🚲 edi.bike | issue 44 | 10th Jun '24
your weekly edinburgh cycling digest
📰 News this Week
Did you get to any of EdFoC? Edinburgh Festival of Cycling 2024 events have more or less drawn to an end - I enjoyed hearing talks from Dr Bernhard Hill on sustainable transport, Jarlath Flynn on the amazing progress he’s been making with Bike Buses across the city — and really insightful thoughts from Henry Whaley who headed up the route campaigning for the City Centre West to East Link. Onwards: here’s all the community news and updates we’ve come across in the last week or so.
🚲 ‘Roseburn to Union Canal’ Active Travel Link Delayed
A new ‘project update’ on the Council’s Roseburn to Union Canal microsite now slates the link - from the Fountainpark complex down towards the Telfer subway, over a new bridge span connecting to a toucan crossing on the Western Approach Road, and through a new linear parkland space before connecting with the Roseburn Path - as being delivered in ‘Autumn 2024’ rather than July/August. This is apparently due to other work taking place in the area, and finalising the plans for the bridge link over the Mid Calder railway line - but in terms of timing could tie in nicely with the previously mentioned motion raised at the Transport & Environment Committee to amend this ‘to Union Canal’ project to actually link to the canal 🙃
🤡 Council Rebuilds Traffic-Heavy Polwarth Car-Sewer-Slash-Roundabout Junction, Changes Nothing
A 68,000 vehicle-per-week mini-roundabout described by locals as a ‘terrifying rat-run’ — at the junction of Polwarth Gardens / Terrace and Granville Terrace — has been resurfaced and repaintedx with zero new affordances or improvements for walking, wheeling and cycling users. Instead, crash barriers that don’t protect pedestrians have been retained, wide sweeping corner radiuses that encourage speeding due to the conceived available safe space to move a motor vehicle through at speed are kept wide, and any possible improvement to protect the most vulnerable users of the space has been womped sky-high over the crossbar of an open public realm improvement goalmouth. Let’s move on to another item before I start typing with my forehead.
📋 A New Consultation for Connecting Granton Waterfront, and a Midlothian Council Consultation Closing today
The City of Edinburgh Council have launched a new consultation on Connecting Granton Waterfront; and today marks the last day for feedback on Midlothian Council’s Midlothian Local Transport Strategy. More in our Infrastructure Progress & Consultations section later in this email.
📦 Edinburgh Cargo Bike Couriers Farr Out join Zedify
Farr Out Deliveries have joined the UK’s largest Cargo Bike delivery company, Zedify - more at The Edinburgh Reporter;
/via the inimitable and essential The Edinburgh Minute - Subscribe today!
🚋 Full House at Augustine United for Spokes’ Trams to Granton Panel Discussion and Q&A
Wednesday 5th saw Spokes, the Lothian Cycle Campaign, host 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.
The event ended up so busy with over 200 attending that capacity was reached and a number of folks had to be turned away at the door.
Spokes have a phenomenal round-up post including notes, speakers’ slide decks, and answers to the Q&A questions; you can also watch back online.
Speaking were:
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 Robb 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)
Former transport convenor Lesley Hinds did an admirable job of articulating the context of the original tram project, the benefits of the proposed line using the Roseburn Path, and endeavoured to provide a strong defense of the council’s position during the lengthy question and answer session.
Euan Baxter, who heads up Save the Roseburn Path was a compelling speaker, making a solid case for the numerous ways that planning to return the Roseburn corridor to light rail use ran counter to biodiversity, active travel and green space policies at the council, the strength of local feeling, and also cited in numerous places a report by Jacobs / Steer in 2021 that seems to contradict a number of the council’s assertions regarding route choices. Euan manages a very reasonable, facts-driven yet emotive case for the retention of the space as it currently exists, while making it clear that the campaign are not anti-tram - quite rightly asserting that if following the sustainable transport hierarchy, such new infrastructure should be taking space from private car use, not active travel.
There were excellent summaries of the various cycling pros / cons and public health impact aspects by panelists Alex Robb and Adrian Davis, and Alex did a particularly good job in the Q&A of providing detailed answers to some of the questions from the floor about the specifics involved - particularly where the parties for/against couldn’t agree on the facts involved.
The lasting impression that I had coming away from the meeting was that the council seem to have really missed a trick with communication around the north-south tram extension plans. The consultation isn’t yet published, and as such all of the detailed information that the public are concerned about simply isn’t available - but because the only public record regarding the ‘state of play’ is a series of amended motions in a somewhat obscure committee process, there’s a fertile soil for misinformation and worry.
Had the council recognised the potential for significant public discourse resulting from their proposal to significantly harm a popular linear parkway, and make significant changes to a key artery in the city’s off-road active travel path network — albeit in the noble pursuit of bringing the capital city a forward-thinking and sustainable mass transit network — they could easily have published a ‘key facts and dates’ web page or leaflet reflecting the state of play after February’s Transport & Environment Committee.
As it was, regardless of how well former Cllr Hinds held space at this ‘town hall’, any current decision-makers were conspicuous by their absence, and the council will only have a harder time at consultation having taken so long to come back with detailed proposals and provided such a campaigning window to those in opposition to the plans.
🌆 Local Bits
🚓 Sadly Dalry bicycle depot was recently broken into and a customer’s red & yellow Mondraker stolen through the window - if you recognise the cheb in the CCTV footage get in touch — more details on the Stolen / found bicycles Edinburgh group on Facebook, which is set to private but worth joining;
🏛️ The National Museum of Scotland are currently developing a new exhibition with a bicycle theme, and they’d like to hear from our readers.
Fill in the questionnaire here by mid-June to be in with the chance of winning £50 for your trouble.
🎶 Local composer and cycling activist Dan Abrahams’ new composition for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra includes some ‘bicycle related sounds’, and looks to have involved some intriguing looking bicycle-instrumentsfb along the way - be sure to check out the UN:TITLED 2024 concerts featuring Dan’s composition ‘Hope in the Dark’ as well as his other projects;
🌍 On World Bike Day, a few folks from Edinburgh Critical Mass got to meet with some folks at the City of Edinburgh Council and show them roundx the excellent Critical Mass co-curated ‘Pedal Power’ exhibition at the Museum of Edinburgh;
🎨 There’s an opportunity to sublet a studio space with the lovely folks at The Wee Spoke Hub, available from 19th June - see all the details on their Facebook post;
❣️ The ‘Rolling Subs’: five Jambos departed the city on bikes todayx, cycling from Tynecastle to Cologne for a friendly football match, with their ride raising funds for Big Hearts and also Bikes for Refugees;
📩 Looks like folks in Leith and Newhaven are starting to receive lettersx about applying for second phase spaces in the council’s secure on-street cycle storage scheme;
📍 A labour of love by Harry Williams: texture mapping the proposed Meadows to George Street Routex onto Google Earth;
From Last Week:
Latest Sustrans data on Active Travel to schools, independent schools’ car dependency highlightedx;
“Effect of 20 mph speed limits on traffic injuries in Edinburgh, UK: a natural experiment and modelling study”
Spokes launch their General Election page;
“Every bit of active travel infrastructurex currently due to be complete by 2027/8” by Harry Williams.
🛣 Route Closures and Issues
Argyle Place is closed northbound for sewer repairs by Scottish Water. As a knock-on from this work, the last 20m of South Meadow Walk footway and cycleway as approaching Argyle Place from the West is closed, with a diversion onto the Melville Drive footway and a bit of a mess at the segregated turning / crossing cycleway at the bottom of Middle Meadow Walk;
The weekend road closure times for Holyrood Park have recently changedx;
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.
➕ Nationally
🌆 Glasgow Live: “Glasgow cyclists given 'unique' opportunity to enjoy traffic-free roads in free event”;
📆 Events and Happenings
✨ New This Week
🎭 Still a couple of events left on the EdFoC events calendar - be sure to get them in the diary!
☕️ Active Travel Cafe is a national, weekly online active travel event; news, talks & discussion via Zoom on Tuesdays at 5pm. They’ve recently published a list of speakers for the next month or so.
🌊 Worth marking the Porty Community Energy Sea Rising Festival in the diary too, coming 22nd June:
On the 22nd June 2024 Porty Community Energy are organising a free music and environment festival on the promenade and beach in Portobello, Edinburgh (near the bottom of King's Road) between 1-6pm.
You can join us at the sea stage, to listen to the music with the waves lapping at your ankles, to be part of a chorus of voices, and dance in the water.
On dry land there will be another stage, where you can join in a ceilidh. Visit markets and workshops, and try out different bikes.
🏳️🌈 From The Wee Spoke Hub:
Join us for a special Bike DIY session with LEAP Sports Festival Fortnight, exclusively for the LGBTIQ+ community!
Enjoy a fun evening of bike repairs led by and for our amazing community.
📅 Tuesday 25 June | 16:00 - 20:00 (staggered arrivals) | 13 Guthrie Street, EH1 1JG
🛠️ What to Expect:
⭐ Warm, well-lit space with bike stands
⭐ Wee Spoke Hub tools, spare parts, and expert help
⭐ Old clothes recommended (aprons & lab coats available)
⭐ Sign in, get matched with a volunteer, and dive into your bike repairs!
Remember, patience is key as we rely on our fantastic volunteers. More Info & Booking »
Not part of the LGBTIQ+ community? Join us for our Thursday night Bike DIY sessions!🚴♂️🚴♀️
📆 Upcoming / Ongoing
✊🏼 🎭 EdFoC | 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.
Edinburgh Council archives — who recently launched the ‘Edinburgh 900’ project to celebrate 900 years since Edinburgh became a royal burgh — have also asked ‘Pedal Power’ to be part of the programme and will tour the exhibition around communities in Edinburgh after it finishes at the Museum of Edinburgh in September.
🔁 Weekly Events
⚡️ Porty Community Energy are trialling a weekly Wednesday evening advice drop-infb;
🛠️ 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 13th, 4pm - 8pm;
🫂 Help Needed
🚲 Help Fund a New Specialised Active Chair for Porty Community Energy Activist Roseanne Sinclair
Rosie has previously volunteered with Porty Community Energy’s Bikefest and Accessible Porty events, and is raising funds for a new specialised active chair and physiotherapy. If you can help, head on over to her campaign page!;
Ongoing:
🌊 Porty Community Energy crowdfunding their Sea Rising Festival;
🚴🏼 Friends of the Skelf bike park and pump track just off Holyrood Park are [raising money currently; ]- 🚌 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
🐳 Connecting Granton Waterfront
A new Granton-focused consultation running until Tuesday 16th July. From the project’s Consultation Hub:
This project proposes a network of safe and well-connected routes as part of a walking, wheeling and cycling network for Granton Waterfront. Our ideas have been designed to make walking, wheeling and cycling safer and easier through the new and existing areas of the neighbourhood. The proposals include wider pavements, better cycling provision, placemaking improvements including new and improved landscaping and upgrades to key crossing points and junctions on the following routes:
Forthquarter Park
Waterfront Broadway
Waterfront Park
Waterfront Avenue
West Shore Road
The Promenade
View the Community Engagement Portal and give feedback via the Survey.
There is also the opportunity to attend a public drop-in event at Granton Station, Station Square, Waterfront Broadway, Edinburgh EH5 1FU; this Thursday 13th June 2024 3pm - 7pm, or Sunday 16th June 2024 from 10am to 2pm.
🏖️ Brunstane and Portobello
‘Edinburgh roads: 'Radical changes' on way for Portobello High Street and Brighton Place’ in The Evening News;
The ETRO scheme closing Brunstane Rd to motorised traffic has been made permanent.
🌳 Meadows to George Street
The associated orders (TRO/21/32 and RSO/21/08) are now closed for comments as of 17th May.
✍🏽 Detailed Design Documents: - 📄 Teviot Place, Forrest Road, Bristo Place [PDF] - 📄 Forrest Road, Candlemaker Row and George IV Bridge [PDF] - 📄 George IV Bridge, The Royal Mile and Bank Street [PDF] - 📄 North Bank Street and the Mound [PDF] - 📄 The Mound, Princes Street and Hanover Street [PDF] - 📄 Market Street [PDF]
⚓️ 'Signs of lifex' - 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:
TODAY! 10th June for 'Midlothian Local Transport Strategy';
22nd July for the 'Active Travel Survey'.
👁️🗨️ The Dalry Living Well Locally consultation runs until 26th June:
Thanks for reading - ride safe 🚲
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