February 2010
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Public meeting: City Council Action Plan

The Spokes Spring public meeting on March 23 is your opportunity to hear about and give input to Edinburgh’s Cycle Action Plan…

[Later: for reports on the meeting and the survey held at it, see 23.3.10 here]

Under newish Transport Convener Cllr Gordon Mackenzie and Transport Director Marshall Poulton, and with the best-staffed cycle team for a good many years, Edinburgh seems  to have a real new impetus on cycling policy.  Last year’s budget [2009/10] even had new money [Spokes 104, 105].  Edinburgh is the only UK council to have signed up to the Charter of Brussels with its target for 15% of trips by bike in 2020.   But many problems remain and the Action Plan will really need to translate policy into action if it is to achieve big increases in bike use.

What will be in the Action Plan, now being drawn up to meet council cycling targets??  What do you think of it??  Come to our public meeting to find out and to make your own views known.

The Cycle Action Plan is part of an ‘Active Travel Plan‘ which will also contain a section on promotion of walking as another form of transport.

Speakers:

Cllr Gordon Mackenzie, City Council Transport Convener
Phil Noble Active Travel Action Plan – Project Manager

Venue: St Columba’s by the Castle Church, Johnston Terr [blue door, not red door.   Beside Castle Rock Hostel].  Note – this is not our usual venue.
Date: Tuesday 23 March
Time:
7.30; open 6.45 for coffee, stall, chat.
More info: jackie.howlett3ATgooglemail.com   664 0526.

Poster: Download an A4  Meeting Poster [pdf 171k] to put up at your work, local shop etc.  Members will receive one (or more if requested) in their mailing.

LATEST COUNCIL NEWS

Note – the Council hopes to finalise and approve the Action Plan in summer 2010.  The projects listed below all pre-date the Action Plan.

Work on these schemes from the council’s 09/10 budget is due in Feb/March:

  • Canal towpath surfacing – next section out from Wester Hailes, with Riccarton connection
  • Meadow Place closure and  Melville Drive bike lane extension to Brougham Street
  • Oxgangs Road cycle lanes €“ already complete
  • Queensferry Rd toucan near Clermiston
  • Peffermill Road phase of Innocent to NRIE route

Other imminent projects:

  • Hotel Missoni, Geo IV Bridgethank you everyone who complained to your councillors about the original road layout – this wouldn’t be happening without your efforts adding to ours.
  • Mound to Princes Street – an experimental means of allowing cyclist left-turns is hoped to be approved and installed in the next 6-8 weeks.  If successful it will be made permanent and similar arrangements installed for left turns at the north ends of Lothian Road and of Dalry Road.

Still at admin/paperwork stages:

  • Old Dalkeith Rd bus/bike improvements €“ legal orders to be advertised soon; implementation hoped in late summer.
  • A90 path – design work very late – following which come negotiations with the government on funding for this route which is of national as well as local significance [see Spokes 100 & before]
  • KB/Mayfield to Southside/Princes Street  cycling corridor – see Spokes 105.  Note that this scheme will require a considerable number of traffic regulation orders, which will have to be advertised for public objection.   At that stage letters in support from the public will be very valuable.
  • Leith (Sandport Place) to Portobello, with funding assistance from Sustrans.

LOTS MORE NEWS IN FORTHCOMING SPOKES BULLETIN 106, TO BE PUBLISHED SAT 27 FEBRUARY – ALSO CONTAINING A BIKE STATION SPECIAL.  IF YOU’RE A SPOKES MEMBER AND WOULD LIKE EXTRA COPIES FOR COLLEAGUES AT WORK, OR FOR PARKED BIKES AT YOUR LOCAL SHOPPING CENTRE, LET US KNOW.

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