South Lanarkshire Cycling Partnership under threat – but safe for now – good news

Further to this bad news we have been told by Councillor Robert Brown, LibDem, that the Cycling Partnership is safe – for now – but we need to be vigilant and oppose any further attempt.

South Lanarkshire Council have for some time had a Cycling Partnership to promote and progress cycling issues within the area covered by the local authority.  GoBike has been represented on this Partnership. The new council, elected on 04 May, now propose to merge it into the Sustainability Partnership!

If we are going to get anything like 10% of journeys by bike by 2020, which is still the Scottish Government’s aim, then cycling must be given more prominence, not less. This is a backward move.

The council document, dated 10 May, which is going to be discussed tomorrow, 18 May, is here: South Lan bodies  and the relevant clause, 10.3 is reproduced here:

“10.3. In advance of the new Council, the list has been reviewed by the lead organisations. In terms of the South Lanarkshire Cycling Partnership, it is proposed that it be discontinued and its remit incorporated into that for the Sustainability Partnership. The Council is asked, as a matter of priority, to approve nominations to the joint committees/boards, statutory and partnership bodies detailed in Appendix 4. These are necessary to enable the respective organisations to formally re-establish themselves following the local government elections.”

If you live in South Lanarkshire please e-mail your councillors and ask them not to proceed with this regressive move.  You can find the councillors for your ward here  but do include Councillor Robert Brown in your list of addressees.  He has been prominent in support of cycling and active travel in South Lanarkshire and spoke at our Hustings last month.

This weekend: GoBike ride to Drumpellier Park, but also lots to do in the city

 

Sunday 7 May – Drumpellier Country Park
The route of this ride will head out of Glasgow via new cycle improvements at the Port Dundas Basin and in Balornock, and then onto country lanes in the Auchinloch area, before joining the Strathkelvin Railway Path to Glenboig. We will then head to Drumpellier Country Park for lunch, before returning into Glasgow to view some of the recent developments on main roads in the east and southeast of the city area, including Cambuslang and Rutherglen, and ending up on the South Bank cycle route. The ride includes some unsurfaced paths, one of which is quite rough.
Meet 10am Bell’s Bridge, Congress Road, Glasgow.
Ride on paths Ride on quiet roads Ride on canal towpaths Ride on rough tracks Ride on busy roads Moderate hill climbing
Rated: Go Bike star rating Go Bike star rating Go Bike star rating

If you don’t fancy going so far, then there are events on in the city (information provided by Glasgow City Council::

Saturday 6th May – THIS WEEKEND!!!

Saturday 6th May  Cycling Family Fun Day – Free – Starts 10:00 AM  Glasgow Green

Stunt Bike Riders Show, Bike Maintenance Workshop, Dr Bike , Bike Marking and security advice by Police Scotland, Led rides for all ages and levels of experience, Play on Pedals, Bike tuition, Horse and Dray rides, Cycling information from Glasgow City Council, Sustrans, Bike Station Glasgow, Free Wheel North, SoulRiders Scotland, South West Community Cycles, Cycling Uk and much, much more!

_______________________________________________________________________________

Saturday 6th May,  Dr Bike. 12 – 2pm  Priesthill Church car park, Glasgow G53 6LL

Get your bike checked and set up by the South West Community Cycles team.

For more details contact: http://southwestcommunitycycles.co.uk/

_______________________________________________________________________________

Sunday 7th May,  Play on Pedals drop in session. 12:30-2:30  Free Wheel North, Glasgow Green, Templeton St, Glasgow G40 1AT

Free Cycle training for pre-schoolers. Get your kids on a balance bike and help them get cycling from an early age!

_______________________________________________________________________________

Sunday 7th May,  Play on Pedals drop in session. 10:45-11:30  Drumchapel Sports Centre with Drumchapel Cycle Hub

Cycle training for pre-schoolers. Get your kids on a balance bike and help them get cycling from an early age! £1 to support hall hire.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday 9th May,  Led Ride – Beginners / Intermediate – 10.30-12.30pm  South West Community Cycles, 2092 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow G43 1AT

Right to Routes Diabetes group.  Gentle Guided Ride/Training

For more details contact: http://southwestcommunitycycles.co.uk/

 ______________________________________________________________________________

Thursday 11th May,  Led Ride – Beginners / Intermediate – 10.00-12.00pm  South West Community Cycles, 2092 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow G43 1AT

Wheel Being group.  Gentle Guided Ride/Training

For more details contact: http://southwestcommunitycycles.co.uk/

_______________________________________________________________________________

Thursday 11th May,  Bike Breakfast – 7:30 – 9:30 AM  Balshagray Crescent, G14. Near South Bound Entrance to Clyde Tunnel.

De’ils on Wheels are providing a free Breakfast and Dr Bike check ups , Cycling Info, Freebies

For more details contact: http://www.deilsonwheels.org.uk

European Cycling Challenge, Launch Saturday 15 April, Glasgow Green. Record your mileage to show where we want cycle facilities!

We have got to know about this year’s European Cycling Challenge whereby all of us cycling in Glasgow  – and the surrounding areas (new for this year) can record our cycle journeys.  GoBike has mapped the data from last year, which ties in well with Strava data and Glasgow City Council cordon count data, and has presented this evidence of where people cycle  – and thus where we need good quality cycle infrastructure – to none less than the Transport Minister, Humza Yousaf.

So, do join in this year. Cycling UK Glasgow’s regular Saturday morning ride from the People’s Palace will be ending the ride at this launch. Here’s a copy of the e-mail from Glasgow City Council, which has the information and links that you need:

“This year’s European Cycling Challenge will be even bigger and better than last year.
With involvement of all neighbouring local authorities, this years challenge will be inclusive of all your commute, leisure and utility riding.
 
Whether cycling from East Kilbride to Glasgow, along to Croy station to get the train to Glasgow or Edinburgh, just along Byres Road, or on the Bears Way, all your journeys will count!
 
There are also over 120 prizes for best riders and prize draws throughout just for taking part and getting out on your bike.
 
To launch the challenge and encourage people to start to sign up, we will host a launch event on Saturday April 15th  11:00 – 13:00.
 This will take place at the Winter Gardens at Glasgow Green. This should help many of you get there as it’s right on the NCN 75 with good connection to all areas.
 
To promote the sign up for the event we will have photocalls for those who want to show off their bikes, freebies including this year’s edition of snap bands and saddle covers, and prize draws on the day for cycling equipment.
 
We will also have a Dr Bike to make sure your bike is the finely tuned machine you deserve.
 
Light refreshments will be available between 11:00  and 13:00.
 
So get out on your bike, come along alone or with family, get some freebies and lets show Europe that in the Clyde Valley area, cycling is for everyone!  
 
If you intend in coming along, please email back so that we can estimate refreshments and supplies.
 Further information on the challenge available here: www.nhsggc.org.uk/ecc
Best 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
So do get there if you can – lots of the usual “freebies”, ie paid for by us, the taxpayers! Seriously, though, we need the data of where we all cycle.  So do map your rides, preferably all year round with Strava since we have access to the data (depersonalised) or just for May with this European Cycling Challenge.

Hustings, 19 April, LibDem candidate, Robert Brown, South Lanarkshire

Robert Brown is an existing Liberal Democrat councillor on South Lanarkshire council and is standing for election on 04 May 2017.  Here is the text that he sent us:

Robert Brown is a Liberal Democrat Council Councillor on South Lanarkshire Council. He was MSP for Glasgow Region (1999 to 2011) and Deputy Minister for Education and Young People (2005-2007). He was spokesperson on social justice and housing, and later justice and civil liberties. HE fought Glasgow Region and Rutherglen constituency for the Liberal Democrats in the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections.

A solicitor by profession, he worked as a Procurator Fiscal Depute and latter became senior civil partner with a large Glasgow firm.

He was a longstanding Policy Convener of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, and served on the Steel Commission and the Campbell Commission which set out the Liberal Democrat vision for Scottish Home Rule within a federal United Kingdom.

He is currently Liberal Democrat council candidate for Rutherglen South Ward in the forthcoming council elections.”

Robert was the first candidate to forward information to us; details of the 4 further candidates will be published over the next 4 days.

UPDATE: Rutherglen and Cambuslang Main Streets, Survey – open to all

Yesterday we told you about a forthcoming meeting to discuss potential changes to both Rutherglen and Cambuslang Main Streets in South Lanarkshire.  What we hadn’t been told was that the meeting is only open to 1, or at the most 2, people from GoBike!  If you would like to go please get in touch via our Facebook page.  However, there is an on-line survey for each town – really easy to do so please complete them:

LINK FOR RUTHERGLEN SURVEY

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RUTHERGLENSURVEY

 

LINK FOR CAMBUSLANG SURVEY

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CAMBUSLANG

Rutherglen and Cambuslang Main Streets: How could they be improved? Consultation event.

 

We have been sent the following e-mail; you might be interested in replying to the online survey, if you travel through Rutherglen and/or Cambuslang – perhaps you, like me, get annoyed at all the parked cars in the bus/cycle lane?

Link for Rutherglen survey

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RUTHERGLENSURVEY

Link for Cambuslang survey

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CAMBUSLANG

We have one place at each of the following workshops, if you are interested in attending either or both of the event on behalf of GoBike! on the 7th (Rutherglen) or 8th (Cambuslang) please let us know via our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/GoBikeGlasgow/.

“Good Morning,

We are working on behalf of Cam Glen Bike Town which is part of Healthy n Happy Community Development Trust looking at how Rutherglen and Cambuslang main street could be improved. We’d like to invite you to a workshop to generate ideas and discuss  how this could be done. This will take place on Tuesday 7th March (Rutherglen) and on Wednesday 8th March (Cambuslang) at 12.45pm both days (with a start at 1pm finish at 4pm). Please could you confirm whether or not you are able to attend as soon as possible.

 We will also be carrying out an on line survey. (see link above)

 Thank you.

Kind Regards,

Noema Azcona

Assistant Consultant

SYSTRA