Tag: cycling

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After the GoBike AGM (29 November) two rides to look at infrastructure, and more in Glasgow

After our AGM and Public Meeting tomorrow, 7:30pm at the Admiral Bar, with what is very likely to be a lively discussion about cycle infrastructure in Glasgow, why not join one or both of our forthcoming rides to look in more detail at the city?  Both rides devised and led by Andy Preece, with further details on our Rides page. Continue reading “After the GoBike AGM (29 November) two rides to look at infrastructure, and more in Glasgow”

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Just one week to go: GoBike AGM and Public Meeting, 29 November 2017

Yes, just 7 sleeps to go until our 2017 AGM and Public Meeting with Anna Richardson, Glasgow City Council’s Convenor for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction, on Wednesday 29 November.

The venue is the downstairs room of the Admiral Bar on the Waterloo Street section of the West City Way with cycle parking nearby and a NextBike station too. Continue reading “Just one week to go: GoBike AGM and Public Meeting, 29 November 2017”

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Road Safety Week, 20-26 November

Starts tomorrow.  Let’s hope people take note and there are fewer Road Traffic Accidents!

Here’s a video to remind us all that we need to cut car use!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKrejuEtP5w&feature=youtu.be courtesy of Brake, the Road Safety charity.  See what these children have to say about road safety and the need for space to walk, cycle and play.

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Contraflow Cycling, and a new Transform20 campaign

GoBike was invited to give a short presentation on a campaigning theme at the Transform Scotland AGM 2017 held in Glasgow City Chambers on 26 October.  We chose the topic of Contraflow Cycling and a summary of our talk is on the Contraflow Cycling campaign page on our website.  Contraflow is essential in our towns and cities to make them permeable for bikes.  One way streets were introduced to “improve” flow for cars, but this, as we know, has had the effect of increased vehicle speeds, increased vehicle use, increased congestion and increased pollution; we want our streets back.

At the AGM Transform Scotland launched their Transform 20 campaign: ‘As part of Transform Scotland’s 20th anniversary year we’ve launched a new campaign called #Transform20. This campaign focuses on offering an easy way for the public to communicate their ideas to transform transport in Scotland to become more eco-friendly, safer and easier to access.

Ideas can be simple and don’t require a detailed explanation. To submit your idea, please go to our website http://transform20.transform.scot, where you can submit a brief description of up to 200 words on how you think Scottish transport can be transformed. Your idea must be accompanied by a title (under 10 words) and there’s an option to upload a high quality picture to support your idea. You can also upload supporting documents or provide a link to further information if you wish.’

GoBike has submitted our Contraflow campaign to this page, others have submitted their ideas too.  Why not have a look and submit your bee-in-your-bonnet campaigning idea?

If you like our Contraflow campaign please send in your contraflow picture, telling us where it is, to campaigning@gobike.org and we’ll add it to the web page.

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Knightswood Park BMX track – Cycle Route access, part 1, Segregated

 

Glasgow City Council are planning a part segregated and part shared footway cycle route access to Knightswood Park, to be built in time for the 2018 European BMX Championships, for which the park will be a venue.

There was public consultation in August but we were not formally told of this although some of our members went along.  The Traffic Regulation Order that has been issued is sparse on information but after asking questions of the Council Officer who is dealing with the scheme we were sent drawings earlier this week.  These have helped to formulate our response: GoBike Yoker to Knightwood Sustainable Transport Corridor 1 171117  This is only to the segregated cycleway part of the scheme.  The more contentious part is the shared footway element and we’ll get our response to that out well before the closing date next month.

Consultation on this segregated element closes on 19 November and the TRO documents are here: YokerToKnightswood-NoticeOfProposals-230x114mm-RTO TRO no waiting no loading cycle track 1 of 3 TRO corner protection 3 of 3 TRO corner protection 2 of 3 TRO information Report

In summary, we support the segregated cycleway but have concerns about junction treatment, management of parking, the cycleway width behind floating bus stops, the robustness of the orcas without bollard reinforcement and the connectivity of the scheme.

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Queen Margaret Drive, Glasgow, Consultation event on revamp, 22 November 2017

 

We have been forwarded information about a forthcoming consultation event by Glasgow City Council arising from proposals by the Queen Margaret Drive community to improve their street:

_________________________________________________________________________________

“Subject: Queen Margaret Drive Community Engagement

 MESSAGE SENT ON BEHALF OF CHRISTINE FRANCIS, DIVISIONAL MANAGER, TECHNICAL SERVICES, LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES.

Following on from consultations organised by the local community of Queen Margaret Drive, Glasgow City Council (GCC) are taking forward a project to enhance walking and cycling provision in the area. 

GCC will be holding a public engagement event with a supplementary online survey to gather comments.  The outcome is to achieve a design that can be constructed in partnership with Sustrans and the local community. 

We are proposing a number of changes to improve the environment for cyclists, pedestrians, local residents and businesses. New designs could see the implementation of:

•        Improved paths

•        Improved pedestrian crossings

•        Reallocation of road space.

•        cycle lanes

The consultation will allow acceptable designs to progress in order to achieve match funding from Sustrans in 2018/19.

A public drop in session will be held on:

Wednesday 22nd November

3pm-7pm

76 Kelbourne Scout Hall

Kelbourne Street

G20 8PR

Information and an online survey will be available and will be live from 15th November for a period of 4 weeks. The survey will be available at: www.glasgow.gov.uk/qmd.

Consultation posters will be erected in public premises and a leaflet drop will take place in Queen Margaret Drive. A copy of the distributed leaflet is attached for your information. This will provide the public the opportunity for residents and businesses to provide comments on the proposals that might assist with the detailed layout.

The closing date for consultation will be the 15th December.

I trust this is of assistance; however, should you require any further information, please contactSustainabletransport@glasgow.gov.uk “

________________________________________________________________________________

A local GoBike member says

“It articulates with the Byres Road refurbishment.

In addition, we are to get a new primary school at the top of QMD at the junction with Maryhill Road, where there is a blaes football pitch. There is an overgrown footpath around the south and east of the site, which will be retained and restored. This leads directly from QMD to a crossing on Maryhill Road directly opposite an access point to the canal (There is a student village on the other side and Scottish Canals recently installed cycle racks beside the footbridge.)

So, the QMD development will give us a continuous link from the canal, down QMD and Byres Road, across Dumbarton Road at Partick Cross and on to the Riverside Museum and the new footbridge to Govan.

It also connects with the Kelvin Walkway (NCN 756).

So, it meets with our objectives of having a continuous network following routes where cyclists want to go.”

The city council have produced one of their cards to advertise the event: QMD active travel Postcard LR

Please do get along to this event if you can and contribute to making Queen Margaret Drive a place for people not cars.

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Glasgow West School Run Summit – a success

 

Last week we told you about the forthcoming West Glasgow School Run Summit, hosted by Dumbarton Road Corridor Environment Trust, that took place on 14 November.  We are pleased to hear that the event was a success, see the press release that has been issued: 20171116_DRCET_SchoolRunSummit_PressRelease  So let’s hope that we soon see more school runs by car becoming school runs by foot or bike!

 

A positive outcome of the event is that Councillor Michael Cullen, for Garscadden/Scotstounhill, SNP, who attended the event, has now been in touch to say that he would like to cycle with us round his ward.  We’ll be progressing that and, hopefully, we might get some of his ward colleagues along too.

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2 weeks to go – GoBike AGM and Public Meeting with Anna Richardson, 29 November

 

Yes, just 2 weeks to go until our AGM, followed by discussion with Anna Richardson, Glasgow City Council’s Convenor for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction – this includes all things cycling, walking and roads.

In the AGM we hope to approve our new constitution and elect people to be on our main committee and our sub-committee action groups to take projects and campaigns forward.  We are very excited about the prospect of 2 Co-Convenors to take campaigning for good cycle infrastructure in Glasgow and Strathclyde forward, an improved focus on consultations and we are looking for people to help with marketing the campaign and increasing membership.  Do please volunteer to join in!

Anna Richardson will be talking about the challenges of her role and answering your questions about how we take the city forward to be a place for people.

The details are on our flyer: GB! AGM2017

Venue: The Admiral Bar, 72a Waterloo Street, Glasgow, G2 7DA, with cycle parking and a NextBike station nearby.

Date: Wednesday 29 November 2017

Doors open: 7pm (the bar upstairs will be open before then for both food and drink)

AGM: 7:30pm

Anna Richardson: 8pm

Please do come along, bring a friend and share this information.

 

 

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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