Category: GoBike

Patrick Harvie, Green MSP, shown here speaking  at yesterday’s Cycling Scotland Conference in Edinburgh.  Other politicians with him on the panel were, from next to Patrick, Jim Eadie, SNP, who is a member of the Cross Party Group on Cycling at Holyrood, David Stewart, Labour and keen cyclist Willie Rennie of the LibDems.  All 4 spoke on their views for cycling, albeit in advance of the publication of their respective party’s manifestos.  (The Conservatives were invited but declined to be represented).

Patrick is one of the speakers booked for the GoBike! Hustings on 16 March 2016 – further details here on our Meetings page – all as part of the We Walk, We Cycle, We Vote campaign for every one  of us in Scotland to get our views to prospective MSPs for next May’s Holyrood Elections.

Earlier in the day Derek Mackay, Transport Minister (also confirmed as a speaker at the GoBike! Hustings) announced details of the new Community Links Plus competition.

Yes, just 16 days to go to the GoBike Public Meeting and AGM.  Doors open 7pm for the AGM that starts at 7:30 and the Public Meeting with John Lauder from Sustrans and Dave Brennan of Pedal on Parliament will be underway by 8pm.  Venue is the Admiral Bar on Waterloo Street, Glasgow.

We’ve stocked up on GoBike t-shirts, so why not buy one at the meeting?  Sizes from Small to Extra Extra Large available in regular fit, plus ladies fit medium and large.  Price £10 or included in a minimum £15 annual membership donation (initial or renewal).

The agenda for the AGM will be on the website soon; we’ll post when it’s available.

This consultation is very welcome news and long overdue, but while it is not as ambitious as the 20mph for Glasgow petition launched by GoBike member Bob Downie, which is still proceeding through council committee, it’s very important that those who support the 20mph scheme participate in the consultation, and where there are aspects to be objected to, that the representations are constructive.

And a successful city centre scheme will be a platform for arguing to extend the 20mph limit more widely, ie in line with the 20mph for Glasgow petition.

It’s important that we all support this proposal; if we don’t and the car lobby opposes it the council might just take the easy way out and keep the status quo.  And, by ALL, I include the people who want to, and do, cycle faster than 20mph!  Slower vehicle speeds in the city will make our streets far pleasanter, improving air quality and encouraging more people to cycle.

PLEASE RESPOND TO THE CONSULTATION AND SUPPORT THIS MEASURE.

——– Forwarded Message ——–

Subject:	The Glasgow City Council (City Centre)(Mandatory 20mph Zone) Order 201_
Date:	Mon, 19 Oct 2015 08:48:17 +0100
From:	Dewar, Graeme (LES) <Graeme.Dewar@glasgow.gov.uk>
To:	Dewar, Graeme (LES) <Graeme.Dewar@glasgow.gov.uk>

MESSAGE SENT ON BEHALF OF ANDY WADDELL, HEAD OF INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES, LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

The Glasgow City Council (City Centre)(Mandatory 20mph Zone) Order 201_

 The Council propose to consider the introduction of the above named Traffic Regulation Order and my purpose in writing to you is to draw your attention to these proposals. In accordance with statutory procedures, I now enclose a copy of the Notice of proposed order CityCentre-Mandatory20mph Advert and Plan showing the extent of the order.  Note that the plan is too large for upload to the GoBike website but it may be seen at: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4216

The proposal is to introduce:-

A Mandatory 20mph Zone in the City Centre bounded by the River Clyde, Saltmarket/High Street, Cowcaddens Road/West Graham Street, Newton Street, Brown Street as shown on the attached plan.

Any person wishing to object to the proposed Order should send details of the grounds for their objection either in writing to Land and Environmental Services, Glasgow City Council, 231 George Street, Glasgow G1 1RX by Monday 30^th November 2015 or by email to  graeme.dewar@glasgow.gov.uk.  Objections should state the name and address of the objector, the matters to which they relate and the grounds on which the objection is made.

Yours faithfully

Andy Waddell

Head of Infrastructure Services

Glasgow – UK Council of the Year 2015
—————————————————————————-

The latest on the tunnel/Fastlink/new Hospital is just as useful as this picture of a proposed Fastlink bus.  We are indebted to Bailie Fariha Thomas, one of the Govan Councillors, for meeting 3 of us from GoBike on 17 September and for writing to Land & Environmental Services (LES) at Glasgow City Council further to the meeting.  The reply she received is disappointing; here are 2 examples of her questions and the replies from LES:

3. Go Bike believe there is to be a new pedestrian/cycle crossing across Moss Road from Peninver Drive to the hospital which will help keep people off Govan Road if appropriately signposted – can this be confirmed, with timescales?

Glasgow City Council prepared a package of measures to improve the connections for walking and cycling in relation to the Fastlink project and presented this to SPT for spend approval (SPT are the funding administrators for the project).  This included the improvement to the crossing facility at Peninver Drive.  To date SPT have not approved the funding to allow these works to commence.  The Council is, therefore, currently investigating alternative funding streams with a view to implementing this improvement by April 2016.

7. Southbound tunnel – cyclists coming out of tunnel have real difficulties in getting across Govan Road – and will not go East to roundabout if that is what is expected.  The railings along the road seem to block what would have been seen as logical access and egress points so maybe some collaborative discussion could take place to examine this?

The railings are provided to ensure a safety barrier.  As vehicles are exiting from the tunnel into flowing traffic, to remove the barrier so close to the junction and allow cyclists to cross would create risk and conflict between parties and could lead to accidents.  As such, cyclists are directed to use the provided crossing points.

Here is the Q&A about cycle use of Fastlink:

8. Can you update me on what parts of Fastlink route will be open for cyclists, and how, and when, that information will be conveyed?

Cyclists will be permitted to use the segregated Fastlink lanes while crossing the Clyde Arc Bridge.  They will also be permitted within all kerbside with-flow bus lanes along the length of the route.  This information will be available on the signage at each individual section.

The full text of the e-mail exchange from GoBike to Bailie Thomas to LES and the return may be seen here: Tunnel SGUH councillor emails

To be continued ……

GoBike!, as a founder member of We Walk, We Cycle, We Vote, through the National Cycling Infrastructure Group, is proud to announce that the website is now up and running, see: http://walkcyclevote.scot

Events around Scotland for the run-up to the Holyrood Elections next year will be detailed.

The site, built by the hard work of one volunteer, is work in progress, but do have a look, and if you are on twitter, check out:

@walkcyclevote

Polmadie Footbridge is to be demolished, or the deck is to be removed, leaving the piers, with work commencing on 12 October.

This will allow the riverside path to be reopened.  Funding options for a replacement are now being considered – see 151005 Polmadie Footbridge – Letter from GCC.