🚲 edi.bike | issue 57 | 9th Sep ‘24
your weekly edinburgh cycling digest
Don’t miss 📚 20% off Cycling Books by Markus Stitz for edi.bike subscribers — below our weekly news section ⬇️
📰 News this Week
🚳 Network Rail Bans the Parking of Ebikes at Stations
News from a kindly edi.bike follower on Mastodon of signage displayed in Waverley Station bearing the warning ‘No e-bikes or e-scooters to be stored in the station’’. Further inquiry revealed the duty manager didn’t know whether an e-bike with the battery removed would be allowed to be stored, which shows the depth of thought and training that have gone into the rollout of such a policy, for a start.
Countries with sensible transport infrastructure facilitate bicycle parking at stations to provide a sustainable whole-journey link. It’s absolutely bass-ackwards to have a policy of this nature in place when the primary risk of ebike fire is while charging - a facility the station does not provide at its cycle racks.
Aiming to demonstrate the lack of necessity in such a policy, we’ve filed a Freedom of Information Request with Network Rail, asking them to provide a count of the number of incidents of fire, emission or explosion originating from an electric bike at each of Glasgow and Edinburgh’s busiest stations in the last four years. We remain unaware of any policy banning electric cars from the station’s surface car park at New Street due to fire risk, which perhaps speaks to the role motonormativity has to play in this kind of mindless policy-spamming.
💬 New Transport Convener Can Talk the Talk…
Spokes - the Lothian Cycling Campaign - have a great page on their site covering the handover of Convenership for the Transport and Environment Committee, from the outgoing Convener’s successes and failures, to an interesting quote from incoming Convener Cllr Stephen Jenkinson:
“Over the last few years much of the focus of the committee has been on developing, enhancing and refining plans and strategies of which active travel and cycling are key components. I see us moving into more of a delivery phase now which is quite exciting. Edinburgh is a congested city; to keep it moving we do need modal shift, we do need to reduce car usage especially in the City Centre, therefore we do need to focus on active travel and mass public transport alternatives if we are going to have a chance of meeting the targets we have set ourselves.”
This ticks a lot of boxes in terms of sentiment; but as perfectly expressed by Infrasisters’ Kirsty Lewin [x], whose remarks on progress in the city I think back to often: “Councillors will be judged on deeds - not words”.
📈 A Third of Leith Walk Cyclists Going Uncounted
We - and others - have written about the remarkable figures coming from the Cycling Scotland’s cycle counter at the Omni Centre, on the link from Leith St / Picardy Pl to the lanes installed as part of the Trams to Nehaven project, showing significant increases in usage over time.
We’ve often linked to explorations of this public data by Edward Tissiman, who this week published a new thread exploring just how many of the users of the Leith Walk infrastructure don’t even pass the Omni - meaning the remarkable figures we’ve seen counted thus far are actually as much as a third higher.
Due to access settings on the X thread it can’t be ‘unrolled’, but here are the links:
Post 1 | Post 2 | Post 3 | Post 4
🔍 September Transport & Environment Committee Papers Reviewed, Somewhat Verbosely
Free essay! You’ll find a look at what’s on the agenda for TEC this Thursday 12th and recent updates below our Local / National news roundups ⬇️
🌅 Edinburgh Dawn Patrol Rides - First Outings
Cyclist, writer and route designer Markus Stitz — inspired by his previous rides with Oslo Dawn Patrol — started a new social ride this past week, heading out on a pre-planned route on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:40am. Markus shared a couple of posts on X with photos from these initial trips out. There’s also talk of the rides aiming to comprise of a group of faster riders, and a slower and more sociable group following - so worth a look even for readers more inclined to a leisurely cycle.
What: Social Group Ride
When: Tue & Thu at western gate of St Andrew Square - leaving at 5.40am
[Route on Komoot - 19 miles »
Finish: Wellington Coffee
Good pace, but no race. Everyone welcome. PLS share! — Original post on X;
🏰 Local Bits
🛍️ Local Bike Shop Dalry Bicycle Depot - at 6 Caledonian Place - are currently offering a ‘bundle sale’ with 15% off when you buy a helmet, lock and set of lights (and a further 20% off other items purchased);
☀️ Last weekend Cycling UK turned up at the SNP party conference and hosted an 'E-bike try out' event for delegates - with help from Cargo Bike Movement. They posted some photos in this thread »
🕳️ Issues with a significant sinkhole in a Water-of-Leith-adjacent path through Longstone persist, and after three months there are still questions over who owns the land. Unfortunately, the Council haven’t yet recognised that the plastic barriers in use make better kites than they do safety equipment in our windy city, so there remain concerns from local residents that someone using the path could end up injured, particularly after dark;
🥕 Spokes’ annual competition ends Sunday 15th, this time around on the theme of ‘Cycling and sustenance’ - there’s some pretty incredible prizes, be sure to check it out and send something in!
➕ Nationally
💸 Much Ado About Funding
As covered briefly last week - a sweeping array of ‘savings’ (largely cuts) across Scottish Government Budgets includes £23.7m cut from the Active & Sustainable travel budget, flying in the face of what the government had outlined as a target for increased investment over time. Given the well-documented climate crisis, and the benefits of cycling beyond sustainability and into public health and equality outcomes, it’s astounding to see a supposedly progressive government shelving none of their road-building projects and instead chipping away at the ability for local councils to implement projects that enable significant modal shift and meet the government’s own targets for reduction in car kilometres travelled.
The BBC reported on Transport Scotland’s stance:
”Report author Laura Hyde-White said there had been a "grievous failure" in active travel investment, with only £137m spent of a planned £320m allocated for the healthiest modes of transport in this year's budget.”
Their report, ‘In Reverse’ [PDF] is well worth a read - looking at the government’s commitments, and how well those are being met over time.
Cycling UK also published a statement to X following the news.
South of the border, Transport Action Network cover 16 major highway schemes that don’t have a justifiable return on investment, that if cut could save the UK Government around £15 billion.
📸 reGlasgow has some great photos from the opening of the Govan to Partick Active Travel bridge over the weekend, with apparently none of the East coast’s ridiculous fog misting over the views;
🚸 Sunday 15th - Kidical Mass ride in Glasgow with Parents for Future Scotland - Free tickets available here - Email sunnycycles2022@gmail.com if you need to borrow a bike, bike trailer or adapted bike;
🧊 “Redbridge Council has had its active travel funding frozen after removing a low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) scheme.” — Ilford Recorder;
☠️ “The dead hand of the last government is still in control” - Norwich Cycling Campaign on the dangers of lingering Tory culture war legislation, unrolled here »
⚠️ “The council said that Lime must remove its dockless bikes in the borough (Kilburn in London) by October 31 if it continues to ignore the council’s safety concerns regarding poorly parked and abandoned bikes.” — Original Article and Lime’s Response;
🍀 Quadracycles - “The four-wheel cargo bike makers seeking to oust vans from cities” at the Financial Times »
👥 Upcoming Transport & Environment Committee (‘TEC’) Meeting, Thursday 12th September
📅 Meeting Page | 📄 Public Agenda Reports Pack [PDF]
✨ Experiment; a lot of specific item links below should go directly to the right page in the 378-page PDF. Did it work on your device? Let me know!
Documents published ahead of this Thursday’s Meeting include:
☑️ ‘Rolling Actions Log’
⬆️ Page 103: An update » on the — controversial and unnecessary — changes to the Greenbank to Meadows Quiet Route, where effective traffic-calming filters across the Braid estate will be removed to restore rat-running to an area where it was cut by over 40%, indicates that “revised designs are now complete”. We understand the ETRO (Experimental Traffic Regulation Order) for the changes is currently being drafted and this is what the ‘completion date’ of December ‘24 refers to - so it looks like some time before the filters at the southern end of the route will be removed in favour of temporary segregated lanes;
🤔 Page 116: In an item » about the ‘GNT’ or ‘George St and First New Town’ project, lies an interesting proposal due back in mid November: “Requests officers to bring forward proposals for an alternative temporary cycle route that will link up CCWEL in the interim and report back within six months” - to address the gap between Charlotte Sq and St. Andrew’s Sq on the original plan for the route;
⌛ Page 134: An action » slated from last TEC to progress the Meadows to Union Canal link — ”engage with affected businesses and then proceed to the statutory process for traffic orders without delay ” — is now slated for completion in Spring 2025, stating “The timescale for this is dependent on progress with development of designs for Lothian Road Boulevard to ensure designs for both schemes are compatible”. This is frustrating given the ten-year-long history of trying to get this short but key cycling link built, particularly as to the untrained eye the link is only just adjacent to the boulevard project - however through an optimistic lens, this could be seen as officers avoiding the mistakes of previous disjointed cycleway projects by ensuring new projects all tie together.
💼 Business Bulletin
📊 Corstorphine Connections - Low Traffic Neighbourhood / Bus Gate measures
Page 148: The Corstorphine Connections project has an update in the Business Bulletin detailing the effects on cycling and walking in the area, as well as the number of bus gate infringements from folk who live outside of the project area. The item also suggests the website for the project will be updated with the new findings ahead of the TEC meeting on Thursday;
🪄 Edinburgh City Centre Transformation Delivery Plan Update
Page 152: The update for this significant project in the Business Bulletin offers the following in terms of what’s in the pipeline:
”Of the six catalyst areas (including Waverley Calton, Lothian Road, Haymarket and Innovation Mile) identified as part of ECCT, the main areas of focus to date have been the First New Town and Old Town. A range of major projects are now at an advanced stage of design development, including the George Street remodelling, the First New Town Cross Streets, Charlotte Square and the Meadows to George Street project which will provide a strategic link between the Old and New Town via the Mound.”
📋 Agenda Items
🏙️ 7.1: Princes St and Waverley Valley Strategy
Page 163: This strategy piece » is a fairly holistic ‘placemaking’ look at Princes St and its surroundings - specifically Waverley and Princes St Gardens - which once consulted on and approved by TEC and others, becomes “non-statutory Planning Guidance” referred to by Council committees when approving and supporting e.g. the Network Rail Waverley Masterplan and planning applications along Princes St. This includes in its scope the station environs, but also facilities within the gardens such as the future of the Ross Pavilion (bandstand).
As far as cycling content, one of the strategy’s stated aims is to:
”Enhance conditions for walking and wheeling and optimise the efficiency of the public transport network. Continue to enable safer cycling linked to the strategic cycle network.”
The ‘Future Streets’ (FS) framework section describes the role of Princes St for cycling and the challenges involved:
”Princes Street is only categorised as a strategic cycle connection east of South St David Street, with this section of the ‘primary’ cycle network forming an important link between George Street / Waverley Station and Leith Street, Regent Road and North Bridge. However, in addition to enhanced cycle parking on street and within the public realm, FS identifies that the east end of Princes Street will require a localised design solution to be developed. The eastern end of the street is subject to heavy footfall, provides critical interchange between bus passengers, the rail network and tram at St Andrew Square, and forms part of the safeguarded tram route to the southeast of the city. Providing for all these uses whilst also delivering a safe cycling connection and enhancing the street as a public space presents a major challenge that will require very careful design.”
Placemaking improvements to Princes St at Castle St proposed include that ”additional cycle parking capacity would be created for people coming to Princes Street from the City Centre West East Link (CCWEL) / National Cycle Route 1 (NCR1).”
Changes to Waverley Bridge are proposed too - “The area between Princes Street and the entrances to East Princes Street Gardens and Waverley Market would be pedestrianised, with cycle access. This placemaking project would include new, generous benches, for sitting, socialising, picnic lunches and admiring the views to the Old Town and simple interpretation. Temporary surfacing could be used to define crossing priorities, and to set out a public realm zone aligned with East Princes St Gardens, whilst providing through access for cycling. The space will be further transformed by the full design for the Bridge and Waverley Station at a later stage.”
Elsewhere, the addition of (further) ‘ample cycle parking’ at General Register House in the East End, as well as seating and public realm improvements are on the table, as is increased cycle parking as part of footway improvements, both mid-block and at junctions.
The Waverley Masterplan, as covered previously, also includes a North-South walking, wheeling and cycling bridge over the station from East Market St across to Calton Rd.
📜 7.2: George Street and First New Town (‘GNT’) – Operational Plan and Project Update
Page 215: This report coming to TEC » is in response to “a request from Committee to provide analysis of the operational plan, financial breakdown, funding and grant options and benefits” of the project.
The project “aims to deliver a ‘people-focused’ space to encourage greater walking, wheeling, cycling while strengthening its sense of place. Key to achieving this design and operational philosophy is the need to restrict all but essential vehicles from George Street for a large proportion of the day. The Operational Plan is a crucial component of the project, as it details future arrangements for loading, servicing, and vehicle access in the area.”
Additionally:
”George Street is designed to become a 'cycle street' where vehicles are guests, and car and vehicle use is deterred with access barriers for most of the day. Cycle Streets have been proven as a successful approach in similar situations in other cities. Additionally, significant provisions for cycle parking will encourage the use of cycle journeys for shopping, leisure and business trips. Two major cycle schemes converge at GNT and will provide “onward” connections to other key city centre active travel routes via Meadows to George Street Active Travel Route (MGS), City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL) and other connections. Significant improvements will be undertaken at key junctions including Charlotte Street, Castle Street, Frederick Street, Hanover Street and St David Street to improve cycling safety. An interim connection is currently being implemented at Charlotte Street to connect CCWEL to George Street and is due for completion by mid-September. The link on St David Street would be prioritised for delivery to provide a safe link for cyclists at the east end of George Street. Along George Street, the proposal to implement a one-way system supports a better environment for cycling. Lowering the speed limit to 15mph or lower is also being explored.””
In terms of the newly constrained funding landscape (more below), it’s heartening to see appetite and ideas for a lower-cost partial implementation of general traffic restrictions from officers if there’s no further funding to get the whole project done at once:
”Funding to complete Stage 4 is secured and has no impact on delivery of other projects. The level of future funding for active travel projects is yet to be confirmed by Transport Scotland. In anticipation of future funding constraints in the active travel programme, a review of all CMP deliverables is being prepared in order to make recommendations on prioritisation. The prioritisation exercise will be completed prior to the completion of Stage 4 of GNT… Recognising this, officers will investigate options to remove private vehicle parking from George Street while allowing limited vehicle access in line with the proposed Operational Plan”.
To our eyes, this looks like it could be of significant benefit regarding the ‘missing middle’ of the CCWEL route, ensuring that George St is safer to cycle along regardless of whether the project has yet achieved full funding or the full suite of placemaking plans that are afoot.
📣 Help edi.bike ✍🏼
🗣️ Recommend us 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.
📚 20% off Cycling Books by Markus Stitz for edi.bike Readers
Friend of edi.bike Markus Stitz - cycling journalist, writer, route designer and filmmaker - has been in touch with a very kind offer of 20% off the cost of his books for edi.bike subscribers. His titles thus far cover Bikepacking, Gravel Riding and Long-distance rides, and when bought direct from the author in this way will also be delivered by bike within Edinburgh! Big thanks to Markus for his generosity — you can see the list of books and order using the online form found here and use offer code EDIBIKE.
In addition, Markus is also an organiser of Dirt Dash, who have an upcoming event in Dunoon, September 21st-22nd:
”This friendly and welcoming overnight event is the perfect introduction if you want to give bikepacking a go, without having to worry about the logistics. We provide you with a route, a really nicely located campsite, dinner and breakfast. While you are cycling, you get to experience the rugged beauty Scotland’s Adventure Coast on some of the best gravel trails Scotland has to offer.”
Find out more at Dirt Dash »
🛣 Route Closures and Issues
Melville St at Walker St has some partial closures of the CCWEL segregated lanes for major works as part of the public realm improvements that runs until December this year;
Spokes shared the upcoming partial closure of NCN 196, on the Auchendinny-Rosewell railway path for resurfacing with ‘flexipave’ - a 6-8 week closure from Monday 16th September. Details from Midlothian Council »
📆 Events and Happenings
📆 Upcoming / Ongoing
⚡ The lovely folks at Porty Community Energy are leading some friendly, communal rides out from Portobello in the coming weeks, to Fort Kinnaird, Leith, QMU and the Meadows respectively - more details and booking link on their Facebook post »
🧭 In the West of the city, lots going on for SCOREScotland at Whale Arts and Gate55, ranging from route planning workshops to Dr Bike, bike maintenance training and beginner cycling classes - see their Facebook post for the full list »
🚲 The Bike Station are running Wednesday evening beginners’ Bike Maintenance courses on the 11th, 18th and 25th September - details and booking on their website »
✊🏼 🎭 EdFoC | Ongoing - 'Pedal Power', a free exhibition on cycling and activism in Edinburgh, 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.
Edinburgh Council archives --- behind the ‘Edinburgh 900’ project celebrating 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
☕️ Active Travel Cafe is a national, weekly online active travel event; news, talks & discussion via Zoom on Tuesdays at 5pm. See their list of speakers and details;
👪 Every Friday in September; All-inclusive social guided bike rides with A Wee Pedal, 2-4pm from Bridgend Farmhouse:
WHEELY FUN FRIDAYS with ‘A Wee Pedal’. At, or starting at, at Bridgend Farmhouse! Supported by Cycling Scotland, Paths for All, & The City of Edinburgh Council. Suggested donation per activity in brackets [£] - booking essential via admin@bridgendfarmhouse.org.uk
INCLUDING… GUIDED BIKE RIDES 2-4pm until October. Pace is gentle and social on mostly flat, off main road, routes. Destinations vary - they’ve been to the Meadows, Portobello Beach, and more. Hire an e-bike [£5] or borrow a pedal bike for free [Helmets included].
AND… BASIC BIKE MAINTENANCE Monthly sessions on the last Friday of the Month, April – October, 10am – noon in the marquee [£5] Bring your own bike to practice on, or use one of ours. Each session is a standalone class covering all of the basics safety checks and fixing a puncture etc. so one should do the trick!
⚡️ Porty Community Energy are trialling a weekly Wednesday evening advice drop-in [fb];
⚙️ The Wee Spoke Hub host a weekly ‘Bike Cleaning and Oiling’ drop-in session at their shop every Saturday, 2-4pm;
🛠️ 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.
✴️ Other regular events on at The Wee Spoke Hub - follow their schedule here including a Bike DIY Session this Thursday 12th, 5pm - 8pm and ’So you’ve bought a bike… What next?’ this Saturday 14th, 11am - 1pm: This session will offer you an introduction to looking after your bike and being a responsible bike owner. We also cover aspects of safer on-road cycling, and answer any questions you have;
🫂 Help Needed
⚙️ The lovely folks at The Wee Spoke Hub are advertising office / studio space to sublet in their building;
⚡ Friends of the digest Porty Community Energy are hiring for a Freelance Coordinator. Find out more on their Instagram post or find the application information on their home page under ‘Latest News’;
🎉 A kindly edi.bike reader let us know that charity fundraising org Kiltwalk are looking for support volunteers for the Edinburgh walk, including some lead / patrol cycling roles;
🔬 The University of Strathclyde, Glasgow are hiring for a ‘Research assistant in Schools and Community Cycling’ - closing date 15th September;;
🛠️ Scottish Cargo Bike maker Ariel Bikes are looking to get 1,000 responses to their e-cargo bike market survey, and if they do they’ll give away a bike:
“Win an Ariel e-cargo bike worth £5600, with ZF 112Nm motor system, plus Magura, Shimano, Halo, Schwalbe, Suntour and Spinner parts and components. All on a hand built 4130 chromoly steel frame fabricated in our Scottish workshop. Finished in glorious orange metallic fleck powder coat.
We want to understand the UK e-cargo bike market better. So we’ve created a short survey. Fill in the survey and if we can get to over 1000 responses, we will give away the bike.”
🛠️ SW20 and Edinburgh Tool Library are looking for project volunteers:
”We are looking to expand our team of amazing volunteers and offer additional services -- if you are interested, please complete this form and we'll get back to you”;
🚸 Parents for Future Scotland are looking for more volunteers to help with organising Kidical Mass rides:
“We need volunteers to help promote and organise Kidical Mass cycle rides. Just one or two hours a month will do - help us contact local media, spread the word on social media and recce the routes. Contact rosieparents4futurescotland@gmail.com if you're interested in helping out”;
Ongoing:
🚴🏼 Friends of the Skelf bike park and pump track just off Holyrood Park are raising money currently;
💁 Help Fund a New Specialised Active Chair for Porty Community Energy Activist Roseanne Sinclair at her campaign page;
🚌 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
📋 Travelling Safely Schemes
The ETRO for City Centre ‘travelling safely’ schemes recently concluded as highlighted by Spokes on X. The other schemes have various end dates (barring ‘South’, which is not yet published) and can be found for comment at the Council’s Travelling Safely Commonplace microsite;
⚒️ Work ongoing, August to November - Lasswade Rd Cycleways
Spokes shared [x] the project page for a partial resurfacing of Lasswade Rd that includes a stretch of segregated cycle lane at each side, close to Gracemount High School. Spokes’ response makes mention of various interesting aspects and suggests changes.
✍🏽 ‘Spaces for People’ Lanes in East of Edinburgh - ETRO
This ‘East Area’ Experimental Traffic Order (ETRO/21/28A) covers a number of Covid-era parking suspensions used to facilitate bollarded cycle lanes around London Rd, Willowbrae and Duddingston, including cycle routes used by school pupils, teachers and parents to and from multiple primary and secondary schools. It is currently open for comments until 28th October by emailing TRO.Consultations@edinburgh.gov.uk quoting ETRO/21/28A.
👣 Foot of the Walk to ‘Ocean Terminal’ (actually Commercial St)
⚓️ 'Signs of life' [x] - planned cycleway construction works starting around the end of September (TBC) for 10 months - 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. Confusingly, a closer look at the project reveals that it doesn’t go to Ocean Terminal (shades of Roseburn to Union Canal here) and instead gives up at Commercial St, with the Commercial St to Ocean Terminal leg covered by the third phase of Leith Connections, ‘Hawthornvale to Seafield’ - where there are some concept designs in place from 2022 on the project page but worryingly no funding for construction assigned yet, only for further community engagement.
Thanks for reading - ride safe 🚲
💜 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!