The Lothian Cycle Campaign

See diary page for more events.

Sep 4-23 StArt the Net Display of entries from Spokes art competition, Wester Hailes Library

Sep 17 Pedal for Scotland mass ride Glasgow-Edinburgh. Details: 01483.417.217.Probably Spokes stall at Meadowbank at end of ride - to help contact Rosemary 553.5819.

Sep 18-22 SAMH Change-Travel Week to persuade more people to use alternatives to the car. Please join in - and volunteer to help in the week [many tasks available] 467.7905. Includes Travel Fair in Festival Square all week. Possible Spokes stall at busier times (eg lunchtime & 4-6pm) - for details & to help phone Mark 229.7190.

Sep 22 European Car-Free Day see www.eta.co.uk or phone 0193.282.8882. At Euro level see http://ecoplan.org/carfreeday. [Note - Edinburgh Council is not participating this year but is planning for a big contribution in 2001. Details: email Cathy.Scott@btinternet.com]. However, the Green Party are organising a Princes Street Pedestrian Parade. Meet East Market Street 12.00 noon; ends approx 1300pm. Non-motorised vehicles such as bikes and prams also welcomed (presumably pushed!). Parade to be led by Robin Harper MSP. More details Philine Gaffron 455.5168.

Sep 24 Amnesty International sponsored ride 15-mile family ride using Sustrans route Edinburgh to Balerno, including picnic at half-way point. 557.2957.

Oct 3 Scottish Walking Strategy Transform Scotland seminar, 7pm, 72 Newhaven Rd. Philine Gaffron [Transport spokesperson, Scottish Green Party]. Space limited - book in advance 467.7714.

Oct 9 Resources for the Future day workshop based on new FOE Scotland Resource Pack on community sustainable development. Voluntary/community rate: £40 for training + pack. Pat Laing, FOE Scotland, 72 Newhaven Rd EH6 5QG or FAX 554.8656. Also repeated Inverness 5 Oct and Aberdeen 27 Oct.

Oct 11 Cabinet Style Local Government, Pros & Cons Talk by Cllr Mark Lazarowicz on the new structure of Edinburgh Council (which includes abolition of the Transportation Committee and a new Transport Scrutiny committee and local area committees). 10.30am, Open Door, 420 Morningside Rd (Morningside Justice & Peace Group). 447.1103.

Oct 14 Spokes Autumn Leaflet Mailout [provisional date]. Usual time/place. Volunteers will be notified in advance as usual, or phone Dave 01506.670165. Please phone in advance if you wish to book a specific delivery area or can deliver but not stuff.

Nov 1 True Costs of Transport TRANSform Scotland seminar, Glasgow, 7pm. Dr Peter Romilly (Abertay University). Space limited - book in advance, 0131.467.7714 Colin.

Nov 13-25 International Climate Governments Meeting The Hague. www.aseed.net/climate/climate.htm. FOE Scotland may co-ordinate volunteers to visit & support the environmental case.

Dec 7 Transport & the Environment TRANSform Scotland seminar, 7pm, 72 Newhaven Rd. Dr Richard Dixon [FOE research officer]. Space limited - book in advance 467.7714.

• The Rail Passengers's Council is setting up a trial interactive project to link passengers to their official watchdog. If you are a frequent or occasional ScotRail or Virgin Cross-Country user, and have Internet access, enquire at rpc@gtnet.gov.uk.
• FOE Scotland is setting up a West Lothian Group. Details 01506.430611. Next meeting 5 Oct, 7.30, Mid Calder Institute.
• A major private housing development is proposed at Cramond Campus, former university site. This could be an opportunity to get the developers to provide safe cycling routes from Cramond to Barton, and to Davidson's Mains, the existing road being far from ideal. This could also provide a Safe Route to the Royal High School. Please write soon in support of these proposals to Margaret Smith MSP [West Edinburgh], Scottish Parliament EH99 1SP, or Margaret.Smith.MSP@scottish.parliament.uk A planning application for the new homes is likely to be submitted soon - details will then be available from the Planning Dept, 1Cockburn Street. You could phone them [529.3596] to find out when it is in, or Mrs Smith has offered to notify anyone interested. It will be very useful if you could also object to the planning application [within 3 weeks of the application date], on the grounds of the big increase in motor traffic, unless full provision is made for cyclist safety on all the affected routes as well as within the huge site itself.
• Car Busters Magazine & Resource Centre [the European car-free movement] seeks recruits to work in Prague for a year or more starting Jan 2001. You need strong English writing/ editing ability, campaign experience, strong transport interest/ knowledge, etc. It is unclear if the job is paid, but if so it is unlikely to be much! Details: carbusters@ecn.cz.

A Spokes member, Derek Campbell, kindly sent us the following 'useful tip for fellow cyclists'. Whether it will result in more crashes inside the tunnel than it may prevent outside we leave for you to judge, but at least it's interesting!! Try it at your own risk!

"When exiting a brightly lit tunnel onto an unlit cycle path at night (eg Duddingston end of Innocent tunnel) your night vision will have been spoilt by the lights. You can minimise the effect of this by closing one eye tightly just before entering the tunnel and keeping it closed until immediately after you exit the lit part. When you open the closed eye its night vision will be much better than if it had been open, and only the eye that was open in the tunnel will need a minute or two adjustment. This only works if you don't peek part way through, and if you have two functioning eyes to begin with".

There is continuing concern from members and other cyclists about maintenance and further development of the off-road path network in Edinburgh and Lothian.

• There is interest in creating a Friends of the Innocent Path group to press for better maintenance and to help look after and develop use of the path.
• Following the lead article in Spokes 76, highlighting the potential and the problems of the North Edinburgh Network, Council Transport Convener Cllr Mark Lazarowicz asked to meet us to cycle along the path. This has now happened, and Cllr Lazarowicz has promised to reply to the points raised in a detailed briefing sheet we prepared for him. If you have thoughts on these matters, write to him at City of Edinburgh Council, City Chambers, EH1 1YJ.

Note: Bold type in the article is our emphasis

The article has been scanned, so please forgive any 'scanos' which I missed

Councils make start on planning for less car-dependent living

Persuading people to cut down on car use is acknowledged to be a major challenge and few participants in this month's green transport week have any illusions that a week's campaigning will have precious little impact on day-to-day behaviour. The event does, however, serve to highlight more fundamental efforts to change the way car travel is built into lifestyles, and a conference to launch the week in Rochester, Medway, heard about solutions such as car-free housing developments, the establishment of car clubs as an alternative to car ownership and the impact of teleworking on car mileage.

The London Borough of Camden is among the local authorities most vigorously encouraging car-free housing, as set out in its 1997 green transport strategy. Senior transport planner Joseph Whelan told the conference that more than 60 car-free housing sites have so far received planning permission from the council. "This will lead to 600 units of car free housing, saving approximately 500 on-site car parking spaces," he predicted.

"The benefits of car-free housing are that car use is reduced within the borough, greater urban residential density is possible at sites than if on-site car parking is provided, and areas suffering overnight parking stress are not further affected," Whelan said.

Under its green transport strategy, no on-street residential permits are issued to those living on car-free developments, unless they are exempt through disability. Car-free residents are also not permitted to use council-owned car parks.

There are currently 32 car-free housing sites in Camden, most of which lie in the areas of intensive public transport provision in the south of the borough. The council's green transport strategy set a target that 25% of new housing south of Euston Road would be car-free.

Among Camden's car-free developments is the Stukeley Street social housing scheme completed last month. The site has 32 units and no on site car parking,

A more recent council initiative is car capped housing, launched last month by Camden, which aims to limit local car use. Residents living in all future developments in the borough will not be eligible for on-street residential parking permits if on-site parking is available. The council believes that this will deter residents from using their cars for short journeys.

Camden was inspired to promote car-free housing after becoming a member of the EU-funded Car Free Cities Network, a group of 70 local authorities across Europe. Impetus came through the government's revision to planning policy guidance note 3 on housing, which calls on local councils to reduce car dependence through better links between housing, jobs, local services and local amenities. It mirrors the advice on PPG13 on transport, with its emphasis on sustainable transport choices and less reliance on the car for work and other journeys.

Another Car Free Cities Network member is Edinburgh, where the first car-free development was completed in April. The 120-flat Slateford Green project, south-west of the city centre, gives space that would normally be used for access roads and car parking to gardens, allotments, play areas and water. Graham Harper, development manager of Canmore Housing Association which manages the project, told the conference: "The main reason is to provide a better environment for those who want it. We are not against the use of private cars. We are merely trying to promote 'responsible' car use. We also want to promote more sustainable transport methods, such as walking, cycling and public transport."

Residents will sign a Section 75 agreement that precludes them from keeping a vehicle on the site, but there will be no legal condition preventing them from owning a car. Access to the site for emergency and delivery vehicles is just a one way system on a single lane track, controlled by barrier with a numeric keypad, and an intercom to the caretaker.

The site is well served by bus services to the north and south, said Harper. A railway line runs to the east of the site, which is used for relief goods, but there are plans to re-open the line as part of a suburban network around Edinburgh, with a new station close to the development, said Harper.

Residents could also take advantage of the city car club, a joint venture between the City of Edinburgh Council and Budget Car Rental. Membership costs £100 a year and cars, situated five minute's walk away, can be hired at 15 minutes notice, said Harper. The club, he said, offered "low mileage rates, without the need to worry about MOTs, insurance, tax and car loans."

There are similar car clubs in Cambridge, Leeds and Leicester. Two others, at Bristol and Coventry, are due to be launched in July by car share company Smart Moves. Managing director Chas Ball told the conference that car clubs were an "essential element" in car-free or low-car housing projects. To be successful, car clubs need to offer a choice of vehicles, a readily available car pool, along with a flexible but simple rates system, he said.

Should car sharing became popular, it would reduce the number of journeys made by car, help make public transport more viable and alleviate parking problems, said Ball. He also pointed out that some motor manufacturers now accept that in future some of the demand for car travel will be met by the provision of a service rather than car ownership.

Ball said car clubs would also pave the way for car users to practice 'travel blending' - changing travel patterns within the household resulting in more efficient car use as a result of the careful examination of the alternatives.

Lisa Buchanan of consultant Steer Davies Gleave outlined the background to the concept. As part of the Living Neighbourhood Project in Australia, selected families kept personalised diaries of their travel patterns. From this the consultant worked out how much time they were spending in their cars and offered advice on how car driver trips could be carried out differently.

Project results showed a 10% fall in car driver times, a rise in bus patronage, a rise in local shop sales and a drop in graffiti in bus shelters, said Buchanan. Travel blending gave families more time for other activities, lower costs and health improvements, she said.

Buchanan said that travel blending in the UK could fit in with neighbourhood-focussed initiatives such as Home Zones, people-friendly residential areas emphasising non-motorised modes. It only requires a small change in travel behaviour for car users to reap the personal benefits, insists Buchanan.

If the public could be convinced into making these adjustments, no matter how minor, then the collective gains could be considerable, advocates claim. Communities, once enhanced by more space, may influence others to change as well, they say, and the effects of quieter streets, cleaner air and a fall in road accidents may trigger the sort of domino effect that the green transport lobby is hoping for.