Residents in rural South Lanarkshire encouraged to help progress sustainable transport options

Residents in and around Crawford & Elvanfoot, Glespin and Rigside & Douglas Water are being encouraged to complete a 'Make Your Way' sustainable transport survey which will help the communities reduce their carbon footprint and make everyday journeys by walking, cycling and travelling by public transport a more feasible option. 

Responses gathered will be used to identify one sustainable transport focused project to progress per community, programme a series of walking and cycling events and activities based on each community’s requirements, gather evidence for a new, flexible bus service to the south of the A70 and scope out green volunteering opportunities. 

The Make Your Way surveys are available as paper copies or online as follows. Children are encouraged to complete the online Under 16s surveys too. All surveys should be completed by Sunday 13 June: 

• Crawford and Elvanfoot: Paper copies can be picked up and returned to the box at Crawford Community Hall and Elvanfoot phonebox. The survey can be completed online at http://bit.ly/MYWCandE2021 and the Under 16s survey at http://bit.ly/MYWCandEU16s 
• Glespin: Paper copies can be requested by contacting Glespin Community Group on glespincommunitygroup@hotmail.com. The survey can be completed online at http://bit.ly/MYWGlespin2021 and the Under 16s survey at http://bit.ly/MYWGlespinU16s  
• Rigside and Douglas Water: Paper copies can be picked up and returned to Atwal’s. The survey can be completed online at http://bit.ly/MYWRandDW2021 and the Under 16s survey at http://bit.ly/MYWRandDWU16s  

The project is managed by the Rural Development Trust’s Community Action Lanarkshire programme with support from Paths for All Smarter Choices Smarter Places programme and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport SPT.  

This year’s programme follows the creation of 16 Make Your Way active travel maps in rural / semi-rural South Lanarkshire since 2016 as well as nine Make Your Way Sustainable Travel Action Plans (STAPs) in 2019. A number of these maps including sustainable travel options and active travel resources are available at www.makeyourwayclydesdale.com. The STAPs can be read at http://bit.ly/MYWSTAPs  

Project Officer, Sarah O’Sullivan, says, “Each of the surveys have been created in collaboration with community members as part of local Steering Groups, ensuring that they are representative of each community’s requirements. Community Action Lanarkshire encourage as many residents as possible to complete the surveys to make sure that everyone has their say in creating a greener and more sustainable future in each of the villages.” 

A bespoke community programme of walking, cycling and sustainable transport activities and events will be scheduled over the summer and autumn months, following the results of the survey, with cycling support programmes beginning in August, in Crawford Primary School, Douglas Primary School and Rigside Primary School. 

Digital and physical sustainable transport information packages will be created for each of the communities, highlighting existing services and support, alongside the development of feasible and costed options for one priority active and sustainable travel project per community, with a view to identifying funding to take the project forward.  

The project will also support the installation of Make Your Way active travel mapboards and wayfinding for Crawford, Elvanfoot, Glespin and Rigside and Douglas Water, which was developed in 2020 and delayed due to COVID. 

To find out more and to sign up to join the Steering Groups, please contact Project Officer Sarah O’Sullivan at sarah.osullivan@ruraldevtrust.co.uk / 07986 798 098.