A visit to Dundee’s busy waterfront will tell you that cycling is a popular way to get around the city.
Many cyclists enjoy the pedestrianised path along the River Tay here, which now essentially connects Monifieth to the east with Invergowrie to the west of the city.
There is also the 25-mile Green Circular route that circumnavigates Dundee.
But the city’s roads and cycle paths can prove difficult to navigate for cyclists and people with disabilities.
Graham MacBain is an adaptive cycling coordinator at the Dundee Dragons, which is a multi-sport wheelchair club.
“People may have to take themselves down a drop kerb and negotiate the way up a live road”, he says.
“Until they find somewhere they can go back onto the pavement because of obstructions in the way.
“The condition of the pavements and the position of drop kerbs need to be improved.
“Pavements need to be made that little bit wider because it creates just another problem for people with disabilities.”
I meet Graham in the pedestrianised Dundee Cycle Hub near the V&A.
He is coordinating one of the Dragons’ three weekly cycling sessions with the help of three British or Scottish Cycling qualified ride leaders in high vis jackets.
Dundee Dragons: City needs to ‘adapt’ when it comes to cycling and wheeling
The issues Graham raises are all too familiar for the club, which added cycling to its extensive list of activities in 2022.
Graham believes that Scottish councils should be looking across the North Sea for inspiration.
“There is a different mindset in the likes of Germany and the Netherlands because they started with bikes and then introduced cars,” he says.
“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing in Berlin because there was a mutual respect between cyclists and motorists.”
Several of the club’s “ever-expanding” fleet of 37 bikes are laid out in preparation for the club’s Tuesday ride westwards towards the airport.
The wheelchair loading trike is particularly impressive.
“We make sure the bikes are best suited to the users and that they get the best out of them”, adds Graham.
“The (Dundee City) council needs to keep the issues people with disabilities face in mind.
“It’s about how you adapt what you’ve got.
“That’s what we’re about and that’s why we use adaptive cycles. They need to take that step further to help people with disabilities.
Dundee City Council ‘frightened of getting on the wrong side of motorists’
Valentine Scarlett is chairperson of Dundee Cycling Forum.
She has fibromyalgia and uses an adaptive electric trike to get around the city from her home in Lochee.
The forum sees its role as negotiating with the council to improve city cycling through introducing more cycle lanes, for example.
Valentine argues that riding a bike in Dundee and in European cities is like “night and day”.
“The state of the roads is just appalling and there are potholes all over them”, she says.
“Cyclists should feel safe and that they don’t have to vie for space with motorists on the road.
“I have to make difficult choices about the routes I take through the city to get to the waterfront.
“People have said to me they used to cycle but don’t now because the traffic has increased so much.
“Many others are trapped in their locations by potholes, raised kerbs, no space on the roads, and too much traffic, which makes it a terrifying prospect.
“And they are actually frightened to cycle in the city, which is such a pity.”
Valentine compares getting some sections of the council on side to “moving mountains”.
And she is frustrated by what she argues is the slow process of the council’s plans to implement more cycling infrastructure over the next 10 years.
“I don’t understand why it takes so long”, adds Valentine.
“Other cities have been years ahead. But Dundee has just started thinking about it.
“They are not a brave council when it comes to cycling and I think it comes down to worrying about votes.
“They are frightened of getting on the wrong side of the motorists.”
What are Dundee City Council’s plans for cycling and wheeling?
Walking and cycling provision is a key part of the local authority’s Sustainable Transport Development Plan 2024-2034.
The plan sets out eight active travel schemes that it wants to deliver over the next 10 years.
These include a new footbridge over the railway line at Magdalen Green and improvements between Broughty Ferry and Monifieth.
The plan sets out aims to increase the number of people “cycling and wheeling” around the city through developing a network of active travel routes.
It notes that this will benefit public health and air quality, while helping to fight climate change.
Highlighting some of the hurdles to this, the plan states: “The climate and the topography of the city means that cycling will always be a challenge for some journeys.
“And the streetscape and urban traffic discourages cycling in some locations”
It also recognises that safety fears can act as a major barrier to active travel.
According to the council, about a third of all accidents on Dundee’s roads involve pedestrians and cyclists.
A Dundee City Council spokesperson said: “We will continue to listen to and involve communities as accessibility solutions for the future are designed and delivered.
“We are confident that as a city working together we can make improvements for everyone using our roads and footways.
“There has been a huge investment of tens of millions of pounds in Dundee over the last few years into active travel facilities.
“This includes the Broughty Ferry to Monifieth active travel corridor as well as improvements across communities.”
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