Tag: routes

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Local Government Elections – Questions to ask at our Hustings, 19 April

Interesting article in the Herald today (31 March) about power in our local councils.  it’s worth reading to get a view on what we will be voting for on 04 May and perhaps a question to ask at our Hustings on 19 April, 7:30pm in the Admiral Bar on Waterloo Street in Glasgow.  Here’s our flyer for the event: May2017 GB! Hustings flyer

Here’s the information we sent to the 5 candidates, who will be on our Hustings Panel, which might also help you frame your question:

“GoBike, as perhaps you know, is a campaigning group of people who cycle in the Strathclyde area, with most of our support in the Glasgow travel to work area.  Our main focus is on good cycle infrastructure and on 21 February we met with the Transport Minister, Humza Yousaf, to present these 4 important aims:

1. 20mph Speeds in Urban Areas

  • Multiple benefits of safety, environment and air quality agreed by central/local governments, residents, road safety groups and cyclists. Change from urban 30mph to 20mph is in progress.
  • Implementation rates are slow due to budgetary constraints and perceived requirement for complex and expensive traffic calming. Cities risk developing a confusing patchwork of 20mph islands in a 30mph sea.

Action requested: That Holyrood make Scotland a better place by passing legislation to expedite 20mph as the default urban speed limit, except on specified non-residential arterial roads

2. Use of Evidence When Specifying Location and Design of Urban Cycle Facilities

  • Most existing cycle facilities suffer from two main failings: they are discontinuous and their positioning takes little cognisance of the preferred routes that cyclists use (cycle desire lines). They tend to be installed where local authorities see un-utilised road space, rather than from an assessment of cyclists’ needs.
  • Data concerning cycle desire lines is becoming abundantly available and shows that urban cyclists in Scotland substantially travel on direct (radial) main road routes that connect the suburbs with city centre. Cycle desire lines frequently cross local authority boundaries.

Action requested: That Holyrood preferentially promotes and funds cycle facilities that are based upon evidence of cyclists’ needs, such as directness and continuity of route, and those which allow connection between local authority areas

3. Space Reallocation

  • Evidence shows that cyclists tend to travel in straight and continuous paths from suburban areas into urban centres, preferentially using the main roads, where cycle speeds are faster than on back road routes.
  • Unless the desire by cyclists to use these direct main road routes is satisfied, then further spending on back-street cycle facilities will be largely wasted. The desire for cyclists to use main roads means that due consideration must be given to providing space on these.

Actions requested: 1) Holyrood mandates new build roads and renovated roads must have cycle facilities as a primary design criterion. 2) Prioritises facilities on faster/direct main road routes

4. Presumed Liability

  • It is a well-established legal principle that anyone who uses a dangerous instrument should be presumed to be liable in the event of death or injury as a consequence of its use. 
  • It is therefore unfortunate that insurance companies generally take an adversarial position when vehicles come into collision with unprotected road users such as cyclists and pedestrians. Compensation may be delayed or denied as result.
  • At present, the UK is one of only five European countries (along with Cyprus, Malta, Romania and Ireland) that do not operate some form of strict liability law for vulnerable road users.

Action requested: That Holyrood makes Scotland a better place by enacting presumed liability legislation between motorists, cyclists and pedestrians

GoBike is one of the founder members of Walk,Cycle,Vote  the pan-Scotland active travel grouping and the 3 common aims for the councils that will be elected on 04 May are:

  • Investment: Provide sustained, long term investment in both cycling and walking, reaching 10% of the transport budget
  • Infrastructure: Build and maintain dedicated cycling infrastructure suitable for people of all ages and abilities
  • Local Action: To solve the main local barriers to active travel, as identified by residents and businesses”

We do hope that you will be able to get along on 19 April but should you be unable to, you may submit a question by e-mail to hustings2017@gobike.org

 

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Sauchiehall Street Planning Application – please respond by 15 March!

The prospects for improvements on Sauchiehall Street are good.  Only 1 objection so far but lots of support has been expressed to the Planning Application on the Glasgow City Council website (the reference number is 17/00240/DC) that specifies the new cycle lane.  The plans are good in most of what they include but there are omissions.  The GoBike response is here: GoBike Sauchiehall Street Planning Application on-line 2000 character response 100317

There’s a limit of 2000 words to the on-line comment, so wordsmiths beware, but do get your views in.  A bit of confusion on the website under “Important Dates” – the last day for comments is 15 March, but the last day for comments following the Press Notice is today, Friday 10 March – so get your skates on.

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Sauchiehall Street – GoBike response to the Traffic Regulation Order for part of the Avenue concept

Glasgow City Council are progressing their plans for the Sauchiehall Street “avenue” with a Traffic Regulation Order and a Planning Application.

GoBike has now responded to the Traffic Regulation Order, with this letter: GoBike Sauchiehall Street partial support 280217  The full details of the Order may be seen at: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=18127 but, unfortunately, they do not include details of the cycle way as this is new construction, rather than a change to the existing road layout.  While we very much support the principle of reducing traffic access, limiting parking and a separated cycle way, we do object to the proposal to make Elmbank Street, shown on the photo as it meets Sauchiehall Street, one-way.  This contravenes the default position in the City Council’s design guide, Cycling by Design and limits accessibility in the city for people on bikes.

The Planning Application for the new work on Sauchiehall Street is on the Council’s website at: https://publicaccess.glasgow.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=OKT65HEXMXU00 but all the documents appear to be “unavailable at this time”!  A bit of a contradiction in terms but we are considering our options for comment.  Having looked at the drawings listed with the TRO we are concerned that there are no links to the cycle way from Woodlands Road and St George’s Road – that area over the M8 is not a happy place to cycle, even though lots of us have journeys through there – and the links out of the cycle way into the Core Path area of Sauchiehall Street and all the streets in between Newton Street and Rose Street are unclear.

If you have views about these proposals, please make them clear to the Council or to the Councilors for the area.  Comments on the TRO close this Friday, 03 March and on the Planning Application 21 days after 17 February, according to the advert, which might be 10 March.

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GoBike meets the Transport Minister

On Tuesday this week, 21 February, Tricia Fort and Bob Downie met Humza Yousaf, MSP, Minister for Transport and the Islands at Victoria Quay in Edinburgh.  We spent the best part of an hour talking to him about our concerns to improve the environment for cycling.  The 4 main topics we raised were:

  1. Urban 20mph speed limit as a default, with exceptions for higher speeds.  We feel this, if correctly managed, is “low hanging fruit” and would quickly, and cheaply, improve the environment for active travel.
  2. Use of evidence when deciding on urban cycle facilities.  Too many cycle facilities take little or no cognisance of where people cycle – and evidence of where people cycle is readily available (though apparently not in cycle infrastructure design offices!).  Too many cycle facilities are discontinuous, yet accident data tells us that junctions and roundabouts are hazardous for cyclists – and isn’t this just where cycle lanes stop?
  3. Space reallocation: we need our space on the main roads where we currently cycle.
  4. Presumed Liability: we support the Road Share campaign for Presumed Liability and a change in civil law to bring in Presumed Liability will be a big improvement for cyclists and pedestrians who are injured on our roads.

The Minister was interested in what we had to say, particularly the evidence of where people currently cycle and although we do not agree on all points, progress has been made.

The full text of the information we gave to the Minister and the text of the press release we issued yesterday are given here: GoBike Press Release 22_02_17 part A and GoBike Press Release 22_02_17 part B

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Merry Christmas and a happy cycling New Year

GoBike wishes all its members and supporters a good Christmas and New Year – and let’s start cycling with the start of the New Year!  The pictures above and below show some of the people on our December ride to the parks on the south side of Glasgow, at the new park at Cuningar Loop.  It was gloriously sunny, if a bit chilly.  But read on for January …..

January’s ride, and the GoBike rides are always on the first Sunday of the month, is on Sunday 01 January – time to clear the head!  Check out the infrastructure our councils are providing …..

Sunday 1 January 2017 – Northern Delights Infrastructure Safari
For our annual tour of cycle infrastructure we will take a tour of the northern parts of Glasgow, as well as venturing into Bishopbriggs, to see some of the lesser spotted bike lanes and paths, as well as viewing future developments. Firstly we will head over to Sauchiehall Street to see and discuss the proposed “Avenue” works, before passing another large redevelopment at Sighthill. We will look at some local links in the contrasting residential areas around the outskirts and suburbs of Glasgow, and see how well they join up. We will end our tour back in the West End at the University, where large scale works are proposed on the former Western Infirmary site.
Meet 10am Bell’s Bridge, Congress Road, Glasgow.
Ride on paths Ride on quiet roads Ride on canal towpaths Ride on busy roads Moderate hill climbing
Rated: Go Bike star rating Go Bike star rating

For a ride further afield, have a look at our Rides page: https://www.gobike.org/about-us/cycle-rides and our end-of-April-start-of-May weekend ride, the Way of the Roses, from Morecambe to Bridlington.

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Glasgow city core paths and transport strategy

Glasgow city core paths and transport strategy

Thank you to the 50+ people who came along to tonights Go Bike! open meeting.
We heard Sue Hilder, Access Officer and Andrew Brown of the sustainable transport team, both from Glasgow City Council, give presentations and answer questions on their respective areas of expertise about Core Paths and the City Centre Transport Strategy. The evening finished with an opportunity for everyone to add their comments to maps of the city centre and the existing and proposed cycle routes. Thank you to Sue and Andrew for their valuable contributions to the evening and event.

If you didn’t manage to come along on the night, the presentations are now available: Glasgow City Centre Transport Strategy.

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Do you cycle in Glasgow city centre?

Find out about the council’s plans for cycle routes and have your say.

Wednesday 12th March 2014 at 19:30

Downstairs function room , Admiral Bar, 72A Waterloo St. Doors open 19:00pm.

google

Go Bike has arranged this meeting to provide feedback to Glasgow City Council (GCC) on their plans for cycle paths in the city centre.

Agenda

  • Welcome and Introduction: Patricia Fort, Go BIke
  • The role of Core Paths, particularly in the city centre; Sue Hilder, GCC
  • GCC’s city centre transport strategy, including possible measures for traffic calming, 20mph speed limits and consultation arrangements; Andrew Brown, GCC
  • Feedback on routes, an opportunity for all participants to mark their regular routes, desired routes, known obstructions and locations of concern on large-scale city maps.
  • Open discussion

Please come and help to improve cycling in Glasgow!

Members and non-members welcome

 

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Rules changes proposed to reduce the rights of citizens to use Glasgow parks!

Tweed Ride 2013
Tweed Ride 2013
Rides through Glasgow parks like this one would need prior consent under the proposed rules.

Glasgow City Council is proposing new rules for the management of parks, see: http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/parkmanagementrules – and note that “park” has a wide meaning and includes George Square in the city centre.  2 of the rules, in particular, are of interest to cyclists.

Clause 1.4 of the proposed rules refers to  an “Unauthorised Gathering”  which means any gathering, meeting or assembly in a park of 20 or more people, which has not had the prior written consent of the Executive Director of Land and Environmental Services, however it was organised.
This has implications for any group, not only of cyclists, who assemble in an area deemed to be a park, prior to setting off on a cycle ride, or something such as a trip to an art gallery.  For example, cyclists from Glasgow arranged to meet in George Square last year prior to cycling to Edinburgh for the Pedal on Parliament event.  Go Bike, since it achieved the right for cyclists to cycle through the city parks some 25 years ago, has led several rides through parks, the latest being on Sunday 05 January, when 30 of us did an excellent cycle tour of the parks on the southside of the city.  We stopped several times to regroup and, finally, we admired the view once we had all made it to the high point, the flag pole, in Queen’s Park.  30 of us “gathering” together in this way – without the prior consent of the Executive Director of Land and Environmental Services – could thus be considered to be “unauthorised“.

Clause 7.2, second sentence of the proposals states that “Cycle speed should not exceed 5 miles per hour.”  Anyone who has tried cycling alongside a pedestrian will know that it is very unstable to cycle at such low speeds; even children, or adults, learning to cycle will be going at speeds above 5mph – if only to try and keep their balance.  The average “moving speed” of the Go Bike ride through the parks last month was 7.6 miles per hour, with a maximum of 16.3 mph.  A limit of 5mph, if and when enforced, would thus remove our hard-won right to cycle in parks and other parts of the city covered by these new rules.

Go Bike proposes that, if the City Council wishes to ban some types of “Unauthorised Gathering” then they should be specific about the type of behaviour they wish to ban.  A blanket ban covers not only cyclists but a group of families meeting together.
Most cyclists cycle at speeds appropriate to their surroundings so the second sentence of Clause 7.2 quoted above should be removed leaving the clause as: “Cyclists must maintain proper control of the cycle and ensure they do not endanger other road users.”  Those who don’t would be in contravention of Clause 2.1 “No one shall in any park: (c) commit any act of anti-social behaviour in any park,”

Thus, there is a plethora of rules drawn up to cover almost any eventuality.  The Council would do far better to employ park wardens to look after and maintain these “dear, green places” in our city.

If you have read the proposed rules, at http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/parkmanagementrules and agree with Go Bike, then please submit your views by e-mail to les@glasgow.gov.uk to arrive by Friday 14 February at the latest

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Fastlink

Clyde Arc Fastlink

Andy Preece e-mailed the Go Bike yahoo group on 16 December to inform people of the link http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4216
to 2 Traffic Regulation Orders relating to the Fastlink Bus scheme which is proposed to run from the city centre out to the Southern General Hospital.  The 2 Orders relate to the section from the Finnieston Bridge (otherwise known as the Clyde Arc Bridge or Squinty Bridge) to Whitefield Road and Whitefield Road to Elder Street.  Some of you may have looked at these and/or you may have been in the Clyde Arc, Pacific Drive or Govan areas and seen that work is already proceeding on this segregated bus link.

Objections to the Orders must be received by Friday 24 January and should be sent to:
Projects Manager,
Project Management and Design,
Land and Environmental Services,
231 George Street,
Glasgow, G1 1RX
(FAO Brian Hubbert)
by post or by email to brian.hubbert@glasgow.gov.uk.

The proposals detail the segregated bus link going over the Clyde Arc Bridge and along Pacific Drive; the bus lanes will be for the bus only, ie no taxis or cycles will be allowed in these lanes.  This means that all vehicles, apart from the buses, will be restricted to one lane in each direction over the Clyde Arc Bridge and along Pacific Drive.  The Orders give no details of cycle routes and no information about the National Cycle Network Routes 7 and 75.  However, information on proposed cycle routes was given at the GCC Glasgow’s Strategic Plan for Cycling: Transport Sub Group meeting on Tuesday 14 January, which was attended by members of the Go Bike Committee.  It is proposed that the cycle route will be along Congress Road, over Bells Bridge and then back on a shared footway to cross Pacific Drive via a Toucan crossing to reach Govan Road and then on to Brand Street.  For cyclists heading towards Govan the proposed route is along a shared footway on one side only of Pacific Drive.
Thus, although cyclists will not be banned from the Clyde Arc Bridge, Pacific Drive, Govan Road and Golspie Street, there will be a strong deterrent not to cycle there.  The segregated bus lanes are in the centre of the road over the Clyde Arc Bridge and along Pacific Drive and Govan Road as far as Burndyke Court (ie the start of the straight part of Govan Road near the river) where they become kerbside for most of the remainder of the route through Govan.  Where they are kerbside, cyclists will have to cycle in the outside lane with all other road users.

This means a big reduction in safety for cyclists going from the Broomielaw towards Govan by way of the Clyde Arc Bridge and for cyclists who live adjacent to the route.   The additional cycle route information given on Tuesday does not give reassurance that the needs of cyclists in the area are being catered for; it is already well-known that the shared footway past the hotel near the Clyde Arc Bridge is inadequate and the route via Bells Bridge adds quite a distance to the cycle journey either to Govan or to Cessnock.

Go Bike is amending its original draft letter of objection further to receipt of the cycle route information on Tuesday and this will be posted on the Go Bike website when it has been submitted but we encourage all our members and supporters to write or e-mail in by Friday 24 January if you share our concerns about this lack of recognition of the needs of cyclists.