The junction of Eglinton Street, Nelson Street and Bridge Street is not one for the faint-hearted on a bike, but can it be improved? See Section 1.1 below.
We mentioned both of these last time in Digest 7 but we now have more information on both the Tradeston / Clyde Place and the High Street / Saltmarket Consultations and we need your help to press for good cycle facilities on these major roads.
Another chance to see bits of the city you’ve never seen before! See our Facebook event
Sunday 4 February – East End Parks We have previously had park rides in the north, south and west of the city, so now it is the turn of the east. As well as the big parks of Glasgow Green, Tollcross, Hogganfield and Alexandra Parks, we shall visit a number of smaller parks and open spaces, and a few other points of interest. The ride will be mostly on quiet roads and asphalt paths, except at Cardowan Moss (see image above) where we will be using well made unpaved paths. An 18 mile ride ending up in the City Centre in time for lunch. Meet 10am Bell’s Bridge, Congress Road, Glasgow. Rated: Continue reading “Almost February – time for a ride round the parks of Glasgow’s East End with GoBike!”
You may remember that last month we responded quite positively to the proposals for the southern part of this scheme? That was the segregated cycleway sections; we had reservations but the council staff responded promptly and we are reasonably happy with that stage.
It is not the same at all with the second phase, which is all shared footway. There appear to be contradictions between the drawings that are on the website (and reproduced here) and the paper drawings we were sent by post. Just about everything is proposed to be at the Absolute Minimum dimension given in Cycling by Design – this document includes a Desirable Minimum, an Absolute Minimum and even gives reductions on the latter, which helps explain why some of the cycling facilities in Glasgow are as bad as they are. Consultation on this part of the scheme closes this Friday, 08 December, so, if you can, please do get your views in over the next 2 days.
Given the disappointment in the scheme I have copied the 4 Councillors for the Ward, it’s Ward 13, into the letter, so that they get our concern first hand. Two of these Councillors toured the ward on Friday with us.
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.
Cllr Cullen posted to his Facebook page straight after the event, and has issued these tweets:
GoBike ride leader, Andy Preece, provided these points along his planned route, which the councillors noted on their tour: Councillor Ward Tour – Scotstoun, details
Neil has responded to the councillors on these issues:
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.
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 GAP_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:
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.
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:
GoBike was invited to give a short presentation on a campaigning theme at the 
