http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Politicians coming to PoP en Mon, 18 May 2026 19:29:58 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602&page=2#post-150772 Mon, 28 Apr 2014 13:47:22 +0000 fimm 150772@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>From my <a href="http://wisob.wordpress.com/2014/04/28/on-pedal-on-parliament-2014/">blog post</a>:<br /> "<em>I started off with my question about will politicians ever have the political courage to take road space away from cars – I don’t think I ever got a really clear answer to that (I am struggling to remember every detail of the conversation and I don’t want to misrepresent what was said). However what he did say is that he doesn’t have a car but walks or uses public transport, and that he would use a bicycle if he felt it was safe (he said this again on Twitter later). He also made the point that just as the Scottish Parliament would not be happy if the Westminster Parliament started trying to influence policy on devolved matters, the Scottish Parliament can only do so much to influence policy at a local level (I still think that they could do more, but it is a valid point). I asked what “we” as campaigners could do, then, and the interesting thing that he said was that I/we should try and get people who live in constituencies where the MSP is not “on side” to write to them. I will write to Mr Biagi anyway, because I guess it will be useful to keep up the contact, I might write to my list MSPs as well.</em>" </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602&page=2#post-150753 Mon, 28 Apr 2014 13:04:29 +0000 chdot 150753@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>'Final' list -</p> <p><a href="http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/pictures/pop" rel="nofollow">http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/pictures/pop</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602&page=2#post-149701 Mon, 21 Apr 2014 09:01:40 +0000 fimm 149701@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Oh, those are the only lights I always go/went through on red... because they only see/saw buses. If bikes do trigger them now, that would be a result! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602&page=2#post-149528 Fri, 18 Apr 2014 10:28:17 +0000 chdot 149528@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/blog/2014/04/politicians-do-listen-sometimes" rel="nofollow">http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/blog/2014/04/politicians-do-listen-sometimes</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602&page=2#post-149527 Fri, 18 Apr 2014 10:21:48 +0000 gembo 149527@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>See also the story in this week's EBC newsletter linked to POP but about a set of traffic lights. Big GED wrote to Lesley Hinds asking do for a set of traffic lights to be re calibrated so that they could be triggered by a bike. This was done in a few days (timing for year end budget might have helped?). GED points out if you have an issue you want a response from a politician, the first thing to do is to inform them of the situation. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602&page=2#post-149482 Thu, 17 Apr 2014 16:52:53 +0000 sallyhinch 149482@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Please, please, please - no eggs. Apart from anything else it's a terrible waste of food... </p> <p>If you have an issue you want to take up with Lesley or anyone else, the politicians will be making themselves available before the speeches for people to come and talk to them individually. Your words will be much more persuasive than a missile. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602&page=2#post-149455 Thu, 17 Apr 2014 14:53:07 +0000 chdot 149455@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"get the eggs ready for Lesley Hinds :)"</p> <p>Why?</p> <p>At least she is <em>trying</em> to understand 'the issues'. </p> <p>You wouldn't get me walking from the Meads to Holyrood! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602&page=2#post-149454 Thu, 17 Apr 2014 14:46:27 +0000 guydingle 149454@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>get the eggs ready for Lesley Hinds :) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602&page=2#post-149424 Thu, 17 Apr 2014 12:48:53 +0000 kaputnik 149424@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Was thinking along the lines of "Down With this sort of Transport Policy" (Minister?) and "Careful Roads, Now" as a placard for PoP. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602#post-149418 Thu, 17 Apr 2014 12:21:23 +0000 chdot 149418@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"just as city dwellers might drive 100 miles to go for a walk in the hills"</p> <p>Good analogy. </p> <p>"you ask yourself what else you can do when you're there."</p> <p>Good idea, but I think some 'new journeys' were just evening/cinema trips. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602#post-149417 Thu, 17 Apr 2014 12:14:05 +0000 sallyhinch 149417@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>When you live in the country, a trip to the movies can be a necessity... just as city dwellers might drive 100 miles to go for a walk in the hills. What you don't do is make multiple trips into town - you ask yourself what else you can do when you're there. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602#post-149414 Thu, 17 Apr 2014 12:01:24 +0000 chdot 149414@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Folk in rural Scotland do not make unnecessary car journeys as cost of fuel prohibitive."</p> <p>That depends...</p> <p>When the road was improved north of Inverness people were (allegedly) doing 100 mile round trips to go to the movies. </p> <p>People (not just driving) calculate in time as well as money (not necessarily in a rational fashion). </p> <p>It's a bit like the obsession with cutting train journey times to Glasgow. (OK not much of an obsession as it's still slower than it used to be!)</p> <p><em>Actual</em> journey time depends a lot on how long people people wait for the train. </p> <p>I bet <em>for most people</em> <em>effective</em> journey times were (averagely) reduced when they introduced the 'every 15 minutes' service. </p> <p>Miss one by seconds at it's still 15 minutes quicker than having to wait for the (old) half-hourly service. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602#post-149409 Thu, 17 Apr 2014 11:30:56 +0000 gembo 149409@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Oil is key to western economies. OPEC has bigger influence on our economy than anything governments in our nations do. Current period of stability linked to lower oil prices from Middle East. Saudi Arabia decide they want to mix it up, western economies go to pot.</p> <p>This is why we need to uncouple our economy from oil if at all possible. Not base an economic forecast on potentially more oil deep in Atlantic or North Sea.</p> <p>Folk in rural Scotland do not make unnecessary car journeys as cost of fuel prohibitive.</p> <p>Cycling, walking, public transport, car bans, all good for urban areas. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602#post-149408 Thu, 17 Apr 2014 11:02:01 +0000 chdot 149408@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"sadly they are a one policy party with no real consideration for the future"</p> <p>That's not <em>exactly</em> true. </p> <p>It's just sad that any 'visions for a new country' has certain blind spots. </p> <p>However much they (as a Government) want to be 'business friendly' and 'keep the NHS' and be 'socially progressive' etc. I genuinely fail to understand how blindly they stick with the 'great car economy'. </p> <p>I <em>do</em> understand about 'rural Scotland' and that there are not going to be 'cycle superhighways between all towns and cities anytime <strike>soon</strike>. BUT most people live in urban areas and suffer socially, financially and health wise because of the way things are now - with 'priority for cars' (moving and parked). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602#post-149402 Thu, 17 Apr 2014 10:43:24 +0000 acsimpson 149402@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>"I would have thought POP would be a prime opportunity for them to do some positive campaigning around active travel in a future Scotland"</p> <p>Yeah, but they don't seem to have any real interest in it - apart from 'aspirational' target waffle, (and 'it's mostly up to LAs - we give them money but we can't make them spend it on anything particular').</em></p> <p>The same LAs who they forced to freeze council tax. Where there's a will there's a way but sadly they are a one policy party with no real consideration for the future. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602#post-149376 Thu, 17 Apr 2014 09:33:35 +0000 chdot 149376@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"<br /> I've committed to attending this year's Pedal on Parliament event - with the Harrison Park feeder-ride leaving around 11am.</p> <p>"</p> <p><a href="http://andrewburns.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/pedal-on-parliament.html" rel="nofollow">http://andrewburns.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/pedal-on-parliament.html</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602#post-149371 Thu, 17 Apr 2014 09:18:41 +0000 chdot 149371@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Now I'll have to think of something to ask/say to him..."</p> <p>How about 'why are the senior members of your party/Government so lukewarm about 'active travel' <em>and</em> believe that road building is 'essential' for the wellbeing of the economy and human health'? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602#post-149370 Thu, 17 Apr 2014 09:13:08 +0000 fimm 149370@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I've emailed Marco Biagi. Now I'll have to think of something to ask/say to him... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602#post-149325 Wed, 16 Apr 2014 18:39:52 +0000 sallyhinch 149325@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@acsimpson - thanks for that will update our records. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602#post-149318 Wed, 16 Apr 2014 17:09:12 +0000 chdot 149318@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"I would have thought POP would be a prime opportunity for them to do some positive campaigning around active travel in a future Scotland"</p> <p>Yeah, but they don't seem to have any real interest in it - apart from 'aspirational' target waffle, (and 'it's mostly up to LAs - we give them money but we can't make them spend it on anything particular'). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602#post-149317 Wed, 16 Apr 2014 17:04:15 +0000 acsimpson 149317@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I would have thought POP would be a prime opportunity for them to do some positive campaigning around active travel in a future Scotland but sadly the senior party members will probably be too busy telling us why it's all Westminster's fault to even attend. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602#post-149314 Wed, 16 Apr 2014 17:01:43 +0000 DaveC 149314@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>To be fair to the SNP (I'm not a member and I'm aware they're not hugely pro active travel) they are working to fulfill the raison d'être of their party. Five months to go, every day counts.</em></p> <p>some might say to the detriment of everything else. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602#post-149311 Wed, 16 Apr 2014 16:49:30 +0000 gembo 149311@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@bax, last year Kezia dugdale came on pop2 not having cycled for years. She enjoyed it. As did the rest of us, it is enjoyable to cycle on closed roads. However, as you say this is the third one and all the issues remain needing addresed. </p> <p>Hoping for fair weather. Will wear tweed bunnet. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602#post-149306 Wed, 16 Apr 2014 16:25:19 +0000 minus six 149306@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>she's looking forward to it already</em></p> <p>I don't believe anyone should be looking forward to it.</p> <p>We should be incandescent with rage that it remains necessary. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602#post-149299 Wed, 16 Apr 2014 15:43:02 +0000 acsimpson 149299@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I just emailed my MP, MSPs and MEPs and had an almost instant reply from Kezia's assistant.</p> <p>"Kezia will be attending Pedal on Parliament again this year, she's looking forward to it already!" </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602#post-149298 Wed, 16 Apr 2014 15:37:12 +0000 I were right about that saddle 149298@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>To be fair to the SNP (I'm not a member and I'm aware they're not hugely pro active travel) they are working to fulfill the <em>raison d'être</em> of their party. Five months to go, every day counts. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602#post-149296 Wed, 16 Apr 2014 15:27:03 +0000 crowriver 149296@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Two of my MSPs are coming. Sheila Gilmore MP not. None of my Councillors though :-( I'll let Maggie Chapman off as she's the Euro MP candidate and probably 'on tour'; Also her dad died recently. The Labour and SNP councillors probably don't care.</p> <p>Good to see the Fife, central, western and southern Scotland contingent. Overall, not many from SNP or Conservatives, and no Lib Dems, though I suppose there are far fewer of the latter than there used to be... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602#post-149294 Wed, 16 Apr 2014 15:22:37 +0000 HankChief 149294@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@acsimpson - Cllr Aldridge told me he 'hoped' to come along.</p> <p>He &amp; Cllr Keil are both on the Transport Committee - lucky us (Drumbrae/Gyle) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602#post-149290 Wed, 16 Apr 2014 15:13:59 +0000 acsimpson 149290@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>One of my Councillors is off sick and another is taking part in the sponsored walk across the Forth Road Bridge but I've not heard anything from Robert Aldridge yet. Perhaps he'll fly the flag for Drumbrae/Gyle. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12602#post-149259 Wed, 16 Apr 2014 13:31:09 +0000 DaveC 149259@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>My new MSP is on the list :D but sadly my local Audax riding councillor is moving house on the 28th, and is doubtful he can make it. </p>