This is a circular to all emailable Spokes members. [If you have recently sent us a change of email address, your change may not yet be in our database, so this message may go to your old address or possibly to both]. We hope you'll have the time to read this circular carefully and take action on those points that concern or interest you. If using email addresses shown below, replace AT by @. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A. THE DRAFT BUDGET 2012-13 : LATEST DEVELOPMENTS + SPOKESWORKER 28.11.11 There have been many developments in our budget campaign, and it is clear that MSPs are receiving a heavy email postbag from concerned constituents. The severe proposed cuts to walking/cycling investment have been raised by a range of MSPs in a parliamentary debate, in parliamentary questions, and in direct lobbying by MSPs of the government's Finance Secretary and Transport Minister. We have also had fairly strong hints that the worst possible scenario, the scrapping of the CWSS fund, will not now happen - though CWSS may stll be cut and the other main relevant budget line, SAT, is very badly cut. For the latest developments see our new Budget Special issue of Spokesworker... http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/spwkr11.11.28.pdf and the 27th and 28th November news items at www.spokes.org.uk. The above Spokesworker and news items include... * Spokes responses to replies from SNP MSPs trying to defend the budget * Parliamentary Questions asked about active travel funding * Extracts about active travel funding from a recent parliamentary debate The campaign is reaching across Scotland, with many other organisations involved, notably Transform Scotland, Sustrans and Scottish Environment Link. The budget process continues into and through December. It is important to keep up the pressure on MSPs. Please do the following ... * If you have not yet contacted your MSPs, consider doing so now. * If you are unhappy with any replies received, let the MSP know why. * If you live in, or have sympathetic friends in, parts of Scotland outside Edinburgh and the Lothians, make a special effort to get letters to the MSPs for that area. * Find your MSPs at www.writetothem.com [you have one Constituency MSP and 6 or 7 Regional List MSPs] B. SPOKES MAPP BUFF Spokes is ordering a stock of Original buffs printed with an extract from a Spokes map. We hope they will arrive in early December but this is not guaranteed. More info and pictures in Spokesworker 11.11.11 at http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/spokesworker. Once the buffs are here we will do another circular to members, with exact details for ordering. The arrangements will be a central pick-up point (cost £10 payable on collection) or, if you wish it posted, send a £12 cheque payable to Spokes. For buffs ordered (and paid for) at our Nov 17 public meeting we will notify you of a pick-up point as soon as they arrive. If you cannot conviently collect, we will send them out to you post-free. C. PUBLIC MEETING Our public meeting on 17 November went very well, with around 80 present and an hour of questions from a wide range of people. Thank you if you came along - the excellent and thoughtful turnout will hopefully encourage the Council to keep up to speed with its Active Travel Action Plan. A report on the meeting will appear in the next week or two at www.spokes.org.uk : documents : odds& ends : public meetings. D. EDINBURGH COUNCIL BUDGET 2012-13 Edinburgh Council is seeking comment for its budget. Whilst this cannot be finalised until the government budget is through, it is important now to say where the Council should be going, and what priority should go to the Active Travel Action Plan. The excellent results of our November traffic count [see E below] help make the case for continuing investment. In recent years the Council has used a good proportion of its government CWSS allowance for active travel, it has also put in capital funding of its own, and it has also successfully bid for Sustrans funding. The Council should continue all 3 avenues, if possible at the same level - although all 3 depend to a greater or lesser extent on the outcome of the government budget. Council Leader Cllr Jenny Dawe has asked concerned citizens to email her with their thoughts for the Council budget. Please email your comments to this address as soon as possible ... leader@edinburgh.gov.uk [and copy to spokes]. There is also a Council Budget Conference to collect ideas from the public - on SATURDAY 3 DECEMBER at the City Chambers, High Street, Edinburgh. There will be coffee at 8.30am and the event will start at 9am, finishing at 12.30pm. IF YOU WISH TO ATTEND please email urgently to the same address. E. SPOKES NOVEMBER TRAFFIC COUNT An excellent result - our highest ever figure for bikes, and lowest ever for cars! Many thanks to Judy/Mies for organising, and for all the count helpers. See the full results and commentary in the Nov 15th news item at www.spokes.org.uk. F. RAIL - BIKE CARRIAGE TO INVERNESS News from our bike/rail person [ewanATnavyblue.org.uk] ... "Getting a bike reservation to Inverness can be difficult. Most Scotrail Inverness trains are formed of 3-coach Cl 170s (same as Edinburgh-Glasgow) with 3 zone, only one zone is bookable (2 bikes) as the others are dual use with wheelchairs. However, different trains used on the 1045 Inverness to Edinburgh and the 1035 Edinburgh to Inverness (Monday to Saturday, from 12 December) have 8 reservable bike spaces per train throughout the year, rising to 12 spaces on Summer Saturdays! The East Coast Highland Chieftain train, late afternoon Edinburgh to Inverness and early morning southbound, has 4 reservable spaces. Tip: For on-line bike space reservations when buying tickets on all train operators services use the East Coast website, as it's the only one with that facility." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dave du Feu Spokes 28.11.11