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Fastlink

Clyde Arc Fastlink

Andy Preece e-mailed the Go Bike yahoo group on 16 December to inform people of the link http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4216
to 2 Traffic Regulation Orders relating to the Fastlink Bus scheme which is proposed to run from the city centre out to the Southern General Hospital.  The 2 Orders relate to the section from the Finnieston Bridge (otherwise known as the Clyde Arc Bridge or Squinty Bridge) to Whitefield Road and Whitefield Road to Elder Street.  Some of you may have looked at these and/or you may have been in the Clyde Arc, Pacific Drive or Govan areas and seen that work is already proceeding on this segregated bus link.

Objections to the Orders must be received by Friday 24 January and should be sent to:
Projects Manager,
Project Management and Design,
Land and Environmental Services,
231 George Street,
Glasgow, G1 1RX
(FAO Brian Hubbert)
by post or by email to brian.hubbert@glasgow.gov.uk.

The proposals detail the segregated bus link going over the Clyde Arc Bridge and along Pacific Drive; the bus lanes will be for the bus only, ie no taxis or cycles will be allowed in these lanes.  This means that all vehicles, apart from the buses, will be restricted to one lane in each direction over the Clyde Arc Bridge and along Pacific Drive.  The Orders give no details of cycle routes and no information about the National Cycle Network Routes 7 and 75.  However, information on proposed cycle routes was given at the GCC Glasgow’s Strategic Plan for Cycling: Transport Sub Group meeting on Tuesday 14 January, which was attended by members of the Go Bike Committee.  It is proposed that the cycle route will be along Congress Road, over Bells Bridge and then back on a shared footway to cross Pacific Drive via a Toucan crossing to reach Govan Road and then on to Brand Street.  For cyclists heading towards Govan the proposed route is along a shared footway on one side only of Pacific Drive.
Thus, although cyclists will not be banned from the Clyde Arc Bridge, Pacific Drive, Govan Road and Golspie Street, there will be a strong deterrent not to cycle there.  The segregated bus lanes are in the centre of the road over the Clyde Arc Bridge and along Pacific Drive and Govan Road as far as Burndyke Court (ie the start of the straight part of Govan Road near the river) where they become kerbside for most of the remainder of the route through Govan.  Where they are kerbside, cyclists will have to cycle in the outside lane with all other road users.

This means a big reduction in safety for cyclists going from the Broomielaw towards Govan by way of the Clyde Arc Bridge and for cyclists who live adjacent to the route.   The additional cycle route information given on Tuesday does not give reassurance that the needs of cyclists in the area are being catered for; it is already well-known that the shared footway past the hotel near the Clyde Arc Bridge is inadequate and the route via Bells Bridge adds quite a distance to the cycle journey either to Govan or to Cessnock.

Go Bike is amending its original draft letter of objection further to receipt of the cycle route information on Tuesday and this will be posted on the Go Bike website when it has been submitted but we encourage all our members and supporters to write or e-mail in by Friday 24 January if you share our concerns about this lack of recognition of the needs of cyclists.

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Cycle Rickshaws Under Threat In Glasgow

rickshaws

Are you aware that the use of cycle rickshaws on the streets of Glasgow and to carry spectators to and from Commonwealth Games venues is under serious threat? They are used extensively in other cities, including Edinburgh, so why not in Glasgow?

At the moment Glasgow City Council is applying taxi testing structures to pedicabs and refusing licenses due to alleged safety concerns. This is despite the fact that for over 4 years rickshaws have been licensed and in service in the city without issue. Apparently the Council has now turned its back on rickshaws for reasons best known to themselves.

9 licence applications have currently been refused and, as a test case, one owner has appealed this refusal, with a court case due to be heard at Glasgow Sheriff court on Monday 06 January. The City Council has now instructed Counsel, ie employed an Advocate, at not inconsiderable expense to council tax payers, to speak in court. To have any chance of success, the appellant now has to do the same, at his own expense.

Owen O’Neill of Evolution Rickshaws has tirelessly campaigned to get rickshaws into use in Glasgow and now your support is needed. The Commonwealth Games, lauded as a “green” games will be in the city next year, but there will be no green public transport to the venues if the case on 06 January fails.

The City Council’s Licensing Regulatory Committee oversees all taxi and rickshaw licences. Please e-mail the Convenor of the Committee, Councillor Chris Kelly, to let him know what a disaster it will be for the green image of Glasgow, and Scotland, if these licences are not granted.

Also, if you live within the city, please e-mail your councillors to voice your concern and ask them to speak out so that we can have cycle rickshaws on our city streets. You can find details of the 3 or 4 councillors for the ward in which you live at: http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/councillorsandcommittees/addressSearch.asp

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Go Bike supports the Road Share Campaign for Stricter Liability

Road Share Strict Liability

Go Bike is delighted to support the Road Share Campaign for Stricter Liability. Go Bike aims to get more people cycling and better infrastructure for them to cycle on. More people will cycle if road users respect each other and behave responsibly, leading to a safer road environment for all. The Road Share Campaign for Stricter Liability is one of the tools that will help us achieve this aim.

More info here: http://www.cycling-accident-compensation.co.uk/strict-liability.aspx

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Go Bike! Annual General Meeting

agm 2013 flyer

Go Bike is delighted to announce details of its Annual General Meeting, which will include a talk by Glasgow’s Cycling Tsar, Frank McAveety. The meeting will take place on Wednesday 27 November, in the downstairs function room of The Admiral Bar, 72A Waterloo Street, Glasgow, assembling from 7pm for a 7.30pm start. We look forward to seeing everybody there, and if you’ve not already tried out the new Connect2 Anderston “Bridge to Everywhere”, come along and put that to rights! Flyer

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Go Bike! Archive News before November 2013

  • A new country park is being developed on the north-east side of Glasgow. Seven Lochs Wetland Park, between Glasgow, Gartcosh and Coatbridge, encompasses almost 20 square kilometres of wetland, woodland, burns, ponds, lochs and meadows in the Bishop’s Estate at Provan Hall and the surrounding area. The Seven Lochs Wetland Park will be Scotland’s largest urban nature park.

    There will be a walk starting from Provan Hall on Saturday 21 September to see the area and explain the plans, as part of Doors Open Day. Further details are available at Doors Open Day.

  •  75  The NCN 75 Clyde Walkway cycle path has closed again at Shawfield and Dalmarnock for work in connection with the construction of the new Smartbridge and Cuningar Bridge. The closures will last until April 2014, The new Smartbridge will be located between the ends of Carstairs Street and Clydeside Road, and there will be a signed diversion will be between Rutherglen Bridge and Cotton Street via the Clyde Gateway, French Street and Swanston Street. Some localised improvement works will be done on the diversion route. The Cuningar Bridge will be located on the east side of Dalmarnock, and the diversion route will be signed via Springfield Road. Map of diversion routes.

  • Bike shops come and go, but of late there seem to have been more opening than closing in Glasgow. Lately, Pronto Gara has opened in Parnie Street and Tokyobike in Osborne Street, both in the Merchant City area, plus Wonder Wheels Bikes has opened its reconditioned vintage and retro bicycles shop in Maryhill Road near St George’s Cross. This is in addition to chain Evans Cycles opening its city centre store, to add to its Braehead store. Best wishes are sent to all concerned!

  • North Lanarkshire Council is developing plans for cycle routes connecting Airdrie, Bellshill, Holytown and Mossend to the key business areas of Eurocentral, Biocity, Newhouse Industrial Estate and Strathclyde Business Park. The council is being assisted by Dutch firm Royal HaskoningDHV Consultancy, which has experience of designing cycle routes. Staff will be on hand in Airdrie Library on 12 September from 12.30pm to 6.30pm to explain the proposals and listen to comments from residents. The plans will remain in the library until 17 September, before moving to Strathclyde Business Park and the Maxim Office Park/Eurocentral between 11am and 6.30pm on 18 and 19 September respectively, for workers and employers to see.

  •  756  Following completion of work on the Connect2 Anderston Bridge project at Anderston, attention has now turned to the Stobcross Bridge over the Clydeside Expressway. The bridge is to be refurbished and due to the nature of the work the bridge will need to be closed for some time. A diversion route will be signed, but this route is described by Glasgow City Council as “quite onerous”. The refurbishment works will consist of cope and parapet replacement to
    bring the parapet up to standard for cycle users, resurfacing and major landscaping. The bridge will be closed from 10 September 2013 for 22 weeks.

  •  7  We have been advised that the path between the SECC and the Riverside Museum will be closed from 2 September for 6 weeks, for rebuilding work. A diversion route will be signed via the old route of NCN 7, which involves crossing the Clydeside Expressway on the footbridge with steps at the foot of Kelvinhaugh Street. The path that is closing has acted as a de facto routing of NCN 7 ever since the Riverside Museum was opened and the route made useable. The work is being done as part of the wider cycle route improvement works in connection with the Commonwealth Games (see below).

  •  G  The Glasgow to Cumbernauld cycle route is presently blocked at Sighthill due to demolition work. No diversion route signage was evident. We have not been advised how long this closure will last for.

  •  SCSP  Glasgow City Council is proposing to rearrange London Road near The Barras so that there would no longer be a one-way system around a large traffic island. The eastbound carriageway between Charlotte Street and Ross Street would be converted into a conventional two-way road and the current westbound carriageway removed. However the existing cycle track alongside the westbound carriageway would be retained and improved, with a 7 metre wide area available for cycle races going to and from Glasgow Green. Anyone who wishes to object to this has until 23 August to do so.

  •  7  Transport Scotland is proposing to build a bypass for Dalry. This intersects NCN 7 on the outskirts of Dalry, at Highfield, where a new roundabout is to be constructed. Transport Scotland has proposed building a cycle track around one side of this roundabout, with an uncontrolled crossing on the main road. The new section of road will run from the A737 at Easter Highfield to a new roundabout on the A737 near Hillend Farm. A public exhibition of the proposal has been organised at Dalry Primary School for Friday 9 August, between 12 noon and 7:30pm.

  • Road narrowings on Milngavie Road at Hillfoot are under investigation. If you have any information regarding this project, please get in touch.

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Go Bike! Archive News before August 2013

archive news

  • (756) Construction work on the Connect2 project at Anderston is now complete and the route will open at 9am on Monday 8 July. The bridge over the M8 motorway, to be called the Anderston Bridge, completes the cycle route from Kelvingrove Park to Central Station. This features segregated cycle tracks along Berkeley Street and Waterloo Street. The adjoining existing footbridge over the A814 Clydeside Expressway will become known as the Stobcross Bridge, and provides a connecting route to the riverside at Broomielaw. There will be a larger community event to celebrate the completion of the project on Saturday 7 September.

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