Strathclyde Cycle Campaign
Consultation is currently open until Friday 17 June for Glasgow City Council’s latest rash of proposed 20mph zones, spread randomly across the city. It would be so much quicker and cheaper, and easier for road users to understand, if, as we have campaigned, 20mph were the default speed limit across the city. Our response is on our Consultations page
If you share our view about this slow progress to improve our city environment please write in and get in touch with your councillor.
Cycling Scotland’s Wee Jaunt got off to a wet start yesterday (Sunday 12 June) but we made the most of the opportunity to speak to people about our campaigning – for the Bears Way continuation, for cycle lanes on Union Street and for cycle facilities on the routes people actually cycle on.
If there’s a summer fair near you where you think we might be able to speak to people about campaigning then do please get in touch and we’ll do our best to get along.
Bike Week 2016, 11 – 19 June and you can meet GoBike on Sunday 12 June at Glasgow Green and, details yet to be confirmed for us, at Victoria Park on Saturday 18 June. So why not get yourself out on your bike and then come and talk to us about what needs to be done to provide decent infrastructure for cycling?
Glasgow City Council have provided this list of events, bike week 2016-A3F-1 but there will be events on everywhere.
GoBike will be at Glasgow Green on Sunday, 12 June for Cycling Scotland’s Wee Jaunt from 08:00 until 12:30 so why not come and meet us at our stand? Chat to us about the campaigning work that we are currently doing, the campaigning work you think we should be doing and, since John, our treasurer, will be there, you can take out or renew your membership!
We look forward to seeing you.
The GoBike ride this coming Sunday is to the Falkirk Wheel via Cumbernauld, giving the opportunity to look at the new cycle network there.
Details of the ride are given on our Rides page.
Lots to do at the Big Bike Fest, starting with the Big Debate on Saturday evening, ie tomorrow, 28 May, at Westerton Hall
82 Maxwell Avenue
G61 1NZ Bearsden, 7pm and then lots of activities during the week. The Fest is organised and sponsored by the Bike Station, East Dunbartonshire Council and Sustrans. Get yourself along and support cycling in Bearsden and Milngavie.
Have a look at the poster: BBF Poster
and check out the website: http://www.thebigbikefest.org.uk/
We have been asked to remind you all of the European Cycle Challenge, with the following words from one of the keen cyclists who works for the City Council cycle unit:
“Now is the time to get cycling and do something for yourself and all other cyclists.
Glasgow has signed up for the European Cycling Challenge and needs your help.
The challenge is based around a route tracker called cycling365. It will help us build a map of where people are cycling and help us improve routes, junctions and cycle parking.
During the month of May we would like all cyclists to submit your routes. Whether cycling to work, just going to the shops or even just out for leisure.
We have a target to get over 2000 active participants in the challenge, this would give Glasgow a very real chance of winning the challenge.
Routes can be recorded on the cycling365 app, on a gps device or submit them manually.
As a reward, everyone who signs up and completes the challenge will get one of our bandanas. Not only that, we currently have over 100 fantastic prizes
everyone will be entered into the prize draw.
Join the Challenge, Make Glasgow a Cycling City!
www.glasgow.gov.uk/cycling
Regards
Collin
Dr Collin Little
Glasgow City Council
Land & Environmental Services
231 George Street
Glasgow, G1 1RX
tel: 0141 287 9483
email: collin.little@glasgow.gov.uk
There’s also a video, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKhK3yQL9DU
and it’s interesting to compare Andy Waddell, Head of Infrastructure Services at Glasgow City Council – he’s the man in the red jacket and cycle helmet who speaks quite a bit in the video – who is on his own bike, with the Leader of the Council, Frank McAveety, who was last seen on STV on Monday last week wobbling along on a city hire bike!
Join in and let’s make this the biggest Pedal on Parliament to date! There are full details on the PoP website and the details of the feeder ride from Glasgow are on the West Coast Velo meetup site. There are plenty of trains going through and you can either take your bike with you or just walk and add to the crowd.
Let’s make sure our elected representatives are aware that we want a better Scotland. It’s just a couple of weeks until voting day for Holyrood.
Glasgow City Centre propose to introduce parking controls in streets adjacent to Helen Street in Govan and in the City Centre. We support these moves but ask why, with the proposal for Govan, parking is allowed at any junction in the city? How are people expected to cross streets when there are cars in the way? We have also supported the introduction of a 20mph zone in part of Pollokshields, but have repeated our view that 20mph should be the default speed limit for the city. Introducing small 20mph zones is time consuming and expensive.
Our letters may be seen on our Consultations page. Please add your support by writing to the Council.
You may remember that last year people from GoBike met council staff and one of the Govan Councillors, Fariha Thomas, to look at the access, or lack of it, to the new hospital site, now that so many people are commuting there by bike. We have not heard of anything happening to resolve the atrocious exit from the southbound Clyde Tunnel but next month work is to be done to install signals at the Moss Road / Peninver Drive Junction (just behind the yellow signage for a well-known supermarket) to ease access to the northbound tunnel. The full text of the e-mail sent to Councillors (and forwarded to GoBike by Councillor Thomas) is repeated below:
“From: LESMLU
Sent: 12 April 2016 16:36
To: Adams, James (Cllr); Dornan, Stephen (Councillor); Kane, John (Cllr); Thomas, Fariha (Councillor)
Cc: Gilmour, Suzanne; MacGrain, Fiona; Tannock, Janette; Wilson, Gayle; McDougall, Elaine (Councillor)
Subject: Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Bus Route Improvement Phase 2
MESSAGE SENT ON BEHALF OF ANDY WADDELL
HEAD OF INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES, LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
Dear Member
I am writing to advise you of the impending start of works in your Ward as a part of the above scheme. As part of the project, the signalising on Moss Road/Peninver Drive will take place to assist pedestrians and cyclists entering and exiting the new entrance of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. During these works, carriageway and footway resurfacing will also be undertaken.
A contract has been awarded to MacLay Civil Engineering Contractors to carry out the works on site. It is anticipated that work will start in this area during the week commencing 16th May 2016 with completion in approximately 3 weeks.
Andy Waddell
Head of Infrastructure Services
Land and Environmental Services
Glasgow – UK Council of the Year 2015“