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The Lothian Cycle Campaign |
Additions and Updates to this site http://www.spokes.org.uk
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The Lothian Cycle Campaign |
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Editor: Dave duFeu .Printer: Barr Printers Print run: 11,000
Copyright details:SPOKES may be quoted freely, if the source is acknowledged and our address given.
"The government's own target for increasing cycle use by 2012 requires national leadership and significant funding over the target period." This pointed comment by a local authority cycle officer in our annual cycle expenditure survey epitomises the inadequate priority given to cycling by the Scottish Executive. It is easy to set a target to double cycle use in the next 10 years - and quadruple it from 1996 - and given the example of other European countries it is quite realistic. But to achieve it we need serious leadership and serious funding.
Unfortunately, Scottish Ministers seem to have little idea of the existing and potential significance of everyday utility cycling and walking to improve public health, help the environment, lower congestion and increase personal choice. The government's 58-page spending plan Building a Better Scotland 2003-6 [www.scotland.gov.uk/publications] does not once mention walking/cycling as transport- though it does find space to promise all children a game of golf by age 9! It displays a wilful ignorance of its own Public Health White Paper and Physical Activity Task Force, by almost total omission of everyday physical activity, in contrast to a host of initiatives on sport and school PE.
There is equal disappointment in terms of funding: huge sums for 'sexy transport' - big roads and big public transport, but nothing for getting about locally. Spokes has subsequently managed to get an informal assurance that existing cycling/walking/safer streets [CWSS] funds will not be cut! But as our survey shows [p4], the CWSS rules allow councils to spend zero on cycle projects if they wish.
We congratulate those many Scottish
Executive and council officers who do all they can, given these
impossible constraints, to meet government targets. A good example is
the recent Scottish Cycle Forum Progress Report
[www.scotland.gov.uk/publications,
date 9.8.02]. But woeful leadership and knowledge by top
politicians, plus lack of resources, provide fulsome excuses for
those who don't see the relevance of walking or cycling to transport
policy.
Some comments from renewals and letters to Spokes...
THE SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE TARGET
to INCREASE CYCLE USE
Bristow Muldoon MSP Scottish Parliament Transport & Environment Committee convenor, chair of the Parliament Cross-Party Cycle Group, MSP for Livingston.
Erl Wilkie City of Glasgow senior cycle officer, Velo City organiser, member of Scottish Executive Cycle Forum.
Scottish Ministers and officials stress the intent to double cycle use from 1996 to 2002 and again by 2012. Is this target adequate? Is it achievable? - and if so, how? With elections in May, policies must be scrutinised now!
When: Thurs 21 Nov, 7.30 [6.45 for coffee, stall, chat]
Where: Royal Overseas League, 100 Princes Street
Slated in advance as a gimmick by the AA, and a waste of money by Conservative councillors, Edinburgh's first ever car-free day was a delight for the many thousands of people enjoying entertainments, stalls, and the freedom of a car-free George Street [H 23.9.02]. Unusual and decorated bikes roved the area, and a huge topical mural was created.
The day
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We congratulate Edinburgh Council on at last joining the 1400 other European cities celebrating Car-Free day. But despite the great time had by all, opposition remains to an event next year. The car is free to occupy George Street 364 days of the year - it seems to own the place!
Green MSP Robin Harper is asking for a wider event - and for a car-free George Street for the 3 Festival weeks.
If you enjoyed the day and/or
want it repeated/extended next year, send your ideas/comments to your
councillor. Copy to Spokes and to Cllr Andrew Burns, Transport
Convenor, City Chambers, High Street, Edinb EH1 1YJ.
For MPs/councillors see our factsheet.
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 breakdowns, wait for the less-speedy, and try to ensure a wonderful time! You are entirely responsible for your own safety. Ride carefully & considerately. Ensure your bike is in good order. Children under 14, or not used to roads, may only come with an adult.
Dates: Dec 1, Jan 5, Feb 2, Mar 2, Apr 6. Stuart 445.7073.
CTC 'easyish' rides - similar to the above. 3rd Sunday of month, 10.30, Commonwealth Pool. Anne 657.2189.
Spokes Cycling Weekends 229.6274 www.bikebus.co.uk
Go-Bike! Strathclyde Cycle Campaign rides. 1st Sunday + some w'ends. www.gobike.org 07932.460093 info@gobike.org.
Nov 12 Edinburgh's Future Transport Network CRAG meeting, City Chambers, High St, 7.30 (coffee 7pm).
Nov 21 Spokes autumn public meeting - see above
Dec 10 West Edinburgh Transport Projects CRAG meeting, City Chambers, High St, 7.30 (coffee 7pm).
2003 Sep 23-26 Velo-City International Cycle Conference in Paris. Email: velocity2003@mairie-paris.fr.
Spokes welcomes LSS, which concentrates on the urban walking environment, but shares many of our aspirations. LSS seeks traffic reduction, speed management, relaxed & interesting urban spaces, and planning policies ensuring easily accessible homes, shops, offices and other facilities.
Contact: 0131.229.6768 info@livingstreetsscotland.org.uk.
Whilst most Spokes households own a car, most also feel car culture has gone too far, that the car must be brought under control, and that cycling, walking and public transport need much higher priority. The power and resources of the motor lobby also need a much greater counterbalance.
Thus we are pleased to publicise Car Busters, a group dedicated to putting the car in its place. Their website www.carbusters.org is a great resource centre, and Car-Busters magazine a delight of worldwide car-free and car-reduced inspiration (some articles not in English). For membership, see website or in CARtoons (below).
Spokes now sells CARtoons [£6 post-free], a CarBusters book of powerful text and potent (and reproducible) artwork [example], plus many outstanding quotes such as Ivan Illich's famous calculation [Energy & Equity, 1973]...
"The typical American male devotes over 1600 hours a year to his car. He sits in it while it goes and it stands idling. He parks it and searches for it. He earns the money to put down on it and meet monthly installments. He works to pay for petrol, insurance, taxes and tickets. He spends 4 of his 16 waking hours on the road or gathering resources for it ...1600 hours to get 7500 miles: less than 5 miles an hour!"
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Many years ago the railway goods yard and Coop depot area between Rutland Square, Lothian Road and the Canal became a prime development area. Through intensive efforts by Spokes and our members, the council laid down plans for a cycleroute linking the canal to Princes Street and Lothian Road. When developers applied to build on individual sites, Spokes again lobbied and the council laid down appropriate conditions (e.g. cycleway details to be approved by the council before work starts; cycleway to be completed before offices occupied). But on the ground, conditions were ignored, or implemented in an very half-hearted fashion. (Were cycleway details even submitted? Were they approved? Why are such 'details' not notified to objectors? And why no effective council enforcement?)
With most of the buildings long-occupied there is still no marked-out route and Spokes has again had to remind the council. Even when and if it does appear, the route will now in parts unavoidably be more circuitous, narrow, shared awkwardly with pedestrians, and ill-defined than it should have been, thanks to the neglect and inadequate cycle planning expertise by developers and the council,
Thus, tragically, from a blank slate, and despite many years of epic Spokes effort, we still end with a mess.
Admittedly this starts way back when cycling was still largely disdained by developers and even some council officials. But let this be a lesson, so future developments (e.g. trams, West Edinburgh, S.E. Wedge, Granton Foreshore) are genuinely cycle-friendly and contribute to the council's bold targets for increased cycle use, rather than making them even harder to achieve.
But there will be no cycle crossing between Duncan St and Blacket. Please ask your councillor what the council now proposes as a convenient and safe route between Pollock Halls and Kings Buildings!
A major Edinburgh tram system looks likely, with £12m government funds won for planning work on north and west systems, and a similar application for the south. Extension to towns like Livingston was also planned - but is less likely given W.Lothian Council's head-in-the-sand opposition to Edinburgh's New Transport Initiative [p8].
But will cycle/tram integration be a serious objective from the start, or do we face another Lothian Rd saga?
If council cycle targets are serious, then the tram project manager must be responsible for full bike/tram integration:
Spokes has contacted transport boss Cllr Andrew Burns - please do the same! [City Chambers, High Street, EH1 1YJ]. Don't leave it till trams are in place, and faults costly or impossible to rectify. Several UK tram operators now have to consult on bike carriage - far harder in existing systems!
We have also suggested the council consult Nottingham University government-funded bike/tram project, which is researching all these issues, and is Britain's (Europe's?) only centre of expertise on the subject. 0115.951.4875 www.nottingham.ac.uk/sbe/research/current.htm.
Anthony Smith,
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