FW: The Glasgow City Council (Dowanhill & Byres Road) (Traffic Management and Parking Controls) Order

MESSAGE SENT ON BEHALF OF JAMIE RODDEN

GROUP MANAGER – TRAFFIC AND ROAD SAFETY

Dear Ms Fort

I refer to your undernoted e-mail and attached response.

I can advise that Glasgow City Council’s Local Transport Strategy is designed to keep Glasgow’s roads moving. We have 2 high level objectives which the Dowanhill and Byres Road traffic management and parking controls proposals relate to. These are:-

· To support the continuing physical, social, economic, cultural and environmental regeneration of the City by maintaining and promoting efficient and effective transportation services and infrastructure within Glasgow.

And

· To promote healthy and environmentally sustainable methods of transport that minimise harmful emissions and energy consumption including those that involve physical activity.

To achieve these objectives the Council have agreed the following transport policies which are relevant to this proposal, as follows:-

· Progressively extend controls on on-road parking throughout the city.

· Charge for parking in all Council car parks and designated bays on road.

· Set parking charges to meet the costs of administrating and enforcing on road parking.

· Reduce the availability of long stay commuter parking to discourage journeys to work by private car.

· Provide priority access to on road parking spaces for residents of dwellings built prior to 1 January 2000 over commuter parking where demand requires.

· Ensure provision of adequate short term parking for business, shopping and tourism.

The Dowanhill and Byres Road traffic management and parking controls have been proposed in line with these policies and to seek to contribute to achieving these objectives by:-

· Preventing commuters parking all day, giving residents priority over these commuters.

· Providing residents with parking permits at a nominal charge, giving them the option to leave their vehicle at home and travel to their place of work by an alternative method.

· Providing business parking permits for those who require to use their vehicle for the efficient running of their business.

· Providing short term parking for the purposes of business, shopping and tourism.

· Providing pay and display with a maximum stay time of 3 hours. The 3 hour stay ensures a turnover in the bays, leaving spaces free for residents visitors, carers, tradesmen etc.

· Providing pay and display with a maximum stay time of 3 hours. The 3 hour stay ensures a turnover in the bays, leaving spaces free for customers to shops, restaurants etc., providing parking for businesses for meetings etc and parking available for visiting attractions such as the Botanic Gardens.

· Pay and display costs are low for the first 30 minutes, just 20p, which encourages people to stop and use the local shops without having to pay high charges.

· Reducing the availability of long term free parking to discourage people from using their private car to commute to work and thereby encouraging them to use other methods of travel such as public transport, walking and cycling. This reduces congestion and pollution.

· Removing free parking and imposing a maximum stay of 3 hours to encourage commuters to switch their mode of transport.

· Allowing cyclists to go through no entries, subject to the appropriate signage, to make their commute by bicycle easier, thereby encouraging more people to use this method of travel.

· Providing car club parking spaces to give residents an alternative to owning a car.

· Providing loading bays for freight vehicles to assist them with loading and unloading at the various businesses.

· Providing parking for other road users such as disabled and motorcycle bays.

· We have extended the 1 January 2000 date until the date when this new scheme comes into place. This is to ensure existing residents of properties developed after that date can get access to permits. Otherwise these residents would have nowhere to park which could cause them distress and inconvenience. Having a cut off date is important to protect residents from future developments which are given consent without parking provision.

· We have applied to the Scottish Government for authorisation to implement a 20mph speed limit throughout the whole zone.

There are no detailed plans for any adjacent areas. If plans for any adjacent areas are drafted they would take cognisance of existing one ways in other areas.
The notice of the proposals clearly states “One way operation with an exemption for cyclists”. As a result many people have commented on this proposal.
The purpose of these proposals is primarily to regulate the parking and reduce traffic in the general area. This would then allow us at a later date to look at cycling facilities. The width of parking bays varies between 2 and 2.4 metres depending on the road width.
We have no proposals for build outs at this time.
If a scheme is approved then the website would be updated to reflect this. Also, all those who objected would be informed directly. There will also be an advert in the Evening Times, in accordance with statutory procedures. As soon as works commence in the area signs will be erected which will have information regarding the impending scheme with details for applying for permits and when the scheme comes into force. A full design of all the signage and pay and display machines has not been drafted as this is only a proposal. The scheme may not proceed, therefore we would not carry out abortive work as Council resources are already limited. Also, the signage does not form part of the proposed traffic regulation order. The Scottish Government have given approval for the use of the signage you refer to and for the “except cycles” plate under the no entry. We will also investigate advisory road markings which will be discussed with our cycling officers.
See the Council’s strategy as outlined above.
When designing the proposals for Byres Road a balance has to be met between loading, parking, bus stops and keeping junctions clear. Parking has to be provided for visitors to Byres Road for shopping, business and tourism as outlined above.
ASL’s are not changing at the signalised junctions.

I trust this response has addressed your concerns, however should you wish to maintain your objection please respond within 14 days from the date of this e-mail to saferparking@glasgow.gov.uk

Jamie Rodden

Group Manager - Traffic and Road Safety

Land and Environmental Services

-----Original Message-----
From: GoBike! (Convenor) [mailto:convenor@gobike.org]
Sent: 18 September 2014 16:20
To: LES - Safer Parking
Subject: The Glasgow City Council (Dowanhill & Byres Road) (Traffic Management and Parking Controls) Order

Hello,

Please find attached the Go Bike Objection to the above Order. We look

forward to working with you to resolve our concerns.

Tricia Fort

Convenor, Go Bike! The Strathclyde Cycle Campaign, www.gobike.org