edi.bike | 18th Sep '23
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👋🏼Welcome to the week! Pull up a chair and let’s talk bikes and auld reekie.
💫 News this Week
👀 Local activist group Infrasisters have shared this provocation ahead of a national day of protest on 30th Sep demanding #SafeStreetsNow - no local events we’re yet aware of but one to look out for as the end of the month approaches;
😡 Sadly The Wee Spoke Hub’s cargo bike has been stolen - have a look at the poster that’s been shared and get in touch with them if you spot it;
🍕Thanks to those who contacted the Omni Centre regarding additional cycle parking – who responded:
We are reviewing the current arrangement and certainly looking at options to improve / increase the number of bicycle lock-up facilities around OMNI. This will take some further planning and engagement with the City of Edinburgh Council but rest assured we will be making improvements
Sophie replied asking if they had a timeline and they said they have a number of ongoing projects so 'can't commit to a timeline but hope to deliver before the end of the year' - great news and big thanks to Sophie for bringing that to everyone’s attention :)
🛠 Fantastic community resource Edinburgh Tool Library are looking for donations of unused bike tools – “All donations will help us kickstart an exciting season of cycling activities and repair sessions” so get in touch if you can help. Speaking of ETL – volunteers there recently received cargo bike training from Cargo Bike Movement to facilitate tool library transfers 🚲
😎 After a slightly damp start, Porty Bike Fest was a roaring success. Over 1000 people attended – and 70 volunteers supported – the event to offer people of all ages and abilities the opportunity to share in the joy of cycling;
📣 The All Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling & Walking have shared their 2023 Road Justice report [PDF] - a comprehensive national review with ten significant recommendations to government for the protection of road users walking, wheeling and cycling.
🛣 Road Closures and Route Issues
⚠️ On South bridge? Look out for this killer pothole…
🚦 Temporary lights on Cowgate at the Salvation Army today for a Crane to operate;
⛏ East Trinity Rd closed between Trinity Way and Trinity Rd for emergency Scottish Gas works;
🚚 Hawthornvale closed near Lindsay Road for resurfacing 19th to 24th Sep;
🧭 Southhouse Cres closed between Southhouse Dr and Southhouse Ter on 20th Sep for ironwork repairs;
⛔ Kirk Cramond and Cramond Village closed 4pm - 6pm on 23rd Sep for the Scottish Ganesh Festival’s procession.
Ongoing…
Major resurfacing works on Regent Rd, Waterloo Pl and Princes St lasts around 6 more weeks;
Overnight resurfacing works of Haymarket Yards junction and some of the A8 around Haymarket train station for works relating to the new segregated West-East 'CCWEL' route from today, running 7.30pm to 5am until around 22nd Sep;
Braidburn Terrace closed (dismount to pass via pavement) at the end of the Greenbank-Meadows Quiet Route while the new pedestrian and cycle realm enhancement works are underway, with overnight closures of Comiston Rd coming later in the project including bus diversions;
Ongoing updates on the Council’s Road reports page as the week unfolds and via @edintravel on “X” - Twitter, but Somehow Worse™
🌈 Infrastructure Progress & Consultations
📹 Transport Convener Cllr Scott Arthur shared a 40m video conversation with MSP Daniel Johnson as they cycled the Greenbank to Meadows Quiet Route, the current subject of an open consultation and changes in the coming year;
🔍 It would appear from this article about the return of a statue of Sherlock Holmes that the pedestrian / bike passthrough island on Picardy place will be completed and open in the next week or so. It’s not completely clear at present whether the cycle lanes shown on the plans will be open yet - but when they are, they link the end of the new CCWEL route at York Place to the start of the Leith Walk cycle lanes outside the Omni Centre;
📋 East Lothian Councillor Shona McIntosh shared details of a survey regarding walking, wheeling and cycling links between Dunbar, East Linton, Haddington & Tranent, seeking feedback.
💬 Transport & Environment Committee (‘TEC’) Meeting
This week saw the council’s committee for robbing us of our righteous vehicular freedoms dealing with transport in the city meeting to discuss a number of projects; our brave contributor Andrew trawled through the webcast of the meeting so we don’t have to!
🛶 A Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) was approved to acquire land to create an access link onto the Roseburn to Union Canal link at Duff Street Lane;
🏢 This report was discussed on a Workplace Parking Levy (WPL), presenting the pros and cons - in discussing the specifics, councillors agreed to track and report on the City Mobility Plan's 30% reduction in car kilometres driven to help inform future decisions on which tools, such as a WPL, the council can use to reach its 2030 goals;
💰The Roads and Transport Infrastructure Investment strategy was discussed, which details capital spend on infrastructure improvements such as road resurfacing and reallocation of space:
It presents a Road Condition Index (RCI), a percentage of roads needing maintenance;
Edinburgh’s RCI is 35.1%, a whopping 1.1% improvement on last year (perhaps hold the champagne, as it required an additional £11 million);
It notes that road improvements that follow the Street Design Guidance (aiming to repair the road and reallocate space for active travel) cost 3 to 4 times more and take three times longer than a like-for-like road renewal. The Street Design Guidance has brought us such schemes as Holyrood Road and Portobello Road.
What does the future look like?
The report suggests that our roads will get worse at the current rate of capital spending, and further annual investment is required;
The report presents several investment levels to prevent decline;
Maintaining our RCI and also follow the Street Design Guidance would require an additional £8-10 million (or £2-4 million for like-for-like renewals);
Improving our RCI and following the Street Design Guidance would require an additional £10-15 million.
Councillors also highlighted how significant RCI is:
💬Cllr Kevin Lang, Lib Dems: “There are two things that people expect in return more than anything else for the council tax they pay – they want their bins collected, and they want their roads and pavements fixed, and that almost trumps everything else”;
💬Cllr Scott Arthur, Transport Convenor: “Getting this right, gives us the right to be heard on all the other stuff we do.”
The council was not deciding which strategy to go with; the report is to inform budget decisions happening early next year.
💚 The Greens brought forward a motion on the Greenbank to Meadows Quiet Route, namely the ongoing consultation, challenging what it was presenting and how it goes against the agreement at a previous TEC session that the schemes wouldn’t be watered down. Additionally, concern was expressed over how it has polarised the community, with some residents feeling ‘decision fatigue’. With that said – if you have the energy, please do respond to the consultation.
🏁 Finally! TEC agreed that by January 2024 the committee should receive updates on the following:
A new city bike hire scheme to replace the Just Eat Bikes, looking at a concession model;
Renewal of the City Car Club contract and how a new contract could align with the City Mobility Plan;
Strategies to tackle congestion and mitigate its impact on public transport.
Big thanks to Andrew for putting that update together <3
📆 Events and Happenings
💛 Local Bike Shop Hart’s Cyclery in Corstorphine are celebrating their 10th anniversary this Saturday, Sep 23rd with 23% (or more) off everything in the store (excluding workshop, Sat 23rd only) as well as a ride out the evening before;
😍 Also on Sat 23rd, 2-5pm - if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to ride a Cargo bike, head along to Montpelier by Bruntsfield Primary School and try one at this free event with Cargo Bike Movement, with kids activities, food/drink and and free bike health checks from Dr Bike;
🔊This month’s Edinburgh Critical Mass ride – a fun, diverse mass-group ride around the city highlight the need for better cycling infrastructure – has a superhero theme (costumes welcome!) and sets off as always at 2pm on the last Saturday of the month (30th Sep) from Middle Meadow Walk with the route shared a few days before;
From Previous Episodes…
🌎 The worldwide ‘Cycle September’ campaign is ongoing - register your workplace, track your rides and encourage others to get on their bikes;
🏴 26th Oct sees the Cycling Scotland Conference 2023 at Pollock Halls.
Thanks for reading and ride safe! 🚲
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