Additions and Updates to this site
Spokesworker is an occasional ("roughly monthly") news sheet, with stop-press news of forthcoming events, and of road, traffic and planning matters. It is not automatically sent to all members. A copy is enclosed if we are writing to you anyway, and copies are handed out at meetings of working groups. It is also published here on the website. If you wish to be notified by email of a new Spokesworker or of other major updates to the Spokes website, contact spokes@btinternet.com. Also, you can make sure of getting a paper copy by sending Spokes 10 or so stamped addressed envelopes.
See diary page for more events.
Feb 22 Links Sports Fair Huge evening event at Boroughmuir School 6.30-9.00pm to promote physical activity; organised by 3 secondary-school clusters centred on Bruntsfield. 1000 families expected. There will be Spokes stall selling maps [special £4] plus displays etc. Stall helpers needed - especially if you live in the area. If you have ideas or can help, contact Tim 0131 554 7264.
Feb 29 Transport White Paper update 12.15-1.45, Grange Manor Hotel, Grangemouth. Meeting of Central Scotland Energy & Environment Business Forum. [promoting environmental considerations in business]. 01786.451030. Entry free.
Mar 2 Multi-Modal Studies & Transport Appraisal Transform Scotland seminar, led by Derek Halden. Glasgow, 6pm. Free, but limited spaces. To book a space contact Colin Howden 0131.467.7714 or email campaigns@transformscotland.org.uk
Mar 7 Spokes Public Meeting - What Now for Sustrans? Speakers Tony Grant, Scottish Sustrans Manager - what next for Sustrans after the 5000-mile national network?? Also Andy Dunn, coordinator of June 2000 Sustrans events in Scotland. Friends Meeting House, Victoria Terrace. Rosemary 553 5819.
Mar 14 Virgin Trains future in Scotland Allan McLean of Virgin, former Scotsman Transport correspondent. Meeting of Capital Rail Action Group, 7pm, City Chambers, High St., Edinb. Lawrence.Marshall@cityedin.demon.co.uk
Mar 18 Scottish. Association. for Public Transport AGM with guest speaker Sarah Boyack, Scottish Parliament Transport Minister. 11am, City Chambers. You are welcome to attend, but will not be able to participate in the AGM business if not a member.
May 27-29 National Cycle Try-out Show At York, organised by Open Road/Encycleopedia/Bike Culture, where you can try out folders, city bikes, child-carrying attachments, trailers, etc. 01904.654654 or www.bikeculture.com
June 18 Bill Brockie Retiral 'Eucharistic Ceilidh' (service cum party) Bill is the Minister at St Martins Church, where Spokes rents office space. Bill has been a member and good friend of Spokes for many years, and he invites everyone who knows him to this event to mark his retirement, to be held at a local Brewery! Note - this invitation is only for people who know Bill - through any connection. More details from Bill 0131.337.5493.
June 17-25 Millennium Cycle Week See diary page
June 24 Durris Family Cycle Fun Day If you happen to be in Aberdeenshire during National Bike Week, go to this event in Durris Forest. MarkHagger@aol.com or phone 01330.811328.
Sep 18-22 Change Travel Week Replaces June 19-25 previously advertised 'No Car Week'. Organised by Active for SAMH in partnership with Edin Chamber of Commerce. Concentrating on boosting cycle, walk and bus use in Lothian Road to Morningside corridor. SPOKES volunteers requested - see below. Also...
Sep UK and European Car-Free Day In 1999 over 150 towns became car-free for part of the day. 020 7613 0743.
Ian Reid, SAMH organiser, requests Spokes members to help during the week (giving cycling advice, mechanics, or staffing a stall on Lothian Road) or with advance publicity (leafletting, etc). The odd hour or two will help a lot. Ian Reid 467.7905.
May/June 2001 sees an inaugural ride on the above 6000-mile route through Scotland and Scandinavia. A Spokes representative is requested on the Scottish organising committee - preferably a regular Spokes volunteer. Contact Dave.duFeu@ed.ac.uk, 01506 670165. You must be able to devote some time to this, including meetings on weekdays. First meeting Aberdeen 25 Feb, 11-2.
As readers of the University Bulletin will know, the University needs to draw up an effective Green Travel Plan - or they will not be able to get planning permission from the Council for various new developments. This is therefore an ideal time for interested cyclists at the university to set up a Bicycle Users Group, to suggest and lobby for routes, parking, even financial incentives to encourage bike commuting and cycling between campuses. There were a couple of previous attempts, with some small successes on parking, but there is now a great opportunity to feed ideas into the Transport Issues Group which is to draw up and operate the Green Travel Plan. We could also apply to them for support, as they would probably see a BUG as a helpful development.
If interested, especially if you are a potential organiser, please contact Dave.duFeu@ed.ac.uk [I don't have the time myself].
Much help on BUGs and Green Transport Plans is available. For example, Green Transport Plans free from 0870 1226 236 [quote ref. 99 ASCS 0174A]; and Strathclyde University BUG web site www.strath.ac.uk/campus/cycle. Advice on BUGs is also available from Dave Marsh, SCDP officer, 0141.287.9374.
It is some years since Spokes stopped holding regular annual cycle counts, due to the amount of organisation involved. Now Ian Maxwell is hoping to organise periodic counts in the Portobello area, as part of a PB community project to measure a variety of 'community indicators'. Cycle counts would be done in the rush hour, probably twice a year. If you can help count, organise or analyse, contact imaxwell@gn.apc.org or 669.6542.
SCOTTISH INTEGRATED TRANSPORT BILL The government has published its draft proposals. The final version will be published presented to the Scottish Parliament in the Spring. The draft is available from 0131.244.7242 or on the web at www.scotland.gov.uk/library2/doc11/itb-00.asp. Comments must be sent in by 24.3.2000. Main proposals are..
Congestion & workplace charging. These proposals have been watered down and still remain under heavy pressure from the AA, opposition parties and much of the press. Sadly, there is nothing on charging car-based retail and leisure developments (especially out of town) for car spaces
Bus partnerships and concessionary fares improvements
Regional
transport partnerships
[eg cross-Forth]. These proposals are weaker than hoped, mainly on
a voluntary basis. Thus, for example, the controversial A701
proposal could remain up to Midlothian, not assessed as part of a
Lothian-wide transport strategy.regardless of its impact on
Edinburgh
There
are also small items, e.g. to simplify legal complexities about
bike parking. Some others members have suggested adding are below.
We have not checked these out fully yet...
Legal priority for walkers/cyclists in 20mph or Home zones
Powers to create 10mph zones easily
Ban parking on bus stops and on zig-zags outside schools
Make it easier to prohibit parking on cycle lanes (how?)
Allow speedier passage of Traffic Regulation Orders [TROs] if there are just one or two objections
Allow experimental TROs (to test controversial schemes)
We
urge you to write in by 24.3.2000, to: Richard
Lyall, Transport Div 1/1, SEDD, Victoria Quay, EH6 6QQ or email
richard.lyall@scotland.gov.uk.
There will be great pressure for the Bill to be weakened further, so
it is vital that people are also asking for stronger measures. Feel
free also to add your own suggestions for additional areas in the
Bill, such as specific cycle-related measures. Send
us a copy of your letter, so we can consider your points for the
Spokes submission.
GRANTON WATERFRONT Edinburgh Council is to consult on a draft blueprint, a 15-year £500m project, and part of a wider plan stretching round through Leith to Portobello.
The Granton scheme proposes 5000 houses, two schools, a university campus (possibly moving of Queen Margaret College), retail centres, a 5000-seat ice rink, and so on. Of course, there is one big worry, which we expect to be covered by the Plan, but not sufficiently, and that is sustainable transport/planning. A development on this scale, combined with equally ambitious proposals around the rest of the Waterfront, will mean huge pressure for a north-Edinburgh bypass and massive road developments within a few years. The road north from Crewe Toll, though we are promised it is not stage one of a new bypass, could become that.
Even a tramway (likely to be proposed) will be far too little to solve the problems. Therefore the scheme needs to build in the utmost attention to all aspects of sustainable transport and planning. This must include measures such as below, though it is questionable if even these will be sufficient to defuse future demand for big road construction...
A full tram and cycle network, the tramway going through the heart of the new developments, and the cycle network penetrating all areas as well as a leisure coastal route.
The above networks to be paid for by the developers and opened at a very early date, before the development becomes car dependent. This must be legally tied in.
Sustainable planning - houses near jobs, schools, etc.
A requirement on all new local employers, retail, schools, etc to have effective Green Travel Plans. Employer plans should include financial incentives to employ local people.
The consultation takes place Feb 21 - Mar 31. We don't yet have details, but the Granton Waterfront Master Plan report can already be inspected at the Council Info Unit, 12 St Giles St, 0131.469.3887, and they should soon have details of the consultation. It is likely to be based at the Planning Dept, 1 Cockburn Street, and probably in Granton area also.
Please
copy us your comments, so we can consider them for the official
Spokes submission - especially if you have any revolutionary
proposals or local insight!
A702 ROUTE ACTION PLAN Edinburgh Council is consulting on bus/cycle/pedestrian improvements from Holy Corner to Greenbank Crescent. They include advance stop lines at 3 junctions and some short stretches of bus/cycle lane. Detailed plans can be seen till end February at Morningside Library and 1 Cockburn Street, and at www.edinburgh.gov.uk. One small point might be whether the lead-in lane to the ASL at Morningside Station would be better adjacent to the central traffic lane (like in Buccleuch St) rather than by the pavement. Comments must be sent by 1.3.2000 to: A702 Action Plan, City Development, Freepost SCO4882, Edinburgh EH1 0BR. Please send us a copy of your comments, so we can consider them for the Spokes submission.
'MOVEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT' Edinburgh Council is consulting on the above document of guidelines to be followed at new developments within the city. Previous guidelines concentrated largely on just the design of road access, but the new draft takes a very positive line on walking, cycling and public transport. If you want to see or comment on the draft guidelines, contact Mr C Day 0131.469.3568. Comments are required by 31.3.2000.
NORTH BERWICK TOWN CENTRE Spokes is shortly to be consulted by East Lothian Council on transport/ traffic issues for the above. If you know the area and would like to make comments once details are available, please contact Dave du Feu 01506.670165.
FALKIRK COUNCIL STRUCTURE PLAN The Plan covers the Council's entire land-use strategy (including transport) for the next 10 years. We have not seen a full copy, but if you know the area and would like to comment phone the council at 01324.504719 for details. It is unlikely Spokes will have the time to comment as it is a bit beyond our normal area, so if any members who know the area can do so that would be specially useful. The Draft Plan can be seen at Falkirk Libraries or the Municipal Buildings. It is also on sale at £10 for the main document. A summary leaflet is available free from the above phone number. Comments by 31.3.2000.
SWEEPING OF RAILWAY PATHS A few years ago Edinburgh railway paths were regularly swept once weekly. We have a letter of 24.2.1997 confirming this! Following Council re-organisation it became unclear which department was responsible, and from what budget. We are concerned that regular sweeping no longer happens, despite the great capital investment in this transport infrastructure.
Following complaints, the Council has promised a major cleanup - this may have already happened when you read this. But that is not good enough. There must be regular sweeping, as on the road system. This should be at least after each weekend. Please ask your councillor to raise this with Cllr Lazarowicz, Chair of the Transport Committee, seeking assurance that at least weekly sweeping will be re-instated. To get your councillor's name, phone 0131.529.3186.
To
complain about a specific problem
of broken lights, flooding, potholes, etc, phone Clarence 0800
232323 or email clarence@edin-city-dev.demon.co.uk. If it is a major
item of "dumped rubbish or litter eyesore" (such as a
dumped car or smashed TV with glass all over the path) you can also
phone the 'Rapid Response Team' on 0808.100.3366.
BARNTON
AVENUE PATH
The path from Barnton Av to Barnton Av West is a crucial link in the
National Cycle Network, in the section from Edinburgh to the Forth
Bridge, and also has potential as a Safe Route to the Royal High
School. The path is overgrown in the summer, and often rutted due to
poor drainage. Although it is open to the public, the Bruntsfield
Links Golfing Society, who control it, will not allow it to be
upgraded, even though Sustrans and the Council are willing to do the
work.
Sustrans
asks anyone who wants the path upgraded to ask the Society to
demonstrate their commitment to sustainable development by agreeing
to this upgrade. Write
to:
Mr D Sandford, Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society, Barnton Avenue,
Edinburgh EH4 6JH. If you know anyone in the Club, then some
personal lobbying would be especially valuable!
HEAVY
LORRIES
A petition to the European Parliament is being prepared by
organisations all over Europe, requesting them to institute a
per-kilometre charge for heavy goods vehicles. This would encourage
transfer from road to rail, and the use of more local materials.
Already the Swiss population has voted in favour of this in a
national referendum. At present use of heavy lorries is growing
fast, and they have a very disproportionate effect in terms of
cyclist deaths compared to other motor vehicles.
For
more information / petition forms... see
www.alpine-initiative.ch
(section LSVA), or email alpite@rhone.ch, or post ITE, Postfach 29,
CH-3900 BRIG, tel 0041 27 924 22 26.
BIKES ON BUSES LRT (or Lothian Buses plc as it is now called) has agreed to consider the possibility of carrying bikes on longer-distance routes, especially those not near rail lines, such as to Penicuik, Gorebridge, etc. If this is of interest to you, write to Neil Renilson, LRT, 27 Hanover Street.
SPOKES, St. Martin's Church, 232 Dalry Road, Edinburgh EH11 2JG
Tel: 0131 313 2114 (a/phone only) or e-mail to spokes@spokes.org.uk