yes, it was the tall bike's trousers that confirmed it for me.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Events, rides etc.
PoP16
(275 posts)-
Posted 8 years ago #
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Just a reminder
THIS is where it all started -
"
The LCC has made a call for cyclists from across the UK to congregate on London to show support for 'safe and inviting streets for cycling'. I fully support this. However, having look at the train fares and considered my options for getting my bike and self to London as cheaply and easily as possible I have admitted defeat. I just can't do it.
However, that does not have to be the end of the story, or the end of the story for anyone else too far north to get to London. Scotland has it's own parliament, it's own funding, it's own priorities. The worry is that unless we do something ourselves, the events of our more southerly friends will pass us by.
So, lets not let it pass us by. Let us ride on our parliament in Edinburgh. Let us show politicians north of the border that our appetite for better roads, roads for people, that people want to use, is as strong as it is in London and England.
"
http://www.magnatom.net/2012/02/safe-cycling-scotland.html?
Which led to this
http://www.citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=5458
The rest is history, still unfolding...
Posted 8 years ago # -
Early organising thread
"April 28th Pedal to Parliament - Ride Route Required"
http://www.citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=5573
Posted 8 years ago # -
"Motion by Alison Johnstone" (before first PoP)
http://www.citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6180
Posted 8 years ago # -
I believe it was the first time cycling debated at Holyrood? *THat's* how far we've come.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"...and we're aiming (ambitious this one...) for about 500 riders..."
Posted 8 years ago # -
How far have we actually come since the first PoP? It seems to me that apart from Edinburgh's very local cycle budget, things in Scotland are much of a muchness. Perhaps that's unfair?
The fact that more than one news outlet covers the event with photos from previous years adds to my sense of unease. Is it really a protest that is having an impact in the way that, say, the same number of doctors or lorry drivers or whatever would have if they turned up at Holyrood?
Posted 8 years ago # -
Not an excuse, but pretty sure that pic went up on story the night before. they then updated the story, but not the pic.
In reply to your cheery question, I'd point out that as i noted above, before POP, cycling - much less cycling expenditure/infrastructure - hadn't even been the subject of a debate. Now there is a cross-party-group, and cycling got decent coverage in manifestos, election campaign leaflets that crossed my door, and the lead item on saturday's STV news was the twoparty leaders who didn't attend POp being grilled on their commitments to active travel.
not bad?
Posted 8 years ago # -
I think organisers were *hoping* for 300.
I thought more like 1000 was possible - because really a lot of effort had been put in (mostly by CCEers) to promote the IDEA of a ride.
Spokes used to organise similar events - usually on sunny mid-summer Sundays - but that was a long time ago so most of the people PoP hoped to attract would probably never have been to an event like this.
On the day, about 3000 thought they should support the call for 'better'.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@SRD
Agree wholeheartedly. PoP got cycling on the telly and politicians can't ignore anything on the nation's screens.
Thing is, I also worry that @Dave is also right. I haven't noticed any improvement in my experience of cycling in Edinburgh since PoP started other than (on Sunday) some nice tarmac on the canal to Ratho. Some paint has been refreshed (which made things worse as drivists could see the 'lanes') and some solar LEDs went on the canal (which made things worse as dog walkers then went unlit).
So I'd say that PoP has most certainly lit the fuse in that it has made campaigners of thousands of us and put our agenda to the fore, but there is a risk it will fizzle out if we don't find a way to make our transport minister afraid they'll lose their job unless things get better for us smartish.
My own feeling, as I've hinted before, is that this won't happen unless we recruit a much bigger group or more powerful groups.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Dave - it's hard to know for sure, but when we started POP, the budget for active travel was about to be slashed, and now the SNP are trumpeting their record active travel spending. Also, we've heard that it's things like POP that have given councils outside Edinburgh the courage to try taking road space away from cars. Scotland spends about twice per head what England spends on cycling. We're not building a Dutch-style network yet, but all around the country there is more money for a pedestrian and cycling bridge here, a link there - things which can start to add up.
Realistically, we won't convert a petrolhead politician overnight through POP - all we can do is make them think 'oh we'd better give the cyclists something or they'll make a huge fuss'. What we can do, is enable a supportive politician to have the courage of their convictions and push something through for cycling, knowing that we'll have their back when it all hits the fan.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@iwrats - if Edinburgh's plans go ahead, my kids wil be able to cycle from Cramond to Portobello off-road in a few years. I'd say that's progress?
Posted 8 years ago # -
@SRD
That would indeed be a wonderful start.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Yes, the real test will be when we can commute on segregated infra from KB-GS or Morningside Primary to Princes St!
Posted 8 years ago # -
Since I started cycling ~5 years ago, I've seen the following on the (reasonably limited) routes I ride.
My commute from Fife to South Gyle via the A90 is much improved.
If I'd like a change to the A90 route, the A8 paths are improving (too slowly for my liking)
Canal paths to Ratho and most of Forth And Clyde have been tarmaced.
There are reasonable signed routes from the city centre to Edinburgh Park and South Gyle.
There is a nice new path for cyclists between Blackness and Boness
I see many more cyclists on my commute and loads on weekends...I know it may not be city centre Edinburgh, but arterial routes are much much better.
I know it is evolution and not the revolution that some on here demand, but IMO, it is much, much better.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@paddyirish "There are reasonable signed routes from the city centre to Edinburgh Park and South Gyle"
No, they start at Roseburn. Getting into / out of the city centre & tackling the tram tracks you are on your own...
Posted 8 years ago # -
If only there was a way of getting information out of the alternative reality where the PoPs never took place we might be able to use it as the control for this one where it did. Maybe their city is now full of painted-on Quality Bike Corridors.
I'd love to see the various set relationships between PoP attendees and people-who-have-Written-To-Them and people who have become more involved in stuff and joined Spokes and responded to consultations and formed work BUGs who might otherwise not have, as well as those who were inspired to cycle again. As well as the government 'response' in the form of the Active Travel budget there are things further down the line like the inclusion of PoP as a stakeholder in infrastructure workshops which indicate an ongoing presence. Even EEN commenters make regular references to PoP, albeit in quotes and mis-spelled.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"albeit in quotes and mis-spelled"
TBH, half of us couldn't spell 'parliament' when we started POP either ...
Posted 8 years ago # -
It's the "Pedal" bit they tend to get wrong. They're probably trying to be funny.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Well, as someone who has ground away at the Spokes coal face for a few years, POP has really cheered me up, if nothing else.
I do remember being on a Spokes stall at the Farmer's Market back in 2011 and being asked if we would mind taking some leaflets. "Oh, that looks good," I thought. Turned up in a north-east March wind and was overwhelmed by the numbers and the family feeling.
I can't quantify or work out cause/effect but I have a sense that the momentum is with us cycling folk (and that's in other countries as well - eg New Zealand, the USA) and POP is part of it.
Posted 8 years ago # -
TBH, half of us couldn't spell 'parliament' when we started POP either ...
Some of us couldn't spell it on the 5th year of PoP either :P
Posted 8 years ago # -
I believe that PoP has made lots of little differences.
As wingpig points out, it's impossible to work out which bits - the event, the people behind it, the people who took part etc. etc. - caused which effects!
I think the threats to the AT budgets were challenged effectively by Spokes more than PoP. The existence of PoP has helped Spokes (and - very much - vice versa). In the great cycling/campaigning world these two groupings could have regarded each other with suspicion or even as threats/enemies. BUT that's not what has happened - great credit to all involved.
Similarly the improvements to infrastructure in Edinburgh have (in most cases) been coming for some years and, to a large extent, are due to 38 1/2 years of the continuity of Spokes.
However I do think that the existence of PoP and the clear 'backing' of 5000 people (not just 5000 people easily clicking some on-line petition) has made CEC 'bolder'.
It must be easier for CEC staff to propose things knowing that there is support beyond 'the usual suspects'.
It's also more normal for politicians to be seen with bikes now (not just for photo-ops!) - but that may be more due to Boris, David and Jeremy (Hunt and Corbyn!) than PoP.
There are now more politicians - across most parties (maybe not UKIP) - more aware of 'cycling' and pedestrian issues. The SNP still seems strangely 'sceptical', which is something of a problem as they will be in power at Holyrood for another 5 years and possibly CEC too from next May.
Of course this is a useful reminder that most politicians believe that most people/voters have/want cars. This may or may not be true, it 'conveniently' ignores the fact that MOST people want to be able to walk around safely and not have to wait ridiculously long at the side of the road.
Joining the dots seems to be the difficult part and 'we' now have to deal with sideshows like Roseburn where the logic seems to be 'more bikes = more danger'...
Posted 8 years ago # -
I sent in my postal vote for Holyrood today and PoP speeches did lead me to change who I voted for in my constituency vote.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@chdot ... From Spokes point of view, I very much agree with chdot's comments a couple of entries above. Mutual support and positivity rather than competition and negativity has worked very well.
@paddyirish ... you've voted already, but for those who haven't, see the spokes manifestos comparison article. The manifestos are anyway pretty similar to the speeches in their main points on cycling.
Also - spokes report on PoP2016.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@DdF, I already know I'll be voting Green on the regional list and Labour on the constituency vote. However it is great to see Spokes' analysis confirms my views from the active travel angle! :-)
Posted 8 years ago # -
Thanks @DdF, your analysis confirmed that I've done the best I can, given the candidates available in my constituency.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Posted 8 years ago # -
my annual request:
Please can you take down any posters you see? and especially any that you put up.
thank you!!
Posted 8 years ago # -
The unionist parties in Scotland toe the unionist UK party-line. And the UK as a whole does not tend towards progressive transport solutions, other than the occasional reuse of a closed branch-line or painted surface on a road.
Regardless of current SNP policies, the quickest route to far better all-round progressive transport policies in Scotland is to use the SNP as the battering ram to gain independence, and thereafter, we'll be able to vote in parties who are much more representative of the SCOTTISH political landscape.SNP 1 & 2
Posted 8 years ago #
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