Strathclyde Cycle Campaign
Yes, the nights are drawing in so it’s time to check out those lights for your bike, but don’t forget all the things that are on from now through into September. We have told you about some of them and there is detail to follow on others, but here’s a summary – get them in your diary and get out to them on your bike: Continue reading “The nights are drawing in but lots to do as September approaches”
Further to this bad news we have been told by Councillor Robert Brown, LibDem, that the Cycling Partnership is safe – for now – but we need to be vigilant and oppose any further attempt.
South Lanarkshire Council have for some time had a Cycling Partnership to promote and progress cycling issues within the area covered by the local authority. GoBike has been represented on this Partnership. The new council, elected on 04 May, now propose to merge it into the Sustainability Partnership!
If we are going to get anything like 10% of journeys by bike by 2020, which is still the Scottish Government’s aim, then cycling must be given more prominence, not less. This is a backward move.
The council document, dated 10 May, which is going to be discussed tomorrow, 18 May, is here: South Lan bodies and the relevant clause, 10.3 is reproduced here:
“10.3. In advance of the new Council, the list has been reviewed by the lead organisations. In terms of the South Lanarkshire Cycling Partnership, it is proposed that it be discontinued and its remit incorporated into that for the Sustainability Partnership. The Council is asked, as a matter of priority, to approve nominations to the joint committees/boards, statutory and partnership bodies detailed in Appendix 4. These are necessary to enable the respective organisations to formally re-establish themselves following the local government elections.”
If you live in South Lanarkshire please e-mail your councillors and ask them not to proceed with this regressive move. You can find the councillors for your ward here but do include Councillor Robert Brown in your list of addressees. He has been prominent in support of cycling and active travel in South Lanarkshire and spoke at our Hustings last month.
Sunday 7 May – Drumpellier Country Park
The route of this ride will head out of Glasgow via new cycle improvements at the Port Dundas Basin and in Balornock, and then onto country lanes in the Auchinloch area, before joining the Strathkelvin Railway Path to Glenboig. We will then head to Drumpellier Country Park for lunch, before returning into Glasgow to view some of the recent developments on main roads in the east and southeast of the city area, including Cambuslang and Rutherglen, and ending up on the South Bank cycle route. The ride includes some unsurfaced paths, one of which is quite rough.
Meet 10am Bell’s Bridge, Congress Road, Glasgow.
Rated: 
If you don’t fancy going so far, then there are events on in the city (information provided by Glasgow City Council::
Saturday 6th May – THIS WEEKEND!!!
Saturday 6th May Cycling Family Fun Day – Free – Starts 10:00 AM Glasgow Green
Stunt Bike Riders Show, Bike Maintenance Workshop, Dr Bike , Bike Marking and security advice by Police Scotland, Led rides for all ages and levels of experience, Play on Pedals, Bike tuition, Horse and Dray rides, Cycling information from Glasgow City Council, Sustrans, Bike Station Glasgow, Free Wheel North, SoulRiders Scotland, South West Community Cycles, Cycling Uk and much, much more!
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Saturday 6th May, Dr Bike. 12 – 2pm Priesthill Church car park, Glasgow G53 6LL
Get your bike checked and set up by the South West Community Cycles team.
For more details contact: http://southwestcommunitycycles.co.uk/
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Sunday 7th May, Play on Pedals drop in session. 12:30-2:30 Free Wheel North, Glasgow Green, Templeton St, Glasgow G40 1AT
Free Cycle training for pre-schoolers. Get your kids on a balance bike and help them get cycling from an early age!
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Sunday 7th May, Play on Pedals drop in session. 10:45-11:30 Drumchapel Sports Centre with Drumchapel Cycle Hub
Cycle training for pre-schoolers. Get your kids on a balance bike and help them get cycling from an early age! £1 to support hall hire.
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Tuesday 9th May, Led Ride – Beginners / Intermediate – 10.30-12.30pm South West Community Cycles, 2092 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow G43 1AT
Right to Routes Diabetes group. Gentle Guided Ride/Training
For more details contact: http://southwestcommunitycycles.co.uk/
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Thursday 11th May, Led Ride – Beginners / Intermediate – 10.00-12.00pm South West Community Cycles, 2092 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow G43 1AT
Wheel Being group. Gentle Guided Ride/Training
For more details contact: http://southwestcommunitycycles.co.uk/
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Thursday 11th May, Bike Breakfast – 7:30 – 9:30 AM Balshagray Crescent, G14. Near South Bound Entrance to Clyde Tunnel.
De’ils on Wheels are providing a free Breakfast and Dr Bike check ups , Cycling Info, Freebies
For more details contact: http://www.deilsonwheels.org.uk
We have got to know about this year’s European Cycling Challenge whereby all of us cycling in Glasgow – and the surrounding areas (new for this year) can record our cycle journeys. GoBike has mapped the data from last year, which ties in well with Strava data and Glasgow City Council cordon count data, and has presented this evidence of where people cycle – and thus where we need good quality cycle infrastructure – to none less than the Transport Minister, Humza Yousaf.
So, do join in this year. Cycling UK Glasgow’s regular Saturday morning ride from the People’s Palace will be ending the ride at this launch. Here’s a copy of the e-mail from Glasgow City Council, which has the information and links that you need:
Robert Brown is an existing Liberal Democrat councillor on South Lanarkshire council and is standing for election on 04 May 2017. Here is the text that he sent us:
“Robert Brown is a Liberal Democrat Council Councillor on South Lanarkshire Council. He was MSP for Glasgow Region (1999 to 2011) and Deputy Minister for Education and Young People (2005-2007). He was spokesperson on social justice and housing, and later justice and civil liberties. HE fought Glasgow Region and Rutherglen constituency for the Liberal Democrats in the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections.
A solicitor by profession, he worked as a Procurator Fiscal Depute and latter became senior civil partner with a large Glasgow firm.
He was a longstanding Policy Convener of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, and served on the Steel Commission and the Campbell Commission which set out the Liberal Democrat vision for Scottish Home Rule within a federal United Kingdom.
He is currently Liberal Democrat council candidate for Rutherglen South Ward in the forthcoming council elections.”
Robert was the first candidate to forward information to us; details of the 4 further candidates will be published over the next 4 days.
Yesterday we told you about a forthcoming meeting to discuss potential changes to both Rutherglen and Cambuslang Main Streets in South Lanarkshire. What we hadn’t been told was that the meeting is only open to 1, or at the most 2, people from GoBike! If you would like to go please get in touch via our Facebook page. However, there is an on-line survey for each town – really easy to do so please complete them:
LINK FOR RUTHERGLEN SURVEY
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RUTHERGLENSURVEY
LINK FOR CAMBUSLANG SURVEY
We have been sent the following e-mail; you might be interested in replying to the online survey, if you travel through Rutherglen and/or Cambuslang – perhaps you, like me, get annoyed at all the parked cars in the bus/cycle lane?
Link for Rutherglen survey
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RUTHERGLENSURVEY
Link for Cambuslang survey
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CAMBUSLANG
We have one place at each of the following workshops, if you are interested in attending either or both of the event on behalf of GoBike! on the 7th (Rutherglen) or 8th (Cambuslang) please let us know via our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/GoBikeGlasgow/.
“Good Morning,
We are working on behalf of Cam Glen Bike Town which is part of Healthy n Happy Community Development Trust looking at how Rutherglen and Cambuslang main street could be improved. We’d like to invite you to a workshop to generate ideas and discuss how this could be done. This will take place on Tuesday 7th March (Rutherglen) and on Wednesday 8th March (Cambuslang) at 12.45pm both days (with a start at 1pm finish at 4pm). Please could you confirm whether or not you are able to attend as soon as possible.
We will also be carrying out an on line survey. (see link above)
Thank you.
Kind Regards,
Noema Azcona
Assistant Consultant
SYSTRA