Spokes

Programme for Government 21/22 – making it happen!

The Programme for Government (PfG) largely confirms what we already know from the SNP/Green agreement and previous announcements, rather than anything new. The PfG policies do have potential for greatly increased active travel – but only if actions live up to policies, if serious obstacles are overcome and if contradictions are resolved.

More generally, there is growing concern that the PfG’s actions on the climate emergency do not match up to its policies and targets – including on transport – as in this excellent Scotsman article, this Transform Scotland twitter thread and this FOE response to the PfG.

Continue reading Programme for Government 21/22 – making it happen!

#SpokesMtg – Local Bike Campaigning

There’s a flourishing of locally-based campaigns for cycling infrastructure and for wider car-reduced living, supporting walking, wheeling, local public transport and places no longer dominated by the demands of the car.

Our meeting, at 7.30pm on Wednesday 22 September, hears from a range of local campaigns, together with city-wide groups BEST and Spokes, and is followed by our usual fullsome QA. We’ll hear how and why groups started, the challenges, the successes and what comes next. We hope it will give you some ideas too!

Continue reading #SpokesMtg – Local Bike Campaigning

Active Travel: Scotland / England

How do the recent major announcements by the UK government on active travel (AT) policy in England compare with Scotland?

Our conclusion: Scotland is still best for AT funding, but the Scottish Government needs to catch up when it comes to enabling and incentivising all councils to make the best use of it.

Continue reading Active Travel: Scotland / England

Bicycle Film Festival, July 16-25

Edinburgh Festival of Cycling [EdFoC] like so many events, fell to the covid pandemic in 2020 and 2021. However EdFoC has teamed up for a second time with the international Bicycle Film Festival – now coming to Edinburgh (virtually) July 16-25 and also supported by Spokes.

Continue reading Bicycle Film Festival, July 16-25

Growing Edinburgh’s Cycle Network beyond Spaces for People

[Latest, June 24: Council votes to convert most SfP schemes from ‘temporary’ Traffic Orders (TTRO) to ‘experimental’ (ETRO), as a step to becoming permanent if successful. Sadly, town centre schemes largely excluded]

Until 2019 Edinburgh cycle projects were often isolated schemes, taking advantage of local opportunities or needs, but not joined up. And, many took literally years – or never! – to implement. In contrast, largely designed and implemented in a mere 12 months from Spring 2020, the Spaces for People (SfP) initiative now provides the basis for a properly connected network.

Continue reading Growing Edinburgh’s Cycle Network beyond Spaces for People

Cycling in the Pandemic: #SpokesComp

Whilst health and the NHS have rightly been everyone’s top concern, transport and travel have changed drastically during the pandemic. Our Spring competition showed just how valuable, how valued and how versatile is the humble bicycle when the unexpected happens and lives have the need or the opportunity to change.

Continue reading Cycling in the Pandemic: #SpokesComp

Spokes map buff is back!

Some years ago Spokes sold a buff/snood/face-covering featuring part of our Edinburgh map and we’ve often been asked to do so again. Now it’s here! – this time with the section of our 2020 Midlothian map incorporating very roughly the Porty-Prestonpans-Dalkeith triangle, i.e. parts of Midlothian, East Lothian and Edinburgh City!

Continue reading Spokes map buff is back!

Election #Holyrood2021 – how shall I vote??

No – we aren’t telling you who to vote for! But hopefully giving you some guidance how to use the somewhat complicated Holyrood voting system to aim for the result that you would like…

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Holyrood Election 2021 – everything you want to know!(?)

The Holyrood election on 6 May is approaching and is critical to cycling/transport policies and budgets for the next 5 years. We’ll tell you here how to make the most of the opportunity in Edinburgh and the Lothians, and give links for all-Scotland information. This page will have more info added as it becomes available.

Continue reading Holyrood Election 2021 – everything you want to know!(?)

Spokes Election Hustings #Holyrood2021

[Latest, 20 April] Recording of meeting now available here–>https://youtu.be/kugejmKuAmQ

Spokes is holding an online election hustings, on Thursday 15 April, 7.30pm, for the Edinburgh and Lothians area of the Scottish Parliament election, to discuss transport issues with particular emphasis on cycling.

Continue reading Spokes Election Hustings #Holyrood2021

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