🚲 edi.bike | issue 28 | 19th Feb ‘24
febru-warily we roll along
Welcome to your weekly roundup of cycle travel news, events and infrastructure progress in Edinburgh. This week: we’re all having a moan about Leith Walk again; new consultations and local happenings to check out, and a speculative ‘Leith Loop’ route does the rounds.
📰 News this Week
🌆 Locally
🫠 The spectre of Leith Walk’s cycle lane design was raised at full council via a question from Cllr Whytex; while the article he mentioned is largely clickbait and not particularly well sourced or researched, the mention at council did prompt a response from the Transport Convenor regarding lessons learnt and mitigations coming for the dangerous bus stop situation at Elm Row;
🗞️ Another response to the listicle featuring the ‘worst cycle lanes in the world’ was this rather unhappy take (before abruptly left-turning into a love letter to cycling itself) - we’re largely in the camp that the Leith Walk lanes are hugely compromised, but far better than the on-road ‘provision’ they replaced: but it’s also fair to say that the experience the author is looking for would be the standard in many other modern European cities and folk are right to expect better!
💝 Meanwhile, others recently noted that the 14th Feb marked the one year anniversary of Leith Walk reopening to motor vehicles - and the cycle lanes still aren’t fully finished or ‘officially’ open…
🛟 On the adjacent subject of floating bus stops, SW20 made the fair point this week that Edinburgh’s Conservative councillors have been critical of floating stops on Leith Walk but are also mobilising to preserve one in Morningsidex that could be better back-filled with a seating / planting area and pedestrian access;
🗺️ Local Active Travel / community campaigner Gordon Carmichael published this great, speculative ‘Leith Loop’ route on X:
If the Powderhall Railway Path is realised in the future, then Leith would get a 7.5km circular walking and cycling route, donnecting most of its main green spaces and thoroughfares — @gordycarmichaelx
From last issue: Our TEC summary; SW20’s thread about livable citiesx
➕ Nationally
📺 Came across this fantastic video about the scale and speed of cycling infrastructure improvements in Glasgow. Edinburgh Council take note!
📋 There’s a new petition calling for the UK government to raise the top pedal assistance speed allowed for e-bikes to 20mph (from 15.5mph) in line with other places like the US and Canada. More info at Cycling Weekly;
🔬 New Study: Impacts of active travel interventions on travel behaviour and health: Results from a five-year longitudinal travel survey in Outer London. Free to access in the Journal of Transport & Health. As summarised by Oxfordshire Cycling Networkx, “Evidence of reduced car ownership and/or use in areas with most interventions, and over £1bn health economic benefits for a cost of £100m”.
From last issue: Sustrans seeks National Cycle Network donations; new Brompton Factory not car-friendly enough.
🌍 Elsewhere
💔 Sadly, the Dutch product safety board has instructed cargo bike manufacturer Babboe to halt sales of all bike-based vehicles after several reports of children being injured by broken bike frames, and recall affected models. Thanks to Oli for sharing this one with us;
📦 Another paper, this time on Cargo bike ownership:
Can cargo bikes compete with cars? Cargo bike sharing users rate cargo bikes superior on most motives – Especially if they reduced car ownership — Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour (free to access)
🫂 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
⚒️ The Council’s Transport Committee convenor Dr Scott Arthur shared the following plansx for improvement works to the crossing of Grange Rd, Tantallon Pl and Cumin Pl:
🗨️ Elsewhere, the Council has opened its consultation for Roseburn to South Gyle walking, wheeling and cycling improvements (Quiet Route 9) here, running until 27th March - including some interesting (and decent looking) before and after visuals:
📆 Events and Happenings
✊ Edinburgh Critical Mass this Saturday 24th Feb, 2pm Middle Meadow Walk; a friendly and welcoming mass protest ride, with the route typically published a few days before to their Facebook, Mastodon, X and email list.
Regular events on at The Wee Spoke Hub - follow their schedule here:
✴️ Thursday 22nd 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.”
✴️ Saturday 24th February, 11am - 1pm: Bike Puncture Repair Session: How to get rolling again; “Come and learn everything you need to know about repairing punctures on your bike in our friendly and inclusive space!”
🚲 Edinburgh Leisure have upcoming Cycle Skills courses as part of their over-50s ‘Ageing Well’ programme, encouraging folks to rediscover cycling. See the flyer here [PDF];
👏 VIE Velo is “Edinburgh's tandem club for visually impaired and sighted riders”:
We have group rides on the first Saturday and third Sunday of every month from Saughton Park. We are always keen to welcome new riders, visually impaired and sighted. We are having a training session on Sunday 25th February, 10am-12:30pm, where you can have a go and see if it might be for you. Please contact vieveloridecoordinator@gmail.com to find out more. — You can also find them on Facebook.
🚵 Friday 23rd Feb, 18:30 - 21:30: Another #TowpathTalk event at Biketrax, Lochrin Basin - 24hr racing and Womens Cycling – Izabela Murtagh with Naomi Freireich, Ruby Boyce, and Adna Dumitrescu - £10 per ticket
👶 More Balance Bike classes for wee tots ongoing at Bridgend Farmhouse (just started 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 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;
🚶 1st March, 12pm: Living Streets Edinburgh have an online meeting regarding the future city centre plans, with presentation and Q&A featuring council transport team members - sign up here;
👭 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”. The ride culminates at The Causey for their display of Our Streets projected linocut artworks.
🚲 The Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel is in its 15th year and still open for registrations, running 11th-22nd March.
🛣 Road Closures and Route Issues
🔺 Cllr Susan Rae recently shared this dangerously placed scaffoldingx overlapping the downhill cycle path at Shrubhill on Leith Walk; let us know when it goes!
⚠️ 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;
🌉 North Bridge is closed tonight and each night until Thurs 22nd for changes to the work site (from working on one side, across to the other), from 8pm to 6am;
🚦 Starting today for 11 weeks, Grange Rd temporary lights at Cumin Rd / Tantallon Pl (and closure of those roads); Council footway, carriageway and drainage improvements including pedestrian and cyclist crossings;
🛜 Rose St South Ln will be closed between Frederick St and Hanover St on Sunday 25th for Virgin Media cabling works;
🏉 Saturday 24th: Six Nations Rugby at Murrayfield (Scotland vs England, kick-off 4.45pm). Road closures before and after the match affecting Roseburn, Murrayfield, Haymarket areas plus West Approach Rd after the match;
⚽ Also Saturday 24th: Hibs vs Dundee at Easter Rd, kick-off 3pm with roads closed before and after the match: Hawkhill Ave & Cl / St Clair St / Albion Pl, Rd, Ter & Gdns / Harrismith Pl;
Ongoing…
🌹 Roseburn Dr is closed until 3rd May for a sewer diversion;
💩 Lady Lawson St is closed southbound between West Port and Castle Ter for repairs to a collapsed sewer lasting around 6 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. These include overnight closures from Monday 26th Feb 7pm - 6am with buses diverted;
⛏️ 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 are suspended until after the 6 Nations rugby fixture on 24th Feb, and after will once more close Murrayfield Rd Between Kinellan Road and Stair Park;
🚰 Colinton Rd between Craiglockhart Rd and Craiglockhart Pk has a lane closure / contraflow commencing for Scottish Water works lasting around another 2 weeks;
🦩 Water of Leith: in Leith, 14 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 (cycle-able, dismount at the Comiston Rd end 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
Thanks for reading - ride safe 🚲
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