Additions and Updates to this site www.spokes.org.uk Frames version
 

The Lothian Cycle Campaign

SPOKESWORKER 3rd. March 2003

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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 mailto:spokes@spokes.org.uk Also, you can make sure of getting a paper copy by sending Spokes 10 or so stamped addressed envelopes.   

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 FOR YOUR DIARY

See also the Diary page

Mar 12 Scottish Parliament Cross-Party Cycle Group 7pm, George IV Bridge Committee Rooms Speaker: Cllr Andrew Burns on "Traffic in the City". Meeting open to all. More info.. Brian_Curtis@compuserve.com

Mar 13 SPOKES PUBLIC MEETING - see diary page for more details

Mar 19 Cycling in West Lothian Public meeting by W.Lothian Council and Sustrans, with WLC cycle officer Graeme Malcolm and Sustrans Scotland Manager Tony Grant. Also info about volunteering as a Sustrans Ranger. 7pm Bathgate Community Education Centre, Marjoribanks Street. Free refreshments. More info: Tanya Gedik, Sustrans 0131 624 7665. tanyag@sustrans.org.uk.

Mar 29 Book Sale 11am-4pm for and at the Peace & Justice Resource Centre, St Johns Church, West End. 229.0993.

May 1 Elections - Scottish Parliament and Scottish Councils

May 28 Transport Policy in the Scottish Parliament 2^nd Term conference, Edinburgh. Fee for voluntary groups £85. Details: Joanne Sibbald, Napier Transport Research Unit 455.5116.

Sep 22 European Car-Free Day The government inches slowly towards European practice! Having officially supported car-free day for the first time only recently, they cravenly said events must be at weekends only - unlike the rest of Europe where car-free day is always on 22 September. Now, however, the Department for Transport has agreed the main date for UK events will also be 22 September - though it will still be In Town without my Car day rather than Car-Free! More info: www.itwmc.gov.uk. We are pleased to say Edinburgh Council is planning a two-day event, Sep 21-22, and we believe it will still be called Car-Free.

Summer Biketour to Ecotopia Annual international cycle ride [this year Poland and Ukraine] for anyone interested in the environment, cycling, and community life. Ending at the annual Ecotopia festival. More info... www.thebiketour.net. 7pm

For sale - contact Barbara Cartwright 552.2036

• Ladies Shimano Specialised sport m'tn shoes size 40 red/grey £25
• Rhode shuttle for single bike £20
• Cat Eye Enduro cyclocomputer £10
• Small saddlebag (EBC) £5
• Pertex CD ladies cycling shorts unused £10

Room to let - in famous Slateford Green car-free development. Double room in bright spacious modern flat, with bike storage. Sharing with a Spokes/Sustrans member. £240pcm+bills. Phone 07905 147552 / 443 3543 or email chas.booth@greenvoters.net.

Cycling Comrades Fun Mag Monthly jokes mag, mainly for ages 70+. Sample copy 20p + SAE. Annual sub min £5.50 (any extra donated to Bikes for people with disabilities). Vicky Crossfield, 28 Sunny Mount, Harden, Bingley BD16 1JW. 01535.273794.

The number of foot trips per person per year in Scotland fell from 420 in 1985/6 to just 302 in 1998/00. The Scottish Executive is consulting on A Walking Strategy for Scotland, including a 10% target increase by 2012, and measures like urban and rural roadspace re-allocation. Closing date 16.5.03.

Details: www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations/culture/wsfs.pdf

Please note: Spokes has not yet replied to the consultation. Send us a copy of your submission so we can take it into account.

In Spokes 84 [centre pages] the future of Waverley Station is mentioned briefly. More details are included here.

The Scottish Parliament has debated the future of Waverley [motion S1M-3406, 31 October, cols 14914-14934], thanks to a motion by Sarah Boyack, Edinburgh Central MSP. There is little doubt the next few years will see massive change, to allow more platforms, more through-trains and more commercial development. But of all the MSPs who spoke, only Sarah Boyack mentioned the need for good cycle access: "the proposals have to provide better interchange facilities and links with buses, taxis, bike routes and pedestrian routes" - she even raised similar issues for Haymarket.

Waverley redevelopment has been talked of for years, and Spokes has repeatedly pressed for cycle access to and through the station from the Innocent path, Princes Street and Leith Walk, as well as on-site facilities for parking, bike hire, etc - which could now be associated with the Bike Station. One result of Spokes lobbying is that Central Edinburgh Local Plan promises to "pursue improvement of pedestrian and cycle linkages through the site" and even shows some possible routes (fig 9.2). However, Spokes experience shows that even if something is in the Local Plan it may well not happen unless people keep asking!

Please send in your ideas now. We aren't sure who is currently in charge of the plans, so write to Sarah Boyack MSP, Scottish Parliament EH99 1SP, asking her to ensure all relevant agencies take your points into account. Copy your letter to Spokes.

In addition, the Cockburn Association [Edinburgh Civic Trust] and TRANSform Scotland [Scottish Campaign for Sustainable Transport] are preparing a paper on Waverley's future. So please copy your comments to them too...

• campaigns@transformscotland.org.uk 467.7714
• Cockburn.Association@btinternet.com 557.8686

Footnote: NATIONAL RAILCARD CAMPAIGN

Transport 2000 is fighting for a national railcard, as in several European countries, giving discounts on all rail fares, plus other benefits. This encourages regular rail use for all journey types. If you might buy such a card, please complete the mock application form to be used in T2000's campaign. Spokes is enclosing these to any members we happen to be writing to. Or, request one [send S.A.E]. Campaign info: mickd@transport2000.org.uk 020.7613.0743

• Volunteer Needed!!! at Spokes office each week or two for an hour or two of paperwork. Since we are all voluntary, and the office is unstaffed, ideally you would also attend Resources Group evening meetings, to keep in touch - these are roughly every 3 weeks (normally Thurs evening) - but if you couldn't do that please get in touch anyway in case we're desperate! You would also occasionally need to keep in contact by phone with the Spokes map organisers and other relevant people. Hayley of Resources Group has been doing the job, but is expecting her second child so needs someone to take over. If you can help contact Dave 01506.670165 Dave.duFeu@ed.ac.uk
• Spokes Midlothian organiser Gerry Lawson is leaving the area. Gerry has greatly raised the profile of cycle issues at the Council, partly through meetings once every 6-12 months for members and other local cyclists with council officials. The next meeting is due fairly soon. Two current major issues are the promised 'Green Access Plan' for the massive new schools complex outside Dalkeith, and cycle routes in and to the S.E. Wedge development (the new Infirmary is just the beginning). Member Tony Galloway is doing some of these volunteer jobs, but needs someone to work with him. tgalloway@talk21.com.

May 1^st sees elections to the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) and to all Scottish Councils. Here are some snippets to follow up before 1 May! [also come to our Mar 13 election forum]...

• See Spokes 84 p1 for an article on the Holyrood elections, whether the government has lived up to manifesto promises, and what you should be asking election candidates.
• LINK, a network of some 30 Scottish environmental bodies, intends to bring environmental issues to the fore during the election, through a campaign called everyone. See below.
• Comment by outspoken Labour MSP John McAllion in a Parliamentary debate on modernising government [23.2.00]. "There are people who believe environmental sustainability is more important than economic growth and yet their voices are not heard in the mainstream parties. Those voices should be heard! In a genuine democracy those parties should be elected to the Parliament. If that makes me a moderniser, so be it!"
• SERA is the environmental pressure group within the Labour Party, currently trying to green the Labour election manifesto. The following extract from their Scottish Transport working group report [Nov 2002] shows there's a long way to go! - but it's good to see there are people fighting for improvement. Contact: Ralph Barker, email transport@serascot.org.uk.

  "... Contrary to Labour Party policy the Scottish Executive is embarking on the biggest motorway programme Scotland has seen! There appears to be no environmental or commercial justification and the result will be increased road traffic with consequent increased pollution, accidents, social exclusion...

  Spending by the Scottish Executive has to meet sustainable development targets. One of the main transport targets is that road traffic (vehicle kilometres) will be stabilised at year 2000 levels by 2020. Yet there appears to be no strategy to achieve this, or to set up intermediate targets for 2006 and 2102.

  Two topics have major priority in the Working Group: Bus Contracts and Walking & Cycling ... (The latter) seems to have been relegated from transport to recreation, and the cycle unit in the Scottish Executive disbanded. You know how it works. A cycle track is opened in the Trossachs so that people can put bikes on the back of cars, drive to Callander and have a day's ride. Good fun undoubtedly, but it's not sustainable transport!"

  Footnote: UK SERA is lobbying for a £22billion shift from road-building to walk, cycle, bus, local rail. www.serauk.org.uk

• The end of the Public Transport Fund, with no successor scheme yet announced to ensure an equivalent level of cycle project funding is the biggest uncertainty and potential disaster hanging over cycle projects in Scotland [Spokes 84; Spokesworker 20.02.03]. New research shows that cycle, pedestrian and small public transport schemes are often very cost-effective [CPRE, Spring 2003 020.7981.2800]. And these costs are utterly trivial compared to the hundreds of millions of pounds which the Scottish Executive is lavishing on big projects which have not even been subjected to proper value-for-money assessments [e.g. the M74 and Aberdeen Peripheral Road] or which come out with a highly negative result [Glasgow airport rail link]. The accusation that Minister Iain Gray is obsessed by 'big-projectitis' [Spokes 84] could not be more clearly demonstrated! An article by Mr Gray on Scottish Transport Policy in Local Transport Today [20.2.03] continues the theme, with absolutely no mention of walking or cycling, and a crazy optimism that road traffic can be reduced back to 2001 levels by 2021 solely through big public transport - and big road - projects!!! Labour Parliamentary candidates must be challenged on this at every opportunity - and on past experience the other main Scottish parties are just as guilty if not even more so!

At the May 2003 election we want all political parties and potential MSPs to commit to the environment. Politicians are not taking the environment seriously as a central political concern - good words but too little action. The state of the nation's health, quality of life and economy depend on a healthy environment.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

You, the voter, are the most important person in the minds of politicians right now - and you can help by speaking out and then casting a well-informed vote. Tell candidates the environment is important to you and ask if they care. If so, what specifically will they commit to doing? ACT NOW. Contact politicians by letter or email, or on the doorstep. Ask their views on general and specific environmental issues. Write to your local paper. If you don't have contact details, our local papers listing is coming soon.

We have created a set of six basic steps politicians can take to improve the environment; drawn from our 'Manifesto for a sustainable Scotland'. They are not outrageous or unrealistic - just straightforward steps that could make a difference to everyone's lives: clean air, healthy seas, safe food, less landfill, protection for wildlife and wild places, reduction in climate changing gases. [Ed: Here we only reprint details of Clean Air]..

Act Now: Reduce road traffic levels 10% by 2010. Tackle air pollution and climate change by redirecting at least two thirds of the £900 million planned for road-building in Scotland to public transport, walking and cycling.

Why? Air pollution, mainly from vehicle exhausts, kills more people in Scotland than die in road accidents. Estimates put the number of deaths a year from air pollution at 2000 - five times more than on our roads. Traffic divides communities and degrades the environment, in rural as well as urban areas. Less traffic means fewer air pollution deaths, less congestion, less climate change, less social exclusion and less wildlife kill.

Advert: A hard hitting advert was created by the Leith agency. [The advert is also on a postcard, which we are enclosing in all letters sent to Spokes members before 1^st May].

MEDIA RELEASE - SCOTTISH POLITICAL PARTIES GIVEN WAKE-UP CALL ON THE ENVIRONMENT
Everyone - Scotland's environment groups campaigning together (500,000 supporters, 25 organisations, ONE voice)51% say environmental issues are likely to affect how they vote The environment will be a decisive issue for over half of voters at May's Scottish elections, according to a new opinion poll [26.2.03]. The NFO System Three findings were unveiled at the launch of a joint campaign by Scotland's environmental organisations under the banner everyone. The poll reveals that 86% of Scots voters consider the environment an important political issue (Labour: 88% Lib Dem: 89% SNP: 88% Conservative: 79% Others: 88%). 51% said the way political parties commit to tackling environmental problems was likely to affect how they vote. Only a quarter rate the Scottish Parliament's performance on the environment as good in the first four years - 2% very good.

The 'everyone' campaign is an initiative from LINK, the umbrella body for Scotland's environmental organisations. Some 25 organisations - nearly half a million supporters - are combining for the first time ever to push the environment up the political agenda in the run up to the May 1st Scottish elections.

The groups unveiled a series of key election demands which would also benefit Scotland's health and economy. Speaking on behalf of 'everyone', WWF Scotland's Simon Pepper said: "The campaign is encouraging voters to send a clear message to candidates of all parties - we care about the environment, what are you are going to do? The value of the environment to the economy, the health of the nation and the quality of all our lives has been neglected for far too long. Politicians are saying the right words and not matching them with specific actions."

NOTES TO EDITORS:

The everyone campaign "Manifesto for a Sustainable Scotland" promotes six 'key tests' of political commitment to the environment: [see above]. The full text and background briefings on the six demands are available on request or at www.everyonecan.org.

More information: FoE Scotland: Lang Banks 0131 554 9977. WWF Scotland: George Baxter 01887 820449 or (mobile) 07771 818677

• The campaign is providing user-friendly information packs and a campaign website: www.everyonecan.org of briefing material and how to contact candidates in all constituencies in Scotland.
• Campaign postcards and an e-mail advert will be circulated widely to encourage people to get involved.
• LINK groups are organising election hustings across Scotland.