Aberdeen Cycle Forum

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

Consultative Draft Local Transport Strategy

It would probably be fair to say that facilities for cycling could be better, indeed in a recent survey on cycle spending Aberdeen came 26th out of the 27 local authorities in Scotland. Whilst ACF continues to work away, opportunities where we can all make a difference do not come on every day.

Aberdeen City Council has recently issued a “Consultative Draft Local Transport Strategy”, for those who do not know what a consultative draft is (we only just learned!) basically it’s published – everyone can have a say, the results are used to write a draft strategy, everyone gets to consult on it and eventually a new strategy is developed, this typicaly has a life of approximately 5 years. The strategy is used to “guide” developments.

It is key that the voice of cyclists are heard when feedback to the consultative draft is considered. ACF will be making a formal submission but the more people that respond to the consultation the better. Fortunately you can respond online, ACF needs you below are links to the entire strategy (230pages!) and a much shorter summary (7 pages) and the online questionare. Please take a moment to complete the questionare (reading the 230 page version is optional!). The closing date is 2nd July 2007.

Click here for the Questionare

Supporting Material

• Short Summary (PDF 414Kb) – Read Online
• Main Community Planning Website (all the Documents)
• ACC Announcement on Consultative Draft

Opportunities like this come along only every few years so have your say – fill in the Questionare

Local Elections: 4 Parties 3 Questions

The local elections are almost here. To help inform all you cycling voters out there we thought we would ask the leaders of the
4 main parties how they would support cycling if they happened to get the top seats in the Town House after May 3rd.
You’ll have to make your own judgements about those that haven’t bothered to reply.

To help you you might also want
to seach the 4 main parties websites for “cycling” just use these links:

Conservatives–
Labour –
Lib Dems–
SNP
(some sites have search functions, some do not, in the spirity of impartiality links are for Google searches of the parties sites for the word “cycling”)

If you are reading this before polling day and are a leader from the Scottish Labour Party, it’s not too late just
return your answers to the webmaster and we will put them on here!

ACF	What role should cycling have as part of a local transport strategy for Aberdeen?
Conservative	Cycling will have an integral part to play in any feasible transport strategy for Aberdeen
Lib Dem	Cycling should be a key part of any local transport strategy. Encouraging and facilitating green transport has to be taken seriously for environmental reasons to improve air quality, reduce pollution,carbon emissions etc. Green transport is a more sustainable form of transport and is good for health. Shifting to walking, cycling and public transport would have an important role to play in tackling the problems of congestion and road safety that result from increased levels of vehicular traffic on the roads.
SNP	As there are twin aims of reducing car traffic in Aberdeen and encouraging a fitter population cycling must form a keypart of an integrated transport strategy for Aberdeen.
Labour	No response

ACF	What measures would your Party support to increase cycling levels in the city? (We would be interested to hear your views on ?hard? measures such as cycle lanes, on ?soft? measures such as cycle promotion, and on funding sources).
Conservative	If, as I have said, Cycling is to have an important part to play, cycle lanes, Cycle promotion ? In tandem with its importance in health terms ? have to be promoted with appropriate resource back up.
Lib Dem	More cycle lanes and routes are needed to develop a city-wide cycle path network. More cycle racks and storage should be establised where necessary and appropriate – including in new developments. Action should be taken to identify and solve problems at specific cycling pinchpoints. To keep cycling safe and enjoyable, a major push, possibly with funding assistance from the Scottish Executive, Nestrans etc, would be helpful to improve cycling proficiency and good cycling skills at all levels in schools. Aberdeen Cycle Forum has done a great amount of good work for cycling in the city. As in the past, any measures would be considered after consulting and taking seriously the recommendations of the Cycle Forum.
SNP	In discussion with the relevant groups such as yourselves we should encourage better use of existing cycle lanes and ascertain where morecycle lanes would be most apppropraite but also encourage businesses housing associations, house builders and retail outlets to install cycle racks. It may be possible through encouraging more cycle profiiency in primary schools to encourage “cycle buses” to schools as well as walking buses
Labour	No response

ACF	What would your aim be for cycling in Aberdeen by the end of the coming four year term of office in 2011?
Conservative	To be recognised as a force for good, both in respect of transport and health with usage having expanded accordingly.
Lib Dem	To make cycling more popular and safer and to have developed a city-wide cycling and walking path system around the city. Such a system would help make cycling a more desirable form of travelling in the city.
SNP	To see the SNP aims of having a safer healthier and more sustainable environment where cycling has been a major part implemented and well lodged in our communities
Labour	No response

Aberdeen Near Bottom of the Scottish Cycle Spending League

In a week where Scottish world champion cyclist Chris Hoy is at the top of his sport,
Aberdeen is sadly near the bottom. A recent survey on council spending revealed Aberdeen
26th out of 27 councils in Scotland

The Annual Spokes Survey shows that Aberdeen spent less than

Try Cycling is Back for 2008

After the success of “Try Cycling” in earlier years it’s back! Beginning on 1st April and running every Sunday rides start at 10am from Duthie Park by the pond (just off Riverside Drive).

Aimed at beginners, or those who haven?t been in the saddle for a while, trained cycle leaders from the
Cyclists? Touring Club and Aberdeen Cycle Forum will lead short rides (of upto 3 hours) at a slow pace.
If you need some practice or are seeking to regain road confidence this is the ideal way to keep fit, to gain a healthy heart and make cycling part of a healthy lifestyle

Just turn up on the day or for more information phone Gerard on 01224 734 799. or drop us an email trycycling@aberdeencycleforum.org.uk It is necessary to phone in advance if children under 18 will be coming on the ride

If you want to publicise Try Cycling in you workplace or school there we have some posters and you can download and print out (these are PDF files if it is not already installed on your computer you may need the free Acrobat Reader software to view them

Would you like to receive email alerts when news stories are posted? then visit our email update page

Try Cycling Group Cross Brig o Balgownie