http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Edinburgh bike commuting hits new high en Mon, 18 May 2026 07:40:18 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382&page=2#post-219853 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:59:31 +0000 Stephan Matthiesen 219853@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>.. oh, and the MMW bike counter doesn's show any kind of peak on Tuesday 10 May. Values are similar to all other weekdays in May. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382&page=2#post-219851 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:51:40 +0000 Stephan Matthiesen 219851@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Looking at the MMW bike counter data (<a href="http://www.bicyclecounter.dk/BicycleCounter/BC_Historical.jsp" rel="nofollow">http://www.bicyclecounter.dk/BicycleCounter/BC_Historical.jsp</a>, check all years and period 1/1 to 31/12), some observations:<br /> <ul><li>No obvious trend over the 2 years, numbers are pretty much the same as 2 years ago</li><li>Strong weekly signal, with numbers on weekdays about twice the weekend numbers, could suggests that it's mostly utility cycling, not leisure.</li><li>No strong seasonal cycle (around 1500-2000 per day in winter, 1700-2300 in summer on weekdays) shows that people don't just cycle in summer</li><li>Very little week-to-week and day-to-day variation (except weekend) could mean that weather isn't a big factor either. Cursory look at some individual months gives the impression that numbers are fairly constant during the week but vary a lot on weekends, which would make sense if there is mostly utility cycling on weekdays and leisure at weekends.</li><li>The strongest time of the year is September-October, presumably students at the beginning of the academic year. But this peak is only a few hundreds, and there isn't a strong dip during holidays, so it doesn't look like students dominate the overall statistics.</li><li>There is a clear drop between Christmas and New Year, but still about 500 per day.</li><br /> </ul> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382&page=2#post-219848 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:45:24 +0000 Rosie 219848@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>My own stats:- </p> <p>The Facebook page linking to Evening News article has received 1000 likes.<br /> It's been shared 29 times.<br /> It's reached 4,655 </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382&page=2#post-219847 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:42:03 +0000 jonty 219847@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Or just look at the aggregate numbers from the electronic counters. How often are they released? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382&page=2#post-219843 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:27:02 +0000 Stephan Matthiesen 219843@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>To be honest, the Strava challenge is just a smokescreen from the EEN commenters. Every year there will be some event, activity, factor that affects cycling numbers on that particular day, that's why you have to be careful interpreting individual years and need to look at the overall trend over several years which should average out such factors. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382&page=2#post-219840 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:18:01 +0000 fimm 219840@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm not suggesting that Spokes should ave changed their count day, merely suggesting that the Strava thing could be what the person was referring to.<br /> I think it is very sensible of Spokes to do their counts on the same days each year, given that they only have limited resources to do them. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382&page=2#post-219837 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:01:48 +0000 Rosie 219837@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>There's a cycle count in November. Last year's was during driving wind and heavy rain. This of course affected the count.</p> <p><a href="http://www.spokes.org.uk/2015/11/cycling-and-driving-in-the-rain/" rel="nofollow">http://www.spokes.org.uk/2015/11/cycling-and-driving-in-the-rain/</a></p> <p>However you just have to have cycled in Edinburgh for a couple of decades to notice the increase in the numbers. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382&page=2#post-219829 Fri, 13 May 2016 13:45:10 +0000 stiltskin 219829@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Good weather much more likely to be a factor than Strava. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382&page=2#post-219822 Fri, 13 May 2016 13:25:33 +0000 neddie 219822@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm pretty sure Spokes try to choose the most representative day for their survey e.g. one that is not skewed because of the start or end of week, etc.</p> <p>I doubt that the volunteers at Spokes keep their eye on every Strava challenge, nor the countless "cycle commute" challenges that seem to keep popping up.</p> <p>So, my guess is it was an unfortunate coincidence that the survey fell on the Strava bike to work day. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382&page=2#post-219767 Fri, 13 May 2016 09:31:13 +0000 fimm 219767@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>10th May was a Strava "Global bike to work day":<br /> <a href="http://www.strava.com/challenges/bike-to-work" rel="nofollow">http://www.strava.com/challenges/bike-to-work</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382&page=2#post-219763 Fri, 13 May 2016 09:10:21 +0000 acsimpson 219763@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>At the same time though it would seem odd if Spokes changed from their standard second Tuesday in May slot as then the data would become less comparable. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382&page=2#post-219760 Fri, 13 May 2016 08:52:04 +0000 Dave 219760@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>It probably would be a bad idea to do a count on national bike to work day, if that's what it was (I can't imagine such a thing has any significant effect but without measuring it, it's a fair criticism?) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382&page=2#post-219758 Fri, 13 May 2016 08:30:07 +0000 acsimpson 219758@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>It's a sufficient level of knowledge. Depending on where you check national bike to work day/week appears to be in June or September. Strava might have been encouraging commuters to log their ride but certainly not encouraging new cyclists to start riding. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382&page=2#post-219753 Fri, 13 May 2016 08:15:50 +0000 chdot 219753@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"is that our friend the little tsar of roseburn?"</p> <p>That would make 'sense'! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382&page=2#post-219747 Fri, 13 May 2016 06:55:00 +0000 gembo 219747@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@ ChDot, is that our friend the little tsar of roseburn? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382&page=2#post-219744 Fri, 13 May 2016 00:15:44 +0000 chdot 219744@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Some things you can never make up.</p> <p>"</p> <p>You missed me</p> <p>12:26 PM on 12/05/2016</p> <p>Tuesday was national cycling day - people were being encouraged to commute by bike.<br /> It was nationwide. Spokes are becoming a bit of a joke now.</p> <p>I'm a cyclist.</p> <p>" </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382&page=2#post-219722 Thu, 12 May 2016 19:05:43 +0000 gembo 219722@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Personally, I really like the Scotsman photo, there is a very handsome tam o'shanter bunnet and amidst his gang people wearing a basque beret I was given and other berets for cycling in. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382&page=2#post-219716 Thu, 12 May 2016 16:51:21 +0000 Stephan Matthiesen 219716@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>When I cycle to Princes St or George St, coming from Nicolson Street, I often go through Gifford Pk, Meadows, Forrest St and Mound (yeehaah!) northwards, but South Bridge southwards to avoid the Mound (huff, puff). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382&page=2#post-219712 Thu, 12 May 2016 16:22:52 +0000 jdanielp 219712@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>That would make sense. That is certainly the route that I would be heading if cycling back to mine from Waverley or New Town direction, although it is quite a hilly approach. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382&page=2#post-219702 Thu, 12 May 2016 14:38:08 +0000 Roibeard 219702@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>At the southern end of George IV Bridge, at the traffic signals prior to the split to Bristo Place/from Forrest Road.</p> <p>Traffic traveling from Forrest Road to Bristo Place isn't counted.</p> <p>Robert </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382&page=2#post-219692 Thu, 12 May 2016 14:11:34 +0000 jdanielp 219692@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Does anyone know where Spokes take the count at 'Forrest Road'? I seem to remember suggesting last year that the lack of southbound travellers there may be to do with the fact that the road is one-way in a northbound direction, although I'm guessing that this is taken into account ;) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382#post-219689 Thu, 12 May 2016 13:54:24 +0000 Stephan Matthiesen 219689@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Re my last post: The longer term trend look quite real (e.g. from around 40 to 60 in Forrest rd southbound, 138 to 211 northbound in 9 years), but I don't think one can interpret year-to-year differences. </p> <p>I still don't understand why/if the northbound/southbound difference is a problem, or what exactly we need to explain. Generally people move into the centre in the morning and leave in the afternoon, so that's what the data shows. If most people in Forrest Rd are students or university employees, then perhaps you would get more going southbound in the morning (towards university), but if they are more diverse, then you get more northbound, don't you? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382#post-219688 Thu, 12 May 2016 13:53:30 +0000 algo 219688@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I cycle northbound up MMW sometimes, but rarely southbound in the early evening as it's often very full of pedestrians, and I'm often in a hurry. If I have the time to pootle and be considerate then I'll go there, otherwise I go south on Buccleuch Street. I'm not sure if that's relevant though. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382#post-219687 Thu, 12 May 2016 13:52:28 +0000 Rosie 219687@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Lothian Road screams out for segregated routes. It's the best route north-south. The Mound steep, the Bridges exposed. </p> <p>Something could be done about the junction to Queensferry Street that people were talking about on the other thread. I'd suggest a toucan crossing. You're in the city centre &amp; cyclists shouldn't expect to hare through. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382#post-219686 Thu, 12 May 2016 13:49:24 +0000 Morningsider 219686@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I suppose re-routeing could be a factor. Improvements to the meadows paths and meadows-innocent link are probably taking people away from Forrest Road. Not so sure about Lothian Road though, no great improvements to possible alternatives. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382#post-219684 Thu, 12 May 2016 13:36:28 +0000 Stephan Matthiesen 219684@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@crowriver Oh, do you mean the drop from 64 (2014) and 67 (2015) to 57 (2016)?</p> <p>I wouldn't think this is a statistically significant trend. I'm too stupid to do a proper significance test, but as a rule of thumb, the standard deviation is the square root of the count, so that's about 8 for a count of 64. So you would expect the numbers to vary between about 56 to 72 just from random effects. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382#post-219680 Thu, 12 May 2016 13:26:30 +0000 Murun Buchstansangur 219680@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm surprised as well. If anything, my experience this year has been that the central bit of Lothian Road (ie the bit outside the Filmhouse where they take the survey) southbound is busier with motor vehicles this year, probably due to more right-turning cars from WAR, essentially traffic displaced from Morrison St during the gas works. The vehicle tailback on LR usually stretches back over the King's Stable Rd junction.</p> <p>The disparity in N-bound vs S-bound traffic is definitely a fact, harder to know the reason why. My own pet theory is that long uphill drags like Dundas St in the morning maybe discourage some potential S-bound commuters, though Morningside or the Grange are pretty long drags the other way too? </p> <p>Also odd as the wacky races of N end of Lothian Rd onto Princes St/Charlotte Sq is horrible on a bike IMO. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382#post-219679 Thu, 12 May 2016 13:14:22 +0000 crowriver 219679@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"So in the evening you would probably get more southbound traffic then? "</p> <p>Yes but it still does't explain the disappearing outward bound cyclists/traffic since the last survey.</p> <p>I still reckon it's the sunny day student factor. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382#post-219675 Thu, 12 May 2016 13:03:20 +0000 Stephan Matthiesen 219675@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@chdot At first I thought the problem was that more people travel towards the centre but not back, so they must disappear somewhere.</p> <p>But now I'm not sure I understand this at all. The count was done in the morning wasn't it? So in the evening you would probably get more southbound traffic then? Or am I missing something here? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16382#post-219673 Thu, 12 May 2016 13:01:07 +0000 crowriver 219673@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>That doesn't explain why more are heading into the city centre than out of it. </p>