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Fifers - cycling networking meeting

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Started 9 years ago by Instography
Latest reply from chdot

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Instography
Member

Got an email from the council about this today. I'm going, despite it being limited to people who can make a positive contribution. I may have to bite my tongue. Anyone else going? Details below.

**********************************
Do you - or anyone in your household - have an interest in cycling?

Fife council would like to invite you to an informal Cycle Networking event to reveal our plans for developing cycling in Fife Council.

The event - on Wednesday 19th November - will provide workshops and networking for anyone working positively towards developing cycling opportunities in Fife:

Cycle Clubs – officials, volunteers and coaches
Cycling groups – leaders, organisers and volunteers
Shop – team organisers, shop managers
Professionals – those working in cycling as a profession
Informal groups, individuals, interested campaigners or anyone interested in providing a positive contribution

There will be a range of short interactive workshops suitable for a range of interests - topics will include:

Paths, routes and Cycle towns (Dunfermline and Glenrothes)
Mountain Biking in Fife
Next steps for clubs and groups
Planning for inclusion – women, girls, all abilities and new members

This is a free event at Lochgelly High School
Wednesday 19th November
6:30pm - 9pm
Light refreshments and snacks will be provided
Cycle parking is available at the centre
The train station is 2 minutes walk
Car parking is available
If you would like to attend this event, please contact maureen.watt@fife.gov.uk

Posted 9 years ago #
sallyhinch
Member

Interesting definition of inclusion. Because boys have no problems cycling? Even when they're just kids ...

Posted 9 years ago #
Baldcyclist
Member

Aye,I'll be going, previous thread....

http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13900

Posted 9 years ago #
Instography
Member

Sorry. Missed that. See you there.

Posted 9 years ago #
minus six
Member

I'd be interested in some kind of ongoing pressure group to raise awareness of the need to improve cycling infrastructure surrounding FRB, and on the bridge itself, to coincide with Transport Scotland's takeover next year.

I assume most folk think FETA are great, but over the years I don't feel they take cycling very seriously as transport, we use the bridge merely as a trifling courtesy of their largess, on a building contractors lane, and I don't see this improving under Transport Scotland, despite the alleged reallocation of bridge traffic modes.

Certainly if you peruse the board minutes published on the FETA site, cycling infrastructure has never been discussed.

Posted 9 years ago #
Baldcyclist
Member

"I'd be interested in some kind of ongoing pressure group to raise awareness of the need to improve cycling infrastructure surrounding FRB,"

@Bax From other thread...

"
"I've also been trying (without a lot of success) to drum up support for the creation of a 'Fife cycle campaign', has been noticed, may be a brief item on agenda...."

"
This is definitely the sort of thing a Fife Cycle campaign could engage with, after all, those routes surrounding the FRB must be the most widely used cycle routes in Fife.

Certainly worth a discussion? I've been mooting the idea to a number of people on FB groups with varied response, some of the 'sport' groups / clubs not so interested to engage, but some of the other groups more open, must be other groups / people at this meeting who might engage with this?

Was also some talk with CTC folk about the possibility of a wider 'Fife Cycle campaign' holding CTC Group membership which may allow 'member groups' to provide CTC insurance for events, may be a bit of a carrot. Get involved in the Fife Cycle Campaign and get CTC insurance as part of the deal. May get people to join, but not sure it would address the 'engage' aspect...

Posted 9 years ago #
minus six
Member

I switched to British Cycling membership a couple of years back, but I could be persuaded to realign with CTC, should it lend legitimacy to a Fife Cycle Campaign.

Posted 9 years ago #
Baldcyclist
Member

Posted to the FB event, likely be in the 'Mountain Biking in Fife' section of the event...

[+] Embed the video | Video Download Get the Video Plugin

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Posted 9 years ago #
chdot
Admin

http://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/local-headlines/councillor-launches-campaign-to-light-up-burntisland-path-1-3602970

Posted 9 years ago #
Baldcyclist
Member

Weird story regarding that path, it was essentially built with a whip round and organised by the Community council, the named Councillor likes to take credit for the path, and prior fundraising.

Because of this the path was never adopted by the Council until recently (actually it might not be still), and now they want the Council to light it. The path is actually in a good place, and has potential to connect a good proportion of the town to the new Primary school. I have suggested it should be reassigned as shared use (signs could go on the new lamp posts ;) ), and become part of a 'safe cycle' route to the school.

Maybe I should try and have a chat with the councillor mentioned about the path rather than my usual contact. Unfortunately though he doesn't communicate by 'modern' means (never answers email, not on FB or twitter), so my only way to catch him will be in his ahem 'office' at the Jubilee.

Posted 9 years ago #
Baldcyclist
Member

Cycling in Fife Community Networking
Event
Wednesday 19t h Novem ber 6:30pm - 9pm

6:30pm – 6:50pm Refreshments (sandwiches, tea, coffee) & bike
blether
6:50pm-7pm Welcome - Councillor Mark Hood
7pm -7:15pm Cycling in Fife – a brief overview and format of the
evening
7:15pm – 7:40pm Workshop 1
7:40-8:05pm Workshop 2
8:05-8:30pm Workshop 3
8:30pm – 8:50pm Networking, cake, mapping and Q & A
8:50-9pm Close

Workshops:
Workshops will be informal discussions to gather your thoughts and ideas plus
an opportunity to find out what support and opportunities we have to offer.
Topics – Mountain Biking in Fife, Keeping yourself right, Children & Young
people, Community cycling, The Cycle routes network in Fife, Summer of
Cycling 2015, and a closed loop circuit for Fife.

Posted 9 years ago #
Instography
Member

Plenty of grub it seems, which is good. I'll be coming from work and needing some food.

The trouble with the format is that it quickly degenerates into just making a wishlist for the Council to take away and cherrypick from. Alternatively it gets worse and ends up with various cycling interests competing amongst themselves.

How to turn it into something productive? Thoughts people. What should we be suggesting that keeps the focus on the Council dedicating more of its transport budget to cycling?

Posted 9 years ago #
Instography
Member

Seems we might be wasting time talking about a logo.

Posted 9 years ago #
acsimpson
Member

I'll be heading the wrong way over the bridge too early attend. Mrs S. is out for the evening so I can't stay in Fife after work.

Posted 9 years ago #
Baldcyclist
Member

I think a lot of the focus of the meeting will be on developing sport cycling, Fife as a destiIon for mountain biking (as per the video), getting kids involved in sport, etc.

We'lll also be told about the work being carried out in Dunfermline and Glenrothes, this will be interesting.

All this stuff is grand. But I don't get any real sense from Fife council of any real want to invest in better infrastructure projects more widely than those that are Sustrans funded.

There was talk that Fife Council would be spending 5% of transport budget on cycling. I asked my local councillor about this, and she did some digging. She couldn't find anyone prepared to say this was the case.

Regarding the meeting, some things on my list., not in any order..

1. Better reporting channels. I've reported that cone on the A90 path I don't know how many times via the online system, and I know others have too. It's been there over a year and I've never had a reply. I'd like to see a reply to every query. Also other ways to report, ie Twitter, like edinburgh council.

2. Some commitment to infrastructure spending beyond Dunfermline, and Glenrothes projects, and some proportion of transport budget allocated to cycling. Seems to be recognised that 'facilities' are required to 'develop' sport cycling. The same is true for commuting / utility cycling, this needs to be recognised.

3. More integrated transport policy, consider cycling option as part of any major road / path works.

4. I would like to see some sort of 'Fife cycle campaign' group initiated. We need a more formal method of engaging with the council, I think a Fife cycle campaign could fulfil a stakeholder role, and provide a better platform for applying for smaller community funding grants. There seems to be some willingness by council to engage with such a group from discussions I've had.

5. Quicker response times. I've had some minor work to install signage agreed for more than 6 months, and it still hasn't been implemented.

Posted 9 years ago #
Instography
Member

Indeed, I was very dismayed to see the agenda and some browsing confirms that the Cycling Development Officer is a leisure services post not a transport post.

The Cycling Development Officer will be line managed by the Physical Activity & Legacy Manager and be a key member of Active Fife. You will support the development of cycling in Fife by identifying opportunities and gaps in provision and work in partnership with Cycling Scotland, Scottish Cycling, community groups, clubs and other organisations to deliver the outcomes of the Fife Cycling Strategy for people of all ages and at all life stages. You should have a degree or equivalent in sports development or a related subject.

My bold.

Not sure I can be bothered spending two and half hours listening and biting my tongue. I fear it will all be prefaced by some insufferable self-congratulation and mutual back-slapping.

Posted 9 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"Seems to be recognised that 'facilities' are required to 'develop' sport cycling. The same is true for commuting / utility cycling, this needs to be recognised."

This is not just a Fife issue, there is a 'discussion group' in Edinburgh, facilitated by CEC but possibly initiated by Scottish Cycling.

Cycling IS sport and leisure and transport and health and fun.

But there are too many 'officials' with too much of an interest (mostly) in their bit/remit.

It would be nice if Fife could have some sort of all-cycling-interests group. But if that is too 'difficult' (for whatever reason) it would be good for there to be a cycling/active travel one to engage with the transport/tourism/leisure bits of the council perhaps more the sport/sport as economic development bits (if Fife Council is big enough to have all those bits??)

Cycling for people to get places more than 'cycling after you've driven to the "destination" '. Cycle to school/work/shops etc.

Posted 9 years ago #
chdot
Admin

I'm assuming I know who is organising this event - an occasional contributor here.

She has an active interest in 'cycling as sport', but also in getting children interested in 'cycling' in ALL forms.

(and an "active interest in lifelong participation" she once told me!)

Posted 9 years ago #
Baldcyclist
Member

"...that the Cycling Development Officer is a leisure services post not a transport post"

I think there were 2 posts advertised, 1 was sport / leisure specific, and the other was a more general post which was advertised a couple of months after the sport post.

Posted 9 years ago #
Baldcyclist
Member

@chdot, aye.

Posted 9 years ago #
Instography
Member

Been doing some homework. I'd forgotten about this one.

http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12170

Posted 9 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Apparently about 90 people have signed up for this event, so plenty of scope for networking!

Perhaps some of CCE's 'Forth Bridges contingent' can do a bit of networking and come up with an outline for a 'Fife Cycle Group' before this meeting?

Or perhaps a 'South Fife Cycle Group'?

Posted 9 years ago #
chdot
Admin

You have a route planner -

http://fife.cyclestreets.net

Posted 9 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Presume some people on here are involved in this -

http://www.fifecycling.com/?page_id=97

No idea if it could be any sort/part of a 'Fife cycling campaign'.

Posted 9 years ago #
Baldcyclist
Member

I've spoken to them, mainly a sport group. Some of the 'members' have expressed an interest. I'm not sure the person that runs it would get involved (he didn't express any interest when I approached the FB group).

Part of the reason I was exploring CTC group membership as a 'carrot' to try and get some of the sport groups who run events without insurance (like this group) to get involved.

Posted 9 years ago #
Baldcyclist
Member

I've to date contacted:

Fife cycling group (as above)
Dalgety Bay Cycling Group
Burntisland Cycling Group ( I set up this group as a 'toe dip' into a wider Fife campaign idea)
Dunfermline Cycle start group.
I've also composed emails to the 'clubs' that I know of, but not hit the send button yet...
Mooted the idea here, and on Twitter.

I'm now pretty sure that there would be plently people willing to join / get involved in such a group if it existed.

What I have found more difficult is to do, is muster a group of 'leaders' (ie people who set up disparate groups) who would be willing to get round a table and work out what a group might look like, what it's functions might be, and do the graft to set it up.

'Here' is where I've found people most willing to engage with that...

I had also hoped that the Networking meeting may be a place to try and garner support, indeed I have had the "conversation noted" noises from the organisers of the event. I really do think the council would engage from the .

Posted 9 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"

@ActiveFife: The Cycling Networking event is now full! Over 80 people have signed up to chat bike next week. @FifeCouncil #cycling #fife

"

Posted 9 years ago #
Baldcyclist
Member

Sweepstake on how many people arrive by bike?

I'll take a pop at 4.

Posted 9 years ago #
chdot
Admin

10

Posted 9 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Nothing to do with encouraging cycling in Fife at all (of course).

"

ONE of Scotland’s largest urban regeneration schemes has been unveiled in Fife with proposals for £500m of investment and the potential to create 3,500 jobs.

The 120-acre Rosyth Waterfront development would see five zones incorporating a business and employment park; the Rosyth Gateway commercial zone with a supermarket, leisure centre, restaurants and large stores; shops, cafes, bars galleries, housing and waterfront gardens built in the shadow of the Forth road and rail bridges.

"

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/fife-set-for-immense-urban-regeneration-scheme-1-3608954

Though it could be....

Posted 9 years ago #

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