http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: London, trains etc en Wed, 13 May 2026 03:52:38 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8595#post-86742 Sun, 07 Oct 2012 08:51:12 +0000 crowriver 86742@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Not exactly democracy in action, more dirty politics.</em></p> <p>Precisely. Referendums are used very rarely in the UK, usually on major constitutional matters (eg. Devolution). Why have one on a congestion charge? Did they have a popular vote before introducing tolls on the Forth Road Bridge? Parking meters? Bus lanes? Lower speed limits? No, of course not. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8595#post-86741 Sun, 07 Oct 2012 08:23:16 +0000 gembo 86741@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The outer ring certainly lost even more votes but I guess they went for trying to get the displacement caused by the inner ring out as far as the park and rides?would have been a great scheme but a complete vote loser so they got out of it by having a referendum. Not exactly democracy in action, more dirty politics. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8595#post-86738 Sat, 06 Oct 2012 23:33:54 +0000 cc 86738@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>London sounds unexpectedly good then!</p> <p>As I recall, the thing which really killed the Edinburgh congestion charge was the outer ring. If they'd started with just a city centre charge zone they might have won. No such luck: This Is Edinburgh. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8595#post-86733 Sat, 06 Oct 2012 20:23:46 +0000 Arellcat 86733@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@crowriver, I remember attending one of the very early public meetings* when congestion charging was a proposal, alongside trams. Andrew Burns presented it. My memory might be wrong, but I think the 'need' for a referendum on CC was because CEC and/or Holyrood expected that the public would demand one, and so held one anyway. Which they lost.</p> <p>* at the usual place on Victoria Terrace; might've been a Friends of the Earth Scotland hosted thing.</p> <p>I voted for congestion charging, too. I remember many people being somewhat suspicious of the CC border for the way it conveniently sidestepped the Scottish Parliament and cut across the Horse Wynd/Abbeyhill route for cross-town traffic. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8595#post-86732 Sat, 06 Oct 2012 20:18:18 +0000 fimm 86732@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I remember being interested to see Boris Bike users who had brought helmets to wear.</p> <p>And I'm pleased to hear about the female cyclists (see Audax thread for reasons :-) ) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8595#post-86730 Sat, 06 Oct 2012 20:14:02 +0000 le_soigneur 86730@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Ain't democracy a b*tch </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8595#post-86729 Sat, 06 Oct 2012 19:34:01 +0000 crowriver 86729@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>There was no referendum in London. The then government in Holyrood basically imposed the need for a referendum on Edinburgh, which was then unsurprisingly lost. I mean, if you ask the average (driver) person to vote for having to pay more to drive into town, of course they are going to refuse! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8595#post-86727 Sat, 06 Oct 2012 19:08:24 +0000 gembo 86727@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I voted for congestion charge in edinburgh but I was in a minority as I recall </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8595#post-86720 Sat, 06 Oct 2012 18:33:33 +0000 SRD 86720@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>exactly. no poit to cars using those roads unless they needed access, and even then most people would not choose to drive there. so great cycling route. all happy. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8595#post-86718 Sat, 06 Oct 2012 17:13:17 +0000 crowriver 86718@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The thing that has made the difference in central London is the congestion charge. Edinburgh nearly had one too, just imagine... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8595#post-86713 Sat, 06 Oct 2012 12:53:23 +0000 chdot 86713@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Bit worried the forum might be broken - no new posts in 14 hours!"</p> <p>Nah, everyone is out activizating (and thinking of the next thing to praise/complain/ask about…) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8595#post-86712 Sat, 06 Oct 2012 12:36:36 +0000 SRD 86712@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Bit worried the forum might be broken - no new posts in 14 hours! </p> <p>a few observations about cycling in London: </p> <p>1. had an interesting ride from Kings cross to Russell Square. Most of it on oneway roads with painted on cycle contraflow lanes. striking thing was that there were no moving cars on it. so it worked well. briliantlyn fact. </p> <p>2. saw a fair number of borisbikes in use (but also a lot not in use). lots of just casual users, but also a high proportion in cyclespecific jackets and helmets, which I thoght was interesting. also one (presumably foreign student) cycling straight at me on wrong side of road, alongside fairly busy traffic. i said something like 'you're on the wrong side of the road' and she seemed quite honestly surprised/appreciative. hope she made it the rest of the way safely....</p> <p>3. intriguingly, on the train back up, all the other cyclists female. nice racing/touring bikes, spds etc. so serious cyclists - 3 in total I think. kinda cool demographic </p>