We list the most popular Spokes tweets from the last 12 months, measured by the number of retweets (RTs). They reflect a year in which there were no major threats to existing facilities or to existing major cycleroute proposals, but where no significant new cycleroute facilities appeared in the heart of the city either, although much future planning took place and of course there was the launch of Edinburgh’s long-awaited Bike Hire scheme.
Click picture to see full tweet
As a result, the most popular 2018 tweets tended to be about existing problems/dangers, future plans and current events. In 2019 we hope to see more starting to happen on the ground!
Comparing this year’s results with previous years such as 2017, 2016, 2015 produces some interesting thoughts…
A threat to an existing facility or to a major promise tends to produce far more interest than a consultation on a new proposal. It is very rare for a tweet about a consultation to achieve even 30 RTs, whereas threats can reach far higher support – for example these major threats in previous years (with year, and number of RTs) …
- 2017, 97 New HST trains to Inverness/Aberdeen to carry air instead of promised 20 bikes
- 2016, 62 East-West cycleroute public consultation – support the route! [there was a serious threat of cancellation of the promised west-east city centre cycleroute in 2016/7]
- 2016, 175 Bike/Rail bookable spaces to be slashed on Oban line + Glasgow-Ed down
- 2015, 82 Forth Bridge closure – keep it open to bikes [bike ban during the lengthy closure of the Forth Bridge for repairs]
After threats to existing or agreed opportunities, the following types of content arouse significant interest…
Click picture to see full tweet
Serious dangers experienced or feared, particularly where there is a genuine possibility of action if enough pressure is raised. For example (with number of RTs) …
- 31 Leith Street – Spokes campaign for uphill cycleroute in top section
- 26 Holyrood Park – dangerous cycling conditions in National Park
- 24 Leith Walk tramline extension – shocking initial plans revealed [in this case, the pressure brought a huge improvement]
- 22 Life driving bans needed for dangerous drivers
Consultations on major projects. For example…
Spokes public meetings – an important element of local cycling politics, with audiences of 70-100 people coming to hear, interrogate and influence relevant politicians and other experts and decision-makers.
- 32 Spokes public meeting – Diversity Rules – poster
- 27 Spokes public meeting – City Centre Transformation – poster
Some important topics, however, achieved surprisingly low levels of interest by our followers…
The new Edinburgh Bike Share scheme achieved only 15 RTs, yet it was undoubtedly Edinburgh’s top 2018 cycling policy implementation and appears to be proving popular.
Unusually, there was little interest in budgets. However, the previous year’s doubling of Scottish cycle/walk investment and Edinburgh’s continuing ‘10% of the transport budget‘ policy, probably explain this, as cash is currently less of a holdup than previously.
Click picture to see full tweet
Of particular note is the low level of interest in tweets about climate change – probably the biggest danger facing our and coming generations, and one where transport has a major role…
- Our tweet of David Attenborough’s science-based warning that “collapse of our civilisations … is on the horizon“ achieved a mere 5 RTs, and even our highest climate-related tweet (featuring a Biff cartoon) had only 15. Of course, it is a totally different category of issue to, say, the future of George Street [36 RTs], but should it concern us any less?
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!
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The 2016 top tweets
Click picture to see full tweet
[with number of retweets]
36 George Street future – consultation
32 Spokes public meeting – Diversity Rules – poster
31 Leith Street – Spokes campaign for uphill cycleroute in top section
27 Spokes public meeting – City Centre Transformation – poster
26 Holyrood Park – dangerous cycling conditions in National Park
25 Transport for London graphics demonstrate efficiency of bike transport
24 Leith Walk tramline extension – shocking initial plans revealed
23 Edinburgh Transformation – consultation
22 Life driving bans needed for dangerous drivers
22 Opportunity to reinstate ped/cycle bridge across Waverley
20 Spokes welcomes continuing govt/ScotRail plan for bike carriages
20 Herald poll on all-Scotland 20mph proposals
20 Edinburgh Uni – cargo bike for businesses student research project
19 Causey project drop-in; revised plans are a valuable Spokes victory
19 E-bike doesn’t make you lazy
19 Leith Walk initial tramline plans almost reverse the transport hierarchy
18 Spokes traffic count – highest ever November bike %
18 Census graph shows Edinburgh bike commuting best in Scotland
18 Volunteers sought for new local blind tandem cycling group
17 Spokes public meeting, Cycling & the Tram Extension – poster
17 Leith Walk tram works will ban Leith Walk bikes for 1.5 years
17 Spokes Bulletin 130 published
16 Spokes cash support for local community groups buying a cargo bike
16 Spokes E-bike factsheet published
16 Spokes Bulletin 132 – Waltham Forest Mini-Holland article
16 Glasgow Council Sauchiehall Street ped/bike-friendly plans
16 Spokes member Peter Hawkins removes weeds & soil from A71 footway
15 Leith Street temporary cycle route scrapped following roadworks completion
15 Launch of Edinburgh Cycle Hire – Just Eat
15 Call for ScotGov to introduce presumed or strict liability
15 Spokes Bike Breakfast – poster & advert
15 Edinburgh car-free day, 21 June, with Transport Minister
15 Climate change – Biff cartoon on flying
14 Lives transformed – Spokes 2018 competition results
14 Spokes public meeting report – City Centre Transformation
14 Edinburgh Council to discuss monthly car-free days
14 Picardy Place – Spokes letter to councillors re final decisions
14 Picardy Place – Spokes initial thoughts on near-final design
13 Spokes article – outlook for cycling policy in 2019 Edinburgh
13 Spokes 2018 Competition launched – My Cycling Transformation
13 Spokes member circular, covering Leith Walk trams plans & EdFoC
13 Spokes 40th anniversary – near final exhibition, at Out of The Blue
12 Scot Budget 2019/20 – carbon assessment again omits traffic impact of road building
12 Spokes West Lothian map launch event
12 Spokes response to initial disastrous Leith Walk tram extension plan
12 Lower Granton Road cyclepath – health impacts consultation
12 Roadworks temporary cycle lanes – Leith St Yes, Leith Walk No
12 Edinburgh Cycle Hire, preview try-out
12 Midlothian Green Network – consultation
11 Scotgov data shows its policies will mean big car use increase
11 Spokes public meeting – Diversity Rules – report
11 Spokes Bulletin 132 published
11 Spokes Bulletin 131 published
11 Safety measures phase 3 for existing tramlines – consultation
11 Leith Street – Yet another Spokes attempt to achieve cycleroute in top section
11 Edinburgh Council to consult on Local Transport Strategy priorities
11 North Edinburgh Network path closures during upgrades
10 Spokes cash grants to community groups buying a cargo-bike
10 Spokes EdFoC week events poster
10 Proposed Broughton St junction bike lane scrapped to allow 2 traffic lanes
10 Spokes letter re delays in cycling projects
10 Council holds public meeting on climate change realities
10 UK govt fuel duty freeze on average has cost every citizen £1000
10 Presumed Liability – UK government to look into adopting this
10 Scot Gov transport cash priorities out of kilter with Climate Change realities
10 Letter to Scot Gov re inordinate delay in garden shed planning rule changes
Click picture for full tweet