Clyde to Forth – the Long Way

Image Sustrans

You may have tried (or just thought about) a day trip from Glasgow to Edinburgh. Some people have even been both ways in a day! There’s a choice of routes – along the Canals or by road (like the annual Pedal for Scotland ride).

This summer you could try the 5 day, 200 mile, scenic version. Sustrans in Scotland is organising the “Clyde-Tae-Forth” ride as a “pedal-powered adventure”.

Riders will set off from the banks of the River Clyde in Glasgow on 9th of June and cross the Tay and Forth – as in “Clyde-Tae-Forth”… They will arrive in Edinburgh just in time for the Bike Week Film Festival.

Participants will be able to ‘trailblaze’ proposed routes between Perth and Kinross. After each day’s ride there will be talks and presentations from leading environmental and wildlife organisations, including a guided woodland walk with the Forestry Commission Scotland.

Clyde-Tae-Forth will also pass two of the Scottish schemes included in Sustrans’ Connect2 project, which won the Big Lottery Fund’s The People’s £50 Million contest in December 2007. In Glasgow riders will see the ‘Bridge to Nowhere’, a half-finished walking and cycling bridge over the M8 motorway in the centre of the city, and in Perth the ride will stop at the site of a new walking and cycling bridge over the River Tay which will connect Perth and Scone.

John Lauder, Sustrans National Director for Scotland, is keen for people to join the ride and “see Scotland in a different light”. He said: “The Clyde-Tae-Forth ride is a fun way for people to explore the landscape, heritage and culture of this region of Scotland – with stunning views from the saddle guaranteed. It’s going to be an exciting ride, especially with the added adventure of trailblazing a possible new route and visiting the Connect2 schemes to see the real difference better facilities for cyclists and walkers will make.”

The event is expected to be extremely popular and with only 100 spaces for the full five day ride, cyclists are “urged to register early”. Each overnight stop is £30, which includes ride organisation, maps, camping accommodation, a light breakfast, luggage transfer and a special edition ride t-shirt. Those not wanting to take part in the full ride are welcome to join in for day rides – the cost is £10 for a guided ride, map and special edition ride t-shirt.

Booking for Sustrans’ Clyde-Tae-Forth ride closes on 28th May 2008. Anyone interested in booking a place on the full ride, or joining in for a day section, contact Sustrans’ Events Team on 0117 915 0125 or events@sustrans.org.uk.

Sustrans Scotland Goes Google

Pioneering path charity Sustrans has always been big on maps. No point in having delightful routes if people don’t know where they are/go. It went onto the internet quite early too, with maps to show the National Cycle Network. The web has moved on and the Sustrans’ main mapping now looks a bit primitive.

As in several other areas, Google has revolutionised the ‘on-line mapping experience‘. People now expect to be able to drag and zoom with ease. The addition of high resolution aerial views has made things even better – would help if the resolution around Edinburgh was as good as that of the city…

Now Sustrans in Scotland has launched a new site (Routes2Ride) which uses Google maps to show some selected routes. There are currently 26 – four in, or from, Edinburgh: Balerno-Bathgate, Edinburgh-Musselburgh, Union Canal-Water of Leith, Edinburgh-Cramond Brig. (Though the ‘search’ only finds those with Edinburgh in the title – a bug needing to be fixed, especially if more routes get added.)

Making use of “web 2.0” the site is similar to a blog and allows/encourages comments. John Lauder, Sustrans’ National Director for Scotland says: “Routes2Ride is a really user-friendly website which has been developed specifically for people to share their experiences of cycling in Scotland and find new rides to try out.”

New Cramond Bridge Closer

It used to be possible to take a small ferry from near the mouth of the Almond across to the Dalmeny Estate. It was then possible to walk (no bikes on boat) around the estate and return or travel on to South Queensferry and come back by bus, or train from Dalmeny.

Now, seven years on, SEStran (South East of Scotland Transport Partnership) – with the help of JMP Consulting – has drawn up plans for a bridge, slightly upstream. This would take bikes and be a significant link in the proposed NCN Round the Forth and North Sea Cycle Routes.

“SEStran wants to hear your views about a new bridge for pedestrians and cyclists across the River Almond. We emphasise that no decision has yet been taken whether to build a new bridge or not and we want to hear local people’s views before that decision is made.”

It’s presumed that most people will think it’s a good idea, but the more that say so, the more likely it is to happen.

“They and the consultation team (from JMP Consulting) are therefore holding a ‘surgery’ session at which you can come along and discuss any issue relating to the bridge in detail, face-to-face with the design team. Staff will be on hand for the surgery at Cramond Kirk Halls (Millennium Room – map) on Thursday 22 November between 4.00pm and 7.30pm. If you cannot attend the surgery but would like to tell us your views, please put them in writing and e-mail to: cramond@jmp.co.uk or by post to: Cramond Consultation, JMP Consulting, CBC House, 24 Canning Street, Edinburgh EH3 8EG – by Wednesday 28 November.

More info (PDF leaflet)

Spokes Launches New Forth Bridge Route Campaign

Lothian Cycle Campaign Spokes is pressing the Scottish Government’s Finance Minister, John Swinney, to act on his recent statement: “We will continue to invest in initiatives which reduce congestion, such as improved park and ride, and improved rail, bus and cycle links.” Especially the last three words.

Significantly his comments were in response to concerns about the expected increase in motor traffic that will result when the SNP Government introduces its manifesto commitment to abolish tolls on the Forth Road Bridge.

In a letter to Mr. Swinney Dave du Feu of Spokes says: “This route is a vital commuter route [particularly since cyclists were banned from the A90], an important leisure route, and also perhaps the most important single tourist cycle link in the whole of Scotland, taking large numbers of cycletourists heading from the Capital towards the north of Scotland. It is thus a route of national significance, and a critical section of Route 1 of the Sustrans National Cycle Network. It should be an absolute flagship example in terms of design and maintenance.”

Anyone who knows the route will know that in places it is very narrow, squeezed between a stone wall (a listed structure) and a drop down the embankment to the main dual carriageway. At one point cyclists are inches away from fast oncoming traffic WITHOUT AN INTERVENING SAFETY BARRIER. Additionally, this Cramond to Dalmeny section is unlit. (See photo).

Estimates for producing a route that would attract more tourists and commuters suggest that around a million pounds is required. Peanuts compared with the current A8000 Upgrade AND easily funded with savings the Government has created by cancelling the EARL project yesterday.

Spokes campaigns are often effective as the succeed in mobilising people to write to their political representatives, especially (in this case) John Swinney.

Comments on cyclechat forum.