Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 147, 4 November 2023

City Centre Strategy graphic

Running on empty…

Unfortunately, this Digest is even later than other recent issues as it’s become a struggle for your author to find time for them. This issue has less info than previous ones so it’s quicker to produce. The format of the Digest will have to change further to make it sustainable in future.

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Consultation Extra: City Centre & SPT Active Travel Strategies (20-10-23)

Glasgow city centre development night-time visualisation

A few strategies missed out on the recent Digest, including the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) Active Travel Strategy. The council’s City Centre Strategy came out the day after the Digest but is obviously important for Glasgow…

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Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 89, 22 June 2021

David Livingstone bridge Blantyre-Bothwell

As the Euros continue there’s a rare call-up for SPT to the Digest.

Glasgow’s Spaces for People consultation has ended but East Ren’s marches on. Near their border there’s a new 20mph zone. A new road and active travel networks in Lanarkshire, ‘Discussion’ continues in East Dunbartonshire and more post-match analysis from Dennistoun.

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Consultation Digest Issue 39, 23 July 2019: featuring a park, an airport, parking and avenues.

This issue contains disconcerting news about parking in 2 residential areas of Glasgow and promising news about Battlefield, City Centre avenues, City Deal works around Glasgow Airport and Pollok Park. Do read on:

Continue reading “Consultation Digest Issue 39, 23 July 2019: featuring a park, an airport, parking and avenues.”

Consultation Digest Issue 30, 19 March 2019: Get your views in now to the SPT regional survey and the Get Glasgow Moving petition, and is transformation possible?

In this issue we have two chances to input on public transport. The first is closing tomorrow, for the SPT, which is very active and public transport oriented, and the second is a Get Glasgow Moving petition. A strong voice on the Get Glasgow Moving input could influence official thinking on both the SPT and transformational frameworks such as that for the Glasgow Broomielaw featured below. Plus a late entry – a survey on a possible bike hire scheme in Motherwell! However, 2 further late entries to this Digest throw a cloud on the long-promised Sauchiehall Street avenue concept.

Continue reading “Consultation Digest Issue 30, 19 March 2019: Get your views in now to the SPT regional survey and the Get Glasgow Moving petition, and is transformation possible?”

Consultation Digest Issue 28, 19 February 2019, North Lanarkshire news, upset on University Avenue, SPT survey and parking changes in Glasgow City Centre

We have a fascinating array of proposals from around the area for you in this Digest but ongoing disappointment on University Avenue, and with the removal of permeability for cycle traffic by the introduction of one-way systems for motor traffic.

Continue reading “Consultation Digest Issue 28, 19 February 2019, North Lanarkshire news, upset on University Avenue, SPT survey and parking changes in Glasgow City Centre”

Consultation Digest Issue 22, 20 November 2018: A bumper bundle of new consultations.

Cambridge Street visualisation (2018)

 

Good news: Glasgow City Council is looking to reduce traffic on Oswald Street and Union Street (pictured left) in an attempt to cut emissions. Not so good news is that no cycle lanes are proposed but see more detail in item 1.5. Excellent news: consultation is underway on improving walking and cycling on the “Underline”, (see Item 1.3) but bad news is that there is still no word on the status of contraflow for Elmbank Street to allow northbound cycle access to Sauchiehall Street (see Item 3.1 for this). We have lots more for you in this issue so do please read on. Continue reading “Consultation Digest Issue 22, 20 November 2018: A bumper bundle of new consultations.”

Councillor Tour 10, Govan, Ward 5 with Councillor Allan Young (Green Party), 11 November 2017

On Saturday 11th November 2017, GoBike members Bob Downie and Andy Winter, and Rumina Kakati (who leads rides enjoyed by new, nervous and lapsed cyclists) met with Allan Young, the Green councillor for Govan ward, to go on a tour of some of the cycle facilities in the ward. Committee member Brenda Lillicrap organised the ride but was prevented from doing all but the start of the tour by a puncture.  We were delighted that Allan was available to come out with us and hope that the other three ward councillors will be able to come for a similar tour in future. The invitation remains open . Our route took us out and back from Cessnock subway station, past Bell’s Bridge, the Science Centre, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and Govan centre, all the while critiquing the cycle facilities we saw and used, good and bad.

Our start was in Walmer Crescent, a short one-way street with slow traffic, no junctions, and a sharp corner at both ends – ideal for the council’s declared default of permitting contraflow cycling on one-way streets. Not yet though.

Picture 1, shown above: Start – Govan Ward 5 Tour 11/11/17, Rumina Kakati, Allan Young, Andy Winter and Bob Downie at Cessnock Station

Picture 2Map Route taken on Govan Ward 5 tour 11/11/17. Numbered points refer to photograph locations below

Our route initially took us north on the signed Cycle Route 7 along Cessnock Street, Brand Street – now with perpendicular parking for the new flats along the south side, a potential hazard for cyclists on this well-used route – and Govan Road. We able to see the ‘improvements’ being made connected with Fastlink. We wondered about the value of spending money on a grade-separated cycleway alongside a road where the only permitted traffic is buses and taxis – and there aren’t any bus routes. There are much stronger candidate areas for cycle infrastructure spending even when the funding is ring-fenced for work connected with Fastlink.

Our first major hurdle was where Govan Road joins Pacific Drive. At these traffic lights, cyclists are invited to behave like pedestrians and cross Pacific Drive to cycle westward on the north-side pavement. To cross, cyclists must wait for 3 individual sets of pedestrian controlled lights, the first to cross the two lanes of the Fastlink bus corridor (not available for cycle use), followed by lights for each lane of ordinary traffic. The presence of extensive pedestrian barriers makes crossing by more than 2-3 bikes at a time very difficult. The experienced cyclists will almost certainly ignore the invitation to use this crossing and travel westward on the road. Those new to cycling (or with tandems, trailers or cargo bikes) are discouraged by tight turns made more difficult by poles, railings and control boxes, especially when there are pedestrians or other cyclists to consider.

While manoeuvring the crossing we agreed that plans to designate the footway on the south side for shared use (right through the bus shelter, and next to the sparsely used Fastlink carriageway) were a frustratingly marginal improvement, and we wondered why no effort had been made to route cyclists behind the Village Hotel to get toward’s Bells Bridge. There is already a crossing across Pacific Drive opposite the Bell’s Bridge path, albeit one offset from the desire line and with yet more barrier/pole/box obstacles.

Picture 3CrossToPavement We were invited to behave as pedestrians and use the pavement on the north side of Pacific Drive (point 1 on map)

It was generally agreed that the new path from Pacific Drive to Bell’s Bridge then continuing along the river in front of the BBC and the Science Centre was excellent. We wished it were possible for the riverside path to extend eastwards under the Clyde Arc Bridge. Back at Govan Road we continued westward and on to Golspie Street, which was re-engineered to accommodate the Fastlink carriageway. This gives it the appearance of a fast dual-carriageway, by-pass type of road, with its absence of active frontages and sweeping turns at the junctions. With the two directions of normal traffic using the single non-Fastlink carriageway it feels like a hostile piece of road for cyclists. This section is difficult to avoid for east-west travel because of the barrier of the lines into the subway depot. The layout of the both junctions on this stretch encourages drivers to make fast left turns, with the potential for left-hooking cyclists. The extensive pedestrian barriers at the junction with Harmony Row hem cyclists in in a manner that is worrying. There is nowhere for cyclists to escape if cars come too near.

Picture 4Barriers Extensive barriers at the junction of Golspie Street and Harmony Row (point 2 on map)

A newish, good quality pedestrian-cycle route took us the 200m from Golspie Street to Langlands Road. This was free of motor traffic and wide enough for cyclists and pedestrian to easily pass in both directions. A useful improvement would be a dropped kerb at the eastern end to allow easy access for west-bound cyclists without having to mingle with pedestrians at the pelican crossing.

Picture 5SharedPath Using the Golspie Street to Langlands Road cycle/pedestrian route (point 3 on map)

On Langlands Road significant sections of the advisory cycle lanes, only denoted by painted lines, were blocked by parked cars on both sides of the road. We understand these painted lanes form part of the ‘active travel access’ for the newly enlarged hospital. Allowing parking in cycle lanes shows that cyclists lack any real status on Glasgow’s roads. Cycle users deserve better.

Picture 6CarsInBikeLane Cars parked in the Langlands Road cycle lane (point 4 on map)

We carried on along Langlands Road to the underpass beneath the A739, the busy dual carriageway leading to the Clyde Tunnel. This underpass gives cycle access to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, but the large amount of graffiti and general feel of dilapidation gives it an edgy feel. This is not a facility most people would like to use at night.

Picture 7Graffiti Pedestrian/cycle underpass beneath the A739 to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. A highly graffitied and unwelcoming place (point 5 on map)

The feeling of dilapidation continued on the west side of the A739 where the first entrance to the hospital had no dropped kerb as well as being very rough, and needing another tight turn to negotiate the bollards in the underpass entrance.

Picture 8HospEntrance Off-putting entrance to the QEUH. Note the lack of dropped kerb (point 6 on map)

We continued north beside the A739 on an excellent shared pedestrian/cycle path which continued along Moss Road. At the junction with Peninver Drive a new pedestrian/cycle crossing has been installed but the timing of the lights was so slow (about 3 minutes) that no one was inclined to wait and we all took the chance to cross when the traffic appeared clear. The timing of these lights needs to be reviewed.

Picture 9LongWait Very slow timing of the lights allowing cycle crossing from Moss Road to Peninver Drive (point 7 on map)

Onward to Govan Road where we noted that parking was allowed by the shops near the junction with Holmfauldhead Place. We were told that this parking can at times cause significant congestion leading to cyclists being squeezed on the road, with drivers overtaking without allowing sufficient space.

Picture 95ParkingSqueeze Govan Road near the junction with Holmfauldhead Place. A busy road restricted by allowing on-street parking. Cyclists get squeezed here (point 8 on map)

A major problem in this area is the difficulty that south-going cyclists have turning west along Govan Road when they exit the Clyde Cycle Tunnel. To cross Govan Road “by the book” is so slow and complex that few cyclists comply and simply cross Govan Road when and where they can. The lack of a simple and safe crossing is simply unacceptable.

Our tour concluded with a ride through the centre of Govan and discussion as to how a dedicated cycle route through the main street of Govan Road could be a significant feature as part of the area regeneration.

Overall we were underwhelmed by the cycle facilities that we saw and used in Govan. Short sections were excellent but on the whole we felt that most were let down by poor design and poor implementation. The biggest issues are the lack of interconnectivity between adequate facilities and the method the planners use to take cyclists across main roads by requiring cyclists to behave like pedestrians and use complex, slow, barriered crossings. These are tricky for inexperienced cyclists to manoeuvre through, and experienced cyclists are likely to ignore the lights and cross as and when they see a gap in the traffic. The perennial problem of cars parking in non-segregated cycle lanes remains an issue in Govan as almost everywhere else in the UK.

We hope that Councillor Allan Young will be able to use the information gained in this tour to inform him in his work as a councillor and as ever, GoBike are here to help should he (or any of the other three Govan councillors) have any further questions.

We have one more tour planned for Friday 01 December with Councillors Cullen and Cunningham around Ward 13, Garscadden/Scotstounhill.  Then, unless we can choose daylight during the winter, we’ll be hoping to resume in the spring – if councillors are minded to join us!

Battlefield Public Realm consultation – goes live today, 23 November, public event 30 November

 

Glasgow City Council is launching public consultation about the junction of Battlefield Road, Grange Road , Prospecthill Road and Sinclair Drive.  Anyone who has tried to negotiate this junction on a bike or on foot will know that it’s tricky.  We are told that the on-line consultation will go live today, 23 November at: www.glasgow.gov.uk/battlefield and it is now live.  However, it may be best to wait, if you can until you have been to the public consultation event – details below – before submitting comments:

The consultation will, according to the website, allow acceptable designs to progress in order to achieve match funding from SPT in 2018/19.

A public drop in session will be held on:

Thursday 30th November 2017

3pm-7pm

Langside Library

2 Sinclair Drive, Glasgow, G42 9QE

Online survey/comments closing date: 22/12/2017