Below are the most popular Spokes tweets from the last 12 months, measured by the number of retweets (RTs). A truly fascinating picture!!
Just look at the amazing range of activity we have been involved in! Many of the tweets relate to Spokes campaigning efforts, some involving a great deal of time and work. Our thanks to everyone who helps – most importantly if you email your councillors or MSPs, or help in similar big ways – but even just spreading info and ideas by retweets.
Tweeting is an interesting phenomenon. The easiest way to get retweets is to post a striking picture or graphic. But, as with our bulletin and website, we instead concentrate mainly on how you can help push the case for improved cycling conditions … advising of current opportunities, and when and how to act. 
Obviously we include pictures to grab attention and to illustrate points, but we rarely post something just for the sake of it.
Just like last year our most popular tweet – by far – was not about new facilities, but losing existing ones. Last year it was closure of the Forth Bridge to bikes, and cutbacks in bus lanes. This year – overwhelmingly – the threat to train bike spaces, particularly on the Oban rail line. Moreover, clicking that tweet takes you to a massive trail of follow-up comments, links to concerned and supportive tweets from individuals and organisations – and to important background Spokes articles advising people what to do about the threats.
Next most significant topic, not surprisingly, was Edinburgh’s East-West City Centre cycleroute plan – starting with the public consultation earlier in the year, then continuing through the ‘Roseburn controversy’ and the final all-party decision to go ahead, including Option A at Roseburn.
Almost as high was concern about the Scottish Budgets, both last year’s 16/17 budget and the current 17/18 draft budget. The structure of the budget, with continually growing sums going to trunk roads, whilst cycling/walking cash is static, and indeed falls from a mere 1.8% of transport spending to an even smaller 1.6%, is hugely concerning. In complete and glorious contrast, Edinburgh Council plans to allocate 10% of its transport budget to cycling in 17/18.
Also featuring very high in interest were a wide range of ‘internal’ Spokes initiatives – including our hugely popular 10th edition Edinburgh Cycle Map, and public meetings on the multiple benefits of cycling for business and for health.
Before you read the tweets…
- The number of RTs shown is at the time of writing – of course, they may increase further following this article!
- Click the heading to see the actual tweet and the pictures associated with it.
- If you like our tweets … follow us here
- Even better … make your New Year Revolution to join Spokes, and if you do it now you’ll have no worries about not sticking to it!!
- Click here to see the tweets (by us and others) we want to remember
- It’s interesting to compare these tweets with last year’s top tweets
- If you like this article, please RT our tweet about it!
Our 2016 top tweets
175RT Bike/Rail bookable spaces to be slashed on Oban line + Glasgow-Ed down
62RT East-West cycleroute public consultation – support the route!
45RT Benefiting Business through Cycling – Spokes public meeting
43RT Roseburn – Option A selected, thanks Cllr Lesley Hinds
43RT Scot draft budget 16/17 – Spokes campaign for trunk roads cash shift to cycling
41RT Spokes Edinburgh 10th edition cycle map published
40RT Edinburgh onstreet secure bike storage to go ahead
39RT Scot draft budget 17/18 – trunk road rise is nearly 4x active travel total
38RT Shopping by bicycle – Spokes summer competition
37RT Roseburn Option A – how it happened, thanks, and what comes next
31RT Cycling & Health – Spokes public meeting
25RT SNP & LibDem councillors vote against Bearsway cycleroute extension
24RT Massive bike-commuting in Copenhagen
23RT Scot draft budget 16/17 – Spokes ‘politically realistic’ proposal
22RT Holyrood elections – comprehensive Spokes information article
21RT PoP and the Holyrood election – preview
20RT East-West cycleroute to go ahead
20RT Cllr Andrew Burns to stand down from Council at election
20RT Spokes Bulletin 126
20RT Guide to Borders Railway, including cycling opportunities
19RT Princes Street deeply bad for cycling & walking
19RT Spokes traffic count, May – bikes up, cars down – again!
19RT Spokes traffic count – highest ever November bike percentage
19RT Call to re-instate Waverley footbridge Calton-OldTown
18RT SNP councillors vote against 2 main-road cycleroutes, Labour support
18RT Minister’s positive statement on segregated main road cycleroutes
17RT Fumes from lorries & buses – how to report
16RT Scot draft budget 17/18 – trunk roads get biggest rise in entire budget
16RT Holyrood hustings – Spokes public meeting
16RT Edinburgh onstreet bike parking – how to find it & request more
16RT Central Edinburgh World Heritage Area – management plan consultation
15RT Spokes history – from small beginnings
15RT Favourite Bike Rides – new Spokes booklet of prizewinning rides
15RT Edinburgh Council citywide 20mph – phasing map
15RT Cycling celebrities seek government cycling investment
SELECTED OTHER INTERESTING TWEETS FROM 2016
14RT Scot draft budget 17/18 announced – not climate friendly
14RT Spokes call to use Nicola Sturgeon’s £100m Brexit cash for cycling
14RT Cllr Lesley Hinds to step down from Council at election
14RT Councils often need your constructive support, in face of opposition
14RT Increasing road capacity without widening roads
14RT Edinburgh 2050 vision – but council cycling targets are for 2020!
13RT Scottish budgets – can Minister explain prioritisation method used?
13RT Cycling omitted in Scottish Govt Dumfries transport summit
13RT 2017 council elections – how to influence manifestos
13RT Daily Mail doesn’t understand cycling as transport
13RT Edinburgh Council gives access to raw bike counter data
13RT Multiple Edinburgh cycleroute consultations
13RT Spokes Farmers’ Market stall in EdFoC week
13RT Leith town centre consultation
12RT I don’t need a car in Edinburgh, so sold it
12RT Spokes & Living Streets object to bus lane cutbacks (+ closepass video)
12RT Sestran young people’s XRoute bike/walk report
12RT Sheriffhall roundabout consultation
11RT History! How we got a Meadows Cycleway
11RT Roseburn – use the local shops (by bike)
11RT Bikes (and walk) banned from new Forth Bridge
11RT Spokes member Sarah Boyack is RSPB politician of the year
11RT Credit for councillors/parties who supported main road segregated routes
11RT Many motorists admit to using phone when driving
11RT Copenhagen trains, 60-bike capacity
11RT Half-Million on Meadows bike counter
10RT Inspirational Cycle-Hacker Jo Holtan
10RT Shopping by bike competition – Dutch winning entry
10RT Local businesses using cargo bikes
10RT Street redesign to achieve modal shift away from car
10RT 1 year London cycle investment = 4 years for all of Scotland
10RT Edinburgh poor for cycling compared to many European cities
10RT Cash available for community bike projects in Scotland
10RT Edinburgh Car-Free day wanted!