The Lothian Cycle Campaign

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 CYCLING UP! CASULTIES DOWN!

New figures from Edinburgh Council suggest a 50% jump in bike commuting between 1991 and 1999, from 1.9% of vehicles to 2.9%, whilst cyclist serious injuries and deaths have been cut from 27 a year to just 18.

There is already extensive evidence that higher bike use often goes along with lower casualties, but past statistics have always been from areas with high levels of bike use. For example York, where a 10% cycling rise accompanied a 30% casualty fall [Spokes 73]. Or Denmark, with 18% of all journeys by bike but only one casualty per 100m km [compared to 2-3% and 8 per 100m km in the UK].

Edinburgh's figures show that the same message can apply even when cycling is at a very low base. Surely we
should hear no more from outdated traffic 'experts' who say more cycle use must mean more death and injury!

It is not proven whether on-road cycle facilities improve safety. Spokes supports them, if carefully designed and
monitored. Interestingly, Edinburgh has found advance stop lines help pedestrian safety - due to better visibility??

But new evidence from Australia and Denmark suggests that prominent on-road measures such as cycle lanes increase cycle use [www.vtpi.org/tdm and Cycledigest 29] - possibly because they make cycling look a more
valid transport mode. And increased cycle use is likely in itself to improve cycle safety, as above, quite apart
from any direct effects of the cycle facilities themselves. The Edinburgh experience supports these research results.

• "You are doing a great job, at the forefront of cycling developments, and producing excellent cycle maps."
• "I'm not a Spokes member but received unconditional help and support. I send a donation with warmest  thanks"
• "Congratulations on a great newsletter, informative and thought-provoking. Keep up the great work; thanks to you Edinburgh is a much better place to live in." 

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   VELO-CITY 2001

Dr Abdulah Omar and Sarah Boyack, South African and Scottish Transport Ministers, discuss safe routes to  
      school with Sciennes Primary pupils at Velo-City 2001 

Transport Ministers of Scotland, UK, S.Africa, & Belgium
Isabelle Durant, EU Transport Ministers Council President
Margot Wallstrom, EU Environment Commissioner
Mrs Tibiajuka, UN Human Settlements Centre Director
Francesca Racioppi, World Health Organisation [Transport]
David Begg, UK Commission for Integrated Transport

Our thanks to Spokes members who put up delegates, helped with rides, made food for the welcome [doubling as an advance Spokes 25-year celebration] or were conference volunteers. Much credit for Edinburgh & Glasgow getting to host the conference goes to our member Ian Maxwell, who has been involved with Velo-City since London 1984, and worked closely with the Councils on the joint bid. David Begg congratulated us all on getting the two cities together - something politicians have failed in for decades!

It is impossible to report everything, so here are just a few interesting snippets. For fuller information, such as the Conference Programme with 200-word summaries of all the papers, see www.Velo-City2001.org. Full conference papers will also be available (in a few months?) on CD.

• Hundreds of Velo-City delegates cycled Edinburgh to Glasgow for the second part of the conference, some by the Canal Millennium link and others by Sustrans Edinburgh-Glasgow route 75. Remarkably, the wind was from the east, sun shone on the delegates, and the following rain stayed well behind even the stragglers! Food was dispensed by the Provosts of W.Lothian in Linlithgow [haggis & neaps] and of E.Dunbartonshire. Problems: hawthorn towpath punctures, and injury due to a dog running into a wheel. The total distance cycled was more than one-third of the way round the globe!
• For Scottish delegates a most impressive aspect was the very positive cycle development picture by Glasgow and Edinburgh Councils. Both have tough targets for cycle use, length of cycleroute, 20mph zones, etc; and both have figures showing their existing efforts are already paying off, with significant recent increases in bike commuting. In contrast, some Scottish councils still do virtually nothing for cycling. True, the Scottish Executive now provides all councils a very welcome Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets allocation [see article] - but, as S.E.'s Adam Rennie admitted, councils are free to spend this on anything within that umbrella.
• Edinburgh Deputy Lord Provost Marion Morton told the conference that councillors receive many letters on cycling from individual constituents, and that this makes a big impact. We told you - so please keep it up!
• Scottish Transport Minister Sarah Boyack told how the Executive is promoting sustainable transport in many ways [see also Spokes 79] and re-emphasised the target to double cycling 1996->2002 and again by 2012. She urged delegates to help change the car-only culture by influencing colleagues, employers, media, schools, developers, and of course by lobbying politicians.
• Delegates came not just from Europe and the US, but South Africa, Uganda, Togo, Brazil, Bangladesh, and other 3^rd world countries. It was a real lesson to hear of countries where the problem is not lack of cycle facilities but lack even of a bike or money to buy one. Countries such as Uganda and South Africa told of projects to set up bike workshops/depots in rural areas where most children walk over 45 minutes each way to school. Details: Project Re-Cycle www.re-cycle.org.
• Climate-change & health expert Mayer Hillman said conferences like Velo-City are irresponsible - adding to air travel's huge CO₂ emissions. Future conferences should be regional. Isabelle Durant, EU Transport Ministers' President, demonstrated an impressive no-travel alternative, being interviewed from Edinburgh EICC on a cinema-size screen by video link to Brussels.
• The Company of Cyclists demonstrated unusual bikes, especially load-carrying. The Company can be hired for similar demonstrations: www.companyofcyclists.com.
• Thursday emphasised school cycling, with presentations from Portobello, Royal High, Glasgow Drumchapel and others. As well as the more obvious reasons, one pupil found cycling great as he got to the shops quicker at lunchtime, whilst for another it meant 10 minutes extra in bed! It was good to hear UK Transport Minister Sally Keeble telling us that Danish government policy had achieved 50% of children cycling to school: until recently it was us telling them! For more info, see www.porty4theplanet.org.uk and www.velocity2001.S5.com
• As part of Mayor Ken Livingstone's transport initiative, Transport for London is printing 1 million bike maps [p3]. TfL has also set up a Cycling Centre of Excellence to promote/support cycling in London's Borough councils. www.transportforlondon.gov.uk
• Cllr Walter MacLellan, Glasgow Land Services Chair, pointed out that traffic engineers promoting walking and cycling may be doing more for Public Health than the medical profession - just as water and sewage engineers played the main part in the past. [But! - in the 70s-90s the same engineers promoted car-based lifestyles!]
• David Begg's fascinating and frightening facts..... More people were killed last century on the roads than in all wars and terrorist incidents combined. And for the new century?.. could it be sedentary lifestyles?.. by 2010 the average US male waistline will be 40 inches!
• And next... VELO-CITY 2003 IN PARIS
•  And then... Velo-Mondial 2006 www.velomondial.net 

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The Scottish Executive has allocated increasing sums for cycling, Safe Routes to School [SRS] and safer streets, in the hope this will encourage councils to allocate more of their own resources. Is it working?

Our exclusive survey [see later article] suggests that for SRS it is - but the reverse may be happening for cycling. And overall, money allocated and raised by councils for cycling/SRS seems marginally down on last year's budgets.

Councils vary hugely in cycle staffing and budgets - even councils with identical bike-use targets! South Ayrshire jumps to top spot, followed by regular achievers Dumfries & Galloway then West Lothian. The cities fall back somewhat. Some councils still spend virtually zero.

Perhaps most serious is that cycle/SRS budgets are being drastically underspent - by around one-third. Councils raised some £2.25 per head of population for cycling/SRS in 2000/01, but only £1.50 of this was spent. Yet at the same time councils successfully spent more than originally budgeted on roads and transport overall.

We strongly suspect the main problem is insufficient specialist staffing [see article]. This will become yet more serious if not tackled urgently, as the Executive is allocating increasing sums for cycling, walking and safer streets. If bike-use and public health targets are to be met, Councils and government must give higher priority to actually using the money now available for cycling. And cyclists must press for this in councils all over Scotland.

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Spokes Sunday Rides - Meet 10am,Usher Hall, Lothian Road. Normally 1st Sunday each month. Rides are fairly gentle, 30-40 miles. Lunch at pub/café, or bring picnic. Odd showers won't put us off, but real bad weather may cause cancellation. We show the way, help with mechanical malfunctions, wait for the less-speedy, and try to ensure all have a wonderful time! Please ensure your bike is in good order. Cycle carefully/considerately. You are entirely responsible for your own safety. Children under 14, or not used to roads, may only come with an adult.

Dates: Nov 4, Dec 2, Jan 6, Feb 3, Mar 3, Apr 7. 
For further details or to help:Stuart 0131.445.7073.

Spokes Cycling Weekends- for programme contact Harry 0131.229.6274 or see  http://www.bike.bus.co.uk

Go-Bike!(Strathclyde Cycle Campaign) also has a big rides programme - usually 1st Sunday each month, and some weekends. www.gobike.org 07932.460093 or info@gobike.org

Nov 14 East Lothian Spokes meets council- see article

Nov 22 SPOKES PUBLIC MEETING see above

Nov 23 Making Links - Citizens and Sustainability conference, Edinburgh. Details: enquiries@scotlink.org

Jan 19 Transport in W/SW Scotland SERA workshop, Motherwell [Labour green pressure group]. 0131.440.4412

Mar 5-7 10th Annual Public Health Forum conference of UK Public Health Assn. www.ukpha.org.uk 0870 010 1932

June 16 Glasgow Cyclefest 0141.287.9374.

Other events See What's On at www.edinburghbicycle.com

BikeFest summer 2001 photo: Callum Macdonald 

www.saferoutes.org.uk/bbpics & www.bikefest.org.uk/pics

• The Sustrans website now offers a virtual tour around the National Cycle Network. www.sustrans.org.uk
• Help on a Sustrans Winter Workcamp 01207.281259
• Sustrans Scotland has moved to 162 Fountainbridge, Edinburgh EH3 9RX. 0131.624.7660.
• Safe Routes to School International newsletter, free from 0117.915.0100 or see saferoutestoschool.org.uk  

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