Meanwhile in Dundee « CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum

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Meanwhile in Dundee

(28 posts)

Started 11 years ago by crowriver
Latest reply from chdot

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dundee developments courier article ananinganingana

crowriver
Member

Don't know how I missed some of these stories. Anyway, here's a roundup of some positive developments along the banks of the Tay.

"Financial support means bright future ahead for Caird Park velodrome
The velodrome at Caird Park is set for a major upgrade thanks to an investment of over £300,000 by Dundee City Council and sportscotland."
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Dundee/article/20800/financial-support-means-bright-future-ahead-for-caird-park-velodrome.html

Possible model for Edinburgh's velodrome here?

"Green Circular Route improvements part of effort to reconnect the city to the waterfront
Dundee's Green Circular cycle route is to be altered to improve links between the waterfront and the city centre."
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Dundee/article/17106/green-circular-route-improvements-part-of-effort-to-reconnect-the-city-to-the-waterfront.html

"Extra £170,000 to support walking and cycling in Dundee"
Mostly lowered kerbs, converting crossings to Puffin, etc. but "Another £40,000 has been earmarked for ''missing links'' in the city's cycling network"
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Dundee/article/22285/extra-170-000-to-support-walking-and-cycling-in-dundee.html

Also:

"£14m plan to transform Dundee railway station"
About time too!
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Dundee/article/22167/14m-plan-to-transform-dundee-railway-station.html

However, not all is well in sunny Dundee:

"Forth Ports accused of 'trampling on the rights of cyclists' by failing to ensure dock access
Commuters and leisure cyclists who use the cycle path through Dundee docks are threatening protest action due to what they call Forth Ports ''blatantly trampling'' over their rights."
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Dundee/article/21929/forth-ports-accused-of-trampling-on-the-rights-of-cyclists-by-failing-to-ensure-dock-access.html

Posted 11 years ago #
crowriver
Member

This would appear to be the Dundee velodrome. I didn't even know there was one!

http://g.co/maps/pekpd

Posted 11 years ago #
chdot
Admin

It used to be possible to cycle in more of Leith Docks and through to Seafield.

But you know - "safety", "security" etc.

Posted 11 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

Forth Ports have a bit of a "gerrofmoiland" attitude, don't they? There's a number of little paths around Leith Docks that you can't get in to access. Infact there's one bit that was specifically built as cycle /foot path cut through from Tower Place (next to the car pound) that is gated at both ends, you can't even see the tarmac any more it's so overgrown by butterfly bush.

Posted 11 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Dundee has taken an active interest in 'cycling' before -

https://web.archive.org/web/20041029083037/http://www.spokes.org.uk/oldsite/srdundee.htm

and a few other things, but I suspect interest faded because 'not many people cycle'.

At least you can get there easily -

crossing the Tay

There's even a lift when you do!

Posted 11 years ago #
crowriver
Member

I certainly recall roaming around Leith docks about 15 years ago on my bike. Before they built stuff like Ocean Terminal, etc. You could go quite far. Never investigated the route through to Seafield but I think it may already have been closed at that point.

Posted 11 years ago #
crowriver
Member

I suspect interest faded because 'not many people cycle'.

Over the past decade they've been busy demolishing much of Whitfield and other schemes from the 1960s including the Hilltown multis. So not sure how many Whirfield residents have had a chance to use the 'safe routes' to school...

Posted 11 years ago #
Arellcat
Moderator

@chdot, There's even a lift when you do! - but there's a stupid lift! I'm not sure you'd get a tandem into it, or a monstrousbike, and anyone turning up with a velomobile wouldn't be able to even turn around. I cycled across the Tay Road Bridge just yesterday.

I was extremely unimpressed with Dundee's cycle provision. In fact, based on an hour of pre-ride Streetview and OSM interrogation, the complete lack of secure cycle parking, and the near total lack of parking in any shape or form, meant that I had to do the 45 miles on my Brompton because there was nowhere safe enough for me to leave my good bike while I went for a meal in the evening.

The lift at Dundee station is also so small as to be almost useless. It's not much of an improvement since the days when Laid Back and I had to carry loaded recumbents up the stairs.

The lack of Sheffield stands and sundry other cycle furniture at least gives the city centre a nice uncluttered appearance.

Posted 11 years ago #
crowriver
Member

@Arelicat, I agree about the lift at Dundee station: almost completely useless. I arrived with a trailer attached to my Raleigh folder one time, and it took two trips to get to the platform: luckily other passengers were very helpful. Most cyclists, including myself, normally just march up/down the stairs with their bikes. I usually just take the spiral staircase to the Tay bridge, haven't used the lift, must try it out. I wonder if a cargo bike would fit though?

I suppose I'm spoiled working at the University, where there's lots of bike parking, both secure and open access. It's a fair point that there's not much bike parking in the centre, but I know of a few spots which are handy depending where you are going.

Dundee station bike parking (Sheffield stands and bike lockers):

http://g.co/maps/uck5m

Reform Street Sheffield stands:

http://g.co/maps/rwk4j

Dundee Contemporary Arts Sheffield stands, Nethergate:

http://g.co/maps/ttn6m

Abertay University bike parking at Constitution Road:

http://g.co/maps/2n9u3

Waterfront covered bike parking:

http://g.co/maps/evqta

This last one is quite new. Great facilities designed for the office workers and nearby residents. Alas Google maps/Strretview completely out of date here, as the parking has been there for over a year...

As to cycle paths, personally I find them pretty good in Dundee, but again it depends where you're going. Also helps if you have a map, just as it does in Edinburgh:

http://visuals.sdgworld.net/temp/dundeetravelactive/downloads/dundeeCycleMap.pdf

Posted 11 years ago #
crowriver
Member

On closer inspection, the Dundee Cycle Map shows the location of all but one of the cycle parking facilities I mentioned above, and plenty more to boot. Looks like Dundee has quite few places to park your bike in the centre of town...

Posted 11 years ago #
alibali
Member

Went through the docks in Dundee last year after the Edinburgh/St. Andrews run (not quit far enough, you know?) on the way to Arbroath.

Had to wake the guard (he nearly had a heart attack, but I did try to be gentle!) but he was a model of helpfulness and guided us through the route and the buzzer/remote lock thing worked just fine.

I think the Courier article is a bit unsympathetic to the port: stuff does break down from time to time.

Posted 11 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"
Wide-scale infrastructure improvements in and around the Leith Docks and Western Harbour areas in Edinburgh have been shelved indefinitely despite the Scottish Government agreeing to provide funding to help get marina, retail, office and leisure developments started.

Council leaders say efforts to attract wind and wave turbine manufacturers to the area will likely be focused on the existing working docklands, which are closed to the general public.
"

http://m.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/politics/leith-port-regeneration-projects-ditched-as-focus-switches-to-renewables-1-2250130

Posted 11 years ago #
Arellcat
Moderator

Dundee station bike parking (Sheffield stands and bike lockers): http://g.co/maps/uck5m

I did see those stands via the gugolcar and the railway station maps that chdot linked to the other day, but I wouldn't lock an expensive bike to them because they are only bolted to the ground, and they're exposed to all and sundry. OSM/OCM only shows the presence of 'cycle parking'.

Dundee Contemporary Arts Sheffield stands, Nethergate: http://g.co/maps/ttn6m

I went in there for food but from the south entrance. In person I found the ten or so cycle lockers were all padlocked, but they wouldn't have fitted my non-standard bike anyway, and I didn't see any Sheffield stands in the vicinity either.

Posted 11 years ago #
crowriver
Member

I went in there for food but from the south entrance.

Ah, okay. The stands in front of the north entrance are pretty safe. Covered by CCTV, lots of folk passing by.

Posted 11 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Also -

Rabies restricts port access

Posted 11 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"

Brian Ferguson (@brianjaffa)

4/23/12 11:48 AM

If anyone bleats about impact of the recession & property crash on #Edinburgh waterfront just point in direction of #Glasgow or #Dundee ...

"

Posted 11 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"
Dundee Travel Active commenced with a three-year Smarter Choices, Smarter Places funded programme (running to March 2011), delivering a package of infrastructure, information and behavioural change measures to promote walking and cycling to residents of the City Centre and surrounding areas. The project drew together behavioural change expertise from the transport and healthcare sectors. Results are showing significant increases in activity levels. More than 3,400 residents have participated in the project to date and 40% of everyone participating reported an increase in physical activity, at a level that is enough to make an improved contribution to health for many people (a little over 20 minutes per day on average).

"

http://www.transformscotland.org.uk/new-report-sets-out-path-to-active-travel-active-scotland.aspx ( in FULL report)

Posted 11 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"

A series of bridge ramps, roads and buildings have been swept away to create a network of green spaces and public boulevards which will “reconnect” the city to its waterfront when it opens in phases from next month.

"

http://www.scotsman.com/news/first-phase-of-dundee-waterfront-revamp-set-for-completion-1-4004129

Posted 8 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"

New cycling forum

"

http://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/news/index/article?article_ref=2827

Posted 7 years ago #
crowriver
Member

Good news!

Posted 7 years ago #
wingpig
Member

I finally saw a cyclist on a road after forty-eight hours. Prior to that there was just one bike on a rack and one Deliveroonian.

Posted 7 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"

‪ The past few weeks have been taken up with the formal details of setting up what will be an influential organisation. So stuff like a constitution, deciding what it is we are about, this web site and so on. We have had a couple of very well attended meetings which have been occupied with that. By the end of the year we will be ready to start making a difference.‬

‪Keep an eye on this site – it will be evolving rapidly. We’ll soon have an active Facebook page too. You will find details of how to join us, details of our next meeting and so on.‬

"

‪https://dundeecycling.wordpress.com/blog

"

We are mainly thinking about cycling as transport for work and leisure. Anyone who has been to the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, or even some cities in the UK will know that cycling works great as basic transport – it is quick, cheap and good for you. Dundee is a compact city and reasonably dry and sunny (for Scotland!) so it is an ideal place to join this 21st century revolution. There is a lot of work to do to catch up with the best cycling cities. The Netherlands started in the 1960s and Copenhagen in the 1990s. If we learn from their experiences we can catch up. It means changing the roads and changing minds.

"

https://dundeecycling.wordpress.com/about

Also https://www.facebook.com/DundeeCycling

Posted 7 years ago #
chdot
Admin

http://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/brian-ferguson-why-dundee-should-be-named-culture-capital-1-4410106

Posted 7 years ago #
Cyclingmollie
Member

A Dundonian told me last year that there's a section of the path along the shore that is only open to cyclists. Walkers aren't permitted to use it.

Posted 7 years ago #
Murun Buchstansangur
Member

Anyone know what the current access arrangements are for cycling NCN1 through Dundee Docks (which is what Cyclingmollie was referring to, I think)? I found a cycle map which states "Secure area: Photo ID required" http://www.dundeetravelinfo.com/downloads/CYCLE_MAP_2017.pdf

And any particular hours that it's out of bounds?

Posted 6 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Re previous post -

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/dundee/815041/revamped-and-reopened-dundee-port-shared-use-path-connects-broughty-ferry-and-city-centre-for-walkers-and-cyclists/

Posted 5 years ago #
chdot
Admin

https://dundeenorthernlinks.com

Posted 5 years ago #
chdot
Admin

“

Big thanks to @CllrAlexander who met with DCF yesterday to discuss Dundee’s active travel issues! We certainly support his ambition to make all of Dundee an Urban Park with inclusive and accessible green spaces!

“

https://twitter.com/dundeecycling/status/1661821861183848452?

Posted 10 months ago #

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