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SPOKESWORKER 20th. March 2000


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.   



THREAT TO ROSEBURN - GRANTON CYCLEROUTE

A major long-term threat to the hugely important Roseburn-Granton cycleroute has emerged. How serious this is we do not yet know, but action now by members like you can help secure the position for the future.

Two major consultations on the City's Forth Waterfront area are underway. Both refer to future use of the Roseburn-Granton path for bus or tram and make no mention at all of cycling. With the massive proposed Waterfront developments, Spokes fully agrees that major public transport connection to the City is essential. However, it is also vital that continued high quality provision for cycling and walking remains.

As far as we know Edinburgh is the only major city in Britain with an off-road network stretching from one side of the city to the other without a single at-grade road crossing. Recently, too, as illustrated in Spokes 75, the Council has installed a new cycle bridge at Ferry Road to maintain the quality of the network.

When former Lothian Regional Council proposed a metro on the east-west section of the north Edinburgh disused railway some 10 years ago they put a lot of effort into ensuring that the plans would incorporate a continued cycleroute beside the metro - even though at one point this would have meant a path cantilevered out from the Water of Leith bridge near Warriston. Spokes supported those metro plans. But now, 10 years later, with the North Edinburgh Cycleroute Network fully established and well used, and even stronger Council policies on cycling, we find proposals to install a public transport system without even mentioning the existing cycle use, let alone considering what should be done to ensure that an equally good facility remains!!!

This is just not good enough. It is critical that the Council promises now that any future public transport system will ensure a continuing high-quality cycle/pedestrian cycleroute. We must get this promise now, before the plans become any more concrete, and before finance is allocated.

Spokes has already written to Cllr Mark Lazarowicz, Transport Convener, expressing our surprise and disappointment. Our letter is printed on the back of this Spokesworker. It is also vital for individual members like you to put pen to paper to support the North Edinburgh Cycleroute Network.

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW [by 31 March if poss]

If you wish to comment on other aspects of the Master Plan, you can see it at 1 Cockburn Street, but even if you don't have time to see it, please do write about the threat to the path.

Important note: In general we are very pleased with the Plan as regards proposals within the development itself. A few places where it might be tightened even further...

5.1 A principle should be to reduce the need for journeys longer than easy cycling or walking distance.

5.6 No mention is made of car-free housing developments.

5.6 The scheme proposes higher car-parking provision at the outset, before much public transport is in place. This could be a trojan horse which would be hard to reduce in future.

As far as we know this document has not yet been put on public display, though the Council had decided that it would be consulted on at the same time as the above Master Plan, which officially ends on 31 March! If you want to see the document, ask Mr Holmes to send you a copy or to tell you how you can inspect one, and to allow you time to comment further.

Other things...

RIDE-THE-NET (REMOTELY) (& BROMPTONEERS)

As explained in Spokes 75, the official opening of the UK Sustrans network includes 'The Longest Ride' on 21 June when every bit of the 10,000-mile present and future network is to be ridden. There will be TV coverage, celebrities, civic receptions, etc, and you will be a part of history!! Tony Blair is expected at the Birmingham send-off and Donald Dewar and Sarah Boyack in Edinburgh. Book your place now - spaces may be limited on many rides! Details at www.ridethenet.co.uk or 0117.915.0107

It is expected there may be difficulty getting enough volunteers to form ride-parties in remote parts of Scotland. If you can help in such an area (north-west, north, etc), contact Andy Dunn 01505 614302 amdunn@csi.com. If you could spare the time but you have no solution to getting there/back, Andy might be able to help (but not with expenses I presume).

Secondly, on Edinburgh-Bathgate leg there will be at least 3 people on Bromptons. Any other Bromptoneers who'd like to join that ride, please quote ride number 52B, Edinburgh-Bathgate, when booking. There are rumours of a civic reception at Bathgate.

SPEED KILLS

Spokes has bought a supply of an excellent new report Speed Kills, from the Slower Speeds Initiative. This is full of facts, many of them very shocking, case-studies, and proposals for the future. We strongly recommend it. If you could use a copy, for example in marshalling facts for letters to newspapers or your MSP, send us an A4 SAE stamped with 31pence and we will send you a copy free.

PLANE CRAZY

Friends of the Earth is campaigning on the huge environmental impacts (particularly CO2 emissions) of the very rapid growth in flying. Send for a copy of Plane Crazy - Airport Growth in the UK to FOE, 26 Underwood St, London N1 7JQ 0171 490 1555.

REITH LECTURES

Every year the BBC puts on a prestigious series of lectures with the above title. This year's theme is Sustainable Development. The actual lectures begin on Radio 4 on April 12, but there is already a website debate devoted to this year's theme at news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/events/reith_2000

YEAR 2001

Planning for 2 big cycling events in 2001 is already underway!



FOR YOUR DIARY

See diary page for more events.

Mar 28 Midlothian member meeting To discuss Dalkeith traffic proposals & Midlothian Local Plan. See Consultations below.  7.30pm at Tony Galloway, 42 Mitchell Street, Dalkeith

Apr 10 Rural Transport in Scotland conference, Perth. £95. Speakers include Minister Sarah Boyack MSP, Liberal Transport Spokesperson Tavish Scott MSP and Prof David Begg. Details: 01224.263.138 or c.fitzpatrick@rgu.ac.uk

Apr 30 SAMH Edinburgh Cycle Ride Free, to encourage more physical activity, but sponsorship for SAMH welcomed. Choice of 6, 15 or 37 miles. Certificates, free refreshments. Bill Brockie (see below) says 'Amazing!' Entry form needed. 0131.467.7905

May 6 Campaign for Borders Rail AGM. Phone 01450 375787 for membership details.

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 Minister at St Martins Church, where Spokes rents office space, and has been a good friend of Spokes for many years He invites everyone who knows him to this event to mark his retirement, at a local Brewery! Note - this invitation is only for people who know Bill. More details from Bill 337.5493.

June 17-25 Millennium Bike Week See diary page for more details

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.

Aug 13-20 Hebridean Cycle Sponsored for 'The Piping Centre' to raise funds to teach bagpiping. 0141.341.0627.

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. Also forms part of UK and European Car-Free Day 020 7613 0743.

 
 
CONSULTATIONS Go back to top of page


SPOKES LETTER TO CLLR LAZAROWICZ          14 March 2000

Cllr Mark Lazarowicz
Transportation Convener
City Chambers
High Street
EDINBURGH EH1
 
Dear Cllr Lazarowicz

NORTH EDINBURGH WATERFRONT CONSULTATION(S)
 
We are writing about two important issues relating to the current Waterfront consultation(s).

First, and a point on which our membership has extremely strong feelings, is the future of the North Edinburgh Cycleroute. We are most concerned that the report Draft Public Transport Strategy for North Edinburgh, to the Transportation Committee of 14.2.2000, proposes to use the existing disused rail corridor from Roseburn to Crewe Toll for either bus, guided-bus or LRT, whilst making no reference whatsoever to its existing use as a critical element of the North Edinburgh Cycle Network. The report in fact makes no reference to cycling at all, except where it repeats the Council's ambitious targets to increase cycle use!

Furthermore, the draft Masterplan for Granton Waterfront, now being consulted on, states "Until a time when this type of public transport can be provided, routes south of Ferry Road will continue to function as footpaths and cycle routes." This seems to imply that cycleroutes will be removed once the public transport systems are implemented. This critical issue is taken for granted, and not even stated explicitly, let alone discussed!

We recall that Spokes was very supportive of the Lothian Regional Council east-west Metro proposals some years ago, which went to considerable lengths to ensure a continuing high quality cycleroute alongside the metro; and we are very disappointed that the issue of the cycle facility is not even referred to in either of the reports for the current City council!

We have written on this matter to Steven Fraser, whose name is on the Transport Committee report, but in view of its huge significance for our members are also drawing it to your attention.

Secondly, we are rather puzzled over the consultation arrangements for such massive proposals, particularly the Draft Public Transport Strategy, which takes in the whole of North Edinburgh waterfront from Granton to Leith if not beyond. The above Committee report on the Public Transport Strategy recommends a consultation in parallel with the current Waterfront Granton consultation, i.e. presumably Feb 21 - March 31. However the letter consulting Spokes on Waterfront Granton (and incidentally only sent on March 6) made no mention of the Draft Public Transport Strategy. Also, when one of our members called at 1 Cockburn Street they were surprised to find nothing on display about either consultation. On asking at the desk, the Waterfront Granton report was pulled out from under the desk, but there was no mention of a parallel North Edinburgh Transport consultation.

Yours Sincerely,
Dave du Feu for Spokes


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