🚲 edi.bike | issue 17 | 4th Dec ‘23
ice to get out on the bike for a bit ❄️
Welcome to your weekly roundup of cycle travel news, events and infrastructure progress in Scotland’s capital city. Suddenly, it’s December - get a mince pie down ye!
📰 News this Week
🌆 Locally
🚺 Infrasisters took to the streets with their #OurStreetsOurNights this week to highlight the need for safe night-time cycle infrastructure for women and girls; Andy Catlin has a great photo album of the ride, and others recently have shared this related report by Lime Bikes and Opinium on Women’s Night Safety [PDF] which gives some excellent context to the issues Infrasisters are campaigning around;
📆 Now that we’re into December Infrasisters also have a fun ‘Advent calendar of Crap Infrastructure’ on their website you can visit every day (and find a new reason to shake your head and tut at your screen);
🌻 Following the passing of prominent Scottish Politician Alistair Darling folks have been reminiscing about his early (in terms of sustainable transport) and numerous contributions to active travel in the city during his time as a City Councillor and MP; Spokes shared a number of clippings on X and also with more detail on page 6 of the Spokes Action-Update 1.12.23 [PDF]. Go well, Mr Darling;
From last week: Free, public use this Balfour Beatty bike repair spot 🐦 on East Market St; ⚠️ Mind this bollard ‘stump’ 🐦 on Innocent railway route from Holyrood Pk.
🗺️ Another update on Cycle Parking / Council Mapping:
🧙 The Council shared a (slightly tricky) ARCGIS map of public cycle parking recently when sharing news of additional cycle parking installed across the city. They’ve subsequently been back in touch with a new direct link to the cycle parking map that doesn’t involve any faffing with the layers – which they’ll be using for future comms around parking facilities too. 🗺️ Find it here. We also mentioned the OpenStreetMap-powered Organic Maps for iOS/Android devices, recommended by reader Kyle.
🫂 Help Needed
📋 Everyone loves a survey… help an Edinburgh University student out with their project on how political identities influence attitudes to sustainable transport at this link;
🤝 Community activist group SW20 is now a Co-op Local Community Fund Cause 🐦 meaning that you can support their work 🐦 just by shopping in the Co-op. Become a Co-op member, and choose to support them by signing in via this page.
Ongoing:
🗨️ Spokes are in need of new members for their Planning and Resources groups;
🆘 Support Bikes for Refugees following their recent break-in with an SMS donation 🐦or on EasyDonate; there’s also an upcoming event opportunity to support detailed below;
🎭 Edinburgh Festival of Cycling are looking for new volunteers and additional directors
🛠Edinburgh Tool Library still seeking donations of unused bike tools – get in touch.
🏴 Nationally
📼 If you still use 🐦Twitter/X, commiserations! However, it’s worth following SW20 🐦who frequently post excellent and thought-provoking information, and explainers like this sketch about the concept of “induced demand” 🐦
🌈 Infrastructure Progress & Consultations
🗨️ Spokes report in their Spokes Action-Update 1.12.23 [PDF] regarding Council progress in removing chicane barriers from the mouths of pathways:
The Council’s Active Travel team have been removing chicanes from paths around the city, and replacing with bollards where appropriate. Chicanes are no longer considered normal good practice, as they often make life difficult for anything wider than a normal bike – for example trailers, handcycles, cargobikes, wheelchairs…
If you know of any remaining chicanes which could be removed and if necessary replaced by bollards or other solutions, please let us know, and we will pass on the details.
Ongoing…
⛵ Musselburgh Active Toun consultation currently ongoing shared with us by Andrew Keba;
🚗 15 days left - the ongoing public consultation on the future of Holyrood Pk is still available to respond to until 19th December - worth reading Car Free Holyrood’s blog post.
📜 Open until 8th February, the City of Edinburgh Council are consulting on the second phase of the George Street & First New Town project, covering North Castle St, Frederick St and Hanover St (North) - you can review and respond to the consultation, but it’s also worth looking over some of the criticisms that campaign group SW20 have of the designs 🐦, which call out all the hallmarks of a project that should arguably have far bolder public realm ambitions than the current layouts are proposing;
📆 Events and Happenings
☕ The last Critical Mass Sunday Social of the year is on Sunday 10th December, 10:30-11:30 at 🗺️ Customs Wharf outside Customs House in Leith. “...bring your bike, a warm drink, and maybe some snacks.”
✊ 9th December sees the COP28 Global Day of Action with a vast crowd of folk gathering at the Scottish Parliament for Climate fringe coinciding with the COP28 talks. The event features speakers, musical performances, activities for kids and creative action and folks will start assembling from 12.30pm;
└─── 🚲 Reader Kyle let us know that there’s a feeder ride from Leith (see the route map on FB) heading up from the 🗺️ Cricket Club on Leith Links at 12pm as part of Critical Mass and Pedal On Parliament who will be sharing a stall at the event.
As mentioned last week…
🔧 The Wee Spoke Hub have alternating puncture repair sessions, DIY workshops and introductions to bike ownership and maintenance every other Saturday, see their schedule for details and times, including:
✴️ 7th Dec from 16.00 - 20.00 – Bike DIY Session
✴️ 9th Dec from 11.00 - 13.00 – Puncture Repair Session
🪧 7th Dec has the City of Edinburgh council hosting the 20’s Plenty conference at the City Chambers, 09:30 - 16:30 with a range of speakers on this important standard for road safety;
🎄 On 9th Dec Bikes for Refugees Scotland are having a fundraising sale 11:00 - 16:00 at the Phoenix Club, 1 Harrison Place EH11 1SF:
“2nd hand adult and kids bikes, bike jumble, new and 2nd hand bike parts, cycling gear & accessories, BfR branded merchandise - everything cheap and discounted with mince pies, tea/coffee, raffle, prizes and surprises.
When you buy a bike or accessories/parts you are also supporting a New Scot. All proceeds from the big Christmas sale will support new Scots refugees access to free bicycles, providing essential mobility and freedom of movement.” — Bikes for Refugees Scotland
🛣 Road Closures and Route Issues
⚽ If you’re passing through Gorgie on Wednesday 8th, watch out for the closure of McLeod St, Wheatfield St and Wheatfield Pl for the fitba, with Hearts v Rangers kicking off at 8pm;
Ongoing…
🪣 Resurfacing works on Viewforth in Bruntsfield have finished their first phase:
Phase 2 (started on 1st Dec) - road closed between Montpelier and Viewforth Sq;
Phase 3 (starts Saturday 9th Dec) - road closed between Viewforth Sq and Gilmore Pl;
🦩 Water of Leith: in Leith, 24 further weeks of closure at a section of the shared walkway - Spokes have worked with the Water of Leith Conservation Trust on suggested diversions [PDF] during the Coalie Pk closure.
🐴 Continuing access issues through King Stables Rd - slated as “road closed to north / westbound traffic except cycles between Lothian Rd and Barrace Steps” from Nov 19th to 15th Dec - currently passable, but the roadworks report currently has simply ‘road closed’ from 15th Dec and beyond which may include cycles;
🧑🎄Welcome to the party, pal: 12hr daily partial closures of Castle St for Edinburgh’s Christmas are ongoing: between George St and Rose St, plus North Castle St at George St, 10am - 10pm daily; Waverley Br closed 9.30am - 10.30pm daily except for taxis accessing the rank via Market St); George St closed except for cycles (at all times) and loading (6.30am - 9.30am daily);
⛏️ CCWEL-adjacent works on Charlotte Sq and North / South Charlotte St running until March 2024:
Phase 1 and 2 are completed;
Phase 3 begins 8th Jan ‘24 - daytime lane closures on Charlotte Sq (east side), North and South Charlotte Street, daytime closures of Charlotte Sq (south and west sides).
💡 Footway works and street lighting renewal on Polwarth Gdns, involving lane closures and parking restrictions. Polwarth Pl, Polwarth Pk, Harden Pl and Mertoun Pl will be closed as work progresses, running until March ‘24;
💧 9-month programme of Scottish Water drainage improvement work on Longstone Rd 🐦;
🧰 Braidburn Ter 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 🐦 Cllr Scott Arthur recently posted a 12m video walking through these works 🐦.
Ongoing updates on the Council’s Road reports page as the week unfolds and via @edintravel 🐦on TwiXtter.
Thanks for reading - ride safe and be well 🚲
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