April 2024
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What’s in store for 24? – it’s mainly wait and see!

What can we expect locally for bike use and wider sustainable transport? What will Spokes – and you! – need to support, oppose, provide, improve or highlight in order to speed up the move towards more sustainable and healthy places to live and get about? This article outlines a few of the topics which […]

ScotGov Budget 24/25: not what transport needs

Despite a rise in active travel funding in the draft budget, the overall transport picture was not what is needed in a climate emergency – and already transport is Scotland’s worst performing sector in terms of climate emissions. Indeed, the increase in trunk road cash (£210m) almost equals the total of active travel investment […]

Programme for Government 23/24 – little change

The Scottish Government’s 23/24 PfG is very much ‘steady as she goes,’ although given the growing climate crisis more was hoped for. SCCS pointed to “few, if any, new measures to deliver emissions’ reductions .. in the context of Scotland missing annual targets in eight of the past twelve years.” Specifically on cycling, Cycling […]

Edinburgh Cycling: what will we see in ’23?

What can we expect locally for bike use and wider sustainable transport under Edinburgh’s new minority council? What will Spokes – and you! – need to support, to oppose, to provide, to improve or to highlight in order to encourage and speed up the move towards more sustainable and healthy places to live and […]

Scottish Budget 23/24 & Active Travel

The Scottish Budget 23/24 brings a rise of nearly £40m for active travel [AT], up from 4.3% to 5.3% of the total transport budget.

At first sight this is very encouraging, especially at a time of austerity. However in the context of the SNP/Green ‘Bute House’ agreement, and of the UK Climate Change Committee’s […]

Achieving Traffic Reduction: #SpokesMtg report

It’s extremely tough; much tighter timelines are needed, especially on demand management; and the public must be part of decision-making on implementation – but, nonetheless, the Scottish Government 20% and Edinburgh Council 30% ambitions for car-km reduction by 2030 can and must be achieved.

This perhaps summarises the outcome of one of our meatiest […]

#SpokesMtg: Traffic Reduction commitments in Scotland & Edinburgh

The Scottish Government has made a remarkable “commitment” to reducing car-kilometres by 20% over the 2019 pre-covid figures, by year 2030 – primarily as a response to the climate crisis, although with many additional side-benefits for public health and community. Edinburgh City Council has followed this up with a 30% ambition – albeit a […]

CCWEL: work begins after an arduous evolution

Work has at last begun on CCWEL, the long-awaited City Centre West-East Link cycleroute, a largely protected route from Roseburn in the west, through the city centre (George Street) and onwards to Leith Walk. It will also link to the residential and university area of inner South Edinburgh via the George Street to Meadows […]

Hopes & Challenges for 2022

Stop Press 13.1.22: Traffic Reduction ‘Route Map’ published. Much as we predicted (2 & 2.2 below) – some good stuff, but without tougher Demand Management, notably Road User Charging, the 2030 traffic reduction commitment is very unlikely to be met. Consultation opens, closing 6 April 2022.

What can we expect in Edinburgh and […]

Scottish Budget 22/23

The budget brings a welcome rise in active travel [AT] funding, up by £34.5m from 3.5% of the total transport budget to 4.3% … but it’s less than we expected given the SNP/Green promise of 10% by 24/25.

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