Junctions: the bad, the downright dangerous – and the good.

What’s wrong with the header photo for this blog or the picture below? It’s of a Glasgow City Council advert on the side of a bus, photographed at Anniesland Cross by GoBike member Euan. To be exact, what’s wrong with it apart from the instant-gut response it provokes that cycling must be incredibly dangerous? Read on for an analysis of junction design, and just what it is about them that attracts injuries, by GoBike committee member, Brenda.

Continue reading “Junctions: the bad, the downright dangerous – and the good.”

Consultation Digest (National) Issue 2, 11 December 2020: Will the Climate Change Plan be the perfect Christmas gift?

Welcome to the second national consultation digest, December’s round up of current and forthcoming consultations from Scotland and the UK, written by me, Jim Densham. Like me, I’m sure you are looking forward to winding down for Christmas and not thinking about consultation responses over the festive period. However, there’s still a few consultations out there needing our attention and an important one coming next week.

Continue reading “Consultation Digest (National) Issue 2, 11 December 2020: Will the Climate Change Plan be the perfect Christmas gift?”

20mph – Help us campaign for the new Urban Default Speed Limit Bill

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. Continue reading “20mph – Help us campaign for the new Urban Default Speed Limit Bill”

Consultation Digest Issue 24, 18 December 2018 – East Dunbartonshire news / the River Clyde / default urban 20mph

 

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. Continue reading “Consultation Digest Issue 24, 18 December 2018 – East Dunbartonshire news / the River Clyde / default urban 20mph”

Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone: Friends of the Earth event 02 November

 

Vehicle emissions affect all of us who cycle, or walk, and we are told by GoBike member, Liz McTeague that:

Friends of the Earth Glasgow has arranged an event on tackling air pollution and the GCC proposals for a Low Emission Zone  –  it’s on Thurs 2nd November 7pm at the Project Cafe in Renfrew Street.
This is the EventBrite link which has all the details: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/glasgows-air-pollution-bringing-a-low-emission-zone-to-the-city-tickets-37908944674?aff=ebdsorderfbbutton  Entry is free but please book your place.

DESCRIPTION

Levels of air pollution in Glasgow are breaking safety standards. Pollution has been linked with respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, stunted foetal development as well as dementia and diabetes.

Glasgow City Council’s is considering introducing a Low Emission Zone into the city, in line with the Scottish Government’s promise to have Scotland’s first LEZ in operation by 2018.

How do we make sure that the first Low Emission Zone is delivered on time, is ambitious enough to improve air quality, and delivered in a fair way?

Hear and debate the issues with campaigners and Councillors and members of the community.

3 short talks, and a panel Q & A, chaired by Friends of the Earth Glasgow’s Roger Downie

Speakers:

  • Councillor Anna Richardson, City Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction
  • Emilia Hanna, Air Pollution Campaigner, Friends of the Earth Scotland
  • David McColgan, Policy and Public Affairs Manager, British Heart Foundation Scotland
  • Jill Murie, Public Health Programme Manager, Glasgow Centre for Population Health

Doors open at 6:30 for a 7:00 start. Ends at 8:30

Hosted by Friends of the Earth Glasgow and Friends of the Earth Scotland

Glasgow Councillor Tour 4, part of Partick East / Kelvindale with the Labour and SNP councillors

Clarence Drive

On the evening of Thursday 05 October, GoBike members Tricia Fort, Johnston Orr and Andy Winter met Labour Councillor Martin Rhodes and SNP Councillor Kenny McLean who represent Ward 23 Partick East / Kelvindale on the City Council to look at cycling conditions in part of their ward.  Neither Martin nor Kenny cycles, but neither do they drive; they both walk or use public transport.  We are grateful to them both for the time they took to walk round Hyndland and Dowanhill with us and here is a summary of the issues we discussed:

  • Pedestrian/cycle crossing from Leicester Avenue across Great Western Road towards Gartnavel:  We didn’t visit this but after the report on our website from the cycle tour of 23 September with Councillor Tony Curtis, one of our members who lives in Kelvindale commented “it takes FOUR AND A HALF MINUTES to cross over GWR to the restaurant if you use the toucan.”  Andy confirmed this from the visits he has made to the sports ground there with his children.  This is not conducive to active travel.
  • Great Western Road: there is no cycle infrastructure on this road, apart from Advance Stop Lines (into which motor vehicles encroach, as we saw) and the part-time bus lanes that give some protection.  This is a busy main road into town with fast traffic and deserves segregated cycle lanes to protect the people who already cycle on it and to encourage others to cycle.
  • Great Western Road alternative: from Byres Road to Gartnavel there is the potential to create a quiet way along the terraces.  This could then link into Shelley Road, and while this would not be suitable for people going right into town, it would encourage many to cycle in the local area.
  • Cross roads, Great Western Road/Hyndland Road/Cleveden Road: at 6:30 in the evening this was a busy junction, with a lot of potentially dangerous driving practices.  We saw motorists going through the lights when they had changed back to red, many vehicles on Hyndland Road using the left-turning lane to go straight on to avoid the queue of vehicles waiting to turn right into Great Western Road, vehicles were stopped in the Cycle Advance Stop Line and many appeared to be exceeding the speed limit.  Despite all this, we saw a significant number of people on bikes, but, as Andy said, it is not a route suitable for children to cycle from Dowanhill and Hyndland through to Cleveden School.  A simple solution at the traffic lights might be to ban the right turn from Hyndland Road onto Great Western Road, but this might push the problem elsewhere.  Creating a cycle-friendly junction here would encourage more adults and children to cycle here, and should reduce motor traffic.
  • Hyndland Road: cars parked on both sides, on a road that deserves a segregated cycle route to give access to the local sports facilities, schools and Glasgow University.
  • Hughenden Lane: this provides a good route through to Gartnavel, but is currently over-parked.  Parking controls are needed to allow access for residents and bikes.  A left turn allows access through the new flats to Lauderdale Gardens and then to Clarence Drive and we saw several people using this route.  Just a bit of work is needed to widen the ramped exit from the carpark at the back of the flats and parking needs to be controlled to free up the dropped kerb into Lauderdale Gardens to improve permeability for active travel.
  • Clarence Drive: cars parked on the cycle lanes and on the footway, see the photo above.  Parking restrictions are needed as is segregation of the cycle route.
  • Hyndland Road, outside the shops: no cycle lane at all, but there are cycle stands and the wide footway improves the ambience of the area.
  • Hyndland Road, at the end of the row of shops: the footway has been built out, apparently to provide two parking places outside the shops, but this is where the cycle lane starts again – on the bend, with the danger of cars etc cutting in.
  • Highburgh Road: the parking bays are narrow, with many vehicles part, or fully on, the too narrow (only 0.5m) door opening zone and the cycle lane is minimum width too, meaning that the safe place to cycle is out in the vehicle lane.  This narrowness is exacerbated by the two disabled parking bays that have been painted in; there is no door opening zone here at all!  See the photos below.  Parking, at most, should be on one side only, to allow the construction of a cycle lane suitable for all the people, young and old, in the area to use.
  • Highburgh Road/Dowanhill Street junction: Dowanhill Street is stopped off at the south side of Highburgh Road but the crossing over Highburgh Road allows access for bikes travelling along the street, giving access to the school and a quieter route to Dumbarton Road than Hyndland Road.  However, north of Highburgh Road, Dowanhill Street has recently been made one-way, southbound, thus preventing someone from cycling northbound, unless on the footway!  This is despite there still being a cycle route sign at the location and, more pertinently, despite the statement in Glasgow City Council’s design document “Cycling by Design” in 5.1.5: “Contra-flow Cycle Lanes.  The default position should be to permit two-way cycling on one-way streets.”  We discussed this at length, and compared this area with the proposals for the Woodside mini-Holland, where permeability, ie through access, for bikes is being encouraged, whereas in Dowanhill it is being prevented.  It is little surprise that one scheme has been produced by the parking section in Land and Environment Services and one by the cycle section.  The alternative route for Andy, or his children, is to cycle up Dowanhill Street, turn left onto Highburgh Road and then do a right turn, on a bend, into Crown Road South – not an attractive prospect.
  • Byres Road: heavily parked on both sides, even though studies show that most people arrive here by foot, bike, subway or bus, this busy road with many shops, pubs and restaurants has a high accident rate.  We need active travel input to the current consultations.  Here’s the link to a GoBike supported group event on 22 October: https://space4peoplebyresroad.wordpress.com/2017/10/04/ride-for-a-better-byres-road/
  • Dowanside Road: under the Dowanhill parking controls this has been made one way and yet, even with cars parked both sides, there is plenty of room for contraflow cycling, see the photograph below.  We have contraflow cycling in other parts of the city, the nearest to here being Dalnair Street from Old Dumbarton Road to Yorkhill Hospital.  We need more.
  • Beith Street: we didn’t walk this far but, with all the student accommodation here, it needs cycle lanes.

The main points from this tour are that, while we need good quality segregated cycle lanes on our main roads, we need the access and the permeability in our local areas for people to get out and about in their neighbourhood and to reach the main roads that will take them to school, to work, the shops or the art gallery etc.

 

 

 

 

CHANGE OF DATE: Bikes and big vehicles – keeping safe, Free Research event, Tuesday 21 March 13:30 – 16:00

 

THE ORGANISERS HAVE CHANGED THE DATE!  It is now 1 week earlier than previously advised.

GoBike has been made aware of this event by one of our members:

Staying Awesome: where next for cycling safety and large vehicles?

by Dr Caroline Brown

Tue, Mar 21, 2017 at 12:30 PM | Eventbrite, FREE event  

 Organised by academics from Heriot-Watt University, this ‘Staying Awesome’ research event discusses where next for cycle safety and large vehicles.

The purpose of the event is to draw together existing knowledge, and consider where things could and should go next. Participants from all sides are encourage to attend: cyclists, cycle campaign groups, bus operators, truck and haulage stakeholders, local authority operations, safety managers and relevant regulators.

Register at:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/staying-awesome-where-next-for-cycling-safety-and-large-vehicles-tickets-31255320505?invite=&err=29&referrer=&discount=&affiliate=&eventpassword=

Cycling and the Law, free event, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Thursday, February 23, 2017 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Here’s another hospital to visit, and learn about cycling and the law.  Register at Eventbrite for this second, free, lunchtime talk from Cycle Law Scotland:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cycling-and-the-law-tickets-30853587912?utm-medium=discovery&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&aff=esfb&utm-source=fb&utm-term=listing

Jodi Gordon, Senior Solicitor at Cycle Law Scotland, Scotland’s award-winning legal service dedicated to representing injured cyclists, will discuss real case studies, case law, video footage, common cycling accidents and what to do in the event of a collision. She will also talk about why she believes presumed liability should be introduced for road traffic collisions in Civil Law. You will have an opportunity to ask questions and there will be time for general debate and discussion.