Our 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 2026
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Our 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. [Nerdy update May 2026: In (5) below we predicted that, in order to balance a promised (small) rise in ATIF funding, there will have to be equal or greater cuts elsewhere in active travel funding. This has now happened. The ‘resource funding’ element of the People & Place scheme has been cut by 60% from £7.9m in 25/26 to just £3.2m for 26/27. This is cash which is used by Regional Transport Authorities such as, in our local area, SEStran, for projects to promote bike use.] 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?In the last ten years there have been three separate pedestrian-injury crashes reported in Rose Street, with seven persons injured in total, several seriously, all due to drivers of motor vehicles. There have been even more pedestrian injuries at the intersections of Rose Street with north-south streets such as Hanover Street. Meanwhile, despite east to west cycling having been legal for many years, there were no Rose Street pedestrian injuries involving cyclists. Yet members of the Council’s notorious TRO Subcommittee decided (on a casting vote) that the comprehensive safety audit already undertaken to allow two-way cycle use was insufficient to pass the necessary Order without “further investigation.” Continue reading The Dangers of Rose StreetSpokes Planning Group has put considerable time and effort into preparing a thorough and thoughtful 15-page response to the tram consultation. We have received several plaudits, such as “fantastically detailed and comprehensive” from Edi.Bike. In summary, Spokes supports the tram in principle, but our response has identified some serious issues over cyclist safety, as well as one new major opportunity. We urge the Council to take our comments very seriously in the detailed design, should the Transport Committee decide next year to move to that stage. Continue reading Tram Granton to Bioquarter: Spokes response |
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