Tell us what passenger transport could look like in an ideal Fife

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As part of a long-running conversation about ways the council helps people travel around Fife, staff will be out and about during the last week of November to help residents understand the issues and share their ideas for the future. This is a new type of engagement exercise for the council and we need as many people as possible to get involved.

Fife Council invests some £22 million each year in subsidised passenger transport such as public bus services, rail concessions, school transport and demand responsive transport.At this stage, we’re asking what you’d like to see in an ideal world - irrespective of budgets or the way things are now. This is about gathering completely new ideas, thinking about unmet needs or alternative solutions that might change people’s need for these transport services.

Find out more about the passenger transport services we provide now, join the online debate and submit feedback by registering with the citizen participation platform, ‘Let’s Talk about our Fife’. Even if you don’t have a suggestion, this site lets you rate and comment on other people’s ideas, which could give us valuable insight into what might be a well-supported or unpopular change.

We're speaking to a range of community groups, community councils and parent councils to offer face to face conversations about the future of passenger transport services. Encourage people to get involved. If they can’t get online, look out for opportunities to speak to officers at school events or in community facilities. Freepost suggestion cards will also be available through local offices, libraries and community centres.

Anyone can drop by for a conversation about how resources might be used differently for better results at the following times and locations:

  • Monday 25 November            Dunfermline Bus Station       2pm - 4pm
  • Monday 25 November            Halbeath Park & Ride             4.30pm - 6.30pm
  • Tuesday 26 November            Glenrothes Bus Station          9.30am - 11.30am
  • Tuesday 26 November            Kirkcaldy Bus Station              2pm – 4pm
  • Wednesday 27 November      Leven Bus Station                   9.30am - 11.30am
  • Thursday 28 November          Ferrytoll Park & Ride               4.30pm - 6.30pm
  • Friday 29 November               St Andrews Bus Station           10am - 12noon

 

Cllr Altany Craik, Convener of the Economy, Tourism, Strategic Planning & Transportation Committee said: “People travel for lots of different reasons depending on their age and life circumstances. Whether it’s to get to school, work or leisure activities, to reach facilities from rural locations or to be able to live independently and avoid social isolation. At some point we’ll all be affected by these issues and the services that are available in Fife, so please get involved and get your family or friends involved.

“We’re not just looking to hear what works well now or how existing services could be improved – though that will be useful - we want you to think big. Is there a completely different way of meeting people’s needs? Should we do less of one thing but a lot more of another? At this stage of the process any idea is welcome even if it seems like a pipedream! In the new year we’ll explore how people’s ideal-world solutions sit alongside current policy, legislation, contracts and other practicalities, so that we can refine ideas ahead of a public vote on service options."

Background information is online at http://our.fife.scot/transportingpeople  See why we provide different transport services, how people use them and how much they cost.

 

"Let's Talk about our Fife" is a new platform for citizen participation. It will increasingly allow the Council to open up debates and gather feedback, as well as letting Fife’s residents share ideas and submit proposals, comment on other people’s input and participate in votes and polls. Through the various sections of the system, citizen-generated ideas can lead to concrete actions by Fife Council and partners.

This online platform is being developed by COSLA for Scottish councils to use, so it’s separate from the council’s website. Anyone can read the conversations but to join in you have to register in Let's Talk about our Fife and verify your account.

Let’s talk about transporting people

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Fife Council is starting a long-term engagement process in order to increase public participation in designing core services and deciding how a significant portion of its budget is spent.

We’re asking residents to find out more about the passenger transport services we provide, which help people travel around Fife for a variety of reasons. We invest £22 million each year in these services.

Over the year ahead, we want Fifers to help us explore whether resources could be used differently, for better results. This is about working together to design the best solutions for the future.

We’ve published a range of information to help people understand what we invest in at the moment, and why we think it’s important

http://our.fife.scot/transportingpeople

This includes supported local bus services, rail concessions, school transport and demand responsive transport.

  • Right now, people have a chance to understand the impact these services have on Fifer’s lives, how much they cost and to tell the council what they think already works well, or to ask questions about the services.
  • In October and November, we’ll ask what solutions people would like to see in an ideal world. This will involve an interactive online conversation where residents will be able to rate and comment on each other’s ideas, as well as face to face conversations with transport users.
  • Early in 2020, we’ll start to consider how ‘the dream’ matches up with policy, legislation, existing contracts and other practicalities, so that we can refine ideas and gather some more specific feedback.
  • Later in 2020, we’ll put some concrete options up for a vote.

This is not a traditional consultation process. Several phases of engagement, including opportunities to get involved offline as well as online, will explore a complex set of services, which are inextricably linked to other public services and wider aspects of community life.  This is one of the ways in which we are taking forward participatory budgeting (PB) in Fife.  This is a new approach for councils and we will be learning from it as we go.  You can find out more about PB, and what we’re aiming to achieve through https://pbscotland.scot/charter

Please encourage your family, friends and local communities to look out for information and get involved.

The first phase of the exercise is live now, with information available at http://our.fife.scot/transportingpeople

To join online debates and submit feedback Fifers need to register with a new citizen participation platform, ‘Let’s Talk about our Fife’. This online platform is being developed by COSLA for Scottish councils to use. It will increasingly allow councils to open up debates and gather feedback, as well as letting residents share ideas and submit proposals, comment on other people’s input and participate in votes and polls. Through the various sections of the system, citizen-generated ideas can lead to actions by Fife Council and partners.

Winter Cycling – Be Safe, Be Seen

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The nights are drawing in, so it’s time to get your bike and yourself ready for cycling in the dark.

Lights are mandatory for cycling at night in the UK, so a white light on the front and a red light on the back.

Increase your visibility by wearing reflective clothing, there is a wide range available from jackets, gloves to shoe covers, so visit your local cycling shop to see what is available.

Fluorescent clothing can help you be more visible during the day, with reflective clothing being more effective at night. This can include reflective panniers, rucksack covers and even helmet covers.

Adapt you cycling style to allow for the more unpredictable cycling conditions and adjust your speed to allow for extra grit on the road and black ice.

 

There are more tips in greater detail on this page from Road Cycling UK.

Ten road cycling tips to stay safe this winter

How to Reach Zero Emissions – St Andrews Space for Cycling Event

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Event hosted by St Andrews Space for Cycling

Thursday 5th December 7-9pm  Lecture Room 2, Gateway Building, North Haugh,  St Andrews University

Professor Boyd will discuss his views on the lifestyle and other changes needed to respond to the climate crisis. There’s a conundrum – how do we shift ourselves from consuming? We need to do more about learning to live sustainably. We talk about sustainability but we don’t really know what it means. It will be followed by a short AGM of St Andrews Space for Cycling.

See link below for more details.

Free event, no booking required.

https://www.facebook.com/events/441998473409544/

Free Bikeability Scotland Cycling Training offered to All Schools in Fife

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Yesterday Falkland Primary School children celebrated completion of their Bikeability Scotland cycling training, as part of a nationwide programme to get more kids on their bikes.

 

Headteacher of Falkland Primary School, Laura Munro said: 

 “Bikeability Scotland training has increased the confidence of many pupils now keen to access the countryside around their local area on their bikes. We had several outings last year with those who had completed Bikeability 2 into the local area as part of our own curriculum Falkland Footsteps where we promote adventuring.  Groups cycled through the estate and planned journeys to Strathmiglo all under their own steam – developing fitness, resilience, teamwork.

 “Falkland Primary have been involved in Bikeability for over 5 years now. It’s been great having the Bikeability Scotland team come along and deliver this training to our pupils. It has been such an easy process and the children love it.

 

“Bikeability Scotland training has even influenced our school travel plan, informing steps for change relating to reducing the traffic around our school.”

Research by Cycling Scotland has found that 65 per cent of children are more confident cycling after Bikeability Scotland training and 82% of parents say they will let their children cycle more as a result.*

 

Bikeability at Falkland primary school

Bikeability at Falkland primary school

Bikeability at Fife Cycle Park

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It was busy busy at Fife Cycle Park on 28th October as pupils from Lochgelly South and Cardenden Primary schools worked on their cycling skills. The children were there to take part in Bikeability, which is the national cycle training scheme. This was level 1, where basic cycling skills are covered off road. The teaching was supported by Fife Council’s very own Bikeability Co-ordiantor, Shealagh Crabbe, along with Cycle Trainers and staff from Fife Cycle park.

The cycle park provides an excellent place to work on bike skills, and well done and thank you to everyone who took part.

Bikeability at Fife Cycle Park

 

Bike Maintenance Classes

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Get your bike into shape this autumn at Fife Cycle Park with new Bike Maintenance Classes. A series of three classes will be held at Fife Cycle Park, Lochgelly, in conjunction with Leslie Bike Shop.

Learn how to do safety checks, brake and gear tweaks along with general maintenance and care in these evening 2 hour sessions, for only £10.

Tuesday 19th November 7-9pm

Tuesday 26th November 7-9pm

Monday 9th December 7-9pm

Thursday 12th December 7-9pm

Call 01592 583493 or email cycle.park@fife.gov.uk to book your place.

 

FCP Bike maintenance class poster

CLEAR Buckhaven Autumn Cycling Events

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CLEAR  Buckhaven host a weekly cycling event, alternating between a led ride and a bike repair session. These events are free to attend, so just turn up and enjoy some autumn cycling or give your bike some TLC.

Dates for your diary –

Email CLEAR Buckhaven for more details ( clearfife@aol.com ) or check their Facebook page. 

Schoolfest Leven WoW Launch Saturday 7th September

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Mountfleurie, St Agatha’s and Parkhill primary schools in Leven are hosting Schoolfest this Saturday 7th September in the grounds of St Agatha’s. They are promising a fantastic family fun day, and all are welcome to this free event.

Living Streets WoW programme will be launched and Bikeability will be there with the smoothie bike, so look out for us there!