West Lothian Council Cycle Advisory Leaflets - free from cycle officer Graeme Malcolm [01506.775296].
'Cycle Commuting for Beginners'; 'Cycling in the Countryside for Beginners'; 'Cycle Contacts & Shops in W.Lothian'.
'East Kilbride Cycle Network' free leaflet of 3 routes to the town. Joe McHugh 01698.453665, South Lanark council.
'CCN News' Individual cyclists can subscribe to the very useful newsletter of the UK Cycle Campaign Network, which links groups such as Spokes. Send £6 payable to CCN, to Colin Langdon, 22 Gorsewood Rd, Liverpool L25 2QW. 0151.283.6142.
A2B magazine - specialises in folding
bikes and bike/rail. Special Scotland Issue free - send 9"x6"
SAE stamped with 31p to AtoB, 19 West Park, Castle Cary, Somerset
BA7 7DB
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If any of these bug you, here is where to report them...
Potholes, glass on cycleroutes, broken lights, etc anywhere in Lothian (including Edinburgh), or Falkirk District use Freephone Clarence 0800.232323. [A good way to report exact location is the number on the nearest lamp-post].
Smoky commercial vehicles: 01506.445216.
Bad taxi-driving: The Inspector, Cab Office, 33 Murrayburn Road, Edinburgh EH14 2TF.
"I am benefiting from the hard work and tenacity of people like you - people of vision!" ...American cycletourist
"I have written to my MP and councillor, and will forward the replies ... Spokes does a brilliant job!" ...Spokes member
A tough report by the House of Commons Environment, Transport & Regions Committee [98/99, 9threport, vol 1, £12.50], praises the government Transport White Paper as "the first major attempt by a government to deal with the health, environment, social and economic problems" associated with transport. But, after 3 months detailed investigation, they conclude that the policies are "not sufficient to make the fundamental necessary changes." The government, they say, must also...
Please write to your new MSP. Tell
them about these recommendations, and ask them to lobby for tough new rules
in Scotland. Send us any useful replies.
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The CIT has been set up to monitor progress on the Transport White Paper, and to ensure continued debate on transport policy - especially integration between transport, environment, health, social inclusion and other policies.
Environment issues, from local and motorway toxic pollution to global climate change, are often discussed.
On social inclusion, using motor charges to fund public transport, walking and cycling is highly progressive. Few poor people have cars, and amongst car-owner households mileage depends more on income even than on urban v. rural location [Transport Taxation & Equity 0181.986.4854].
On health, widespread car use for school, leisure, work, and shopping is building up huge problems for adults and, particularly, children - in addition to the 'traditional' health worries of death, injury and pollution. At the recent Lothian Safe Routes conference Scottish Office transport official Jonathan Moore twice emphasised "My health colleagues are extremely worried that children are not getting enough exercise" - because of the long-term health problems likely to result when they are adults.
The CIT has also been asked to advise on the contentious matter of setting national traffic reduction targets, following the Traffic Reduction Act.
Within Scotland, the CIT's work will be highly relevant to the National Transport Forum which is to advise the Scottish Parliament on transport issues.
If you have suggestions/evidence
for the CIT, write to: David Begg, Commission for Integrated Transport,
DETR, Eland House, Bressenden Pl, London SW1E 5DU.
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With the huge impression David Begg has made on Edinburgh transport policy, it is hard to believe he was transport convener for only 5 years. A Spokes member, he counts his biggest single achievement as halving the toll of killed and seriously injured people on the city's roads from 443 in 1994 to just 212 [Evening News 8.5.99].
Under the Council's moving Forward transport strategy, cyclists have seen huge improvements, with a big shift to on-road facilities, such as the advanced stop lines which are significantly reducing cyclist casualties. Integration of cycling into other transport schemes has been a great benefit - for example in Princes Street, and in the Greenways, where bus lanes have been made wide enough for bus/bike overtaking whenever possible, and bike lanes provided where there is no space for a bus lane.
Highly innovative schemes such as car-free housing and car-share clubs are underway. The Council has obtained government consent for the CERT guided busway and cycleway from the west of the city; and for Crossrail - new stations and services, perhaps even leading later to a re-opened Waverley Line to Midlothian and the Borders.
Bus and cycle use are rising. Earlier Council policies had already increased cycle commuting by 29% from the 1981 to 1991 censuses [against falls UK-wide: Spokes 56] but the pace is now faster, with indications of doubled bike-commuting from 1.9% in 1991 to 4% now. Council
David Begg sees as fundamental the integration of trans-port with other policies such as health or fairness. As his speeches always remind us, the question is not "what kind of transport do we want?" but "what kind of place do we want to live in?" It is thus fitting that he should leave Edinburgh to become Chair of the government's new Commission for Integrated Transport - see above.
Spokes thanks David Begg for sticking to his principles despite intense vilification from many urban car-users and politicians, especially in earlier days. We hope he will now have equal impact on transport policy UK-wide!
Environment groups such as FOE and WWF Scotland have warmly welcomed the Lab/Lib government programme [Herald 15.5.99]. Internet users will find a link to the programme on our web site. Its pledges include...
There are clearly going to be battles over what actually happens, and so it is vital that Ministers and MSPs realise the demand and need for genuine green transport policy.
What will happen depends very much on people like you! Please write now to your MSP. Ask them to raise your specific hopes and fears with the Minister for Environment and Transport, and to report back to you.
Voters in Lothian had the honour of electing Britain's first Green Party MP, Robin Harper. Many Spokes members who support other parties told us they gave him their second vote - indeed even top Labour politician David Begg told our autumn public meeting he was 'tempted'!
Mr Harper has emphasised [Herald
8.5.99] that his main role is to make sure other parties stick to
their pledges on the environment and on poverty. Given our concerns on
whether the Coalition's actual policies on transport will correspond
to their environmental principles [see 'fudge' article],
this is an area we suggest for his critical attention!
Most of the successful recent bids to the government Public Transport Fund were entirely public transport projects, but Falkirk included cycle lockers at stations; and Clackmannan's Alloa 'local integrated transport hub' includes walk/bike access to the town centre and its new bus station.
The Dumfries scheme, however, was the one successful project which integrates really high levels of walk/cycle infrastructure. The town centre, and 3 corridors to it, will get high quality walk/cycle facilities (including 3 new bridges) costing £1.6m, plus £1.2m for bus improvements.
The Public Transport Fund contributes £0.9m, nearly half of which is for walk/cycle elements. Other funders include the Sports Council, Europe, Sustrans and the Council itself.
Further details: John Nelson 01387.260141
D&G Council.
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Both Sarah Boyack [Environment and Transport minister, and Edinburgh Central MSP] and Mark Lazarowicz [Edinburgh Transport Convenor], are leading members of SERA Scotland - the Labour Party internal green pressure group. A packed SERA pre-election public conference, addressed by Scottish Secretary Donald Dewar, confirmed to him the high concern on green issues. The top recommendation of the conference's transport workshop - higher priority for walking, cycling and Safe Routes to School - was later added to Labour's manifesto. SERA Scotland is at 14 Forth St, Edinburgh. 0131.478.7894. email JohnatSera@aol.com
Spokes has nominated ScotRail for the
Cyclemark award, due to its hugely-welcome £3 bike-fee abolition
and much improved bike capacity [Spokes 68]. Of 38 replies (so far) 29
members said ScotRail was now "much better" than 2 years ago for bike/rail,
and 7 said "better" - an incredible result! [the other 2 had bad overcrowding
experiences]. Some 34 bike/rail destinations from Edinburgh had been visited,
many regularly; favourites being N.Berwick and Glasgow. Top requests for
more action were yet more on-train space, and more attention to bike parking
at stations. Our nomination letter will be on the Spokes web site
Tel: 0131 313 2114 (a/phone only) or e-mail to spokes@spokes.org.uk
