The Emperor’s New Paving

The last consultation plans for Byres Road are now public. You can view the design document proposals here and take part in their survey here. The plans are also available for viewing in Hillhead and Partick libraries. Consultation ends Wednesday 27 June.

There will also be a drop­-in event 3-7pm on Thursday 31 May (Hillhead Library) where council officers will be on hand to answer any queries about the proposals.

We’ve stitched together the plan sections into one image.

Mosaic of street plans. The red dashed line is the original pavement (click to enlarge)

What the proposals show

There are no formal restrictions on motor traffic. Byres Road will remain a motor traffic through route, continuing to bring existing levels of noise, toxins and danger into the high street.

The proposals do include improvements to side roads, reduced car parking and introduce a one-way system with Church St at the bottom part of the street.

And then there’s cycling. People cycling are expected to cycle in narrow margin “lanes” and overtake buses stopped at bus stops like the extreme sport urban cycling is commonly perceived to be. The reduction in parking will reduce the chance of dooring but there are still places where the cycle lane is in the door zone. People who are new to cycling might be led into a false sense of security.

Not a child friendly situation. http://bikeyface.com/2014/11/13/sharing/

The proposals accidentally show these accidents in the making.

Left Hook and walled-in behind a bus next to a van

The proposals do initially look nice but functionally it is very similar to before with no safe place for cycling in one of Glasgow’s most accident prone streets. You are still faced with the same problems as before.  Is this The Emperor’s New Paving?

So how can we make Byres Road safe enough for a child to cycle?

While we have made previous drawings, we’ve adapted the latest proposals to show you can still keep the same number of parking and loading bays and have safe cycle routes.

Segregated cycle paths fitted into the same plans

With a cycle path next to the pavement protected from the road, it becomes useful for a much larger portion of society. Disabled people can use bikes as mobility aids, and mobility scooters should be allowed to use this space. This should be for everyone to travel with wheels on human sized power, bikes, scooters, wheelchairs, rollerblades, skateboards… And people would feel less forced to drive short journeys.

Compare the official proposals with our segregated paths proposal

Byres Road can’t fit everything in, but are we as a society making the right compromises? Will Byres Road get left behind as other streets in Glasgow build safer streets? We are not tribes of people defined by how we travel, we are individuals who need freedom to safely travel in different ways without harming others. It is important to get your voice heard at the consultation and call for livable streets.

The Avenue of Accidents

The current mixing of people cycling on Byres Road with motor vehicles creates inevitable conflict and harm. The large differences in speed, mass and size means the more vulnerable road user comes off far worse.

We can look back over historical incidents to check for hotspots and compare with the general pattern in Glasgow. The data we’re using came from all instances of when someone cycling was involved in an incident to which the police were called between 1999 to 2013 (STATS19).

West End Cycle Accident Heat Map

If we also use STRAVA data we can see Byres Road has a moderate amount of cycling use, yet has one of the highest accident rates. The thicker the width of the purple lines the greater usage. There’s something about Byres Road that makes it especially dangerous.

To put this in a broader context, here’s a map of the centre and NW of the city.

It’s clear the West of the city has the worst incident hotspots, many of which are along Byres Road itself. Looking at the photo below you might get a sense of why.

Hostile cycling experience fraught with possible conflict

For someone cycling down this road it’s a very complex environment: Drivers trying to rush through, car doors suddenly opening, cars pulling in and out of parking spots, people trying to walk across the street, people weaving in-between traffic jams, the list goes on. For everyone involved it can be difficult to know where you expect different road users.

For Byres Road to be safe and feel safe to cycle, either motor vehicle volumes need to be reduced to very low levels, using measures like bus gates, or cycling is physically separated, just like we do with walking on pavements. Space for People Byres Road developed designs to remove conflict and make it easier for everyone to navigate safely.

Appropriate Transport

Transport is fundamentally about the movement of people and goods. The means of this movement should be appropriate to the journey being undertaken; if you’re travelling a short distance then a human scaled form of transport makes sense. The longer the distance and the greater the volume and weight of goods, the more energy is needed.

In Scotland a great many short trips are currently being made by car. You can see this in the Scotland 2016 Travel Diary journey data plotted below.

For journeys less than 5km, 50% are currently being driven. This is a major cause of urban congestion. Many of these trips could be made by more appropriate means, namely cycling. Cycling is a compact form of travel that anyone of any age and ability can use without the negative effects of motor vehicles.

We can compare Scotland’s travel journey data to a country that has invested in a safe cycling environment, the Netherlands. Over 40 years ago they began their journey of creating a network of safe and convenient cycle routes. Unfortunately the most recent data we have access to is from 1999, and since then the average rate of cycling in the Netherlands has actually increased!

25% of journeys in the NL were being made by cycle, this compares with 1% in Scotland. Most of this difference is coming from people cycling instead of walking or driving short trips. We still see the car being used for longer journeys but this would typically not be through our urban centres but on motorways.

Cycling is quicker than walking and it’s easier to carry heavy loads. This is of particular relevance to those who don’t have access to a car or public transport and so are forced to walk long distances.

Motor vehicles produce noise, toxins and danger in our urban spaces. Reducing their usage for short trips by replacing with cycling will enhance the quality of our public spaces and free-up road space for those driving longer journeys.

Shifting short trips currently being made by car requires attractive alternatives. If using a cycle involves frequent mixing with motor vehicles in a hostile environment then it’s unlikely to even be considered. Therefore we need to make the environment safe and convenient for people to consider cycling instead.

Utrecht City Centre

Call for better at Hillhead Library Meeting

Today people who live, work and visit Byres Road came together to discuss making a better future for this important street. Two groups set off from Partick Cross to walk or cycle the length of Byres Road to meet at Hillhead library for our public meeting.

Walking group spot the cycling group!

In a full meeting room with people aged between 8 and 70, we discussed improving this important street we all care so much about.

Several of the local councillors were in attendance, listening to views and engaging in discussion.

We encouraged people to write down their thoughts.

 

Noticeable pollution, you can taste it

 

Designers should send their children down it!

We also discussed how we can get more people to Byres Road using people friendly transport.

And a local dad voiced concerns that without ambitious plans Byres Road will fall behind other streets in Glasgow.

I want a better Byres Road because it’s a place I adore. I made friends here. Started a business here. Met my wife here. We went on our first date here!

But it’s not a place that puts people first. It’s at once a car park, a through road, a taxi rank. A stressful cramped crush, and not a place I relish taking my family.

I love it in-spite of these things. Because it’s home. But it could be so much more… a place to be proud of. A delightful and healthy place for my kids to grow up and enjoy.

Public Meeting [Sun 25th Feb]

Do you want a better Byres Road for People?

Join Space for People Byres Road and GoBike on Sunday 25th of February to walk or cycle up Byres Road to Hillhead Library where we will hold a public meeting and present our vision of a Byres Road for People. We’ve invited the local councillors and welcome anyone else interested in making a better Byres Road.

Ride – meet at 14:15 at the Riverside Museum
Walk – meet at 14:15 outside Nam-Tuk, south of Partick Cross
Meeting – starts at 15:00 in the small hall in Hillhead Library

If you’re interested in creating a better Byres Road then please do come along.