as to whether the proposed installation of speed cushions will likely achieve the desired reduction in traffic speed.

  3. GoBike also notes that the proposed Traffic Calming scheme is deficient as there is no discussion as to the reason for placing 3 sets of speed cushions on a seemingly arbitrary section of arterial road. It begs the question, is this truly the full extent of road section where there is a speeding issue? This is exceptionally unlikely and GoBike take the view that the budget to be spent on installing speed cushions over a very small area would be far better spent on creating a much larger 20mph zone through the installation of signage only. In this event we would ask the Council to simultaneously liaise with the Police to educate drivers that 20mph zones are created for a very good reason, ie to prevent injury and death as your proposal indicates.

  4. As far as can be determined from the very limited data in the proposed Traffic Calming scheme, no allowance has been made for cycle traffic. GoBike notes that the section of Carmunnock Road where the speed cushions are proposed to be sited is well-used by cyclists, see: https://labs.strava.com/heatmap/#15/-4.25476/55.81795/blue/bike. Whilst the drawing CATHCART_001 is marked as not-to-scale, Carmunnock Road near the site of the proposed speed cushions is understood to be about 12m wide. The positioning of 4 speed cushions across the carriageway suggests that cyclists will therefore be forced to cycle in the gutter if they are to avoid cycling over a speed cushion. Bicycles are as much traffic as are motor vehicles and GoBike considers the proposed scheme deficient on the grounds that no allowance has been made for cycles.

  5. As a constructive alternative proposal, GoBike consider a far better way to reduce vehicle speeds, over a longer section of road, would be to narrow the road by installing a cycle lane on each side using one of the methods, such as armadillos, as installed in the City Council’s trial area on Aikenhead Road. Armadillos, and similar, are cheaper and less invasive to install and far cheaper to maintain than speed bumps or cushions. Reducing the width available to motor vehicles would naturally reduce their speed and such a scheme would have the added benefit of encouraging active travel.

As a final statement, GoBike consider that the money allocated to this scheme, one of many in the city, would be better spent on a city wide scheme. In our view, and as was agreed by the City Council’s Petitions Committee in spring 2015, a city-wide default speed limit of 20mph should be introduced, with exemptions then being made for the main arterial routes into the city. The current piecemeal system is expensive and very confusing for the road user. The national climate is towards the spirit of Mark Ruskell, MSP’s bill to the Scottish Parliament, with an urban default speed limit of 20mph, and Glasgow should be leading the way in this.

Yours sincerely,

Convenor, GoBike!”

and here is Glasgow City Council’s proposal:

MESSAGE SENT ON BEHALF OF ANDY WADDELL

HEAD OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENVIRONMENT

LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

Dear Sir / Madam

THE GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL

(CARMUNNOCK ROAD)

TRAFFIC CALMING SCHEME 201_

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

Glasgow City Council are currently in the process of implementing Mandatory 20mph Speed Limit Zones throughout the City.

The purpose of the Mandatory 20mph Speed Limit Zone is to ensure that vehicle users reduce their speeds to 20mph or less, and therefore improve road safety for pedestrians, cyclists and all other vehicle users.  By turn, it is anticipated that this will encourage more people to walk and cycle, which would have associated health benefits.

Furthermore, a report by Department for Transport (DfT), titled, ‘Relationship between Speed and Risk of Fatal Injury: Pedestrians and Car Occupants’, notes the following benefits:

–     If someone is hit by a car at 40 mph they are 30% likely to be killed.

–     If someone is hit by a car at 30 mph they are 7% likely to be killed.

–     If someone is hit by a car at 20 mph they are 1% likely to be killed.

The Council installed two speed tables on Carmunnock Road however; following feedback from local residents, the speed table located east of Madison Avenue has since been removed.  In order to encourage low vehicle speeds, the council propose to install three sets of speed cushions between Nos.140 – 178 Carmunnock Road.

Roads affected by the proposed Scheme

The list of roads affected by these proposals are:-

  • Carmunnock Road

Details of the proposed Scheme

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

  1. The installation of 4 speed cushions at a point approximately 15 metres east of the extended east kerbline of Crompton Avenue (approximately 2m in width, 3m in length and 75mm in height).
  2. The installation of 4 speed cushions at a point approximately 5 metres east of the extended east kerbline of Madison Avenue (approximately 2m in width, 3m in length and 75mm in height).
  3. The installation of 4 speed cushions at a point approximately 5 metres east of the extended east kerbline of Fairfax Avenue (approximately 2m in width, 3m in length and 75mm in height).

Please provide any comments you wish to make on these proposals within 21 days (reply by 27 October 2017).

In the meantime, should you require any further information or clarification on any points arising from the proposals, do not hesitate to contact my officer John Telfer on 0141 287 3723 .

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

Land and Environmental Services  Carmunnock Road – Traffic Calming_001 (Publication)

If you agree with our view, or even if you support the City Council with this one, do write in and let them know; the e-mall address to write to is LandServices.Mailroom@glasgow.gov.uk but please do this by Friday 27 October.

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Glasgow’s Fastlink – why are there “cycle upgrades” off the route?

Fastlink in Glasgow is absolutely not what we were initially led to expect.  It wavers from side to side of the road, cycling is allowed in this bit but not that, there is no accommodation for people exiting the southbound Clyde Cycle Tunnel to get across to the new hospital and one could go on.  Now we are aware that “cycle upgrades” are being carried out – in the form of shared footways off the main, direct route!  There has been no consultation that we are aware of.  The drawings we have are here: P_5100-S_100_Govan Road_Festival Park GA P_5100-S_101_Summertown_Rd and the letter we have sent, to quite a few people since we were not sure of the person in charge of this work is here: GoBikeFastlinkImprovementConcernsLetter251017 For simplicity we repeat the content of the letter below:

Continue reading “Glasgow’s Fastlink – why are there “cycle upgrades” off the route?”

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Glasgow: Hyndland/Hughenden and Dowanhill West, Proposed Parking Controls, Exhibition, 30 October to 06 November

We have been made aware of this open consultation event.  Controlling car parking is critical, but we must ensure that it is not done at the expense of permeability for cycling, thus discouraging active travel.  Contraflow cycling lanes are becoming common throughout the city; Gordon Street, Dalnair Street and West Princes Street are just a few examples.  If streets that are currently two-way are proposed for one-way to allow the storage of motor vehicles on both sides without exempting bikes, as has happened in Dowanhill East, then please object.  The relevant part of the City Council’s design guide, Cycling by Design is clause 5.1.5

If you live in, work in, or travel through this area, do please get along to the consultation:

HYNDLAND / HUGHENDEN AND DOWANHILL WEST 

PROPOSED PARKING CONTROLS

PUBLIC CONSULTATION EXHIBITION – Venue: PARTICK LIBRARY

Exhibition Open to View from Monday 30 October to Monday 6 November 2017

On the following dates, council staff will also be present to answer queries & discuss proposals.

  • Tuesday 31 October, 10am to 4pm
  • Thursday 2 November, 10am to 6pm
  • Friday 3 November, 10am to 4pm

===========================================

Glasgow City Council are writing to inform you of the commencement of a voluntary consultation for the proposed Hyndland, Hughenden and Dowanhill West area parking controlled zone prior to the commencement of the statutory traffic regulation order (TRO) process.

Glasgow City Council is currently undertaking the development and introduction of significant parking control schemes throughout the Glasgow area.  This includes Hillhead, Garnethill and the Partick area.  Due to its scale, the Partick area has been split into separate schemes to facilitate the traffic regulation order (TRO) promotion and implementation process namely Partick, Hyndland/Hughenden, Dowanhill West areas and the Dumbarton Road/Argyle Street corridor.

The West End of Glasgow has excellent bus, train and subway transport links which unfortunately attracts commuters driving to the area and using the residential streets to park‑and‑ride resulting in the kerbside road space being sterilised by all day parking with indiscriminate and obstructive parking practices commonplace.  The introduction of parking controls is an effective way of managing the demand for the finite road space available by preventing all day parking thus reducing the traffic attracted to the area whilst increasing the turnover of parking spaces and improving the safety and traffic flow. Parking controls also maintains access for emergency service, refuse collection and delivery vehicles etc. and also assists the Council in undertaking routine road maintenance such as channel and gully cleaning work and road/ footway repairs.

Prior to the commencement of statutory traffic order process for the Hyndland, Hughenden and Dowanhill West schemes the Council is holding a public exhibition in Partick Library from Monday 30 October to Monday 6 November 2017. Council Officers will be in attendance to answer queries and discuss proposals on Tuesday 31 October, Thursday 2 November and Friday 3 November, as stated above.

A letter will be issued to all affected addresses within the proposed zone providing a brief summary of the proposals and will also inform of the public exhibition. 

Pre-meeting Info – Statutory Process for Parking Restrictions

Pre-meeting Info – Glasgow City Councils Local Transport Strategy in relation to Parking

Pre-meeting Info – Existing Parking Zones within Glasgow

 

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Glasgow Councillor Tour 9, Thursday 19 October, Ward 23, Partick East / Kelvindale, Walking Tour with Green Councillor, Martin Bartos

On the evening of Thursday 19 October, GoBike Convenor, Tricia Fort, and member, Johnston Orr, met with Councillor Martin Bartos, for a short walking tour of Ward 23, Partick East/Kelvindale.  We took more or less the same route that we had covered with the other 3 councillors for the ward, from near Byres Road along Highburgh/Hyndland Road to Great Western Road and we walked because Martin is not yet back on his bike following a collision with a taxi some time ago.  This is the only ward where all 4 councillors have met with us, setting a great example to all the other wards!  Johnston and Martin are pictured below:

From east to west, our discussion covered, first of all, Byres Road, which is currently being considered for redevelopment.  Martin is concerned at the lack of ambition being shown in the current Glasgow City Council proposals.  We have thus put him in touch with the GoBike grouping that is developing alternative proposals, see: https://space4peoplebyresroad.wordpress.com/2017/10/20/our-vision/ and the photo at the top of this blog is option 2 showing local access and a bus route with cycle lanes both sides.  Remember that there’s a ride-out tomorrow along the route – details in the link.

Our next point of discussion was the lack of access into Dowanhill for bikes from Highburgh Road.  Caledon Street, Dowanhill Street, Beaumont Gate and Hyndland Street are all one-way southwards with no exception for cycles and the only legal option is to turn right into Crown Road South – which is on a bend, and it’s a busy road.  Contraflow cycling on one-way streets is the default position in Cycling by Design (clause 5.i.5), the City Council’s chosen design guide, so why doesn’t it apply here, where there is a toucan crossing to aid the passage of people with bikes up Dowanhill Street?  It should also be noted that contraflow cycling would reduce traffic speeds on these streets.

Third, we noted the good intention of providing disabled parking bays, also noted on our walking tour with Councillors Kenny McLean and Martin Rhodes, which extend right out to the cycle lane – potentially increasing the number of disabled people in the area!

Fourth, we looked at the buildout at the end of the row of shops on Hyndland Road.  The eastbound painted cycle lane, missing since the junction with Clarence Drive, reappears here, right on the bend and just at the pinch point where the road is at its narrowest.  The buildout has been put in place apparently to provide 2 loading bays, which are being misused as parking bays – just where the cycle lane could have been.

Fifth, we noted the blockage in the access provided to Prince Albert Road; why is no action taken against parking at all these cycle accesses?

Sixth, we discussed the potential of access via Hughenden Lane to the sports facilities and Gartnavel Hospital and points further west.

Seventh, we looked at the junction of Hyndland Road with Great Western Road, a scene of constant red-light jumping by cars and constant misuse of the left-turning lane to go straight on to Clevedon Road.  Why is no action taken to remedy this?

A further point of discussion was the type of cycle facility needed to encourage cycling.  While a segregated cycle lane is needed on either side of Great Western Road, which is a major route into the city, a two-way segregated cycle lane would be far better than the current position on Hyndland/Highburgh Road if the Council persists in allowing the storage of private property (colloquially known as car parking) on the road but reduces it to one side only.

Martin asked about traffic evaporation when roads are closed to motor vehicles, or when access is reduced, and Johnston has provided this information:

“The economic case for building cycle lanes – https://www.citylab.com/life/2013/12/safer-streets-pay-businesses/7880/ from 2013 and a pretty comprehensive roundup from 2015 https://www.citylab.com/solutions/2015/03/the-complete-business-case-for-converting-street-parking-into-bike-lanes/387595/

Closing roads to cars and traffic evaporation – the Wikipedia page on Induced Demand is a good place to start as it leads into a section on traffic evaporation https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induced_demand and the academic study referencing UK cases (I was wrong, there are some!) – https://web.wpi.edu/Pubs/E-project/Available/E-project-051109-062746/unrestricted/D09_Traffic_Final_Report.pdf and the same studies referenced by the EU paper at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/pubs/pdf/streets_people.pdf

Plenty to digest there, and some of it is heavyweight stuff, so maybe try this news article on what Paris is doing right now for some real-world evidence from a European city’s current policy decisions – https://www.fastcompany.com/3064157/when-paris-closed-a-major-road-to-cars-half-its-traffic-just-disappeared“

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Glasgow Councillor Tour 8, Ward 6, Pollokshields, with Green Party Councillor, Jon Molyneux, Thursday 19 October 2017

On the afternoon of Thursday 19 October, Councillor Jon Molyneux, Green Party, met GoBike convenor, Tricia Fort and GoBike members, Bill Fraser, who is also on Pollokshields Community Council, Bob Downie and Nick Kempe for a cycle tour of Ward 6.  We were waved off from Pollokshaws Road at Shawlands Cross by Baillie Hanif Raja, Labour Party, who doesn’t cycle but wished us well.

Details of the route planned for us by GoBike ride leader, Andy Preece are given here: Councillor Ward Tour – Pollokshields map and his notes are here: Councillor Ward Tour – Pollokshields  We deviated slightly from the route and the actual route is shown here: 

So, what did we notice apart from the information given in Andy’s notes?  We left our meeting point on Pollokshaws Road, the most heavily cycled route in Glasgow, that has next to no cycle facilities and went along Moss-Side Road, past Shawlands Academy.  There were cars parked right along, with no sign of any assistance for parents or pupils who might want to cycle to school.  We made our way over the railway at Crossmyloof Station, with only an Advance Stop Line for anyone who wants to cycle to Hutchesons’ Grammar School, and down into Titwood Road.

Springkell Avenue is a wide, quiet road, where all the houses have gardens and driveways – so why do they park on the road?  We then came to this, where apparently a nearby housing development is having an adverse effect on the railway bridge:

Yes, there was room to get through on our bikes, so why isn’t it signed for bikes as well as pedestrians?  Where’s the permeability?

At the end of Springkell Avenue, a pleasure to cycle on, we came to the path down to Dumbreck Road.  Apart from the spreading vegetation over the path, there is no lighting on this path, nor on the section that goes all the way to Nithsdale Road – not a winter commuter route then!  At Dumbreck Road we joined the carriageway; a tricky manoeuvre since the toucan crossing and lights seem to assume that someone on a bike will be going into Pollok Park not over the motorway towards Bellahouston Park.  We checked out the exit from Bellahouston Park, thinking that quite a few families from the area might want to cycle to and from it.  The only crossing over Dumbreck Road is a pedestrian one; there is no traffic signal for cars or bikes exiting the park.

As the picture shows, there are no cycle facilities on NIthsdale Road, a useful route across to the east of the ward, and with 2 lanes of traffic coming towards Dumbreck Road, it’s quite a narrow access for bikes as well as cars.  Later, we turned into Maxwell Drive, where cars park right over the painted cycle lanes, or are parked so close to the cycle lane that an opening door could seriously damage a bike and its rider.

We made our way to Albert Drive where the Community Council has put much effort into trying to prevent cars being parked at street corners.  Double yellow lines have been painted on them all, but they are not mandatory until the necessary signs are in place.  The signs are not in place – what an omission by the City Council!

On the eastern end of Albert Drive, we came upon a car parked on the cycle lane and then the cycle lane disappeared under a road narrowing scheme designed to protect the weak railway bridge:

So, one wonders, why wasn’t the bike lane continued, but with segregation, to narrow the road?  Where are people on bikes supposed to go?  Into the narrow roadway or on the footway?  After this point the cycle lanes disappear again under parked cars.

We took a left on Barrland Street to avoid the busy Pollokshaws Road but we did go to the eastern end of Maxwell Road, where there are no formal dropped kerbs to Pollokshaws Road but tarmac ramps were made for a running race a couple of years ago.  Fortunately, they have not been removed.

The Community Council, we heard, are working towards improving Maxwell Road by liaising with house-builders and improving the parking situation.

We took a look at Forth Street, the home of Soul Riders, where recent parking changes included making the street one-way, and not exempting bikes.  So, it’s either a long detour or a technically illegal ride on the footway to get to their premises.  Where is the encouragement to cycle?  Where is the permeability?

At the new school on St Andrew’s Road, we cycled along McCulloch Street, that has been nicely traffic-calmed, and which gives much better access to Shields Road and the crossing to the South-West City Way.  From this cycle way, just about the best in the city, we made the awkward right turn at West Street Subway Station to travel along all the painted cycle lanes back to Pollokshaws Road and we finished our tour alongside the cars parked on the contraflow lane linking Pollokshaws Road with Eglinton Street.

The potential is there in this ward to encourage cycling, but a bit of enlightened thinking is needed to protect the existing cycle lanes and to improve access and permeability.

 

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Councillor Tour 7, Drumchapel / Anniesland, Ward 7, Thursday 12 October

Congratulations and a gold star to Councillor Elspeth Kerr, SNP, pictured above wearing purple, who doesn’t own a bike but yet cycled 6.5 miles round her ward on Thursday with Anne Glass, from Drumchapel Cycle Hub, also pictured and GoBike Convenor Tricia Fort.  We are indebted to Anne and the Drumchapel Cycle Hub for the loan of Elspeth’s purple bike, shown above.  The route we took, a shortened version of one devised by Andy Preece,  is shown below:

Here’s a guide to the route: Councillor Ward Tour – Anniesland & Drumchapel final

There are some busy main roads in this ward and we cycled on the footway along Drumry Road East, through the roundabouts to Great Western Road, then from the point where we left the canal path up Great Western Road to Knightswood Cross and again at the end of our ride along Drumchapel Road and back up Drumry Road East to the Hub.  There are no cycle facilities on these busy roads and although it is not correct to cycle on the footway, it is far safer for someone like Elspeth, who is not confident on the road.

So, in this relatively poor area with fairly low car ownership, what did we see apart from the lack of cycle facilities?  As Andy points out in his notes, when we crossed from the Great Western Retail Park to the south side of Great Western Road, the footway is shared.  At the Glasgow boundary, with no change of width in the footway, this stops, and people on bikes are directed to the canal towpath.  What if they want to go straight up Great Western Road towards Knightswood?  Tough, and they encounter a lack of dropped kerbs if they do venture here on a bike or they are pushing a pram or a wheelchair.

We went on the canal towpath for quite a bit of this ride, and one has to be aware of pedestrians and dogs.  There are ground lights for part of the way, but to ensure these are effective, vegetation must be kept back.  At Lock 35, we crossed to the north side to look at the garden that has been developed by volunteers, including members of GoBike:

Back on Great Western Road, we noticed that, although laybys have been provided for parked cars, some drivers prefer to leave their car in the inside lane of this 3-lane road!

This picture shows 1 car in the layby, 3 parked in the inside lane, and 1 car actually moving in the middle lane.  This doesn’t leave much room for bikes, or buses.  This dual carriageway, a major artery to the city centre, has plenty of room for a cycle way on each side.

At Knightscliffe Avenue we cut in round the Netherton Community Centre and onto the path, Temple Walkway, which runs from Glencoe Street right past the Community Centre and the disused Temple Swimming Pool to Shafton Road.  The path has a good surface and could be used much more for cycling and walking if it were lit.

Shafton Road took us round, via Avenel Road to the canal, with a steep access path and we cycled west as far as Blairdardie Road Footbridge.  From here, with no dropped kerb to help us down to the roadway, we made our way along Moraine Avenue, and to the path that took us under the railway to Essenside Avenue and more locations needing dropped kerbs:

Here, at the access to the path leading to Drumchapel Road, the fence is blocking the very bit of the kerb that is dropped, albeit only slightly.  So, all in all, this is not an area that is active-travel-friendly, but with much potential for improvement.