I’m representing Cycling UK at the Sustainability Festival in Aberdeen on Saturday. The festival is a celebration of sustainable living and a first for Aberdeen so I’m not 100% sure what to expect. There’ll be lots of wonderful produce from local farmers and also green community organisations like Aberdeen Climate Action and Cycling UK.
I’ll be promoting active travel and spreading the word about the bike path for Union Street which is currently before the city council. It’s not enough for me to submit the petition and now sit back and wait and hope. What’s needed is sustained pressure from Aberdeen voters. If you vote in local council elections and you haven’t already then please contact the city council and ask them to support the petition for a segregated bike path on Union Street. All their email addresses are listed here. Email your own member or even better, email all of them!
If we want to turn Aberdeen into a “Cycling City” then we need to make cycling an attractive option for all ages and all abilities.To achieve this we need segregated bike paths that are separated from motor vehicles by a physical barrier. If a 6-year-old is safe cycling around the city then it’s a good place for everyone to cycle.
I ordered this banner especially for the festival. It cost me about £30.
Please write to the council and tell them that for every £1 we spend on cycling infrastructure, £5.50 is returned to the community in benefits. Cycling can solve our traffic congestion problem, pollution problem, obesity problem, NHS problem, and even reduce road maintenance costs and absenteeism.
rachel.blog 
In the US, a usual tool for getting the attention of councils is to do an endorsement process featuring a questionnaire and interview followed by informing voters of the results.
Is the questionnaire and interview for councillors?
Yes. I’ve been through many such processes, so would be happy to provide deets. But this is such standard practice here I’m surprised it’s not similarly common in the UK.