Welcome to the online home of Spokes, the Lothian Cycle Campaign… Continue reading Welcome To Spokes
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Our regular May traffic count, at Lothian Road and Forrest Road, found bikes up everywhere: northbound and southbound, morning rush hour and lunchtime. With car numbers fairly static compared to last year, bikes rose to 19.2% of all vehicles in the morning and 12.3% at lunchtime, our highest post-pandemic figures. At Forrest Road, morning bikes formed 31% of all northbound vehicles, almost one in three. Parallel counts by Spokes Porty members found the highest ever number of bikes during both time periods, whilst analysis of automatic counter data by Edward Tissiman (below) has found substantial 2026 bike use growth on Leith Walk. Interestingly, car single-occupancy in our central area count fell to its lowest ever level, although that was not the case at Portobello. Continue reading Spokes traffic count May 2026: Bikes up everywhere!The Holyrood election on 7 May is critical to active travel and wider transport policies and budgets for the next 5 years. Is there a local project being planned that you’re looking forward to? – in Edinburgh, say Meadows to George Street, or Portobello to Musselburgh? When and if such projects will happen depends largely on the existence and size of the Scottish Government active travel budget. Sadly and shockingly, in view of the climate crisis, the cost of living crisis, and the need for healthier lifestyles to help the NHS crisis this year’s manifestos mark a massive deterioration in active travel policies as compared to the 2021 election – or even 2016. Post-election: Great article from Transform Scotland, summarsing the election outcome for all aspects of transport – generally pretty negative – and how things can hopefully be improved Continue reading #Holyrood2026 : Travelling BackwardsOur 2026 printed Bulletin – all 10,000 copies – is here! With most communication now electronic, there’s still great value in an occasional printed Bulletin which can be picked up in bike shops, libraries, etc. The novelty of a print Bulletin also adds to its impact, for example on politicians – all Edinburgh and Lothians councillors, MSPs and MPs get copies. Continue reading Spokes Bulletin #140, year 2026Our March 16 Spokes/CUK hustings whilst polite and friendly throughout, revealed some clear policy differences, particularly on how, if at all, to tackle car numbers in the city. Perhaps not surprisingly, there was more agreement on the multi-faceted value of cycling as a means of getting around, whilst the issue of illegally ridden modified e-bikes featured prominently in questions. Continue reading SpokesMtg: #Holyrood2026 Hustings – ReportUnder recent legislation, local communities (either geographic or based on a common local interest) can produce a ‘Local Place Plan‘ (LPP) which the Council must then take into account in preparing its development plan for the whole local authority. Many communities in the Lothians have already produced LPPs, and several in Edinburgh are now doing so. You have an opportunity to put in comments – or, through a community group, to initiate a new LPP. Continue reading Local Place Plans: have your say!Spokes has published a new booklet of Favourite Rides. The rides are based on entries from our 2025 Favourite Rides competition. They feature not just the wonderful rides themselves, but also brief bios and explanations from the contributors, adding greatly to the appeal of the booklet. Continue reading Favourite Bike Rides (edn 3) – here!!Spokes and Cycling UK are holding a joint election hustings, on Monday 16 March, for the 2026 Scottish Parliament election, to hear from Holyrood candidates on cycling and related policies. Rather than the usual hustings approach, which can be rather boring, our meeting will comprise several sections, with speakers undertaking Initiation, Interrogation, Combination, Clarification and Education, as in the agenda below. Continue reading Spokes/CUK Election Hustings #Holyrood2026
Spokes has therefore written to Transport and Environment convener Cllr Stephen Jenkinson suggesting various options which would provide wider footways and safe and attractive cycling conditions in both these world-renowned streets. For George Street, low cost interim options are suggested if funding for the full scheme is not likely for the forseeable future. Continue reading Princes Street & George Street – the futureThe ‘Level 4 spreadsheet’ accompanying the Scottish Government’s draft budget shows Support for Active and Sustainable Travel rising by an incredible 66.3%, from £135.8m in 25/26 to £226m in 26/27. This has been widely commended. However, when the smoke and mirrors are removed, it seems likely that total funding for active travel will actually fall slightly in cash terms, and, as a % of total transport, from 4.3% in 25/26 to less than 4% in 26/27. Continue reading ScotGov draft budget 26/27: Active Travel obfuscationWill 2026 see Edinburgh City‘s new ‘Primary Cycle Network’ definition start to turn from policy into reality? And what of the City’s hugely ambitious 30% by 2030 traffic-reduction aims? What other decisions or actions may we see in the coming year? Continue reading 2025–>2026 : What for Edinburgh Cycling Policy & Action? |
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