🚲 edi.bike | issue 129 | 26th Jan ‘26
your weekly edinburgh cycling digest
📰 News this Week
📅 Save the date - join us as we Pedal on Parliament on 30th May
Pedal on Parliament is back for 2026, with a mass ride of cyclists of all ages and abilities from Middle Meadow Walk to the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, 11:30am on May 30th.
Previous rides have numbered in the thousands - with this year’s slated for the first weeks of a new government in place along with many new MSPs; bring family, bring friends, bring a picnic, come and add your voice to call for a cycle-friendly Scotland: especially if you’ve never been on one before. We cycle on closed roads - anyone can get involved.
📲 Follow Pedal on Parliament on Bluesky | Instagram | Facebook | Mastodon | PoP Mailing List
🪧 60+ organisations sign Joint Active Travel Manifesto for 2026 election
We mentioned this late last year, but entirely worth covering again as we enter the run-up to the Scottish Parliamentary elections:
68 organisations from across Scotland have come together to urge all political parties to enable more people to walk, wheel or cycle, ahead of the 2026 Holyrood election. The ‘Joint Active Travel Manifesto for 2026’ calls for parties to commit to multi-year budgets, link public transport and improve road safety, in order to build on ongoing success and bring the benefits of walking/wheeling and cycling to more people.
Local signatories in Edinburgh include edi.bike, A Wee Pedal, Bikes for Refugees, The Bike Station, Blackford Safe Routes, Critical Mass Edinburgh, Edinburgh Festival of Cycling, Edinburgh Food Social, InfraSisters, Living Streets Edinburgh, Porty Community Energy and Spokes — with another notable signature with Pedal on Parliament returning for 2026, who are also quoted in today’s Press release about the manifesto »
🗳️ Council Transport & Environment Committee meet this Thursday 29th
It’s that time again - a jam-packed schedule at the Transport & Environment Committee (‘TEC’) this coming Thursday, and we’ve had a good old sift through the kilograms of bureaucratic silt on the meeting’s webpage and picked out a few wee shiny cycling-adjacent nuggets rounded up below:
💙 Whitehouse Road junction safety improvements;
💰 Go-ahead for George St redevelopment and other plans leveraging Visitor Levy funding;
💩 The continuingly weird St James Square access arrangements;
🤝 Transport and Local Access Forum membership updates;
🤦 Continued Conservative attempts to thwart the City Mobility Plan’s implementation by being outvoted 9-2 at every possible turn;
⛔ Modal filters for Spring Gdns and Royal Park Ter;
🚲 Accountability for Voi cycle hire scheme teething issues
🤝 January TEC Agenda: Our review »
📨 National call to action: Ask your MP to attend a crucial debate on women's safety on 27th January
From Cycling UK:
Our ‘My ride. Our right’ campaign is gaining momentum. Politicians across the UK are starting to take notice – a Westminster Hall debate focused on women’s safety has just been announced for Tuesday 27 January.
We only have a few days to get as many MPs there as possible. Will you send yours a quick email to make sure they know about it?
Their campaign page has a quick form you can use to message your MP and ask them to join for the debate.
🏰 Local Bits
✊ This Saturday, 31st January: Critical Mass Edinburgh, family-friendly mass protest / group ride, 2pm at Middle Meadow Walk by the 📍 Millenium Milepost.
🚌 Blackford Safe Routes have published an update on the Dundee St and Fountainbridge Active Travel Project, to their consultation response; there have been significant attempts in the local press by certain groups to malign the design’s inclusion of ‘Floating Bus Stops’ when actually, more specific language could and should be used to discuss the different types of layout seen across the country, and find the right compromise for all street users. Read their great blog post here »
🌅 Craigalmond District Scouts are once again fundraising for their troop by providing a luxury transport option for folks taking part in Ride to the Sun, described as:
If you want to ride through the night to the seaside with a bunch of like-minded people then this our northern homage to the DD, it’s a (west) Coast to Coast (east), it’s south to north, Carlisle to Cramond, England to Scotland, an overnight century (100.5 miles), following the path of the Roman legions, and our Ride to the Sun!
You can read more on Facebook or go straight to the Scouts page to register for their email list.
👮 Police Scotland are running pop-up cycle safety events for winter:
🚴♂️✨ Be Bright, Be Seen! ✨🚶♀️
Join us for our winter Cycle & Pedestrian Safety Events, focusing on staying visible and safe during the darker months.
📍 29 January – Connaught Place, EH6
W3W: ///drape.fairly.edgy
🕓 Time: 1600–1830Come along to learn more about:
🔸 How to stay visible on the network
🔸 Blind spots around larger vehicles
🔸 Safe cycling and walking during winter
Their pop-up event in the Meadows on the 21st [FB] saw over 200+ interactions, and the events also include free bike marking for BikeRegister.com as well as advice from Cycle Law Scotland and information on large vehicle blind spots from Lothian Buses.
📺 Cycling Norway in Midwinter: A Nine-Day E-Cargo Bike Journey Through Extreme Cold - a gorgeous and truly incredible eight-minute short film by Markus Stitz, founder of Edinburgh Dawn Patrol, now on Youtube — The Best Season »
In his latest film Markus Stitz discovers the joys and challenges of winter bikepacking. ‘The Best Season’ is now available to watch for free on YouTube and follows the cyclist on a 680-km bikepacking journey from Eidsvoll to Gjøvik, Lillehammer, Ringebu, Dovre, Folldal, Alvdal, Budor and back to Eidsvoll in Southern Norway.
🍜 Update: another strong week - the fundraiser for a new bike for Derek has reached 82.5%…
Derek is a Deliveroo rider in Edinburgh who has had an incredibly difficult year. He lost his home, then his pet, and suffered a heart attack. Due to his health condition, he relies on an electric bike to work - he physically can’t cycle a regular bike. On Friday 2nd January around 5:45pm, his e-bike was stolen from North Bridge. This bike was his only means of earning a living.
🔧 SCOREScotland have free bike repairs running in Wester Hailes this Friday 30th:
Bring your bike along to our FREE Dr. Bike repair session at Gate 55 on Friday, 30 January 2026, and get it checked, tuned, and ready for the road!
Whether you cycle to work, to school, or just for fun — this is a great chance to keep your journey smooth and sustainable.
🕙 10:00 am – 3:30 pm
📍 Gate 55, 55 Sighthill Road, Edinburgh EH11 4PB
📌 Booking is essential » — More on their Facebook post
🪛 Meanwhile in Drylaw, ELREC’s Edinburgh Cycling Club have a Dr Bike session running too, from 10am - 3pm at the 📍 Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, 67B Groathill Rd North, EH4 2SA; no booking, and all welcome - these are now weekly, with more details on their Instagram post »
⛈️ National
🏴 Scotland
👏 On Scotland’s Draft Climate Change Plan: “There is no real substance to this plan on transport” — a powerful and plainly spoken testimony from Edinburgh Napier Transport & Health Professor Adrian Davis in this video - via Spokes, who also penned their own response to the consultation »
📺 Great wee video on Facebook of the Clyde Cycle Park on the One Show »
🏴 Scotland’s latest budget brings a boost for walking, wheeling, and cycling, with active travel funding up by almost 20%.
It’s a welcome step forward and proof that sustained campaigning works. More investment means safer routes, better local journeys, and healthier communities across Scotland.
But we’re not there yet. To deliver real, long-term change, active travel still needs a firm commitment to 10% of the transport budget.
Where have we got to, and what needs to happen next? Our Scotland Advocacy Lead digs into the numbers behind the headline figures.
Scotland’s budget and cycling: how far have we come, and what happens next? at Cycling UK.
🌧️ UK
📺 Tedx talk - cyclist and cartoonist David Andrew Walker makes a great case over on Youtube »
👏 East London residents win sensational victory in fight to save LTN low-traffic schemes at The Standard »
Laura Laker weighs in:
“It also means that schemes delivered elsewhere in London in the last nine years can’t simply be removed by political leaders who happen to come in, say, in May, and don’t like LTNs, bike lanes or pedestrianisation schemes. Unless there’s mutual agreement between the borough and Transport for London to do otherwise, the hard-won reclamation of street space in the capital for people will remain.” — Laura Laker, ‘The March of Progress?’
🌍 Elsewhere
🇫🇷 “From February 2026, drivers in the Lot-et-Garonne department found using mobile phones while driving will face a six-month licence suspension and a €135 fine issued directly by the prefecture” — The Connexion »
🦘 A kangaroo became an unlikely central figure at the Tour Down Under on Sunday after darting into the peloton and colliding with overall race leader Jay Vine during the final stage — video at Flobikes »
🛣 Route Closures and Issues
ℹ️ Encountered unexpected road issues? Find out how to report them with this guide from Spokes. The team at Edinburgh Travel News are also keen to hear about cycle path alerts and can be contacted on Threads or Facebook.
🦋 On Bluesky? Follow the #EdTravCyc feed - anyone can use the #EdTravCyc hashtag to share route issues they encounter;
📪 Road closure info — many thanks to regular contributor Robbie for collating and preparing these:
🚲 Summerhall: Segregated Cycle Lanes by Melville Dr and Melville Ter expected to be obstructed by Summerhall improvement works from today Monday 26th January until April 2026.
🚶 Rose Street: Crossing at Frederick St closed from today Monday 26th January until Friday 30th January. If you’re accessing shops or cycle parking, it may be worth connecting via Castle St.
🚧 Stafford Street: Closed for resurfacing 2nd February for estimated 3 weeks. If you’re accessing the CCWEL segregated cycle path on Melville St, Queensferry St may be an alternative.
🚧 Crewe Road South: Segregated Cycle Lanes obstructed at Carrington Rd for BT manhole repairs Wednesday 4th February for 2 days.
🏗️ Hanover Street: Closed for crane lift weekend of Saturday 7th February between Princes Street and George Street. It’s not yet clear how The Mound will be accessed, or exact timings, so watch this space.
🏉 Murrayfield: Six Nations games Saturday 14th February and Saturday 7th March. Various Road closures in the surrounding area. Exercise caution and consider dismounting if possible on CCWEL to Water of Leith Path around 3pm and after 5pm. Roseburn Path to Union Canal open throughout.
Longer Term Closures:
🚲 Valleyfield Street: Closed for Meadows to Union Canal Improvement works until April 2026. A cycle diversion is to be provided, which will be lengthened during the nearby Gilmore Pl resurfacing works.
🏗️ St Marks Path: Section of Quietroute 20 between McDonald Road and Warriston Path impacted by CEC Powderhall redevelopment works. The path is expected to remain open during the majority of the construction programme. Until a temporary path is provided, exercise caution at manned crossing gates when passing through the site.
🚧 Caledonia Place: Dalry footway improvement works underway until April 2026. Closures of Caledonian Rd and Caledonian Pl underway. Later phases will impact the Telfer Subway entrance.
🚧 Saughton Crescent: Sections of QuietRoute 9 closed for resurfacing and Active Travel improvements by Balgreen until March 2026. A signed cycle diversion is to be provided in phases 4-8.
🏖️ Silverknowes Road: Road to Silverknowes Beach closed for resurfacing works and reconfiguration of the cycle lane. Works have halted, with cycle access in the meantime currently unclear.
🚦 Bankhead Drive: Quietroute 8 along the tramline obstructed at junction with S Gyle Access until Summer 2026 for construction of West Edinburgh Link.
🏞️ Water of Leith Path: Closure of Pansy Walk by Balgreen until March 2026 for Scottish Water upgrades. Pedestrian diversion to be signed via Westfield Ave. However, for cyclists, the Water of Leith Conservation Trust advise an alternate diversion via Baird Drive.
🏗️ Edinburgh Park Station: Quiet Route 8 cycle path between Hermiston Gait and the Gyle Centre closed for works in preparation of the Edinburgh Arena development. It’s only possible to go around by carrying your bike up roughly 20 steps.
🌉 Harrison Road: two bridges closed due to structural concerns with micro-cracking in the original cast iron beams:
The north-west bridge over a small path requires a dismount and use of the footway. The bridge is expected to fully close to pedestrians and cycles for 3 months during rebuilding works, date tbc.
The south-east bridge over the Union Canal is closed to cars but not cycles, with fencing placed across the bridge as a temporary modal filter. The bridge is expected to reopen to cars with a 7.5T weight limit.
🌉 South Gyle Road: Bridge between modal filter and Quiet Route 9 closed for repairs until April 2026. It is required to dismount and use a temporary bridge.
🏗️ Port Hamilton Cyclepath: Shared use path between Union Canal and West End closed until 2026/27 for building works. A diversion is advised via Gardeners Crescent and Semple Street.
🏗️ Craighall Road: Closed until May 2028 for the Refurbishment of Trinity Academy. Access to the Victoria Path is expected to be maintained. A diversion will be signed along Newhaven Road, however the removal of parking for improved traffic flow may lead to this being a wider and faster road, less suitable for cycles.
⚡ Ongoing: The questionable Network Rail ban on ebike parking at Waverley Station - best to make alternative parking plans if travelling from this station at present;
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🎉 Events and Happenings
📆 Upcoming / Ongoing
🚲 Reece & Erin from Scottish Bmx School are running weekly Bmx workshops every Tuesday from 6:30pm at 📍 the Pitt market in Granton.
If you would be interested in supporting them and coming along, check out tickets here »
🔁 Weekly Events
🍃 Mon, 12-2.30pm: Free, fun group ride on paths from Bridgend Farmhouse;
🌅 Tues, ⏰ 5.40am: Edinburgh Dawn Patrol - Meet St. Andrew Square, same route each time - more info on their Instagram;
🎙️ Tues, 5pm: [National] Active Travel Cafe talks and discussion on Zoom
☕ Weds, 8:15 - 9:45: Coffee Outside [IG]: Wednesday morning hangouts at 📍 Lochrin Basin - bring a mug, water, a way to boil water, and coffee ☕
🛠️ Weds, 3pm: Bike Kitchen at Edinburgh Tool Library
🔧 Weds, 5-8pm Fix Your Own Bike Sessions at The Bike Station, Tollcross
🌅 Thurs, ⏰ 5.40am: Edinburgh Dawn Patrol (same as Tues, details above);
🪨 Thurs Evenings: Edinburgh Gravel Cycling Club social group rides;
✴️ Thurs, 5-8pm: Bike DIY Session at The Wee Spoke Hub
🪛 Weekly Dr Bike cycle repairs from ELREC’s Edinburgh Cycling Club, 10am-3pm at the 📍 Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre - no booking required and all welcome;
🔧 Sat, 1-4pm Fix Your Own Bike Sessions at The Bike Station, Tollcross
⚙️ Sat, 2-4pm: ‘Bike Cleaning and Oiling’ drop-in session at The Wee Spoke Hub
🟰 Edinburgh & Lothians Regional Equality Council’s Edinburgh Cycling Club run weekly group rides and introductory classes;
🔁 Monthly Events
🚲 First Friday of the month: Inclusive social bike rides with A Wee Pedal from Bridgend Farmhouse - every Friday 2-4pm between April and Hallowe’en, 1-3pm on the 1st Friday of each month November to March.
✊ This week / Last Saturday of the month: Critical Mass Edinburgh, Family-friendly mass protest / group ride, 2pm, Middle Meadow Walk; check out the poster below for upcoming ride dates - don’t forget to grab a t-shirt!
🫂 Help Needed
🍃 The Cycling Gardeners are hiring — see their website for more details »
🚵 Maria Ramirez is taking on Maratona dLes Dolomites - one of the hardest cycling races in Europe - in aid of Bikes for Refugees Scotland and is now over halfway to their fundraising goal;
👑 Some of the Edinburgh Dawn Patrol [IG] regulars will be riding Doddie's Triple Crown 2026 — an epic annual cycling challenge to raise funds for My Name'5 Doddie Foundation, a Motor Neurone Disease charity. As featured in this piece by Alastair Dalton, The challenge takes place from the 10th - 13th March 2026 with the team riding 800 miles. Mark Baker posted a video promoting the endeavour to Instagram and you can follow them on their Instagram, sponsor them via their team Just Giving page here or Mark’s page here »
💙 PARIS. [5] December 2025 – Association EBN today is launching 2nd annual €5,000 Architecture and Arts grant for young adults in the memory of Emma Burke Newman.
The grant supports the realization of a community-shaping artistic, educational, or cross-cultural project by a young adult (17-35) residing in the EEA, the U.K., or U.S. in the fields of art, architecture, or place-making—including ones that address cycling or road safety—and reflecting the values of Emma Burke Newman.
“The grant is dedicated to the memory of Emma, to honor her compassion, community, and creativity as well as her zest for life and learning,” said association President Rose Marie Burke and the young woman’s mother. Tragically, Emma was killed by a truck driver while she was cycling to university on Jan. 27, 2023, in Glasgow.
⏩ More information on the grant here - thanks to Jim Winston for sending over.
Ongoing: 🚌 Marshal for School Bike Buses | 🙋 Help with school programme ‘I Bike’ | 🗨️Join Spokes’ Planning or Resources group | 🆘 Donate money or bikes to Bikes for Refugees | 📦⚡️ Hire Community Cargobikes, E-bikes or Trailers from SW20, Porty Community Energy or Banzai | ♻️ Donate old bikes to The Bike Station, The Wee Spoke Hub or ‘Brake the Cycle’.
🌈 Infrastructure Progress & Consultations
📋 Overviews: CEC’s Active travel improvements programme | Interactive Map from City Mobility Plan prioritisation exercise
✏️ In the Works:
⛏️ As shared by SW20, work will begin on the paving of a key link between Bloomiehall Park in Juniper Green and Muir Wood Road in Currie on the 9th of February. Owned by developer Taylor Wimpey, an informal path link along the edge of the field has been used for decades since the development of the nearby housing estates, but will only now be formalised into a path suitable for all weather conditions and night-time passage. The linked article at Deadline News provides some slightly cryptic technical drawings and for some reason gives platform to local NIMBYs concerned about how giving people safe spaces to walk and cycle guarantees anti-social behaviour, like existing and moving around.
✍️ Take Action:
📨 Reader Jano reminds us there’s 16 days remaining on the consultation period for the Silverknowes Rd ETRO providing protected cycleways in the area. A vocal minority of local residents are up in arms — this is Lib Dem territory after all, who have been stoking the ire pot — so good to send representation if you frequent the area, live nearby or would otherwise make use of the proposed infrastructure. Respond to the consultation online or by emailing TRO.Consultations@edinburgh.gov.uk and quoting "ETRO/21/30C";
🛣️ Sign the petition to Stop the £55 Million A701 Relief Road »
🚲 Consultation: Barnton Connections; open for comments until February 9th;
** 🔐 Recently Closed:**
⛲️Dundee Street Fountainbridge Active Travel Project consultation closed 12 January 2026 | 🗺️ Mapped illustrations (do zoom in!) — Image 1 and Image 2 | 📄 Technical drawings [PDF, 23.7mb]
📝 West Edinburgh Link, including Glasgow Rd, South Gyle, Bankhead, Sighthill, Wester Hailes and Clovenstone. “Around 5km of new segregated and improved cycleways, new crossings, path and pavement improvements”, the first phase underway with an initial focus primarily on links to Quiet Route 8 - Technical plans [PDF]
🤔 The ‘Curriehill Active Travel Link’ reported by Spokes to have been delayed beyond its 2025 due date by ‘biodiversity concerns’.
🤫 Greenbank to Meadows Quiet Route having detrimental changes made, delayed until at least a Standards Commission hearing in March ‘26: Detailed Designs [PDF] | ETRO Published as TRO/25/17
⚒️ Road Resurfacing & early ‘Dalry Living Well Locally’ Outcomes
🧱 Vital path upgrade through Muir Wood park in Currie
🦦 Burdiehouse & Niddrie Burn Restoration - blue-green regeneration project including 3m wide ‘Pentlands to Portobello’ core path;
🔄 Proposals to address issues at Davidson's Mains Roundabout; City Cycling Edinburgh thread | Planned ‘options’ | Comments closed Friday, 16th January
🔬 Trials & Programmes Underway:
✨ Improving Old Town Streets | Includes current ETRO for Lawnmarket & Johnston Terrace
📋 Consulted On:
🐚 The consultation on Station Road as part of the Musselburgh Active Toun closed mid December;
🚋 Major North-South Tramline Consultation | Spokes’ brilliant, detailed response [PDF] | Officers A8 ‘Diversion’ Clarification
⭕️ Polwarth Gardens road layout consultation | “Safety Wins: Residents Choose New Polwarth Junction Design, Construction to Begin Within 18 Months” at Merchiston Districts Community Council »
⛏️ Marionville Rd and Smokey Brae improvements;
🧪 Edinburgh BioQuarter Active Travel Gaps - Sheriffhall Park & Ride to BioQuarter Campus Route;
🌞 Dalry Living Well Locally | Initial Feedback Report » [PDF]
⚓ Leith Connections Phase 3 - Hawthornvale to Seafield | Detailed Designs (PDF) »
🚴🏽♂️ Midlothian Council - A7 Sustainable Transport Corridor
East Lothian Council - Prestonpans to Levenhall | Combined plans » [Large PDF]
🚧 Under Construction:
🧱 Changes to southside protected cycleways at Summerhall under construction until April 2026;
⛏️ Burnside Path Repairs & Longstone Sinkhole
Contractors setting up on site w/c 3/11 for repairs required to the retaining wall/sinkhole. Hope to complete the in-river works by xmas, & reinstatement of sinkhole by end of Feb. Option to extend contract if required. — Longstone Community Council on Bluesky » (including site plan images)⛴️ Queensferry High Street Improvements | Technical drawings [PDF]
⚓️ Foot of the Walk to Dock Street | Works leaflet » [PDF] | Progress photos »
🚋 Trams to Newhaven Snagging / Defects List »
🤬 Silverknowes Rd North being returned to cars | Spokes’ area history
Thanks for reading - ride safe 🚲
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