http://andrewburns.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/tell-us-what-you-think-about-our-201415.html
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
"Tell us what you think about our 2014/15 Draft Budget Proposals"
(9 posts)-
Posted 11 years ago #
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@Edinburgh_CC: Not long left to have your say on the Council's draft budget for 2014/15. We're keen to hear from you! http://t.co/S8rdJKbNut #edinbudget
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Posted 11 years ago # -
Final proposals, likely to be passed next week -
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Note the continuing allocation to cycling as a percentage of both the net capital expenditure and the net revenue expenditure of the Transport division of the Council, including revenue funding for core roads services, transport and neighbourhood roads, but excluding tram and certain specifically allocated capital funding, namely flood prevention and coastal protection, agrees this percentage should be increased to 7% for 2014/15 and confirms the actual allocations to cycling for financial years 2012/13 and 2013/14
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Item 1.5 p3http://edinburghlabour.comxa.com/Coalition%20Budget%20motion%202014-15.pdf
Posted 11 years ago # -
excellent. good to see money put where mouth is.
challenge now is to get it spent on quality infrastructure and not more piddling paint on roads (or, even worse, paint on footpaths)
Posted 11 years ago # -
"challenge now is to get it spent on quality infrastructure"
Indeed.
Last week I was suggesting contacting councillors about the spending (or lack of) in their wards.
Worth doing again and/or 'welcoming' 7%.
Some councillors are still unconvinced of the merits of 'cycling' - it's not on simple party lines either.
Don't just take my word for it, this is from a current report -
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The capital coalition plan for 7% of both transport capital and revenue to be approved on 13th February.It is very important that this investment is seen as politically smart by councillors and so any chance to thank them, or welcome the record spend, should be taken. There are still some councillors who remain to be convinced about the wisdom of the accelerating cycling allocation and as budgets tighten and the percentage rises in future years, there may be resistance. We can’t just assume that 8% and 9% will follow in the next two budgets.
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Cllr Jim Orr
He happens to be in the SNP, but I'm sure he's not just thinking of councillors in other parties...
Posted 11 years ago # -
Good news on the cycling budget, and also some glimmers of hope have emerged in the Education budget, with some proposed 'savings' being abandoned or implemented differently.
Posted 11 years ago # -
City of Edinburgh Council has to be commended for making the spending commitment, but where is the commitment to active travel? It is thinks like saying there is going to be a city wide 20 mph limit, but not until 2017? Why?
With Jim Orr comment about not assuming that the spending will keep increasing, could this be tied to the fact the numbers of cyclists on Edinburgh streets is not rising with the spending? Question then is why isn't the money making a difference? Simple answer is the way it is being spent, instead of learning from other places what works and adopting what works. City of Edinburgh Council, insists on trying to re-invent the wheel, by making it square or triangular.
Just imagine what would happen if took that approach with other transport projects. Say a tram system, where official ignored all the advice from places with working tram systems and did it their own way because they no best. Now obviously this is a theoretical example because they wouldn't risk that much public money would they?
It is great that City of Edinburgh Council is committing money, but money spent on bad infrastructure (against advice from place where there is a track record of world class infrastructure) is money wasted.
Posted 11 years ago # -
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Investing in roads, pavements and cycling infrastructure - £16m investment in roads and pavements - Commit 7% of the transport revenue and capital budgets for creation and maintenance of cycle infrastructure"
http://andrewburns.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/budget-keeps-to-coalitions-contract.html
Posted 11 years ago #
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