Author: Rachel M

Taking a stand at the Wall

ACF’s Taking a stand initiative has recorded another success.

Transition-Extreme, with it’s indoor climbing wall, BMX and skate centre was a much welcomed addition to Aberdeen. During construction however one small detail was missed out, yes you guessed it a bike stand! The irony of this was not lost on the large number of people who wrote to us to point this out.

ACF contacted Transition and thanks to the efforts Neil Stevenson and Craig Mitchell, Transition now has a nice set of Sheffield stands at the entrance. A second set will shortly appear inside the building. Craig even featured in the recent ACF story in the Press and Journal

In installing the stands Transition, a charity, has managed to quickly achieve something two FTSE 100 companies B&Q and Dixons Stores Group are still strugling to acheive, despike having plenty of environmental policies! If you have any more suggestions for places that should have a stand use the taking a stand pages to let us know and we will see what we can do

ACF Making a Stand at Tesco

Tesco have recently expanded in Aberdeen with two new stores; the new Tesco Express in Manofield, and the Tesco South, on Wellington Road, a former Somerfields store. As ever with these “new” develpments, plenty of car parking spaces, but not a cycle stand in sight. Thanks to all who brought this to our attention.

So what happened with the new planning conditions requiring cycle stands that ACF worked so closely with the council on? The simple (and disapointing) answer is that they don’t apply; as a conversion of an existing store Tesco South does not require planning permission. The development in Manofield of which Tesco is a part was granted permission on 3rd August 2006, before the new conditions came into effect. Plans did show stands, however discussions with planning officers indicated the provision of them could not be enforced!

Undeterred ACF contacted Tesco, as with any large organisation this took some time – two letters and two emails vanished before our final attempt to Tesco PLC’s director of sustainable development, Lucy Neville-Rolfe hit home. We are now in communication with Tesco’s Scottish site manager and are pleased to report three Sheffield stands in Manofield. The provision of stands at Tesco South is under investigation, we’ll update this page if it happens.

Meanwhile if you should find yourself, as one ACF member put it, “using a lamp post that had been used by a dog” customer comment forms are available in the store, ACF would encourage you to use one, as Tesco’s own strapline says Every little helps

If you know of any other locations where there should be a stand, get in contact. Use the main Taking a Stand page to let us know and we will see what we can do

Local Transport Strategy

ACF recently responded to Aberdeen City Council’s Consultation on the new Local Transport Strategy. Commonly Known as the “LTS” this document will be used to guide all the councils decisions until 2012, although many of the guidelines for cycling in earlier strategies were ignored!

You can read more on the page LTS Consultation page. ACF’s submission can be downloaded Here

Work Starts on Westhill-Aberdeen Cycle Route

Back in the mists of time, well actually July 2006, ACF worked with the councils counsulants on the
design of a cycle route from Aberdeen to Kingswells and Westhill, you can read the original design here . At the time we envisaged work would start on the first part of the route in 2006 and would be completed in Q2 2007, so what happened?

Well in the 2006/7 financial year the council never got round to spending the budget! Incredible but true, not only does Aberdeen have one of the lowest budgets for cycle facilities in Scotland, in the last financial year the council never actually spent it all and money was “lost” to cycling.

Fast forward to the present, 7 months into the financial year in fact, and we are happy to report that work has actually started, the images below show the route construction going on at the Westhill end of the Langstract. Whilst it will take more years to complete the final route we see this as a good (if late!) start.

ACF is monitoring the spent of the 2007/8 CWSS (Cycling Walking and Safer Streets) budget carefully, sign up for our E-News service to learn how you can help us ensure it’s spent.

Support Sustrans Connect2

Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity responsible for the development of the National Cycle Network is currently bidding
for

AWPR – Ongoing Consultation

Way back in February 2007 ACF (and about 8,000 other people) lodged an objection to the proposed Aberdeen Western Prehipheral Route. In October 2007 we received a response asking us to consider withdrawing our onjection. Having read this we have decided NOT to withdraw it. Read more…

• Our Original Objection
• Response from Transport Scotland (Scanned)
• Our Reply

Taking a Stand in the Media

ACF’s “Taking a Stand” campaign to improve the cycle parking in the city centre recently featured in the media. You can read the article in the Press and Journal here (PDF file) .

As with many newspapers the Press and Journal has a letters page to allow readers to comment on the stories. Should you wish to do this “letters” can be sent to the editor by email pj.editor@ajl.co.uk (you need to include a contact address/number).

You can learn more about the campaign at the main Taking a Stand Pages

Pinch Points – City Council Policy Changed!

For the last two years ACF has been highlighting the dangers to cyclists of “central islands” installed on our roads. After formally objecting to the latest batch and speaking at no less than three council comittee meetings (read press coverage), the matter was defered to the councils policy comittee. Thanks is due to the large number of you who wrote to councillors or roads engineers to “officially object”. Councillors had a lot of objections to read.

In September we organised the Feeling the Pinch survey of cyclists in Aberdeen.

At the end of October ACF made a written submission and presented at the City Council’s Policy and Strategy Comittee (comittee number 4!). Council roads engineers presented members with three options

• 1 – No Changes to current policy
• 2 – A minimum of 1.5m coloured tarmac cycle lane through the islands
• 3 – No traffic islands within the city that reduce the running width (i.e. kerb to kerb width) to less than 4m

After much debate the councillors decided on Option 2, If you are interested you can see which councillors make up the Policy and Strategy committee

Currently, no new islands have been installed while the council processes grind on. This means the latest batch of 6 islands should be installed with the lane; we await the detailed plans from the roads engineers.

So, suffering from committee fatigue, we ask ourselves if this is a victory for cyclists? Feedback from the narrow lanes (1m) that have been installed in some locations in the city have had mixed results – remember you don’t have to cycle in them if you don’t want to. After consideration we would say yes, for the first time in living memory the city council stopped what it was doing and changed it’s direction as the result of cyclists. As new islands come before the various area committees we will continue to closely monitor the situation.

If you want to comment on this article or even get involved with the forum – volunteers are always welcome – then get in contact!

Bike & Fly?

ACF has recently responded to the British Airport Authority’s consultation on access to the airport. As anyone who travels to either the airport of the surrounding industrial units knows traffic congestion is something of an issue, the current situation of ground transportation from the airport is unstainable.

Currently facilities for cyclists getting to/from the airport and indeed when at the airport particulary poor. We see the current consultation as a step in the right direction and are keen to work with BAA, the City Council and other stakeholders to improve the situation

Read out submission here

If you have your own comments on ground transportation (or indeed any other matter at the airport) you can get in contact with BAA here

ACF:Taking a Stand at Gt Western Medical Practice

ACF’s project “Taking a stand” continues, cycle stands have now been installed at the new Great Western Medical Centre on Seafield Road. Originally “forgotten” by the developer ACF contacted the practice partners to remind them of the omission. We would like to thank Mrs Pauline Irvine the Practice manager for helping the new stands appear.

The ongoing B&Q saga had advanced – the stands have now moved away from the wall such that you can now put your bike against them, unfortunately it has moved flush with the trolley park making one of the stands unusable!

Do you know somewhere that should have cycle parking and does not – then why not visit our taking a stand page and tell us – we will see what we can do