Spokes

Scot Budget 25/26: update

The budget 25/26 is now expected to pass with no changes to active travel (AT) funding from December’s draft version. At no more than 4.6% of total transport spending it will be well below the 5.6% in the original 24/25 budget and far below the 10% previously promised – although probably up on 24/25 actual spend following the drastic 24/25 in-year cuts. However, the exact 25/26 total is very unclear and there is a risk that it could be well under 4.6% – see below.

Spokes correspondence with the Cabinet Secretary gives some interesting further insights.

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20% Traffic Reduction: ScotGov research shows how

30.1.25 update: In a scathing report, Audit Scotland confirms that, 5 years after its commitment to cut car-km 20% by 2030, the Scottish Government “still does not have a clear plan.” Yet the research in the article below is not covered, and even Audit Scotland’s “Key messages” don’t explicitly mention the road user charging which the research says would achieve the commitment.

12.5.25 update: A great result from the recently introduced New York congestion charging. “NYC’s congestion pricing is a policy miracle: Less traffic, less noise, faster transit, more business sales, more transit revenue. And it hasn’t produced the negative effects outside the cordon zone we were afraid of.“

Research commissioned by the Scottish Government from AECOM consultancy shows that it is perfectly possible to achieve the government’s commitment to a 20% reduction in car-km by 2030. But … the government’s weak response shows no sign of adopting the recommendations of the research, and leaves tough decisions up to Councils and to the UK government.

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2024–>2025 : What for Active Travel ?

Edinburgh 2024 saw big highlights for cycling, as major long-term projects came to fruition, and data showed bike use rising alongside new infrastructure. But 2025 may be a disappointing contrast, with no completions on a similar scale, and a general slow-down following the Scottish Government’s 2024 active-travel funding procrastination and eventual cuts.

Meanwhile, both Government and Council continue the failed ‘carrots-only’ approach to meeting their (20% / 30% respectively) ambitions for 2030 car-km reduction, meaning continued climate emissions, congestion and hostile conditions for walking, wheeling and cycling.

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Roseburn to (almost) Canal opens

A fantastic new offroad route linking the North Edinburgh path network to Dalry, with bridges over Dalry Road and the Midcalder electrified railway, opened on 9 December 2024 after a 10-year gestation. It will later be extended to join the canal towpath at its wider inner-city section near Boroughmuir School.

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ScotGov draft budget 25/26: active travel cuts disguised

See also our 4.2.25 update to this article.

Despite larger than expected financial support from the UK government, the 25/26 Scottish draft budget cuts funding for rail, for bus investment and for active travel (AT). Presentation of the figures hides the extent of the AT cuts, which we estimate to be a £40m+ drop from 5.6% of the transport budget to 4.6% or less. Yet, despite the climate crisis (and storm Darragh looms as we write) there’s more cash for trunk roads – funding which the budget’s own carbon assessment classes as “highly negative” for climate.

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Local Bike Campaigning: #SpokesMtg report

A culture change on active travel and local accessibility is underway in Edinburgh, inspired by a wide and growing variety of local organisations and initiatives – this understanding was perhaps the main outcome of our hugely positive 21 November public meeting on local campaigning.

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Nov Traffic Count: bikes up, but more if new infra

The biannual Spokes city-centre and Porty traffic counts, on Tuesday 11 November found bikes up almost everywhere compared to November 2023 – though mostly not by large amounts. In the city centre morning rush hour bikes were up 4% from 365 to 381, and at lunchtime up 17% from 156 to 183. In Porty, totalling morning and lunchtime, bike numbers were up a huge 36%, albeit from the low base of 70, to 95.

Whilst it is great to see numbers rising at our traditional city centre on-road count locations,* it is notable that Cycling Scotland’s automatic counters have found much greater increases in bike numbers at locations where new bike infrastructure is in place – see below.

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Local Bike Campaigning: public meeting, 21 November

Local initiatives for better cycling infrastructure and to encourage getting about by bike are flourishing … along with wider demands for car-reduced living, walking, wheeling, local public transport and places no longer dominated by the demands of the car. Why is this happening? How is it happening? What can you do?

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Cycling & Sustenance: #SpokesComp results

Yes, bikes and food are inextricably linked in so many ways .. and our super competition entries certainly proved that! Sourcing food by homebaking, foraging, cafes or shopping; Sharing food for family, for friends, for people in need, and even using it to promote cycling. Entries in text, photos, diagrams or poems; advice or amusement; serious or tongue in cheek – our lovely entrants had it all!

And if anyone wondered where to go for a bike-cafe crawl, we discovered that East Lothian is without doubt the place to be!

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#SpokesComp 2024: Cycling & Sustenance

Closing date extended to midnight Sunday 22 September

😉 ^{“I cycled to the shop to use up the calories I’m going to put on by buying chocolate! “}

Yes, bikes and food are inextricably linked in so many ways! We want to hear how you connect bikes with food and/or drink, in whatever way. You could win a great prize and some modest fame, and your ideas or experiences could help other people!

Continue reading #SpokesComp 2024: Cycling & Sustenance

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