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… like Amsterdam

“Why can’t we do it like Amsterdam” is the opening line of an inspirational new song and video by Edinburgh musician and cycling activist Dan Abrahams, supported by Spokes. The catchy song, which risks becoming your next earworm, continues.. “when I ride, I’m free ..”

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Spokes traffic count May 2026: Bikes up everywhere!

Our regular May traffic count, at Lothian Road and Forrest Road, found bikes up everywhere: northbound and southbound, morning rush hour and lunchtime. With car numbers fairly static compared to last year, bikes rose to 19.2% of all vehicles in the morning and 12.3% at lunchtime, our highest post-pandemic figures. At Forrest Road, […]

#Holyrood2026 : Travelling Backwards

The Holyrood election on 7 May is critical to active travel and wider transport policies and budgets for the next 5 years.  Is there a local project being planned that you’re looking forward to? – in Edinburgh, say Meadows to George Street, or Portobello to Musselburgh? When and if such projects will happen […]

Spokes Bulletin #140, year 2026

Our 2026 printed Bulletin – all 10,000 copies – is here! With most communication now electronic, there’s still great value in an occasional printed Bulletin which can be picked up in bike shops, libraries, etc. The novelty of a print Bulletin also adds to its impact, for example on politicians – all Edinburgh […]

Local Place Plans: have your say!

Under recent legislation, local communities (either geographic or based on a common local interest) can produce a ‘Local Place Plan‘ (LPP) which the Council must then take into account in preparing its development plan for the whole local authority. Many communities in the Lothians have already produced LPPs, and several in Edinburgh are […]

Princes Street & George Street – the future

Following the Council decision of 12 February 2026 on how to use revenue from the Visitor Levy, there is considerable uncertainty around projects to improve Princes Street and George Street, in terms of funding, timescales and project scope.

Spokes has therefore written to Transport and Environment convener Cllr Stephen Jenkinson suggesting various […]

2025–>2026 : What for Edinburgh Cycling Policy & Action?

Will 2026 see Edinburgh City‘s new ‘Primary Cycle Network’ definition start to turn from policy into reality? And what of the City’s hugely ambitious 30% by 2030 traffic-reduction aims? What other decisions or actions may we see in the coming year?

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The Dangers of Rose Street

In the last ten years there have been three separate pedestrian-injury crashes reported in Rose Street, with seven persons injured in total, several seriously, all due to drivers of motor vehicles. There have been even more pedestrian injuries at the intersections of Rose Street with north-south streets such as Hanover Street.

Meanwhile, […]

Tram Granton to Bioquarter: Spokes response

Spokes Planning Group has put considerable time and effort into preparing a thorough and thoughtful 15-page response to the tram consultation. We have received several plaudits, such as “fantastically detailed and comprehensive” from Edi.Bike.

In summary, Spokes supports the tram in principle, but our response has identified some serious issues over cyclist […]

West Lothian #SpokesMap – 5th edition!

[special offer ends 31 October – see below]

The 5th edition of our highly praised West Lothian Cycle Map was launched on 11 October by Kirsteen Sullivan, MP for Bathgate and Linlithgow and Cllr Peter Heggie, Council Deputy Provost, at West Lothian Bike Library / Crofthead Community Centre.

The whole […]