🎉 one year of edi.bike 🚲 | issue 52 | 5th Aug ‘24
gonna get a wee cake fae greggs
🎉 One year of edi.bike’s weekly Edinburgh cycling news
Fifty-two consecutive weeks of publishing; huge love to all of you for reading and continuing to engage with what cycling in Edinburgh is, and what it can become. Big thanks to Andy White for his contributions, to Michael Macleod at The Edinburgh Minute for the support and linking so many folk up with us, and all of the wonderful folks in our Supporters Club that help make it possible.
The past few weeks have been fairly quiet, but fittingly have picked up a bit now - so here’s a bumper pile o'links to get your week started and celebrate another lap around the sun…
📰 News this Week
🚳 “No Bikes on Trams During the Festivals”
Edinburgh Trams published their annual policy reminder that be you tourist or a local, don’t take your trusty wheeled companion onto our rich mass transit network (giggles in proper city) during the International Festivals, because there won’t be space.
By way of further recommendation, I can also share that at no time is it a good idea to take a 2.5m long cargo bike on the tram as an experiment, and then — trying to please the genuinely lovely but rule-clarifying member of onboard staff — ‘just get off at the next stop’ if that stop is Murrayfield. Count the steps.
Don’t ask me how I know that 😅
💰 Freedom of Information request yields high-level costs for an Active Travel conversion of Powderhall railway line
The August edition of the Spurtle includes ’New insights on Powderhall active-travel corridor’, quoting a cost for the project of “between £5.9m and £8.4m (including preliminaries, landscaping, railway works and inflation)”. Read the full missive on Spurtle page 2 [PDF];
🛣️ Early signs of Active Travel improvements to the A7 in Midlothian
Spokes shared the covering information from a recent ‘stakeholder consultation’ they’ve responded to from neighbouring local authority Midlothian Council. While more detail will likely emerge when (if?) this project reaches public consultation, you can read their thorough response reflecting on what cycling is like in the area and the challenges that should be considered in future plans for the corridor;
🚲 Edinburgh's tandem club for visually impaired and sighted riders - recent Vie Velo rides and upcoming training
👏 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.
🖼️ Recent coverage includes some July ride photos shared on X and an article from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB);
They also have an information and training session on Wednesday 14th August, 6pm – 8.30pm at Saughton Park - contact vieveloridecoordinator@gmail.com to find out more. You can also find Vie Velo on Facebook.
🏰 Local Bits
📺 The Critical Mass Edinburgh folks shared a lovely reel from July’s ride on Instagram; August’s ride will be 31st August, 2pm - pop it in your diary!
📋 Andrew Hay is a student at Heriot-Watt Uni currently carrying out research regarding walking and cycling policy and developments within Edinburgh, and would really appreciate your responses to their survey, probably 5 - 10 minutes of your time;
🛠️ 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”;
🏗️ Wester Hailes Community Trust had their new Mobility Hub container craned in this week, and shared some photos / video on X along with a full update about their plans [fb];
🏆 Spokes are running their annual competition, with some really excellent prizes - the theme this year is ‘Cycling and Sustenance’. Wester Hailes Growing Communities shared some great photos [X] from their project taking locally grown veggies by cargo bike to local food distribution project Sunflower Pantry at Clovenstone;
🔧 ‘Pick Up Bike Repairs’ are back in action - see their post on Facebook;
➕ Nationally
🚴 Prostate Cancer UK - Cover 100 miles this August and help save men's lives:
Cycle the Month “is a virtual challenge for cyclists everywhere. Sign up and cycle 100 miles over August. You don’t have to be a pro cyclist. Cycle the Month is perfect for anyone who wants to get active this summer, push themselves, and help raise money to fund lifesaving prostate cancer research”;
✊ If you like your media consumption double-tainted with evil, here’s a link to a GB News Video (boak) on Elon Musk’s hellsite, but it does give really fair airtime to protestors in Birmingham out in response to a brutal few months of road violence, including their protest action in the background of the interview. Just off to bleach my keyboard now…
🤝 The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Cycling and Walking — “a cross-party group of Parliamentarians working to promote the benefits of active travel” — has been re-formed [x];
📈 “City of London vows further focus on pedestrians and cyclists following gains”:
“The City of London air quality is improving and the number of serious injuries on its streets have fallen, due in part to its Transport Strategy of 2019.
Keen to build on those achievements, The City of London Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee has this week approved changes to its Transport Strategy, which is now even more acutely focused on the needs of people walking and wheeling, it said”’ — full article at Cycling Industry News;
🧠 A new study on ‘Car Brain’ by Profs. Ian Walker, Alan Tapp, and Edinburgh-based Adrian Davis - summarised in this thread, and the full paper available to read for free at the Centre for Open Science;
🇫🇷 An Olympian effort: my struggle to cycle from London to Paris:
”The 250-mile Avenue Verte cycle route opened in time for the 2012 London Olympics. One side of the Channel is a smooth ride, the other is not fit for purpose – but that could all change thanks to the vision of one man” — Laura Laker for The Guardian;
📦 Further £4m investment secured for Cargo Bike courier firm Zedify, who acquired local Edinburgh courier legends Farr Out in the recent past;
🧵 “Instead of dualling roads, what if we used the space for active travel instead? Here’s a thread on why it should happen” [unrolled] — by Streets Ahead Podcast host Adam Tranter on X;
🌍 Elsewhere
📊 The Dutch Cycling Embassy shared this cracker recently:
”Every dollar invested in cycling returns 20 or 30 in social economic benefits: reduced carbon, air and noise pollution, improved public health and less congestion.
Cycling brings benefits to everyone in a city, whether or not they get on a bike.” — post on X;
⚡ Modal shift implications of e-bike use in the Netherlands: Moving towards sustainability?:
“Do drivers who get e-bikes drive less? Where cycling networks are ample, the answer is yes. Qi Sun et al. explain. One policy implication: where cycling networks are poor, public funds now subsidizing battery-electric cars would often be better spent on cycling accommodations.” — Peter Norton on X, linking to the full study - which has some summary information available but paid access for the rest;
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🛣 Route Closures and Issues
- There’s a series of timed full or partial road closures - including High St, St Giles St, Parliament Square(s), Cockburn St, Blair St, Lawnmarket, and Johnston Ter during the Edinburgh Festival;
- The Crawford Bridge - between Albion Ter and Bothwell St off Easter Rd - is closed until the 30th of August for refurbishment;
- 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 recently commenced and run until December this year.
📆 Events and Happenings
📆 Upcoming / Ongoing
🚵 From the great folks running Bridgend Farmhouse, an event celebrating their new space for repairing bikes, refurbishing bikes for sale, and teaching cycle maintenance:
Come cycle, scoot or wheel round Craigmillar Park with celebrity cyclist Mark Beaumont! Celebrating the official launch of our new Bike Barn - bring your own bike, buy one here or borrow (first come first served). Hot food will be served funded by Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership
10th August | 12 - 3pm | Launch 1pm
🚸 Parents for Future Scotland are hosting a bike bus webinar covering “logistics, the science of active travel's health benefits; and why children and adults alike have fun every time they ride!” - Mon 26th Aug, 7pm - 8pm;
✊🏼 🎭 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 --- 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
☕️ 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 August; All-inclusive social guided bike rides with A Wee Pedal, 2-4pm from Bridgend Farmhouse. Check out their flyer for more;
⚡️ 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 8th, 5pm - 8pm, and “So... you've bought a bike... what next?” on Saturday 10th August 11am - 1pm;
🫂 Help Needed
🚸 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”;
♻️ SHRUB Co-op - home of fantastic community cycling resource The Wee Spoke Hub - are aiming to raise £50,000 in six weeks:
Until the 31st of August any donation you make via our crowdfunding page will be doubled. For every donation up to £250 we will receive match-funding from the AVIVA Community Fund. This means your contribution will have double the impact!
Your donations will help secure the continuation of the Food Sharing Hub and all our other zero waste initiatives… Every donation will make an invaluable difference to our community and will contribute towards a sustainable future for the Food Sharing Hub. 🥖🥑🍄
You can find the crowdfunder here.
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
🌈 Lindsay Road ‘Pride bridge’ enters detailed design stage; welcoming ideas
A short thread from the Pride Bridge team this week updated on progress, and called for further ideas on the most popular design option for the bridge at Lindsay Rd following the public consultation, seeking ways to make it more accessible;
⚒️ Work ongoing, August to November - Lasswade Rd Cycleways
Spokes recently 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.
🌊 Seafield Regeneration
Regeneration plans are afoot in Seafield, including active travel links to Porty, Craigentinny, and Leith. Leith Feeder Ride [x] have a great roundup thread (unrolled) on the scheme; you can also view the masterplan proposals [PDF]. The consultation survey has recently closed as of 31st July;
👣 Foot of the Walk to Ocean Terminal
⚓️ 'Signs of life' [x] - 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;
🌷 Just closed: Midlothian’s Active Travel Strategy
🚴🏼♀️ Nearby Midlothian Council have just concluded ’On the Move Midlothian: Our Active Travel Strategy for Everyone’, consisting of two parallel consultations on Active Travel (both of which have now closed) 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] and the 'Active Travel Survey'.
Thanks for reading - ride safe, and here’s to many more years x 🚲
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