Active travel infrastructure

What it asks

What the petitioner did first

1. 29 Jun 2017
   Public Petitions Committee

   New Petitions
   1 mention
2. 21 Dec 2017
   Public Petitions Committee

   Continued Petitions
   1 mention
3. 26 Apr 2018
   Public Petitions Committee

   Continued Petitions
   1 mention
4. 22 Nov 2018
   Public Petitions Committee

   Continued Petitions
   1 mention
5. 20 Jun 2019
   Public Petitions Committee

   Continued Petitions
   1 mention

1. Scotland236 73.3%
2. United Kingdom80 24.8%
3. England1 0.3%
4. Wales1 0.3%
5. South Africa1 0.3%
6. Germany1 0.3%
7. Denmark1 0.3%
8. United States1 0.3%

1. Eilidh 24 Apr 2017
   Cycling and walking must be designed into projects from the start. Designing for cars or trams first, then trying to squeeze in pedestrians and cyclists leads to poor solutions.
2. David M 24 Apr 2017
   It is most cost effective to design and build the solutions for people who walk and cycle at the same time as we design and build the solutions for people who drive. If we are to fight the obesity epidemic and tackle climate change, we must encourage more people to choose active travel. This is the most cost-effective way to do it: design it in from the start.
3. John Chivall 24 Apr 2017
   Scotland faces serious challenges in tackling the growing burdens of preventable ill health, social exclusion and declining town centre economies. Transport policy lies at the intersection of all of these. Until road design meets the needs of people without access to private motor vehicles, we will continue to see avoidable deaths from air pollution, obesity, diabetes and car crash trauma. Until people find it safer, more convenient and more pleasant to shop locally than to drive to out of town retail developments, our town centres will continue to wither. Until communities suffering high levels of deprivation have reliable, safe and well maintained walking and cycling links to areas of employment, people will continue to need to spend too much of their income running a car in order to access jobs and shops.
   
   We know from the experience of countries like Denmark and the Netherlands that by putting solutions for active travel at the centre of be developments, it is possible to enable people to lead more active lives, spend money locally, avoid polluting the air we all breathe and reduce the unacceptable death toll that we currently suffer on our roads.
   
   It is inconceivable that in the 21st century we are still designing roads that discourage travel by the most sustainable, healthy and economically beneficial modes of transport. I would even go so far as to say that is an immoral waste of taxpayers' money to keep subsidising through capital expenditure those who choose to drive private motor cars at the proven expense of our health service, justice system and small businesses.
4. Andrew 25 Apr 2017
   The Transport Minister's words about active travel are hollow and meaningless when projects like Sheriffhall get their already meagre cycle lanes slashed between consultation and final single option
5. Sally Hinchcliffe 25 Apr 2017
   Absolutely agree
   - and not just for transport investment. No new school or hospital should be built without also building safe cycle routes to it. Look at the new Dumfries hospital, where cyclists and pedestrians will have to cross a 60mph road without a crossing
6. Cris Thacker 25 Apr 2017
   It's a positive start but we need more bike paths everywhere, not just around sherrifhall
7. Phil Jones 25 Apr 2017
   We need well designed infrastructure to really grow cycling as an active travel activity. Perceived danger is a major barrier to those that wish to cycle. Decent, joined up, safe cycle lanes are a must if you are serious about achieving 10% modal share. Money spent on cycling will pay back far more than that spent on roads. Social, economic, environmental, health and so many more areas will benefit. Please build cycle paths, paint on a road doesn't work. Thank you.
8. Peter Brown 25 Apr 2017
   Cycle lanes beside any new.upgraded road or rail project should be mandatory. should have been done for the Tweeddale rail link.
9. Neil macPherson 25 Apr 2017
   I urge all cyclists and interested parties to sign this petition as only with continued pressure on politicians can we achieve the changes in political attitudes and infrastructure that we need to reverse the dominance of the car in our transport system.
10. Jane Burridge 25 Apr 2017
    Sustainable transport should be higher up the agenda.
11. John Donnelly 25 Apr 2017
    The Pedal on Parliament rides on the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd April, with over 5,000 people attending in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Inverness and Glasgow, demonstrates there is a demand for this.
12. Kiran 26 Apr 2017
    Reading the other comments I don't feel i can add much to the already sterling arguments made here!
    All I know is that if Scotland is to have any kind of respectability in the world we need to be seen as a leader of innovation, development and inclusivity. Active travel is a great way to boost Scotlands image as a clean, well thought out county. Currently Scotland lags behind other European countries, and is more in line with the English. But we can do so much better than the English! Invest in cycling for a better future!
13. KAT 26 Apr 2017
    Need a national strategy for long-term development of cycling and walking infrastructure and organisations with resources, expertise and authority to deliver.
14. Henry Whaley 26 Apr 2017
    The Edinburgh Bypass is a huge barrier to active travel. It is straightforward to build into the designs a direct and appealing cycle and walking bridge. This should not take a petition to be included.
15. KMiller 28 Apr 2017
    Out of all the options for improving sheriffhall Transport Scotland chose the 1960s car based solution, despite the fact the a workshop they held with stakeholders concluded that the best option was an off line solution, that allowed the existing alignment to be used for segregated active travel under the A720. This demonstrates where Transport Scotlands priorities lie perfectly.
16. Brian Salvona 28 Apr 2017
    A safe route by bike at this location is overdue
17. Renae Bell 1 May 2017
    I would like to see a fully linked cycle line throughout midlothian and into Edinburgh. It's a massive barrier for anyone considering cycling for their commute. It is also integral that parents can more safely encourage the next generation to cycle.
18. David White 2 May 2017
    Cycling and walking are rightly seen as an important part of the solution to the major problems of inactive travel (eg. poor health due to poor air quality and sedentary lifestyles, and their costs to the NHS, and of course climate change consequences). However, is it reasonable to encourage cycling when it's so dangerous, due to so much motor traffic? Ways must be found of discouraging car use. Many motorists who would like to cycle, stay in their cars as they can see it's so dangerous, thereby ensuring it remains dangerous. We can break this vicious circle in Scotland.
19. Colin Miller 2 May 2017
    We need a cycle path around Edinburgh and in to Edinburgh. This means crossing the bypass at several points. Please factor this in to the Sherriffhall Roundabout, and other key points along the A720 to enable cycling around the City and not just in and out of it.
20. Martin Cassels 3 May 2017
    Communting from Newtongrange to Edinburgh each day you start to notice many potential cycle paths and footpaths that were in the design but dropped. Option B for Sheriffhall isn't the right choice. Also, why is there no footpath on the road running from Lothianbridge to the Tesco roundabout and onward to Dobbies? Looks like the idea was there but only enough funding for the corners a the roundabouts until you get onto the path proper near Dobbies. Not even having a footpath is crazy and dangerous, people have to walk along the (rough) grass verge at the side of the road every day on a national speed limit section of road. It scares me to think about it everytime one of my kids says they are going to walk to Tesco, and the thought of them cycling is even worse. I do it daily but it's not a confident experience. Start catering for people who are trying to keep costs down, reduce emissions and fully support active travel!
21. Graeme Walker 3 May 2017
    We need a cycle path in to Edinburgh. This means crossing the bypass at several points. Please factor this in to the Sherriffhall Roundabout,
22. John 8 May 2017
    What started off as a way to make someone a quick buck with the sale of a car is now being used as a concealed weapon. All that damage and death caused with no due process got old decades ago.
23. Martin Bartos 10 May 2017
    Getting Active Travel infrastructure backed by national policy important, backing it with additional resources is vital at a time when Councils are in financial difficulties maintaining the infrastructure they have. We want good infrastructure people will use, not the cheapest option which might tick a policy box handed down centrally without an extra penny.
24. Stuart McKenzie 14 May 2017
    Sheriff Hall roundabout is the scariest place I've ever cycled around
    - you really do dice with death everyone you go round it on the road. Crossing as a pedestrian is just as life threatening. If government is serious about healthy life style choices then it must help facilitate alternatives to the car
25. Stuart Bailey 16 May 2017
    I get nervous on Sheriffhall in a car never mind a bike. If a new roundabout is to be put in place then suitable infrastructure for, not only cyclists, but pedestrians too needs to be considered.
26. Bruce Thomson 16 May 2017
    Do something about Bathgate please, almost zero for cyclists.
27. James 16 May 2017
    Through no fault of my own, I was hit by a car the Thursday before Christmas while commuting to work on my bike. This was not at the Sheriffhall roundabout, but at 'Murder roundabout' in Bathgate (also known as Boghall roundabout). I don't believe the driver who hit me was being malicious, just careless while driving on a road not designed with cyclists in mind. If we want to get more people cycling, we need to make the roads safer