🚲 edi.bike | issue 76 | 20th Jan ‘25
your weekly edinburgh cycling digest
📰 News this Week
✂️ Cycling UK — “Ask your MSPs to stop the cuts to active travel in Scotland”
”The Scottish government plans to slash more than £30 million from next year's active travel budget, while finding the money to increase spending on road building.
The government is now back-pedalling on the support for cycling it promised would help tackle the climate crisis, improve public health, and give people real transport choices.”
Take action - Cycling UK’s email tool below will make it very straightforward to send a coherent and comprehensive message to MSPs, with space to add your own messaging to their boilerplate letter:
🚨 Ongoing Road Safety Concerns in Corstorphine
Following on from the tragic death of a pedestrian in the area at the turn of the year, a statement released by Low Traffic Corstorphine outlines a series of other recent serious accidents and near misses in the area, underlining a need for council intervention on the nature, behaviour and movement of road traffic to protect vulnerable road users:
Low Traffic Corstorphine (LTC) is deeply concerned about the recent spate of road traffic incidents in our area, including a death on St John’s Road and several other alarming collisions involving drivers and pedestrians.
These incidents highlight the continued and urgent need for action to reduce road violence and improve safety for all members of our community, especially pedestrians, the most vulnerable road users. — Full Statement »
An article in The Edinburgh Reporter carries the statement and a response from CEC Transport & Environment Committee Convenor Cllr Stephen Jenkinson, which is fairly general and is perhaps a little ‘not all drivers’ on first read through - time will tell if Cllr Jenkinson’s tenure is marked by progress and the bold leadership necessary to reduce road dangers, or a careful maintenance of the status quo like some of his predecessors even in the face of worsening statistics, climate impact, lack of police enforcement and ever-poorer driving behaviour.
🚸 Call for Stewards: Brand New Parsons Green Bike Bus Seeks Volunteers
From Hazel, a parent at Parsons Green:
“We are going to start a bike bus to Parsons Green Primary school on a Friday morning and we would very much welcome a team of volunteers who don't have kids at the school to help us steward.
The first one will be on the 31st January, with a pilot session (just a few families) the week before to test out the route. If you’re interested in helping out please come along to a meeting tonight, Monday 20th
7.45 - 8.15pm
Zoom Meeting Link »
Meeting ID: 831 3603 3010 // Passcode: 776493
Any questions, or if you’d like to join the stewards’ WhatsApp group, message Hazel on 07786 577 884 »
It would be great to see folks come forward to help with stewarding - not a complex or intimidating role, and incredibly rewarding to help kids with a safe route to school. Volunteering is key early on for new bike bus routes, and is a big help in getting a route established and supporting cycling as a good school run choice.
🏰 Local Bits
✊ Critical Mass Edinburgh rides again this Saturday 25th January, 2pm, Middle Meadow Walk, headed down to Leith to learn about the successes of the recent Low Traffic Neighbourhood in the area;

🤝 A new residents group has formed in support of the LTN — ‘Liveable Leith’, “formalised to encourage the council to make the Leith low traffic neighbourhood permanent and to take further steps to reduce traffic and air pollution and make the streets more pleasant.” Their website offers ways you can make your voice heard in support, from contacting local councillors to signing up for their updates on the campaign;

💚 From Cargo Bike Movement - Curious about Cargo Bikes?
”…and want to give one a try or ask any questions about the bikes, we will be on the Bruntsfield Links on the 24th of January! Come for a chat, and have a look at some of the bikes that are available for loan from our Hub free of charge.
We are teaming up with BANZAI (Bruntsfield Area Net Zero Action Initiative) for this event, a volunteer-run group working with neighbours locally to identify and implement practical action to tackle the climate crisis.
BANZAI use two cargo bikes which they lend out to community members within their network. They will be there on the day to talk about the work they do and about cargo bikes, so do come chat with them if you are interested in getting involved!”
24th January, 11am - 1.30pm on Bruntsfield Links at
📍 what3words bind.magic.harp.
💚 Fancy becoming a Food Waste Cargo Pilot?
At Cargo Bike Movement, we pick up and redistribute surplus food from supermarkets around Edinburgh and drop it off at Shrub's Zero Waste Hub. We prevent these items from being thrown away, helping both people and planet. We ride as a group every evening, and need more volunteers to keep our daily pickups running!
To get involved, you can attend one of our volunteer training sessions to get you comfortable riding a cargo bike. You can join the training session on Wednesday 29th January from 1-4pm.
To sign up, please email jamie@cargobikemovement.org »

🍂 Great to see leaf mulch clearing from the North Meadow Walk cycle path taking place - would be great to see it happen in many more places around the city;
🛄 Swing by Portbello Prom to check out the ‘Travel Agents of Change’ [IG] exhibition by Porty Community Energy and BANZAI - find it on the fences of the 📍 Portobello Sailing and Kayaking Club and pick up the ‘zine from The Portobello Bookshop;
🕳️ Photos shared by Longstone Community Council show recent works have provided “Some improvements to the diversion path surface and the gradient made on the Burnside path. Barriers also secured more robustly stopping access to the sinkhole.”
☔️ National News
🔎 Via EdFoC on Bluesky: “The history of women cyclists – an uphill climb to equality” at The Conversation » — an article about society’s portrayal of women who cycle, through the decades. An interesting read.
🌃 London Cycling Boom: More Riders, Bigger Networks, and a Greener Future:
”Cycling in London is on the rise—and it’s a trend that shows no signs of slowing down. According to new data from Transport for London (TfL), daily cycle journeys have increased by 26% since 2019, with an estimated 1.33 million cycling trips being made every day in 2024.” — Momentum Magazine »
🛣 Route Closures and Issues
⚒️ Thanks to Melissa and Claire on Bluesky for flagging that the ‘orca’ wands that segregate the cycleway on Queensferry Road have been pulled up ahead of bus stop resurfacing commencing today, Monday 20th, for ten days;
📪 More road closure info thanks to Robbie (and thanks to Antonia for keeping us up to date with Rosebery Crescent works also!):
🧭 CCWEL at Rosebery Crescent - further sewer repair works from today, Mon 20th. Previous requests to accommodate cycles have been escalated with the Council Roads Occupation Team and it is hoped that cycle access, or a diversion to continue on CCWEL, will be provided (material circulated by Scottish Water fails to mention cycle accommodation, as pointed out by Spokes;
🚂 Waverley Bridge - concrete barriers have been placed across the southbound lane with no gap, requiring some manoeuvring to pass. This has been raised with the Council for action;
🏗️ St Andrews Sq north side closed today / tomorrow (20th - 21st) for crane erection. As the new CCWEL cycle path goes via North St David Street, it should still be possible to get through, but be aware of obstructions;
🚦 National Cycle Route #1 at Duddingston Park South is having its Toucan crossing upgraded from today — Mon 20th — expected to take 2 weeks. Dismounting to cross may be required;
🛜 Lauriston Gdns from Thursday 23rd for fibre works. If you're cutting from the Meadows to West Port, Chalmers St may be an alternative;
⛏️ Gillsland Rd from the 28th for fibre works. If you're passing between the Canal and Merchiston, the bridge at Ashley Terrace may be better;
🐎 King's Stables Rd - should now be open again following festive closure;
💧 Union Canal: Towpath improvement works are ongoing from Leamington Lift Bridge to Edinburgh Quay until May 2025. A section of towpath is closed with diversion across the lift bridge and along the southern side of the canal - more info at Scottish Canals;
🛤️ Thanks to Martin for passing on an update from Midlothian Council on the partial closure of NCN 196, on the Auchendinny-Rosewell railway path for resurfacing with ‘flexipave’: “The expected completion time is now by the middle of February 2025, weather dependent. As a result, the council has made the decision to open the section for the pathway, allowing users the opportunity to utilise the section over this period. The pathway from Auchendinny to Rosewel … will remain open until the contractors return to resurface …on February 3rd 2025, at which point the last of the resurfacing works will begin. It is estimated the remaining works will require approximately 2 weeks to complete resurfacing.”
⚡ Ongoing: The questionable Network Rail ban on ebike parking at Waverley Station - best to make alternative parking plans if travelling from this station at present;
🏹 Lawnmarket and Upper Bow: Road improvements are ongoing until July ‘25; be sure to read the Council’s page about the closures, which managed to completely omit arrangements for a certain human-powered transport mode so mind how you go;
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🎉 Events and Happenings
📆 Upcoming / Ongoing
As per ‘Local Bits’ above:
💚 Cargo Bike Movement volunteer training on Weds 29th Jan, 1-4pm: RSVP to jamie@cargobikemovement.org »
ℹ️ Cargo Bike Movement and BANZAI Cargo Bike tryouts and information session, 11am - 1.30pm on Bruntsfield Links at 📍 what3words bind.magic.harp
🪚 This Saturday 25th, SW20 - organisers of the South-west branch of Edinburgh Tool Library - are hosting a ‘Basic Home DIY Tools & Skills’ workshop at Slateford Longstone Church, across two bookable sessions: 10:00 to 11:45am and 12:15 to 1:55pm - Tickets Online »
⭐ This Sunday, 26th January, there’s a Families’ Willow Star lantern-making workshop ahead of Porty Community Energy’s Fishwives Causeway parade for awareness on the 1st February (more details below);
💃🏽 Friends of the Earth Scotland and Porty Community Energy are hosting a fundraising Ceilidh in February:
_“There are a limited number of early bird 🐦 tickets 🎟️ available for our Ceilidh 💃 on the 22nd Feb with Friends of the Earth Scotland and Ceilidh Collective (the first 50 people to book before the end of January can access a £10 ticket).
See you Portobello Town Hall for a dance? It’s going to be a belter! Fantastic band, yummy food, raffle and a bar- go on and bring all yer pals.”
⚡ Also from the team at Porty Community Energy;
Saturday 1st Feb, 17:30: Join us for a winter parade through Fishwives Causeway to help raise awareness and to call for better signage for this important alternative path between Restalrig/Mountcastle and Portobello.
Our lanterns will light up this safer back route for cyclists and pedestrians and especially highlight the little-known shortcut from Mountcastle. There will be a winter choir to lift our spirits up and hot food and drink to keep us warm. Come and meet others who enjoy walking, scooting, wheelchair wheeling, cycling, pushing a pram and riding around Edinburgh. Celebrate our traffic-free routes with a child and family-friendly parade.
We'll meet outside Amber Hair and Beauty opposite Royal High on the crossroads between Mountcastle Drive and Northfield Broadway at 5.30pm. We'll work down Mountcastle Crescent into Mountcastle Park and at the end of the cul de sac we'll begin the parade that takes us into Fishwives Causeway. The parade ends at the other side of the causeway on the railway bridge next to Baileyfield Road traffic lights in Portobello. Here's the route on Google Maps.
We are hoping that people will arrive on bicycle and on foot. If you are coming with a bike, you’ll need to dismount and wheel it along the route. We will parade right through the Fishwives Causeway to its end, and back again and then enjoy some hot drinks and snacks, and some music. And we'll be finished by 7pm.
Bring lanterns, lights, torches, and sport your high-vis winter fashion looks, to brighten this route on our parade.
We’re also hoping to run some family friendly workshops to make some lovely lanterns in the run up to this event, so that we can light up the night (link to the workshop event).
More on the Facebook Event »
🖼️ The Spokes, Infrasisters, Bike Buses and Edinburgh Critical Mass co-curated campaigning exhibition ‘Pedal Power’ has opened at its new venue [IG] of Duncan Place in Leith - well worth a visit;
🔁 Weekly Events
🍃 Mon, 12-2.30pm: Free, fun group ride on paths from Bridgend Farmhouse;
🌅 Tues, ⏰ 5.40am: Edinburgh Dawn Patrol - Meet St. Andrew Square, same route each time - contact Markus [x];
☕️Tues, 5pm: [National] Active Travel Cafe on Zoom
🛠️ Weds, 3pm: Bike Kitchen at Edinburgh Tool Library
🌅 Thurs, ⏰ 5.40am: Edinburgh Dawn Patrol (same as Tues, details above);
✴️ Thurs, 5-8pm: Bike DIY Session at The Wee Spoke Hub
⚙️ Sat, 2-4pm: ‘Bike Cleaning and Oiling’ drop-in session at The Wee Spoke Hub
🔁 Monthly Events
🚲 First Friday of the month: Inclusive social bike rides with A Wee Pedal, 1-3pm, from Bridgend Farmhouse;
✊ This week! Last Saturday of the month: Critical Mass Edinburgh, Family-friendly mass protest / group ride, 2pm, Middle Meadow Walk;
🫂 Help Needed
🌆 Thanks to SFan who got in touch to let us know that distance ride ‘London Edinburgh London’ are looking for 2025 volunteers;
🚲 Investigating cycling as a mode of active transport in ethnic minority groups in Edinburgh - take part in an ongoing cycling study by Edinburgh University student Keping Li
🚸 From Parents for Future Scotland:
”We are recruiting enthusiastic speakers to join our Schools Air Pollution Programme as workshop facilitators. Our programme empowers children and their parents to take meaningful action against air pollution in Edinburgh. Workshop facilitators help deliver an engaging and informative talk to parents in the city, raising awareness about air pollution and the steps we can all take to help tackle it. This is a paid role and no previous experience in speaking to groups or expertise in air pollution is needed - we provide free training and a buddy system to help build your confidence as you grow into this important role. This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to positive change in your community, meet other like-minded parents, and develop new skills.”
More info at Vacancies — Parents for Future Scotland »
✏️ Jobs and Voluntary Roles
🛠️ 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.”
Ongoing: 🚌 Marshal for School Bike Buses | 🙋 Help with school programme ‘I Bike’ | 🗨️Join Spokes’ Planning or Resources group | 🆘 Donate money or bikes to Bikes for Refugees | 📦⚡️ Hire Community Cargobikes, E-bikes or Trailers from SW20, Porty Community Energy or Banzai | ♻️ Donate old bikes to The Bike Station or ‘Brake the Cycle’.
🌈 Infrastructure Progress & Consultations
✨ This section of the digest will receive a revamp in the coming months to move long-running, detailed consultation information onto web pages, and instead publish a list of links for open and recent consultations (along with summaries for anything actually new). In the meantime, anything new or changed is found near the top. ✨
🛍️ The Princes Street and Waverley Valley Strategy - for which there is an open consultation survey until 21st February - are hosting public drop-in feedback sessions shortly:
Weds 29th January, 3pm to 7pm, Waverley Station main concourse;
Mon 3rd February. 1pm to 5pm. City Arts Centre, 2 Market Street, EH1 1DE
🚧 Works on the West Edinburgh Link project look to be starting at the end of May according to the listings on the Scottish Road Works Commissioner web portal spotted by Longstone Community Council;
⬆️ The statutory process for a handful of one-way street cycle exemptions have been published by the Council - available here as a list and more detailed plans: ‘TRO/24/27 - One-way street exemptions for cyclists - Various Roads - Ending on 31 January 2025’. Just one part of a city-wide project over the next 18 months or so to make more one way streets legal for contraflow cycling.
In Previous Updates:
🚢 Leith Connections: Foot of the Walk to Dock St Construction Underway, Schedule Shared
🦶Foot of the Walk to ‘Ocean Terminal’ (actually Commercial St)
⚓️ 'Foot of the Walk to Ocean Terminal' - construction is underway on the Great Junction St cycleway, with work on Henderson St recently started too, for around ten months - a 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.
This Leith Connections works leaflet [PDF] outlines the rough timeline for construction of the route.
Confusingly, the project 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 (below);
⚓ Leith Connections Phase 3 - Hawthornvale to Seafield
View the:
Consultation Hub Page (now closed to responses);
Detailed Design drawings (PDF) »
🌳 Greenbank to Meadows Quiet Route
Some recent movement on the Greenbank to Meadows Quiet Route, in an update from Blackford Safe Routes and this update from Cllr Ben Parker;
📋 Travelling Safely Schemes (Various)
ETROs for these 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; also by emailing TRO.Consultations@edinburgh.gov.uk quoting the relevant scheme.
🌊 Musselburgh Active Toun Consultation
Updated plans over on Musselburgh Active Toun with further consultation ongoing: these may be of particular interest to Edinburgh residents as they cover the East Lothian section of Edinburgh Road that would eventually facilitate the long-held ambition of a tie-in to Joppa and Portobello prom, as well as the rest of the North Edinburgh network.
Comments on the consultation can be emailed to musselburgh.uki@aecom.com
⚒️ Lasswade Rd Cycleways
Looks like this project has now been completed; Spokes previously 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.
Thanks for reading - ride safe 🚲
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