FOR
YOUR DIARY
Spokes Sunday Rides First
Sunday each month. Details from Mark 0131.229.7190.
Spokes Cycling Weekends using
BikeBus. Details/programme Harry 0131.229.6274.
Sep 3
Clackmannanshire Cycleroute Network official opening Meet 2.45pm
at Devondale Hall, Moss Road, Tillicoultry, opposite Sterling Mills retail
village. Then short walk to the 3pm opening point at the new Devon Way
path bridge over River Devon. After the opening, a 30-45minute cycle via
Gartmore Dam along part of the new network,. Many Clackmannanshire schoolchildren
expected on the inaugural ride. A map of the network has recently been
published by Harvey's [01786.841202]. A free copy of the map will be given
to everyone attending, subject to a maximum, so get there early! Further
details: Neil Deasley/Derek Halden 01259.452193.
Sep 3 Education in Sustainable
Development - conference Moray House, Edinburgh. £55. 01786.467867.
Sep 5 Sponsored ride Off-road
9 or 23 miles, Aberfoyle, for Barnardo's. 0131.334.9893.
Sep 12 Sponsored cycle challenge
12, 32, 60 or 100 miles, starting Galashiels. For Action Research. 0131.446.9212.
Sep 23 Road Pricing & Transport
Policy - conference at Edinburgh Council, 10-4pm. email dkw@ptiultd.globalnet.co.uk
for details - sorry we don't have the phone contact or the cost.
Sep 24 Scottish Parliament -
the Consequences - conference Dundee, 9.30-16.30. £25. 01307.818456.
Sep 26 Sponsored ride Glasgow
'Active for SAMH' 0131.467.7905.
Nov 26 The Environment in Politics
- conference 9.30-1615, City Chambers, Edinburgh. Cost unknown. Organised
by Scottish Environment LINK, 01738.630804.
2000, June 19-25 Ride the Net
2000 Sustrans Millennium network openings all over UK. Scottish contact
Andy Dunn 01505.614302 amdunn@compuserve.com. Spokes contact Mark Symonds
0131.229.7190. For an occasional Ride the Net Bulletin [email or fax only]
contact Andy Dunn.
2001, Sep 10-14 Velo-City International
Cycle Conference to be held in Edinburgh & Glasgow (2 days each,
with mass ride between them on a day in between). 500+ delegates expected.
Edinburgh/Glasgow recently won the right to hold the conference, in the
face of strong competition from elsewhere. Ideas/help in preparing the
Spokes contribution to the conference to Ian Maxwell 0131.669.6542, including
possible fund-raising to assist 3rd world delegates come to
the conference.
HELP NEEDED
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'Save Our Railways' needs people to
write to the government over the continuing threat to rural railways. For
details of their campaign, and how to write, tel 0171.924.7555.
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The Scottish Cathedrals Cycle Challenge
is a June 2000 ride linking the cathedrals of Scotland to publicise and
raise funds for a project on religious communication in the world of new
technology. Details: pmayland@cairn-energy.plc.uk
01506.825803
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The Road Traffic Reduction Campaign
needs your help in getting a government national target. 0171.566.1723.
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JAM74 campaign to counter the continuing
pressure from Glasgow Council and local business for an M74 northern extension.
Details: JAM74, POBox 3751, Glasgow G42 8WR
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Are you a scientist with a social/environmental
conscience? Join Scientists for Global Responsibility sgr@gn.apc.org
SUSTRANS NATIONAL NETWORK
At the June Scottish Cycle Forum, Sustrans
expressed fears that Scottish sections of the national network would not
be complete in final form in year 2000, due to 3 main problem areas - funding,
access and standards. On funding, Scottish councils and other
bodies are still £2m short of coming up with enough money to match
the sums on offer from the Lottery fund to complete the network. These
Lottery funds, only on offer till 2000, cannot be paid unless equal matching
funds are raised from other sources.
Sustrans also found some councils unwilling
to stand up to landowners where new access arrangements were essential
to provide a safe route. Some councils were proposing routes far below
the standard of surfacing or safety specified for the National Network.
Various council officials then gave examples
of problems in their own areas, most of these involving the need for a
safe alternative to a trunk road for part of the National Network - for
example at Glen Ogle (A82) in Stirling Council area and Creetown
(A75) in Dumfries & Galloway. In such cases the Scottish Office, who
are responsible for trunk roads, are unwilling to contribute to providing
the alternatives. [They are doing so where the path runs immediately adjacent
to the road, such as Drumochter (A9)].
These problems are entirely predictable,
as governments for years have taken the view that the National Cycleroute
Network should be co-ordinated by a charity with no legal powers or national
funding, and should be entirely dependent on the goodwill of a multitude
of local councils, landowners, and so on.
Ever since the mid-1980s Spokes has called for a national cycle 'trunk'
network for which the government would have ultimate responsibility - as
they do for trunk roads. Whilst they would probably ask Sustrans to do
most of the work, the authority and funding to overcome problems of access,
standards, etc would be thus guaranteed from the top.
If you are concerned about National
Network completion by 2000, please write to your MSP. Say you have
heard there may be delays to stretches avoiding trunk roads such as the
A82 and A75, and asking for an assurance that the Parliament will ensure
that the entire network within Scotland is open to a safe standard by the
target date of June 2000. Explain why this is important to you.
If you wish, also ask why the government, which does accept responsibility
for the trunk road network, is leaving responsibility for the National
Cycle Network entirely to a charity. Ask your MSP to raise your points
with the Minister. Copy us your letter and the reply.
To find the name of your MSP phone
the CAB 0131.557.1500, or see Spokesworker 7.7.1999.
EDINBURGH TO FORTH BRIDGE
Spokes is concerned over several aspects
of this route, part of the Sustrans National Network. Our concerns include....
-
the quality of the 'golf courses' path
at Barnton, between Barnton Avenue and Barnton Avenue West. This path,
which is also a useful Safe Routes to School path for
the Royal
High, needs a higher quality surface and lighting.
-
The uphill 'pavement route' to Burnshot
flyover, where the road is one-way downhill only. Apart from the narrowness,
vegetation has been allowed to encroach wholly across the path, making
cycling very difficult.
-
The Council's plans for a new path from
Burnshot north to the B924 are so poor that Sustrans has lodged an
official objection. We gave details in Spokesworker
31.5.1999, but without repeating that it would help if you point out
the importance of this route and need for a high quality facility.
Please write about the above 3 matters
to: Matthew Simpson, Cycle Officer, Edinburgh Council, 1 Cockburn
St, EH1 1BL. But please don't be entirely negative -for example, you could
end or start by saying how pleased you are that the council is committed
to a safe route from the City to the Forth Bridge, and explaining why this
is important and should be of high quality all the way.