🚲 edi.bike | issue 27 | 12th Feb ‘24
teetering towards st. valentine’s on a bicycle made for two
Welcome to your weekly roundup of cycle travel news, events and infrastructure progress in Edinburgh. This week: Lamppost social media accounts, a rare triple walloper, and looking ahead to Spokes’ public meeting on the 29th and the next InfraSisters’ ride on 8th March…
📰 News this Week
🌆 Locally
💈 Leading with the most important news, as always: the lamppost in the middle of the Picardy Place cycle lane now seems to have its own X account;
🚲 Edinburgh Leisure have been in touch about their new Cycle Skills courses as part of their over-50s ‘Ageing Well’ programme, encouraging folks to rediscover cycling. See the flyer here [PDF];
⛔ The Council’s plans for the city centre — that we covered last week in our Transport & Environment Committee Meeting issue — were mentioned on BBC’s Debate Night, as linked tox by SW20. SW20 also have a huge, multi-year mega-thread (long enough that the only option is to read it on Xx) about other cities around the world that have taken such measures. The plans will also be discussed at Spokes’ public meeting on the 29th, details below ⬇️
🌳 By popular demand there was a special ride added to Edinburgh Critical Mass’ Sunday Social yesterday, riding up the section of the Roseburn Path that is going to consultation as one of the potential options for a tram route from Granton to the city centre and beyond; many folks in attendance 📺 from the Save the Roseburn Path facebook group who are against the use of the path as a tram route
From last issue: Our round-up before and summary published after the Council’s landmark Transport and Environment Committee meeting, discussing big plans for Edinburgh.
🔥 Nationally
🤔 National Highways has called for delays in the approval of a new Kent-based Headquarters and Factory development for folding cycle manufacturer Brompton, over claims that the largely car-free development doesn’t cater well enough to folks that ‘need’ to drive…
From last issue: Sustrans seeks National Cycle Network donations.
🌍 Elsewhere
👮♂️ Police in the Netherlands have some interesting new equipment (Google translate link from original Dutch) for checking the throttle and maximum pedal assistance speed of ebikes. Now I want to see one on the flatbed of a cargobike, doing a speed test while moving ✨
🫂 Help Needed
Ongoing:
🙋 Sustrans seek volunteers for their ‘I Bike’ school programme: teaching kids, maintaining a bike fleet or marshalling rides with pupils;
♿ Wheels for Wellbeing are running a survey (password: cycling) for disabled persons who cycle or would like to cycle;
📣 Leith-based Edinburgh Bike Tours are looking for a manager, and bike tour guides - kathy@edinburghbiketours.co.uk / 07754442434
🗨️ Spokes are in need of new members for their Planning and Resources groups;
🤝 SW20 are now a Co-op Local Community Fund Cause - support them via this page;
🆘 Support Bikes for Refugees with an SMS donation 🐦or on EasyDonate;
🎭 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.
🌈 Infrastructure Progress & Consultations
🌉 There was an excellent deputation recently at TEC from Alan Gordon of Longstone Community Council, relating to the developer of 120 new flats at Inglis Green Rd in Longstone agreeing to pay up to 30% of the costs of a bridgeX between Inglis Green Rd and New Mart Road “providing a much-needed active travel connection between Longstone/Redhall and Chesser”;
🚥 West Lothian Council are planning a range of toucan and pedestrian crossings. You can view the PDF plans here and email your comments in before 16th Feb - to Martin.Wilkinson@westlothian.gov.uk (please /CC spokes@spokes.org.uk too).
📋 Survey on improvements to Powderhall Junction open until 16th Feb; the website has plans, context and background.
📆 Events and Happenings
Regular events on at The Wee Spoke Hub - follow their schedule here:
✴️ Thursday 15th February, 4pm - 8pm: The weekly Bike DIY Session, “£6 per hour for use of a stable bike stand, in a warm, dry, well-lit space. Wee Spoke Hub tools are available for your use. Also spare parts, and mechanical assistance by competent volunteers, backed up by a workshop mechanic.”
🗡️ The Causey are running Our Streets - a linocut workshop about walking, cycling and other forms of active travel with Beetroots Collective CIC, from which the artworks will be “digitalised, animated and projected during a street event at the Causey in early March 2024”. You can book into one of the weekly workshops here, next is this Weds 14th;
👶 More Balance Bike classes for wee tots coming to Bridgend Farmhouse from Saturday 17th Feb;
🍑 On Wednesday 21st February, Porty Community Energy will launch their Porty Saddle Library:
“Hold on to your seats, this is going to be comfy ride! We're launching a saddle library and we're hosting a cosy evening at the book shop to discuss sore botties and what helps improve cycling in style. Everyone is welcome.”
– more on this Instagram post;
🎙️ On Thursday 29th February there will be a public meeting held by Spokes; this will feature transport convenor Cllr Scott Arthur on the Future Streets policy; cycling, transport and environmental journalist Laura Laker to critique these new proposals; and lastly a panel Q&A session chaired by Ewen Macleanx, organiser of Blackford Safe Routes. Timings, venue and more on this Spokes page - they mention hoping to stream the event to Youtube also;
🗨️ 29th February: The Transport Studies Unit of Oxford University will host “Urban Futures - the proximity revolution. An introduction to the 15 minute city concept by its founder” and a number of other really interesting talks throughout this month that are worth a look;
👭 InfraSisters ride again on International Women’s day:
“The sixth InfraSisters ride is going to be on Friday 8th March, leaving Middle Meadow Walk at 7.30pm and we'd love for you to be there! The Edinburgh city centre route is still in the planning stages - check this page for updates or contact or follow us on various social media”
🛣 Road Closures and Route Issues
🔺Not sure how long this was to be in place, but Cllr Susan Rae shared this dangerously placed scaffoldingx that overlaps the downhill cycle path at Shrubhill on Leith Walk;
⚠️ Also continuing – safety issues with the cycleway green light at the foot of Leith WalkX - mind how you go, and consider reporting to the Council too;
👑 Queen St / Albyn Pl, between North Charlotte St and Wemyss Pl; Westbound inside lane closure due to Scottish Water utility works until Friday 16th;
🌹 Roseburn Dr closed today until 3rd May for a sewer diversion;
🚰 Viewforth closed at Bruntsfield Pl on Thurs 15th for ironwork repairs by Scottish Water;
⚽ Gorgie, Sat 17th Feb - Hearts v Motherwell, kick-off 3pm: McLeod St, Wheatfield St and Wheatfield Pl closed before and after the match;
Ongoing…
💩 Lady Lawson St is closed southbound between West Port and Castle Ter for repairs to a collapsed sewer lasting around 7 further weeks;
🚽 Brunstane Rd between Abercorn Ter and Dalkeith St closed until 3rd March for sewer repairs;
🚦Traffic management measures in place on Greenbank Ter / Comiston Rd at BraidBurn Ter visualised on the transport Convenor’s postX making way for new crossing installations and other junction works relating to Braidburn Ter at the main road;
⛏️ Lanark Rd West between Bridge Road and Ravelrig bends - carriageway resurfacing road closure between 19:30 and 06:00 on weeknights, with a diversion signed via A70 - B7031 - Kirknewton - A71 - Curriehill Road, running for around another week;
🧑🌾 Gardner’s Cres is closed with temporary lights on Morrison St at Dewar Pl for Council works associated with the implementation of the Low Emissions Zone. Hopefully this is still passable by cycle, as the work is slated to go on until March/April;
💡 Scottish Power works have closed Murrayfield Rd Between Ellersly Rd and Stair Pk should be wrapping up, but still on the works list;
🚰 Colinton Rd between Craiglockhart Rd and Craiglockhart Pk has a lane closure / contraflow commencing for Scottish Water works lasting around another 3 weeks;
🦩 Water of Leith: in Leith, 15 remaining 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 Park closure.
⛏️ CCWEL-adjacent works on Charlotte Sq and North / South Charlotte St running until March 2024:
Currently - lane closures on North and South Charlotte St, George St closed, no right turn from Charlotte Sq south side into South Charlotte St.
💡 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;
💧A significant programme of Scottish Water drainage improvement work on Longstone Rd until mid summer ‘24;
🧰 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 worksX are underway. There’a a comprehensive update from Council Officers on the works in this post from Cllr Scott Arthur.
Ongoing updates on the Council’s Road reports page as the week unfolds and via @edintravelX on X.
Thanks for reading - ride safe, stay frosty, smile, not too much! 🚲
📣 Share with a pal / Send us your news ✍🏼
If you find this useful, could you recommend it to someone? Why not forward to a friend, or just point them to edi.bike online - the more folks we have on board, the more we can amplify the progress being made and the organisations to support along the way. If you run into anything that might be a good fit for next time, feel free to send it over.