FOR YOUR
DIARY [items after Spokes 74 printed]
Nov 2 CRAG [Capital Rail
Action Group] Speaker: Neil Renilson, new chief executive of LRT.
7.30, City Chambers. 449.5003.
Nov 4 Traffic-generating developments
- retail planning policy Transform Scotland seminar. 7pm. 467.7714
Colin Howden.
Nov 4 SRPS [Scottish Railway
Preservation Soc] meeting. Speaker: Jane Liston, St Andrews Rail
Link campaign, STARLINK. 7.45, Friends Meeting House, Victoria Terrace.
334.5232.
Nov 5 CRAG manifesto launch
by Robin Harper MSP. 10am, Scottish Parliament. 449.5003, John Webster,
to book a space.
Nov 6 SAPT [Scottish Ass
for Public Transport] Members' meeting. Stirling, 10.30 to 12.30.
Topics - transport priorities post 2000; and Womens' Public Transport
Issues [speaker Donna Heaney, Scottish Consumer Council]. Details:
01505.502164.
Nov 8 Conference - Moving Scotland
into the New Millennium Glasgow. Speakers incl. Sarah Boyack,
Transport/ Environment Minister. Also David Begg, Richard Dixon [FOE],
Cllr Mark Lazarowicz. Conference Fee £70.50 or £141. 0131.477.8219.
Nov 27 RDS [Railway Development
Society] autumn meeting. Speaker: Alastair McPherson, ScotRail Director.
Edinburgh City Chambers, Liberal Democrat Room, 2pm. Good opportunity
to raise and discuss bike/rail improvements/problems. More info
by email from davidh@spidacom.co.uk.
Dec 2 Cutting Traffic & Reclaiming
Streets Transform Scotland seminar. 7pm. Limited spaces 467.7714 Colin
Howden.
Dec 7 CRAG [Capital Rail Action Group]
Speaker: Cllr Mark Lazarowicz. 7.30 [tea/biscuits 7pm], City Chambers.
449.5003.
Nov 20, Dec 4, Jan 8, Feb 12, Mar 25, Apr
15 Railway Ramblers - walks on disused rail lines Various parts of Scotland,
most with rail connections from Waverley. Note, these are walks, not cycles.
01506.842897 Arthur Homan-Elsy.
April 29/30 Sustrans National Learn to
Cycle weekend. If interested in helping, contact Andy Dunn 01505 614302.
See also new leaflet Spokes 74 page 3 for local proposed Edinburgh Cycle
Training group - they may get involved in this weekend.
SPOKES NEWS ITEMS
SPOKES MAPS
We have set up a new group called Spokes
(Maps) to promote our work on cycle maps, and to make it easier to apply
for funding for map projects. Any ordinary Spokes members interested in
joining, please phone Peter Hawkins 453.3366. You will need to pay an extra
donation separate from your ordinary annual Spokes donation, but you will
qualify for reduced prices on maps produced by Spokes.
VOLUNTEERS TO BE INTERVIEWED/ PROVIDE INFO
Spokes sometimes gets enquiries from students
and others doing projects on cycling, or wanting info about cycling, Spokes,
and related matters. Often they wish to speak to someone over the phone,
or interview somebody. We keep a list of members willing to handle such
enquiries, and be interviewed etc. If you have been a spokes member for
some time and have a general interest in the area, we need you on our list
- currently there are only two people on the list, as several have left.
We are unlikely to call on you more than 2 or 3 times a year.
VISITING THE SPOKES OFFICE
Spokes is all voluntary, but volunteer
George Anderson is often in the office on Friday mornings, should you wish
to go along to look at maps or for any other reason. Please phone George
in advance to check when he is there. 229.0954.
CAMPAIGNING NEWS
EDIN COUNCIL - LOCAL TRANSPORT STRATEGY
As mentioned in Spokes 74, Councils are
consulting on their Local Transport Strategies. We understand Edinburgh
is to circulate a summary document with the Herald and Post in the last
week of October. It will also be on www.edinburgh.gov.uk or by phone from
0131.226.5035. [We haven't yet seen it]. The document apparently includes
various options for road-user charging, and depending on which is chosen,
that determines the amount of money available for improvements for cycling,
public transport, etc. Please do read the document and send in your comments
[send us a copy if possible]. Also write to the newspapers, attend public
meetings, etc. The strategy will form Edinburgh's transport policy for
several years to come.
NEWHAILES ESTATE
Newhailes Estate (south of the Brunstane
Burn) is to be restored by the National Trust for Scotland. There has been
informal access to the estate from the north for years, but one option
is for this to be closed off with a stone wall. A path access, however,
would serve users from much of the city, coming from the Innocent. If you
would like to write in support, please contact Peter Hawkins for further
details of the issues 453.3366. Letters go to Charles Strang, National
Trust for Scotland, Newhailes Project, 5 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh EH2
0DF.
SCIENNES PRIMARY AWARD
The school has won this year's National
CTC Cycling Award for the category best complementary/promotional activity.
The school's Safe Routes project has featured in several issues of Spokes
and is linked to from our web site.
The decision was unanimous and the judges
were "highly impressed with the enthusiasm and energy invested in developing
a valuable package of activities to encourage active, sustainable and healthy
travel to school". Whilst the award will be presented at a national conference
in Salisbury on 6 Nov, a later event will also be held at the school -
details later from Cathy Scott 667.6740
Cathy and the other school project leaders
send a big THANK YOU to the many people, including spokes members, who
helped Sciennes through cycle training, helping in classroom safe routes
projects, donating bikes, accompanying rides, and so on. There are now
increasing numbers walking & cycling to school, and more bike racks
are on order as the current ones are often overflowing!
The Sciennes SRS group hopes the council
will now do more to make the roads in the catchment area safer - and to
achieve the group's proposal to extend the playground across Sciennes Road,
leaving only a path for walkers and cyclists. If you can help in this lobbying
or in any other way, please contact Cathy.