Yes, positive moves from Glasgow with private motor vehicles to be banned for 12 hours per day from George Square, and what we hope is the start of a trend: the appearance of contraflow cycling in Hutchesontown. We also report active travel workshops and surveys in South Lanarkshire, but we aren’t sure if North Lanarkshire have caught up with the Climate Emergency yet as a new road is proposed – oh dear.

Contents

Section 1: Current Consultations

1. Glasgow, North Kelvin and North Woodside, Traffic Management and Parking Controls, closes 27 March
2. Glasgow, Low Emission Zone Phase 2, online consultation, closes 29 March
3. Scottish Government – Fourth National Planning Framework, closes 31 March
4. **NEW** Glasgow, George Square, Motor Traffic Restrictions, Experimental TRO, closes 03 April
5. Glasgow, Hutchesontown (New Gorbals) Parking Controls, closes 13 April

Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations

1. North Lanarkshire, Proposed New Road, Airdrie, 17, 19 and 21 March
2. South Lanarkshire, Active Travel workshops in Carluke TODAY, 17 March 10 – 12, Lanark, TODAY, 17 March 2-4pm and Hamilton 18 March, 10 – 12

Section 3: Consultation Feedback

1. East Dunbartonshire, Dalkeith Avenue, Wellington Road and Westerhill Road, Bishopbriggs, No Waiting and No Loading at any time, GoBike submission
2. East Dunbartonshire, Townhead, Kirkintilloch, No Waiting at any time restrictions, GoBike submission
3. Glasgow, Low Emission Zone consultation event, 10 March

Section 1: Current Consultations, in date order for responses

1.1 Glasgow, North Kelvin and North Woodside, Traffic Management and Parking Controls, closes 27 March

This consultation featured as Item 1.5 in Digest 55 and, while GoBike is disappointed that contraflow cycling (see our recent blog for the facts on contraflow cycling) is not to be introduced on the new one-way streets, the City Council is aiming to open up access to the filters such as that shown above on Doune Gardens.
This is one of the sites that GoBike members Tricia Fort and Alasdair Macdonald visited with local City Councillor, Jane Morgan, on our very first Councillor Tour on 17 September 2017 and we struggled to make our way round the area.

If you live, work or cycle in the area do please support this plans, even if you share our disappointment about the lack of contraflow cycling. One of our members who has been reading the local “Nextdoor” group website tells us that some residents are getting uppity because there is not going to be one on-street parking space per private car. Ah bless, but it does mean that bikes and emergency vehicles might be able to get through.

1.2 Glasgow, Low Emission Zone Phase 2, online consultation, closes 29 March

This online consultation featured for the first time in Digest 55, Item 1.6. It’s a relatively simple consultation, so do please complete it. There are questions such as “Should the High Street and the Broomielaw, ie the streets forming the edge of the city centre be included?” and others, which are critical to the LEZ being a success.

Here’s the link to the relevant details and the consultation on the City Council website.

Item 3.3 below gives a brief report from the LEZ consultation event on 10 March.

1.3 Scottish Government – Fourth National Planning Framework, closes 31 March

This critical consultation has been in recent digests, most recently as Item 1.7 in Digest 55 Item 1.7. Here’s the link to all the information. If anyone out there is clued up on Planning, has views on this consultation or has been/is going to any of the consultation event, could you please contribute to GoBike’s response? Please email any views to consultations@gobike.org Thanks!

1.4 **NEW* Glasgow, George Square, Motor Traffic Restrictions, Experimental TRO, closes 03 April

Glasgow City Council proposes to close the east side (ie directly outside City Chambers) and the west side (part of Queen Street) to motor traffic for the hours 7am to 7pm from this summer, with this Experimental TRO that we were sent on 05 March:

“MESSAGE SENT ON BEHALF OF CHRISTINE FRANCIS, HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY AND TECHNICAL SERVICES, NEIGHBOURHOODS AND SUSTAINABILITY

Dear Sir/Madam

THE GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL, (GEORGE SQUARE) EXPERIMENTAL ORDER 202_

Further to my consultation email of 7^th February regarding the above named Traffic Regulation Order, and in accordance with statutory procedures, I now enclose a copy of the press notice of the proposed Order, relevant map, statement of reasons and detailed report. The following amendments have been made, following the initial consultation feedback:

Cochrane Street bus lane reduced.
Montrose Street one way operation removed.
Restrictions added on West Nile Street.

Details of the proposals will also be available on the Glasgow City Council website at www.glasgow.gov.uk/proposedtro.

As stated in the attached documentation, any person wishing to object to the proposed Order should send details of the grounds for objection in writing to Group Manager, Technical Services, Neighbourhoods and Sustainability, Exchange House, 231 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1RX or email SustainableTransport@glasgow.gov.uk by Friday 3^rd April 2020.

Yours faithfully” etc

The documents referred to are: Press Notice of the proposed Order, relevant Map, Statement of Reasons and detailed Report

An Experimental Traffic Regulation Order may be brought in quicker than a standard TRO but lasts for only 18 months. This gives time for a full TRO to be developed but also allows for changes to be made based on experience.

GoBike was consulted at the initial stage of this consultation and objected to a proposal to make Montrose Street between Ingram Street and Cochrane Street one way southbound with no exemption for cycles (see our recent blog for the facts on contraflow cycling) . We are also told that there is an objection from a bus company too, so that has been removed. The bus lane on Cochrane Street has been reduced to allow loading to remain and changes have been made on West Nile Street to allow buses to negotiate that street rather than the west side of George Square.

GoBike also suggested that the Square should remain free of private motor vehicles until after the last train leaves Queen Street Station, rather than 7pm, to allow better use of the Square in the evenings, but this was rejected.

The proposals are definitely moving in the right direction to improve the city centre, so please do support them.

1.5 Glasgow, Hutchesontown (New Gorbals) Parking Controls, preliminary view finding, closes 13 April

We mentioned this briefly in Digest 55, Item 1.8 and we are now aware that this is the very initial stage of the process, where the City Council is looking for views as to what should be done to curb the commuter parking in this area. All the local residents have been sent information and the plans may be viewed at the Gorbals Library. It is expected that the proposals will move to the formal Traffic Regulation Order phase later this year.

The details are given here on the City Council’s website and here are the documents referred to: Preliminary Plan, FAQs, Feedback Form and TRO Privacy Statement.

If you live, work, visit or travel through this area, if you use the large supermarket here or are registered at the Gorbals Medical Centre, or have children at the school or nursery, you will be aware how many cars there parked here during the day. One GoBike member has told us that when the new Medical Centre opened last year it was necessary to employ a car park warden to stop commuter parking there!

This is the first parking scheme where contraflow cycling of any significance is proposed, so we are delighted to see that. Note that other streets where there is currently parking down the centre of the street are shown with a one-way lane either side of the parking, with no exemption for cycling, ie they are basically a two-way street with parking down the centre. If you have any concerns about contraflow cycling do read our recent blog to find out the facts.

Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations

2.1 North Lanarkshire, Proposed New Road, Airdrie, 17 (TODAY), 19 and 21 March

Here’s the information we received from North Lanarkshire Council on 08 March:

“Find out more about planned Airdrie road

Residents and businesses are being invited to find out more about an outline plan for a new link road, east of Airdrie.

We are holding three information events to explain the work carried out to date to consider the viability of building the road, and to listen to feedback on the projected outcomes for local communities.|

The events take place on

• Tuesday 17 March, 1.00pm to 7.00pm at Stanrigg Memorial Centre, Greengairs Road, Greengairs ML6 7QT
• Thursday 19 March, 2.00pm to 7.00pm at Chapelhall Library, 2 Honeywell Crescent, Chapelhall ML6 8XW
• Saturday 21 March, 10.00am to 4.00pm at Airdrie Library, Wellwynd, Airdrie ML6 0AG.

Council officers will be available to talk through the project and answer questions.

“The East Airdrie Link Road has been proposed for a number of years but we have updated and reviewed all the data and traffic assessments, to ensure it remains a viable project and the best option for the area,” said Councillor Allan Graham, Convener of the Enterprise and Growth Committee.

“It would create a direct north south route from the M8 to the A73, improving traffic flow across the area. Our assessments indicate that the road has the potential to reduce journey times across North Lanarkshire, improve connections between residential areas and town centres, together with employment and education opportunities, and facilitate improvements to local bus transport.

“Although the project is still at an early stage, we want to explain the process we have gone through to date and what will happen next, giving residents and businesses an opportunity to tell us the outcomes and benefits they would like to see from the project.”

The single carriageway link road would be part of the council’s wider Pan-Lanarkshire orbital transport corridor between the M8 and Cumbernauld, supported by investment from the Glasgow City Region City Deal.””

So presumably news of the Climate Emergency hasn’t yet reached North Lanarkshire? Don’t they know that building more roads encourages people to use them, so just as Transport Scotland was surprised that traffic over the Forth increased when the Queensferry Crossing was opened, a new road around Airdrie will increase motor traffic there.
Now building cycle lanes, on the other hand, will get more people out on bikes, reduce motor traffic etc, etc. When will they learn?

Do get along to one or more of the events if you can.

2.2 South Lanarkshire, Active Travel workshops in Carluke TODAY, 17 March 10 – 12, Lanark, TODAY, 17 March 2-4pm and Hamilton 18 March, 10 – 12

News from GoBike member, Derek, who has received email information from South Lanarkshire Council:

There are to be 3 Active Travel Workshops, with this message from the Council: “We want to hear from as many people as possible who live, work or travel in and around Carluke / Lanark / Hamilton about current barriers to walking, cycling and wheeling, and ideas to enable more active travel in Carluke / Lanark / Hamilton”
It might well be that, apart from this lack of notice, booking is required for the events but there are, for each town, an online survey and an online map to leave location-specific comments, on barriers or ideas to improve cycling, walking and wheeling.

The Carluke workshop will take place on Tuesday 17th March between 10am and 12pm, Carluke Leisure Centre, Carnwath Road, Carluke, ML8 4EA.

Questionnaire link: https://wh1.snapsurveys.com/s.asp?k=158350583068
Online PlaceCheck map: http://www.placecheck.info/maps/carluke Both the survey and the map are live and will remain open until 27th March 2020.

The Lanark workshop will take place on Tuesday 17th March between 2pm and 4pm, Lanark Memorial Hall, St Leonard Street, Lanark, ML11 7AB.

Questionnaire survey link: https://wh1.snapsurveys.com/s.asp?k=158350587241
Online PlaceCheck map: http://www.placecheck.info/maps/lanarkBoth the survey and the map are live and will remain open until 27th March 2020.

The Hamilton workshop will take place on Wednesday 18th March between 10am and 12pm, The Brandon Room, Hamilton Town House, 102 Cadzow Street, Hamilton, ML3 6LB.
Questionnaire survey to collect information about how people travel in the area, and their attitudes toward active travel – link: https://wh1.snapsurveys.com/s.asp?k=158350585146
Online map to leave location-specific comments, on barriers or ideas to improve cycling, walking and wheeling in Hamilton. The map can be found there: http://www.placecheck.info/maps/hamilton Both the survey and the map are live and will remain open until 27th March 2020. 

So if you live, work or travel in these South Lanarkshire towns do please respond to the survey and online map.

Section 3: Consultation Feedback

3.1 East Dunbartonshire, Dalkeith Avenue, Wellington Road and Westerhill Road, Bishopbriggs, No Waiting and No Loading at any time, GoBike submission

We first mentioned this in Digest 54, Item 1.4 and here’s our letter of support for moves to restrict parking around the junctions of these streets.

The Highways Code states:

Rule 243
DO NOT stop or park: opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction, except in an authorised parking space

It thus appears to be a bureaucratic waste of public money to require a Traffic Regulation Order to enact a ban.

3.2 East Dunbartonshire, Townhead, Kirkintilloch, No Waiting at any time restrictions, GoBike submission

This proposal just missed Digest 54 but featured as Item 1.4 in Digest 55. Here’s our letter of support to remove car parking outside the waste land on the right hand side of the street, where flats are now being built.

And here’s the email response that came in on 16 March, shortly after the submission of these 2 letters to EDC:

“Thank you for replying to the proposed Order which affects Townhead in Kirkintilloch and the proposal which affects lengths of road in the vicinity of Westerhill Road in Bishopbriggs.”

3.3 Glasgow, Low Emission Zone consultation event, 10 March

in Item 1.2 about thee is the link to the online survey for Phase 2 of Glasgow’s LEZ. As we reported in our last Digest, there was also a consultation event on 10 March. Committee member, Calum, attended for GoBike and here is his brief report:

It was pretty sparsely attended, very much dominated by different interest groups despite being a “public consultation”. That makes me feel a little nervous about how it’s likely to be received when enforcement starts.

It started with presentations from a few different City Council officers and Councillor Anna Richardson, City Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction, with reviews of the different programmes such as Avenues, refreshed strategies that we’re aware of.

There was then a workshop session in which small tables went through a series of questions about how the LEZs should be designed. From what I picked up there was a good appetite for an extensive zone (the exact boundaries are still up for debate) and not caving in to demands for endless exemptions.

One thing I did learn was that the LEZ will be commenced within the meaning of the Transport Act at the end of this year, with the grace period before enforcement running for 2 years for non-residents and another year after that for residents. I’d previously assumed that the widely trailed 2022 date was only when the grace periods would begin, so it was good to hear things are moving a bit faster than I thought.”

Please do respond to the survey!

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That was surprisingly positive – for the most part, at least!