- Welcome & introductions
Attendees: Gavin Clark (Chair), Laurie Rominger, Linda Moreno, Francesco Sani, Fiona McDonald, Martin Sharman
Gavin welcomed Linda Moreno to the group, she has recently moved to Aberdeen from Mexico City and has worked within active travel programmes. Mexico City closes some roads each Sunday to allow walkers, cyclists, roller bladers etc to use the streets. At the end of each month more roads are closed to join up a bigger network. Governors have been very committed to increasing active travel.
- Note of previous meeting (May)
Accepted.
- Consultations
A947
Aberdeen to Dyce – Gavin has not responded yet on behalf of ACF due to the overwhelming amount of information to look through. Michelle has already sent an individual response.
Regional Active Travel Network (RATN)
Consultation open until the end of June. At last meeting there was a presentation from Tim Steiner from Jacobs the consultancy about this. The need to consider trialling schemes using temporary measures was discussed as a means of improving speed and reducing cost of delivery. Members were encouraged to respond to the consultation individually and send any further comments on ACF’s response to Gavin in the next few days.
- Liaison with ACC
Craigshaw Drive review
Gavin and Francesco attended a review of the new infrastructure with 2 engineers – who had come on bikes. Five years ago it would have connected a large office building where Shell was based but Shell moved out in 2021. It doesn’t currently connect to anything else and Wellington Rd itself is very unappealing for cycling. Perhaps it will be of more benefit if/when the Shell site is redeveloped. Francesco reported he thought it was a positive example of a well designed cycle path and could be used as a blueprint for future projects. Ideally would connect with other cycle paths to make more of a network. We raised the possibility that part of Wellington Rd could be made into a SUP at least as far as Nigg Kirk Rd, which then connects to a crossing over W Tullos Rd. Gavin also raised some other points with the engineers in passing e.g. missing bollards at bottom of Wellington Brae.
The surfacing is slightly coloured with Kemnay granite red chips in a black asphalt. Slightly more noticeable than College St. Ideally needs to be a different colour especially at side road junctions. The engineers had explained that coloured surfaces wear out faster and are more expensive and harder to repair. However, needs to be clear that cyclists have priority and coloured tarmac is useful for this.
Discussions on junction build but compromise needed to prevent vehicles mounting the kerb. In CbD, one of the ways at which traffic is supposed to be slowed at side-road junctions is by making the radius of the turn tighter. But in a situation like this where there are many HGVs, that becomes problematic as the trailer could just end up running over the cycle lane.The kerb height was quite low which makes it easier for vehicles to drive on – the engineer said it was Sustrans who had requested this design.
Laurie asked whether there was any appetite for cycling tracks with a barrier to segregate traffic and prevent parking.
Gavin suggested other designs for comparison eg dual kerb plus bollards which might be cheaper and more effective at preventing parking? There had been a recent example of this design on London Road in Edinburgh.
Gavin encouraged members to try out the new route, especially as officers are likely to take cues from here onto the design of Hareness Rd.
New segregated cycle path in Tullos open | Aberdeen City Council
Francesco shared a link to the Ashgrove Connect project.
Look Back at – About Ashgrove Connects – Ashgrove Connects (commonplace.is)
Look Back at – Overview of the Initial Designs – Ashgrove Connects (commonplace.is)
Francesco says there is no sign of the Ashgrove Connects scheme being built yet.
Laurie shared a link from the P&J in March stating the Berryden active travel and road widening project has been delayed due to Council budget cuts.
Quarterly liaison meeting and Action List
ACF has raised a total of 40 issues at previous meetings. The original idea was that most of these issues were ones that could be relatively easily fixed without a lot of expenditure. Gavin reported being disappointed in the lack of action of any of the issues to date. None of the infrastructure ‘fixes’ have been done yet. Gavin will follow up.
ACTUP (Aberdeen City Transport Users Partnership)
Gavin missed the meeting last week.
5. Events & activities:
Best in Cycling Awards
Cycling awards now launched – as an attempt to highlight the positive things about cycling in Aberdeen. Last run in 2019. Nominations are open June and July. Judging in August. Awards evening in September. Gavin encouraged members to spread the word and make some nominations.
Litter pick
Date Sunday 25th August – location still to be agreed.
6. Any other business
Gavin has received a number of queries about the location of tool stations in Aberdeen and asked if anyone was aware of a map of the tool/pump stations across the city? Not so far. Martin reported that when they met with James Watt, at the Council earlier in the year he did suggest the council had plans to produce an overlay with this information on a future Aberdeen Cycle map.
Climate Camp taking place in Aberdeen on 14th July. Organisers would like to have a bike ride and are looking for volunteers to lead this. Suggested route was Wellington Road, Torry, new harbour. Not purely for leisure – wanted to take in the new incinerator and new harbour development to highlight some of the climate-related issues. Contact Gavin if interested.
Laurie reported ongoing problems with cars parking at the bottom of the Wellington Brae (under railway bridge). Gavin did raise with Councillors at the last liasion meeting. Railings were removed to allow easier passage of cyclists but this has now allowed rogue parking in this stretch.
Arnold Clark also uses the bridge for photo shoots of their cars blocking the entire road onto Wellington Bridge at times. There is also now frequently illegal parking on the approach to the bridge. Gavin says the Council did re-paint the double yellow lines a couple of years ago as they weren’t clear enough, but they need re-painted again.
At previous meetings the Council officers reported difficulty in recruiting sufficient parking/ Community wardens. Gavin noted that he had looked at the Council recruitment pages but has never seen Warden posts advertised.
Laurie now has a job on a Tues eve so won’t be able to attend regularly in the future.
Martin reported that Critical Mass ride last month tried a different route up Craigshaw Drive (7 riders). This month the plan is to ride up King St, through Seaton and back along the beach. Trying different routes each time. Attendance has been variable (2 – 40). Martin looking to promote more.
Date of next meeting (provisionally 27th August 2024)
Aberdeen Cycle Forum 