Author: Rachel M

May 3rd is polling day in Aberdeen City, your chance to [re]elect councillors for the next 4 years. ACF together with CTC Grampian has produced it’s own election manifesto. Don’t worry we are not running for office, but we did write to the leaders of the major parties on the council and ask them to support it. We will update this page with the responses as we get them.

Across the city there are approimately 100 candidates contesting the 13 wards, we can’t contact them all, but you can! Find out who is running in your area – the leaflets will soon be dropping through your letter box – all the candidates have email addreses. Send them the manifesto and ask them to support it. By doing this you are helping keep cycling high on the local political agenda.

Don’t know who’s running, what ward you are in, or even if you are registered to vote? The links below should help.

• Ward Finder – Enter your postcode and click” Councillors” on the left – this shows your current councillors, many of who will be standing again and also your ward
• List of candidates (PDF) organised by ward
• Electoral Comission – how to register as a voter

Responses (In Order Received)

Scottish National Party
Thanks for your email. Following the discussions that I had with the forum last year I had already included the following commitment in our manifesto:

Explore options for making the city centre a more cycle friendly environment and continue investment in cycle routes across Aberdeen.

In terms of your 6 priorities I am very happy to look at all of these in detail. I have the following comments about them though.

1. Happy to do this.
2. The council’s budget is around that mark and therefore the target is affordable. Indeed I’m pretty sure that this year we will be exceeding it, if only just. If you add in the council’s 9.5% contribution towards the AWPR however you are adding several million to the total budget and I would be lying if I thought we could match the 3.5% during those years assuming it finally gets the go ahead. I do appreciate the need to invest in this area though, and I am keen to do so.
3. Happy to do this.
4. This fits in with what is already in our manifesto above.
5. I see no reason why this cannot be included in our manifesto.
6. I think we would need to look into this further, but happy to at least commit to exploring how we can achieve this.

 

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Scottish Green Party
I just wanted to advise that as Green candidates we would support all six points you have specified in your manifesto.
Trying to encourage more public transport, cycle use and walking is one of the Greens main aims.

UPDATE 22APR – To update you further on our policies following the national manifesto launch the Scottish Greens are committed to allocating 10% of the transport budget to active travel forms like cycling and walking see Section 2. Manifesto for local elections (PDF 1.6M)

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Scottish Lib Dems
I can confirm that there is now a commitment in the Lib Dem manifesto which reads:”Work with partners, including Aberdeen Cycle Forum, towards safer walking and cycling in Aberdeen.”I hope this meets your needs

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Scottish Conservatives
Nothing received Yet – Why not remind your local candidate!

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Scottish Labour
Nothing received Yet – Why not remind your local candidate!

Finally a Toucan Crossing at Kingswells!

The Kingswells-Westhill cycle route has been a big success with one significant exception, the toucan crossing that was removed from the design at Kingswells roundabout has resulted in a significant hazard for cyclists and pedestrians. ACF has long campaigned to get this omissions corrected [ read the history]. An independent safety audit commissioned in 2010 stated the blindingly obvious:

The lack of a facility to help cyclists and pedestrians cross this busy and fast road was a safety oversight

Nearly three years after the route was completed the new crossing is finally in use!

Since what seems like the beginning of time ACF has been campaigning for better cycle parking at the railway station. In 2006 8 stands appeared at the front (now gone!). In 2008 a number appeared in the South College Street multi-storey car park.

We have always maintained stands should be close to the station, for a number of “security reasons” Scotrail will not put stands in the station. Elsewhere in the UK including such major stations as London Kings Cross (where they are on the platforms) it is possible – is Aberdeen Railway station really that much further up Al-Qaeda’s hit list than London?

The development of Union Square offered some hope -we got a small number outside the station but they are well short of capacity and always full. Now in 2012 it’s time for another update – after extensive lobbying by ACF more parking has appeared. You can find it on exit of the station that leads to the Trinity centre (past the British Transport Police offices and blue badge parking).

Naturally finding it is a challenge – there are no signs from the station, it’s tucked away in the darkest corner of the building well away from significant foot fall, but does appear to be covered by the station CCTV system. A passing ACF member asked two members of the station staff and neither were aware of it!So one small step forward but Aberdeen still lags well behind other stations. Scotrail are always happy to receive feedback on their service, you can do this online here

Flat Cycle Storage

Not much fun is it hauling your bike to the top floor or worrying about how secure it is in the stairwell? Even worse is that problems with cycle storage in flats can put people off bothering with a bike in the first place. There is no magic solution, but Spokes in Edinburgh has come up with a useful advice advice note [PDF]

A few years ago, ACF did campaign for the council to insist that developers of new flats provide good quality cycle storage. We are aware that this has been happening in some cases, but is it happening in all new developments? Do you live in a flat, old or new. What has your experience been? Please Let us know.

The ACF AGM will be in April 2012, as ever all positions are up for grabs, but we are particulary keen to find a new secretary as the current long serving occupant will be standing down for family reasons

As with any involvement with ACF the it’s is what you make of it, but “minimum” duties include producing the minutes of ACF meetings, maintaining the membership list and keeping the chair in order.

There’s the option to take on parts of the website as well. If you have ever though of getting more involved in ACF this could be your chance to make a difference for cyclists in Aberdeen.

Informal enquiries to the usual address or just drop in at the January meeting.

CWSS – What’s Happening?

For a city council continually saying what a bad funding deal it gets, what can be more welcome than a guaranteed pot of cash from the Scottish Government? We are talking about the CWSS (Cycling Walking and Safer Streets) budget again, a “ringfenced” budget provided to the city council for, yes you guessed it, cycling, walking and safer streets. In the financial year 2011/12 there is approx

January 2012 ACF Meeting

The Janaury 2012 ACF Meeting will be held on Tueday 31st January, one week later than is the “norm”. Agenda etc available form the minutes page closer to the date.

All are welcome, regulars and those who have never been before, all are welcome

Dave Lindsey (1939 – 2011)  an appreciation

Dave collapsed and died on his way back from a CTC cycle run on Saturday 19 November. Dave was a stalwart of the cycle forum, helping set it up in 2003 and being co-chair until 2009. He was also ACF treasurer until earlier this year. Alongside his active role in ACF, he was CTC’s Right to Ride campaigner for Aberdeen, a role he held for many years. Indeed for a long time before ACF established itself, Dave was a lone voice on behalf of cyclists in the city.We will remember the good humour he managed to maintain despite the ever present frustrations of cycle campaigning, together with his enthusiasm and dedication to cycling in all its forms. This dedication spurred him and Liz to spend many years volunteering in several primary schools, helping children achieve their cycling proficiency. Dave was always ready to attend meetings, to represent ACF and to volunteer ideas. He will be sorely missed.

Try Cycling on Saturday 17th December was to be lead by Dave – all are welcome to join us, beginners and experienced alike. Meet at Seaton Park [map] at 10:00hrs

Just turn up on the day, or for more information drop us a line on trycycling@aberdeencycleforum.org.uk

The 2012/13 Scottish Budget – Cycling Backwards

The words were good… The previous government had a CAPS (Cycling Action Plan for Scotland) with an ambitious target of 10% of
all journeys by bike by 2020. During last years elections the SNP manifesto had the phrase ?increase the proportion
of transport spending on ?active and sustainable travel

Unfortunately the action is in the other direction. An independent analysis by
Spokes has shown the the new government is to drastically CUT spending on active travel whilst increasing the total transport budget

Total transport spending rises from

Come to ACF’s 8th Birthday Party

Back in September 2003 ACF was formed, that means this month we are 8 years old. To clebrate come and join us for a drink and a buffet ahead of the main ACF meetingWhere: “The Old School House” off Belmont St [map]
When : 17:30 – 19:15 on Tuesday 27th September

All members are welcome, even if you are not a regular at the monthly meetings, drop in for 5 mins or all evening, it’s up to you. We have a reserved area for us so just look for “ACF” on the board, even better the Buffet’s free.