Contents…
Edinburgh to Forth Bridge
Second Forth Road Crossing
A90 route: Edinburgh to Forth Bridge [and the North]
A brief summary of a massive amount of lobbying over many years by Spokes and by a large number of individuals. Letters/emails from individual users to politicians have been incredibly important in raising the profile of this issue, and without that our Spokes efforts would undoubtedly have been less productive [indeed, much Spokes effort goes into encouraging concerned users to write and keep writing, especially at particularly useful times].
A90 to the Forth Bridge is probably the most important single stretch of the NCN in Scotland, taking cycle tourists [of all types] from Edinburgh to the North; it is also an essential commuter route and an important local leisure route. Its condition has been truly appalling, and downright dangerous, in parts, for many years.
Obstacles to the project include – (1) The section with the narrow path is very costly due to the retaining wall, land ownership, ??and listed building status (2) Edinburgh tends to allocate its cycling investment to the areas of denser population and highest potential usage (3) There are now few realistic sources of substantial regional-based funding (see 2007 below).
References below to [Spokes xx] are to Spokes Bulletins – though unfortunately only recent copies are on this website.
We start the story in 2004 – though that is far from the actual beginning.
2004-2006 Spokes campaign for Edinburgh to set up a major project for links to surrounding areas – including A90, A8, A71, etc – using the new opportunity of SESTRAN funding [Spokes 91,93].
2006-2007 After a long campaign … success!! SESTRAN agrees £4.6m programme over several years for links between Edinburgh and surrounding areas, including A90 route [Spokes 94,95]. A90 project to start in 2nd year due to the planning/ land ownership issues. Programme then put back a year by SESTRAN overbudgeting [Spokes 96].
2007 New SNP government scraps all capital funding to Regional Transport Partnerships including SESTRAN, so the £4.6m programme is lost, with no work started on the A90 route [Spokes 99].
2007-2009 New SNP government scraps tolls on Forth Road Bridge. Pressed in Parliament on increased traffic, Minister John Swinney promises to invest in buses and ‘cycle links’ [Spokes 98] but no money is allocated to this. Big Spokes campaign follows [letter to JS pdf 111k - nice user quotes!!], and Patrick Harvie MSP extracts government promise to talk to Edinburgh Council about A90 route [Spokes 99]. Spokes has to keep pushing council and government [e.g. at Cycle Forum, letters from individuals, letter to PW pdf 119k, leading eventually to PW letter p1 pdf 484k p2 517k govt reply 37k]. So – government eventually agrees to part-fund the scheme [Spokes 100,101] if Edinburgh draws up acceptable detailed plans/costings.
2010 At last … consultation on draft phase 1 plans [pdf 1.3MB] B924 Barnbougle jn to Easter Dalmeny jn, shared-use cycleway, width 3m+ except for a very short 2.2-2.5m stretch. Not the most urgent section, but funding/planning constraints mean this or nothing in 10/11 financial year. Spokes response [txt 3k] urges the onroad lane is retained as well as building the new 3m shared-use pavement, as there are different categories of cyclist … Outcome unknown.
2011 Phase 1 construction. Phase 2 expected – details not yet known.
Other new possibilities on links to surrounding areas [no longer relevant to A90 as project underway and funding shared by government]…
- After the May 5 elections we could see revamped transport spending, for example returning some funding to RTPs such as SESTRAN, and/or increasing cycling’s % of the transport total. Concerned individuals need to lobby MSPs and candidates to help achieve this!
- Edinburgh Council report on links to surrounding areas – could even herald revival of SESTRAN project 2004-2007 above, especially if regional transport capital funds are restored after the election.
Second Forth Road Crossing
Official website – This includes Forth Crossing Documents ranging from the Forth Crossing Bill to the Construction Codes which include how to provide for cyclists on nearby roads/tracks during the years of construction [NB - make sure you read the latest version, currently Sept 2010, as changes have been made on cycling thanks to parliamentary efforts by Linlithgow Cycle Action Group].
Forthright Alliance – alliance of groups opposing the Second Forth Road Crossing.