Sustrans cycle tracks

[Doug]

Hi Guys,

I wonder if anyone would be willing to help out. In my capacity as a church worker, I'm organising a community service environmental clean-up of Sustrans cycle tracks throughout Scotland on Sept.23, 2006 and am seeking to ascertain parts of the cycle tracks which require attention - perhaps due to glass and paper litter, overgrown shrubs or other debris which prevents a pleasant cycle ride. I'm trying to get other guys to check other areas of the country, but would be delighted to get some Wheelers volunteers to ride the Sustrans cycle tracks from Paisley Canal Station out through Johnstone/Linwood to its end and let me know what sections of the track need cleaned up. I need to know location/approx. length of track to be cleaned/estimate of how long it would take for say 12 volunteers top clean/ type of debris and if it can be bagged or requires a skip.

I'm also very keen to have the cycle tracks in Inverclyde and Ayrshire checked out. Is anyone prepared to cycle any of the Sustrans tracks and report back to me as to their condition? The idea is to improve cycle ways throughout Scotland on this special day of Church action for members throughout Scotland. Phone me on 0780 168 5267 for further details.

[Kenny MacDonald]

Guys & Gals

this is an ideal chance to get local tracks tidied etc. Please take some time to send replies with any concerns or blackspots needing attention.

[Liability]

Hello,

 

I use route 75 every day and the real trouble spot at the moment is at Linwood, just after the bridge passes over the a737 from the Johnstone side.

It's where there's an old railway bridge and they are building the new school.

 

glass and litter are a real problem here. I often stop to try and brush some of the glass away with a branch, but most mornings there is some more around. especially bad after the weekend. most of the glass tends to be Buckfast bottle green I'm afraid.

 

more of a sustrans engineering problem but this is also where part of the path remains rough and unfinished- not good for wheels.

 

other trouble spot is beside the coal merchants in Bridge of Weir, where you pass under the bridge. anywhere the teenagers gather tends to have glass and debris eveywhere

 

keep up the good work and good luck

[Kenny MacDonald]

Come on Guys & Gals I know majority of club are regular riders of the track, some feedback please.

[Doug]

Thanks for your input Steve. Can you tell me what length of track you are talking about in each case and how long you think it would take a group of about a dozen to put right insofar as debris is concerned? Would the volunteers need anything other than workgloves and rubbish sacks to deal with it?

 

Doug

[Stephen Hickey]

Doug

 

Had a family cycle along the path from just before Bridge of Weir (we joined the cycle path at Crosslee road which is the back road from Crosslee to the edge of Bridge of Weir) to Kilmacolm and back and have to say there was very little to report The only trouble spot is the one referred to above where the path passes under the road at the Johnstone end of Bridge of Weir. As Liability says, anywhere there is shelter there are drinkers and glass. However even this section is not as bad as some.

 

As I put the tagalong through its paces I'll report back.

 

Cheers

 

SH

[Doug]

Thanks Steve H. for your input. It seems that the Sustrans cycle routes are in far better condition than I was led to believe. Reports coming back from south Ayrshire say there are no problems with overgrown bushes, or dangerous litter. Please keep monitoring.

[Alan McLean]

Doug

 

Great to hear about your plan. A few comments.

 

Litter picking is best done on a clear, winter's day when all the leaves have gone. You won't see 5% of the rubbish in September.

 

Sustrans (actually the council and contractors) already do a lot of track maintenance, their hedge cutter probably does the work of ten men. All of the track belongs to someone so you should be careful to avoid overenthusiastic gardening. Are you aware that there is a local Sustrans ranger who patrols this area ? It's "his" track" and I suggest you speak to him. I've lost his tel. number, but I'm sure Sustrans could put you in touch.

 

With the exception of the ned hangouts discussed above the path is great from P Glasgow to the 737. Local people keep our path pretty clean so I don't think it needs much help up this end (Kilmacolm, BoW, Quarriers)

 

The main problems are litter along most verges and graffiti/nedism at Linwood. The lovely mural under the bridge just before the 737 has gradually been destroyed. Why not ask Sustrans if you could revive it? Or ask them if any other jobs need done? How do we get the kids of Linwood/PG to use the track for exercise instead of drinking? Just a thought.

 

All the best.

[Doug]

Thanks for your input Alan - it's much appreciated. I began discussions with Sustrans several months ago.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in addition to many local community service initiatives which are undertaken, have an annual "Helping Hands Day" when members throughout the whole country are encouraged to be involved in a community service project.

LDS Church leaders in Scotland have a desire for a project which would be Scotland-wide and I came up with the idea of Sustrans cycle routes, after discussions with many other National charities eg National Trust, Woodlands Trust, Marine Conservation Society, etc. etc. The idea was that we would tackle a clean-up programme on those parts of the cycle routes which were identified as needed attention. I realise that local authorities have some responsibilities for the track, and there are, as you rightly say, Sustrans 'wardens' to monitor the cycle routes. Sustrans themselves suggested a few locations throughout Scotland - one of which was the area at Canal Street Station, Paisley - but, considering I have LDS Church members from Thurso to Stranraer and Dumfries to Aberdeen I have a potential workforce of about 400 able-bodied people to make an impact of some worth.

However, from what I'm being fed back, contrary to what Sustrans told me, the problems are nothing like what I'd been led to believe.

I wish I had contact people in cycling clubs the length & breadth of Scotland who would ride the various routes as part of their training schedule - or simply for fun - and would report back to me problems on the routes. I am having great difficulty getting this information from our LDS congregations (what does that say about their involvement with cycling?).

It may be that I now have to reconsider our Scotland-wide comunity service projects. The date designated for Helping Hands Day this year is Saturday, 23 September. This is the date for such projects throughout the UK and western Europe.

The LDS Church was possibly the single biggest contributor to the annual 'Make a Difference Day' which is always on the last Saturday of October.

However, now we have our own "Helping Hands Day", most of our manpower is expended that day.

The whole idea is do be engaged in service projects which will really make a difference to the community, be fulfilling for those volunteers involved, and

hopefully be of lasting worth. The projects ideally will be in centres of population to allow us to advertise for local people to join us in volunteering their time and talents on specific projects.

If you have any suggestions as to projects which will fit the bill please let me know.

[Alan McLean]

Doug

 

glad to hear you're speaking to Sustrans.

 

Why not get some scaffolding and repaint the spiky tower at the A737 bridge?

 

Or do you have friends with a few tons of tarmac to complete the last 200 yards of track at Linwood?

 

Instead of 40 people for one day only perhaps you could spread out the work over many weeks to keep a section clear for months in smaller groups.

 

Hope it goes well.

 

best wishes

[Tony]

Noted with interest Doug's reference to Canal St station - presumably this refers to the 50 yard stretch that runs from the station platform, under Causeyside Street and behind the pub in Stow Brae. In my experience this is definitely the worst section of the track for broken glass. I don't use Canal St regularly any more but when I did I found it necessary to dismount and push my bike along this section, to minimise risk of punctures. (This with 32mm kevlar-belted commuting tyres)

[Doug]

Tony,

You are exactly correct with your location and description of that locus at Paisley Canal Street station. However, it won't take too long to tidy that section with a few dozen people.

Alan,

The whole point of the Church 'Helping Hands Day' is to mobilise as many volunteers as possible throughout the UK for that special day of community service. I expect to have at least 400 make themselves available throughout Scotland. My idea, discussed with Sustrans, was to work on the various sections of track which needed attention in all regions of Scotland. However, I'm discovering that there are several areas where there are no complaints about the condition of the track. Again, there are sections which seem to attract debris and overgrown bushes are a problem such as the River Kelvin walkway which we've tackled with about 40 volunteers for each of the last two years making a massive difference on each occasion.

However, in light of the lack of suitable projects on the Sustrans track (or lack of identification of cycle track needing attention) then I will have to re-think the project for those areas where the track appears to be in good condition.

[Peter Abraham]

If you are still interested in this I am more than willing to help out.

 

I currently ride from Beith to Linwood most days on the cycle track and have very big concerns that the path might be unuseable once St. Benidicts opens with a direct link into part of the path that already suffers badly from waste.

[Doug]

Peter,

Thanks for your comment about the Beith to Linwood section. Can you phone me about this please on 0141.583.4732 so that I can get more information from you.

[David McKellar]

The only un paved section of the Linwood Kilmalcolm cycle track the hundred or so meters from the Linwood bridge at the rear of the new school is current being worked on. It looks as though drains and perhaps lighting is being installed to help pupils cycling to the new school?

Hopefully this should be finished in a couple of weeks with the new surface in place.

[Doug]

Thanks for this information Dave. Hopefully this will bring about a big improvement to this section.

Has anyone checked out the section from Paisley Canal railway station out past the pub/restaurant recently? It was a mess when I last checked it out about 5 or 6 weeks ago.