Author: Rachel M

Progress on Gritting and Guild Street

We have some progress on winter gritting and on reopening the lane from the harbour to Guild Street. And it is some good news from the council! They have agreed that the winter services plan should include the main cycle routes for this coming winter. Officers have been asked to work out how they can do this and have been asked to report back to councillors. This has been the result of consistent pressure from ACF members and a deputation to the council committee, with vital support from Cllr Ross Thomson. The other good news is that the council has agreed to reopen the onward lane from the harbour to Guild Street. This should be happening in the new year and means that cyclists are no longer faced with a lengthy detour up Marischal Street. Again Cllr Ross Thomson was the main force behind this move but thanks to all the members of the Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure committee for their support on both these measures.

The Aberdeen Cycle Forum has recently been working on Quality Cycle Corridors – routes that are essential for cycle commuting and leisure in the city. Not all of the reports are ready, but as they are completed, we will be looking for your feedback on them. The first is available here. Please send your suggestions for any other improvements (or improvements on what has been suggested) to info@aberdeencycleforum.org.uk

The petition is already being discussed on our Facebook page, please leave comments there if you prefer that venue.

Westhill Cycle Path Petition

The Westhill Cycle Path provides a key link for cyclists between the area of Westhill and Aberdeen City Centre. The Path has good sections and the Aberdeen Cycle Forum would like to see all parts of the path brought up to a good standard, especially:

1) the narrow path that runs alongside the A944 near the new Prime 4 development; this path is too narrow and is unsafe. ACF is calling for this to be widened to meet national cycle path standards.

2) the barriered section near the 5 mile garage that forces cyclists either through the layby or to dismount. ACF is calling for this to be redesigned to provide a continuous and safe section of cycle path.

If you use the Westhill Cycle Path as a commuter, a leisure cyclist, a pedestrian, or just want to improve transport safety for non-motorised transport, support ACFs campaign by signing the e-petition

If you are willing to collect physical signatures, a copy of the paper petition is available here.

The annual cycle count was completed in May of this year. The results can be found in .pdf form here.

The count is up 8-9% on last years count but is 10% below the count in 2011.

Compared to 2008, the count is up 18%. If the Deeside Line is excluded, the increase is only 12%.

The proportion of female cyclists was 17%, similar to previous years.

There has undoubtedly been growth in cycling since 2008 but overall the growth has been modest.

The three-year averages highlight the uneven pattern since 2008:

– Growth has focused on just a few of the sites – the Deeside line and King St most notably, and to a lesser extent on the North Deeside Rd and on Auchmill Rd.

– Most of the other seven sites have seen little or no growth

– One site has seen an actual decrease – Queens Rd (near Hazlehead). This must raise serious issues about the quality of the Westhill cycle route. We would have expected the Westhill cycle route to have raised cycling levels on this corridor so the count supports ACFs view that further work is required to bring the whole route up to a good standard.

It is notable that the sites in Aberdeen that have recorded the largest increases since 2008 are on corridors that have decent cycle provision. The Deeside line has benefited from progressive improvements and so too has the on road cycle lane along North Deeside Road. King Street has decent stretches of continuous on road cycle provision in both directions, especially along its central section. Auchmill Road is harder to decipher, but our count shows almost half using the pavement which does provide a continuous route with few interruptions. With this now re-classed as shared use, we shall see how this impacts on future counts.

The experience of the successful routes needs to be applied more widely; more routes that provide continuous and direct provision, without being fragmented or continually losing priority; allocation of road space to cycling that is made free of parked cars; more effort to improve cycle safety at junctions and pinch points; and a city centre welcoming to cycling.

The new version of the cycle map is available in the usual places: Central Library, Council Offices, and the local bike shops.

Via Cycle Law Scotland:

Cyclist safety in Scotland has reached a critical point. According to Transport Scotland, 156 cyclists were seriously injured on Scotland’s roads in 2011, the last year for which data is available. This represents an increase of 13% from 2010 and of 34% from its lowest point in 2005. Add to this the seven cyclists that were tragically killed on the roads in 2011 and you can clearly see that something desperately needs to be done to protect vulnerable road users.
This is why Cycle Law Scotland (CLS) is today launching a campaign to change Scots civil law to introduce strict liability for the protection of cyclists and other vulnerable road users who are involved in road traffic accidents. This change to the current law is designed to protect the most vulnerable road users and to reflect a road user hierarchy based on mutual respect between motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

We believe that while the Scottish Government is encouraging more people to take up cycling to improve their health, it must also provide the legal protection afforded to others and strict liability in civil law is the proper approach for a mature socially conscious nation as it addresses the unacceptable human cost of the current system. At present, cyclists injured in accidents involving a car currently wait, on average, 6-9 months to receive compensation, when the case is relatively straightforward. In serious or fatal injuries, the cyclists or their families can wait in excess of two years before their case is decided. This situation is untenable, as in all cases handled by CLS, primary fault and responsibility always rests with the driver of the motorised vehicle.
We will be taking the campaign to the Cross-Party Group on Cycling in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 18 April, 2013 and will be pushing for a private members’ bill as a catalyst to a change in the law.

You can get involved in the following ways:-

– Visit our website for more information regarding the key messages, to review the arguments and a Q and A.

– Like our Facebook page (username: cyclelawscotland) to show your support and share our posts with your fans.

– Follow us on Twitter and retweet to your own followers.

– Sign our e-petition on the Scottish Government website.

– Share this information within your organisation and with cyclists across Scotland.

The UK is out of step with the rest of Europe being one of only five countries on the Continent that does not operate a system of strict liability for road users, alongside Cyprus, Malta, Romania and Ireland. If Scotland does not want to be seen to be lagging behind, it has the opportunity to take a lead in the UK and change the system.
Under strict liability, when a cyclist is injured by a motorised vehicle they automatically receive compensation. Likewise, when a pedestrian is injured by a motorised vehicle or bicycle, strict liability shall ensure they are granted automatic compensation as well. The party liable, however, will be able to present evidence that the cyclist or pedestrian was at least partly to blame, thereby ensuring fairness in proceedings.
Crucially, in this time of straitened public finances, it is also more cost effective than the current system. As strict liability ensures injured cyclists and pedestrians promptly receive just compensation, it thereby avoids the need for expensive litigation. This not only would see the cost burden of insurers fall, but avoiding court proceedings will reduce pressure on the public purse as well.
Cycle Law Scotland was set up by lawyers who as keen cyclists recognised the need for a specialist legal service for those involved in a road traffic accident through no fault of their own. Together with my 25 years as a personal injury solicitor, we bring personal experience of the problems and hazards cyclists encounter while travelling on Scotland’s roads to ensure cyclists involved in accidents and their families receive the best possible legal advice and personal representation.
In those countries in Europe where we see extremely high numbers of cyclists, strict liability exists as an integral part of a holistic approach to encouraging safer roads for cyclists, with the consequent health and environmental benefits this brings. This is our chance to begin to effect the step-change needed to bring Scotland in line with its cycling ambitions.

Deeside Line Improvements

The latest improvement to the Deeside line has seen tarmac laid on the remaining 1.5km or so to Culter station. The route is now sealed surface all the way from Duthie Park. This is good news and is the latest stage in a round of improvements that started around 2000 with the installation of bridges over Hardgate and Holburn St. This is down to the council taking a sustained interest in the route, and excellent funding support from Sustrans and Nestrans – as well as consistent pressure from ACF. Our annual cycle count has shown a steady increase in cycle use which confirms what we already know – good quality cycle provision encourages cycling!

If you are benefitting from this investment, let your councillor know! Don’t know who your councillors are? Click here.

New Union Square Cycle Stands

Since even before Union Square opened, ACF has been making the case for more cycle stands at the Guild Street entrance. The five stands there are frequently at capacity. So it is good to see our pressure has finally paid off. Five new stands have been installed, doubling the number of spaces. Some good news to start off the new year!

Are your cycling friends, colleagues or relatives also members of ACF? If not, tell them about ACF and ask them to join! Joining up is easy (click the ‘Join’ button on the homepage) and it’s free!

Council Cycling Champion Interviewed by Aberdeen Voice

If you haven’t already seen, Aberdeen City Council’s Cycle Champion, Ross Thomson, was interviewed by the Aberdeen Voice.
Check out the interview here.

Aberdeen Cycle Forum calls for action on roundabouts

Cyclists in Aberdeen today called for action to improve safety at roundabouts. This call follows the tragic death of a cyclist at the Kings Gate/Anderson Drive roundabout last week.

Derek Williams, chairman of the Aberdeen Cycle Forum, said, ‘Large, multi lane roundabouts are the most dangerous part of the road network for cyclists yet they are unavoidable for many cycle journeys in the city. It is not reasonable to expect cyclists to cycle through these as part of their day to day journeys.’

The Cycle Forum lists the roundabouts on Anderson Drive, at the Beach Boulevard, either end of St Machar Drive, at the Queen Elizabeth bridge and Maberly Street as particular risk spots.
ACF is calling for the roundabouts to be replaced with signalised junctions or to have safe and convenient routes that cyclists can use to bypass them.

Derek added, ‘If the council is serious about encouraging more and safer cycling, then it has to make these junctions safe for cycling. The advent of the AWPR is the opportunity to make the city truly cycle and pedestrian friendly, but the planning has to start now.’