🚲 edi.bike | issue 41 | 20th May '24
your weekly edinburgh cycling digest
📰 News this Week
🤝 Talks to Open Powderhall Railway Line as an Active Travel Route Near Agreement
While not a short-term project, positive news that “The council is nearing a deal with Network Rail to acquire the former Powderhall Railway Line which could then be used as an off-road path” - full article in The Edinburgh Reporter;
🥫 Edinburgh City Centre Transformation Works Delayed Amid Funding ‘Uncertainty’
As covered by Edinburgh Live, the ambitious and future-friendly goals of the ECCT plans approved in February to greatly reduce corridors for private through-traffic in the city centre have suffered a blow this week, as Transport & Environment Committee convenor Dr Scott Arthur shared with the local media outlet that “We've got a huge ambition for the city, but the funding we need from the Scottish Government is just not aligning to it.” This looks to be a delay to the date for implementation - which hadn’t been fully pinned down regardless, but is cited in the article as Easter 2025 - into 2026. The rattling noise you can hear is the congestion management can being kicked ever further down the bridges.
🙋🏻♂️ Councillor Seeks out Roseburn to Canal Updates and Better Connectivity
Independent Councillor Ross McKenzie tabled a motion this week for the next Transport & Environment Committee meeting - more on that below - calling out a number of interesting aspects of the ‘Roseburn to Canal’ active travel infrastructure project:
He asks for an updated timeline, given the project is slated to finish in July and doesn’t look to be on track to do so - indeed, the [project’s website] (https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/cycling-walking/roseburn-union-canal/5) currently lists completion as August 2024;
The motion also makes the point that the route being implemented ends just by the side of the Fountainpark complex - as many in the cycling community have noted, a complete misnomer of a project title ’..to Canal’ when it gives up shy of Dundee Street. The last link is meant to be part of another project, and it will be good to hear if there’s the political will to make this new piece of infrastructure significantly more useful by actually connecting it with its intended destination as a result of the motion - even with temporary materials, in lieu of the ‘Dundee Street / Fountainbridge Active Travel Improvements Project’ breaking ground.
Spokes as always brought some good contextx to the discussion.
🏛️ Edinburgh’s Transport and Environment Committee Meeting this Thursday
Thursday 23rd at 10am will see another gathering of the Council’s Transport and Environment Committee. Ahead of the meeting, the Meeting Page (where you can find a live webcast link if you’re so inclined, or watch back), Business Bulletin [PDF] and Agenda Reports pack [ PDF ]have all been published.
The agenda for the session includes:
Results from public engagement on the topic of a Workplace Parking Levy;
A progress update on Secure on-street Cycle Parking (the Cyclehoop ‘hangars’ that you may have seen, particularly outside tenements and flats);
Project updates on the central George Street and First New Town plans;
A Review of London Road junction and Picardy Place - with the left-turn onto London Rd earmarked for return;
The aforementioned motion by Cllr McKenzie on the Roseburn to Union Canal link.
Tune in next week when we’ll have a roundup of the cycling-related items discussed and decided on at the committee’s meeting.
🌆 Local Bits
11 days to go! The 2024 Edinburgh Festival of Cycling starts on the 31st of May. Check out the calendar of events or find where you can pick up a lovely printed programme.
✊ Edinburgh Critical Mass have a new video out, featuring folks that attend the friendly and welcoming monthly mass protest ride around the city talking about why they come along. It’s coming up again on Saturday 25th May, 2pm at Middle Meadow Walk - a few more details below in our ‘Events’ section including where to follow Critical Mass Edinburgh to get details of the route.
From Last Week:
Omni centre cycle counter passes 2,000 cycles in a dayx;
Spokes’ May '24 Action Update;
New Bike Bus Launchedx for Flora Stevenson Primary.
➕ Nationally
👧🏾 Greater Manchester saw what could be the largest ever UK-based ‘kidical mass’ protest ridex this weekend;
🚏 Following the recent article about Tory machinations to 'ban' floating bus stops comes some statistics from Transport for London about recorded collisions at such stops:
Our review found that just 4 collisions took place at bus-stops between cyclists and pedestrians from 2020-22 - none on the crossing... For context, over 11,400 pedestrians and 15,000 cyclists were injured in collisions with motor vehicles in the same period.
🔖 One for the bookmarks - a four-year-old Guardian article we came across this week covering [10 wrong myths about bike lanes] (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2019/jul/03/ten-common-myths-about-bike-lanes-and-why-theyre-wrong);
🚓 The Police Chief Constable in charge of road policing in the UK wants tougher sentences for unsafe driving;
📆 Events and Happenings
✨ New This Week
✊ Edinburgh Critical Mass is coming up on Saturday 25th May, 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. Ever want to join the ride late, but not sure where it is? You can use Critical Maps - an anonymous location-sharing app for cyclists in critical mass events, aiding coordination through real-time map visualisation. Only one or two people need to use it from the start, so that others can see where the ride is.*
⚡️ Porty Community Energy are trialling a Wednesday evening advice drop-in fb starting this week:
We have some volunteers who are keen to help you get on the bike, whether it's for the first time or you're returning after a break. They have done the course and want to make use of their skills. So, they have come up with the idea of a chat session on Wednesday evening where you can bring your bike along for a wee M check or ask questions about borrowing a bike or doing some training with us.
📦 Ever considered volunteering with Cargo Bike Movement? They have two training sessions at the end of May, on Wednesday 29th 10am to 12:30pm and Friday 31st May from 2pm to 4:30pm. If you’re interested, email jamie@cargobikemovement.org
🚺 SCOREscotland’s “Wester Hailes, Walk, Pedal and Thrive project” are starting a new women’s cycle training beginners group on Saturdays during May and June - more details on their Facebook postfb.
📆 Upcoming / Ongoing
🎬 TONIGHT! Monday 20th May, Summerhall - From Markus Stitzx:
If you're in Edinburgh on 20 May at 7.30pm, please come around to the world-premiere of 'Great British Gravel Rides' on a big screen, followed by a Q&A with Stuart Kenny, supported by Schwalbe UK. There are a few tickets left available for £15/12 here;
💬 Friday 24th May will see the latest in Biketrax' series of 'Towpath talk' events, 18:30-20:30 in the Towpath cafe space above their bike shop at the Lochrin Basin. Speaking are:
Jane Dennyson: one of the Directors of Shift, a movement that has brought together the cycling industry to tackle sustainability. She will tell us more about this and what their community of brands, many of the largest, are doing to try to transition to more sustainable models.
Matt Finlayson: owns and operates Rothair Cycles out of Glasgow. Every bicycle is created in partnership with the rider – from start to finish, you are there making the decisions to create the perfect bicycle that rides and looks the way you want.
Stu Allan: created the Badger Divide, a 210-mile bikepacking route from Inverness to Glasgow, that follows a mix of mostly unpaved estate Rights of Way, Heritage Paths, long-distance trails, and forestry gravel roads.
Enjoy canapés included in the ticket price, with mocktails and drinks available from the cafe on the night.
🗓️ Wednesday 5th June, 2pm - As part of the ongoing 'Pedal Power' exhibition at the Museum of Edinburgh - Can cycling make transport sustainable? by Dr Brendan Hill;
⚙️ Wednesday 5th June (from 18:45 for coffee, stalls and chat, 19:30 - 21:30 meeting) - Spokes, the Lothian Cycle Campaign, will be hosting a public meeting about the Trams to Granton project, tabled as part of the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling:
Controversy rages over whether the proposed north-south tramline should use the Roseburn path or an onroad route via Orchard Brae and Dean Bridge. The speakers at our June 5th public meeting will present the two cases, then the pros and cons of each option for cycling and walking, and for wider public health. Followed by our always-stimulating one-hour QA and panel discussion.
With Speakers:
For Roseburn, not Road: Lesley Hinds - Former Councillor, Lord Provost, Council Leader and Convener of the Transport & Environment Committee
For Road, not Roseburn: Euan Baxter - representing 'Save the Roseburn Path'
On Cycling aspects: Alex from Spokes;
On Public Health aspects: Adrian Davis, European public health & transport planning specialist
Q&A chair: Johanna Boyd, Chief Executive of Planning Aid Scotland (PAS)
This promises to be somewhat lively on account of the strength of feeling involved from those who regularly use the path, but also has a great lineup of speakers and a careful balance of folks to cover all sides of the debate. Well worth attending if you're able to.
🗓️ Saturday 8 June, 2pm - Also part of the ongoing 'Pedal Power' exhibition at the Museum of Edinburgh - Pedal On: Cycle Campaigning in Edinburgh (two talks):
Hop on The Bike Bus When a city lacks safe cycling infrastructure there is no better way to get your kids to school than by taking part in a bike bus. Bike bus champion, Jarlath Flynn talks about how you can go about setting up a bike bus for your school and how it can help nurture healthier, happier, more resilient kids and adults.
City Centre West East Link Hear from Henry Whaley, Chair of the Roseburn Route Support Group who will explain how the campaign for the City Centre West East Link was run.
✊🏼 Ongoing - 'Pedal Power', a free exhibition co-curated by Critical Mass Edinburgh, Infrasisters, Spokes and folks running Bike Buses across the city at the Museum of Edinburgh running until the 22nd September - including some upcoming talks and events you’ll find highlighted above.
🔁 Weekly Events
🛠️ Edinburgh Tool Library host a weekly Bike Kitchen providing 'tools, spare parts, and expertise' to 'learn, grow, and connect with others'; Open every Wednesday from 3pm.
✴️ Regular events on at The Wee Spoke Hub - follow their schedule here including a Bike DIY Session this Thursday 23rd, 4pm - 8pm and Bike Puncture Repair Session on Saturday 25th 11am - 1pm;
🫂 Help Needed
📦 With the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling coming up, there’s an opportunity to directly help with the success of the festival by helping to distribute their lovely printed programmes to Cafés, Bike shops, Independent retailers, Libraries and beyond. You can see a map of the locations that volunteers have bike-delivered to so far, (and also, to see where you can find a printed programme of your very own!). If you'd like to get out on your bike and help to get the programmes distributed far and wide, check out the call for Volunteer programme distributors;
🚴🏼 There's a Crowdfunder on the go to support the Skelf bike park, just off Holyrood Park;
🌊 Also currently crowdfunding at the moment, Porty Community Energy are raising money for their new Sea Rising Festival;
👩🏻⚖️ THE BIG 'Bikes for Refugees Scotland' FUNDRAISING AUCTION 2024
Bikes for Refugees are looking for the donation of experiences, cycling-themed items, artworks, event tickets, signed memorabilia, gift baskets, and other ideas to auction off in their fundraiser: get in touch with bfrscotland@gmail.com. The auction will go live at the start of this year's Edinburgh Festival of Cycling on 31st May.
As always:
New Scots refugees and asylum seekers need your bikes now. Providing essential mobility and freedom of movement. Please complete the bike donation form on our website, thank you https://www.bikesforrefugees.scot
🚲 Also from Bikes for Refugees:
TRUSTEES WANTED (Glasgow). Join our board of directors. Help govern & shape the ongoing development of our successful charity... Contact admin@bikesforrefugees.scot
Ongoing:
🚌 Volunteer to help marshal a local school Bike Bus - see the Bike Bus Hub Directory;
🙋 Sustrans seek volunteers for their ‘I Bike’ school programme: teaching kids, maintaining a bike fleet or marshalling rides with pupils;
🗨️ Spokes are in need of new members for their Planning and Resources groups;
🤝 SW20 are a Co-op Local Community Fund Cause - support them via this page;
🆘 Support Bikes for Refugees with an SMS donation 🐦or on EasyDonate;
🌈 Infrastructure Progress & Consultations
🌳 Meadows to George Street
The Meadows to George Street team recently announced the Publication of the detailed design proposals and advertisement of the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) and Redetermination Order (RSO) for this vital gap-joining project, tackling one of the city centre's nastier cycling gauntlets:
✍🏽 Detailed Design Documents:
The associated orders (TRO/21/32 and RSO/21/08) are now closed for comments as of 17th May.
⚓️ 'Leith Feeder Ride' on X shared there were 'signs of lifex' for a proper finish / end to the northbound Leith Walk cycle lane - namely 241 days of planned cycleway construction works starting some time between late Summer and Autumn this year - on the 'Foot of the Walk to Ocean Terminal' protected cycle route as part of Leith Connections, which promises to be a great continuation of the segregated routes slowly taking root in the city centre;
🚴🏼♀️ Nearby Midlothian Council have launched ‘On the Move Midlothian: Our Active Travel Strategy for Everyone’, consisting of two parallel consultations on Active Travel and also wider transport concerns across their council area:
The active travel draft strategy, which includes measurable and achievable targets, focuses on making Midlothian a place where getting around in a way that makes you physically active, such as walking and wheeling, will be an easy, convenient, cheap and realistic option for all.
📄 You can view the draft strategy online [PDF].
Deadlines for responses:
10th June for 'Midlothian Local Transport Strategy';
22nd July for the 'Active Travel Survey'.
👁️🗨️ The Dalry Living Well Locally consultation runs until 26th June:
🛣 Route Closures and Issues
The Water of Leith path at Coalie Park, closed for the last 6 months or so, has now reopenedx.
Melville St at Walker St has some partial closures of the CCWEL segregated lanes for major works, assumedly as part of the public realm improvements that recently commenced and run until December this year;
With works at the Western General Hospital completed, the Council has confirmed that the segregated lane along Crewe Road South will shortly return.
Thanks for reading - ride safe 🚲
📣 Help edi.bike ✍🏼
We want to grow our readership as far as possible - 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 find this useful, you could:
🗣️ Recommend it to someone - why not forward to a friend, or just point them to edi.bike online
📝 Share a story / issue - If you run into anything that might be a good fit for next time, feel free to send it over.
💜 Join the Supporters Club for £1/month to help us cover costs and promote to a wider audience. More info below.
💜 Join our 'Supporters Club'
The weekly edi.bike digest will always be free (gratis) to read for anyone who subscribes, as well as remaining ad-free.
For £1/month, you can join our Supporters Club, and help with existing costs for our domain name, hosting, and promotional materials like posters and stickers.
Huge thanks to those of you who have already signed up to support us - we really appreciate it 💜
🎁 Club Perks
As well as supporting us, we're also planning the following perks for Supporters Club patrons:
A bi-monthly (6 times a year) behind-the-scenes update sharing subscriber numbers / growth, promotional efforts, and other stuff about the running of edi.bike;
A shiny 'Supporters Club' sticker, once we get them printed up (subject to collection in person!).
Over time, we might also consult Club patrons on strategic decisions and other matters.
If you can't support us in this way, that's grand too - thanks for reading!