CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
Also
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Gilligan says campaigners need to meet politicians in person and to counter bad arguments / lies. Emails not enough
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Gilligan feels mayoral candidates hearing a lot from vocal anti-cycling minority and not enough from pro-cycling majority
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http://m.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/frank-ross-takes-snp-leadership-from-sandy-howat-1-4054097
So is Frank Ross becoming SNP group leader and Deputy Council leader going to help the cycling agenda?
@Stickman, I very much doubt this is good news.
Depends
Just because some businesses don't like cycling, doesn't mean all do -
https://cyclingworks.wordpress.com
Maybe he would like a friendly briefing(?)
The fact this is the only mention of cycling on his Twitter feed is rather telling (whether or not the behaviour of the cyclist was inconsiderate):
Frank Ross @FrankRoss06
Walking the dog on the shared path at Broomhouse. Verbally abused by cyclist for using THEIR path!
1:58 a.m. - 22 Jan 2016
Having met Cllr Ross (at the Roseburn consultation), I'm going to stick up for him (a bit).
He does seem to be playing the 'there must be a compromise' & 'I'm representing the community' cards and has been encouraging debate between the differing viewpoints, as well as continuing dialogue on twitter rather than ignoring opposing viewpoints.
I appreciate that his voting record and direction of the SNP group will be more important than his words to an obviously procycling audience.
Time will tell but I don't think we could have realistically expected the leader of another party group to be as outwardly pro cycling as Andrew Burns.
Oh, & I went to Murrayfield Community Council meeting tonight. Better reception (I might even get a name check in the minutes!) although not sure anyone's opinion moved that much but I tried...
Well done for interacting and contributing the views of many here HC.
I would have gone but doubt my views would have changed minds.
Boris Johnson: 'I wish I'd built more segregated cycling routes for London'
Good for you for going, Hankchief. I've had a read of that Roseburn Action Plan, which really is very good, as well as being interesting about the history of Roseburn and I can't see how anyone who wrote that would be opposed to moves which would challenge cars dominating the streets there.
Useful to let track of the "opposition" tactics. This is the latest update from everyone's favourite cyclist:
The other news is that we now have 5,000 new flyers printed. Many will be distributed through the businesses that line the route of the track but I am also hoping to get them into the homes in the neighbourhoods along the course of the track. I am looking for volunteers to help with delivering door to door and if you have a few hours spare and want to help out, please let me know.
At present we have 2,730 signatures on the petition but I would like to get 5,000. That would represent 80% of those living in the vicinity of the track and I think it would be very hard for the Council to go ahead with that level of opposition.
The agency that has brought the track to us is Edinburgh cycle campaign group Spokes. Over the past two years they have convinced Edinburgh Council that the future for the city is a network of cycle tracks. They are vociferous in their support for the West Coates cycle track and they even went so far as to organise a counter-petition to ours which drew 817 signatures (see http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/support-roseburn-west-coates-protected-cycle-route). The Convenor of the Transport Committee sees their petition as countering ours and believes it gives her licence to proceed. However, the provenance of many of those signing the Spokes petition is dubious- because it was run through the iPetion online website, there is no evidence many of them live in Edinburgh or even the UK. Ours, on the other hand, have EH postcodes.
Anyway, I am a Spokes member and received their newsletter on Monday. In it, they published an update about the West Coates track, as part of a bigger news article indicating fears that Sustrans may pull out and scupper the whole programme:
“Unfortunately the plans generated hostility at Roseburn, backed by local SNP and Conservative councillors Frank Ross and Jeremy Balfour, mainly due to loss of traffic lanes and parking opportunities – though the parking is often illegal, and alternative loading will be provided. A 2014 Murrayfield Community Council report says the main road there is “noisy, busy, smelly ” and locals don't “ linger or walk there for pleasure.” The Council plans will reduce traffic space, widen the south footway, and separate pedestrians on the north footway from traffic. Public consultation is now over, and a decision by the council on how / whether to change the plans will follow. After detailed thought and much feedback from Spokes members, we are convinced that in general the Council has got it right. The plans will greatly improve the local Roseburn environment, encourage local shopping by walkers and cyclists, and provide the direct and visible route needed to foster substantial growth in bike use.”
(see p4 of http://www.spokes.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/pall-1.pdf)
There is an opportunity to challenge Spokes’s view at the Holyrood Hustings event they are planning in two week’s time. If any of you want to join me at the meeting at the St Brides Centre in Dalry on the 21st March at 7.30pm, please get in touch. There will be fireworks and it will be like putting your head into the lion’s mouth, but if you like such adventure, let me know and we can go together.
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The agency that has brought the track to us is Edinburgh cycle campaign group Spokes.
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Oh the fantasy, paranoia - and lies.
I expect Spokes will ignore this nonsense, but a lawyer's letter would be in order!
(Or maybe one from the person who actually organised the pro petition.)
I cycled through Roseburn on my way home yesterday, probably about 4pm.
Eastbound, just one car was parked near the junction with Roseburn Street, which caused immediate delays because the eastbound buses had to wait to pull out to get around the obstacle. The delays had spread back to the junction with Murrayfield Gardens/Murrayfield Avenue.
Westbound, one Tesco lorry was packing up after 'loading'. One car was parked and the owner was on the phone. One car was parked, but the owner was hurrying back across the road to it, no doubt having 'just been popping in'.
They are vociferous in their support for the West Coates cycle track and they even went so far as to organise a counter-petition to ours
Oh my! How dare they? The horror!
On my journey home at 5.30 last night there were three cars parked in the westbound lane.
The agency, made up entirely of volunteers, that has brought the track to us is Edinburgh cycle campaign group Spokes
FTFY.
So the KNS guy hopes to organise a group to disrupt a SPOKES meeting about an entirely different matter. Obviously hoping to create a stir, bet he is desperate to be photographed getting kicked out of the meeting - preferably by some lycra-clad racing whippets.
If I was chairing the meeting and he started creating, I would invite him up to address the audience for a couple of minutes, roundly mock his comments (hopefully to much laughter) and then tell him he is welcome to stay to hear the business of the day - but to refrain from any further interruptions.
Win, win I would say. SPOKES looks very generous, he looks ridiculous and no-one's mind gets changed.
At the MCC on Tuesday night, I quietly sat through his spiel on the cycle track. When it was my turn to speak he started heckling and got a stern rebuke from the Chair for his troubles.
I pointed out that his reopened petition set up to not allow the council to forget about the cycle path was unnecessary as they weren't likely to...
I could have been there all night picking holes in his arguments but decided to stick to the positives.
I had a few people come up to me afterwards to say well done - I think they appreciated a more balanced debate.
He does seem to dominate MCC proceedings despite not being on the committee itself as he is also 'Friends of Roseburn Park' and vocal on his views on the Council.
I had an informal chat with him as we were unlocking bikes and I told him it was my petition and not Spokes'. Not sure that fits with his agenda.
The "new petition flyer" is now even bringing Scotrail into it.
According to the flyer, Scotrail will no longer be able to transport damaged trains by HGV along the A8 if the path gets built.
The desperation of the guy is beyond belief.
Here's the full text of an email sent by 'our favourite cyclist':
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From: P. G.
Sent: Tuesday, March 8, 2016 1:01 AM
To: 'P. G.'
Subject: Anti- Cycle track Update 080316- New Flyer- Council Question- Spokes Hustings- Central Candidates for May
Hi Everybody,
Please see the new flyer attached. It will be ready Thursday. Because it’s double-sided, it will cost £195 and the signs and signing sheets will cost another £40. I’m glad we exceeded our fundraising target, as I reckon we’ll need all the cash…
I will be taking flyers to businesses on Thursday evening and Saturday morning, along with posters for windows and signing sheets. We still need volunteers to deliver flyers- especially to the tenements around Roseburn. Please let me know if you can help. So far we have Liz, Jane, Michael and Barbara. They’ll be taking 250. I’ll be giving the shops 2000, so that leaves us with 2,750 still to be delivered over the next couple of months…
With any luck the Eve News will mention our re-opening of the petition if they cover Cllr Balfour’s question to the Leader at Thursday’s Full Council meeting. If anyone is going, the papers for the meeting can be downloaded here: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/meetings/meeting/3894/city_of_edinburgh_council . It will be webcast from 10am at http://www.edinburgh.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/175600
The other important news is that Spokes have announced their Holyrood Husting event which will be a public meeting taking place on Monday 21st March at St Bride’s Centre, 10 Orwell Place, Dalry at 7.30pm (doors open 6.45pm). This will be a good place to bring up objections to the cycle track. The format is to break up into small groups and the politicians will spend 10 minutes with each one. The theme is “Question your candidates on cycling and transport policy”
If there are a few of us, we can have someone in each group. We can ask the politicians present if they support the track and what they think the impact will be on the residents there. The Spokes Executive need to understand the impact their work is having on those who live and work along the site of the route and this is the ideal opportunity to put them- and the candidates for May’s Holyrood elections - on the spot. The politicians present will be Cllr Nick Cook (Con), Alison Johnstone MSP (Green), Sarah Boyack MSP (Labour), Emma Farthing Sykes (LibDem) and someone from the SNP, yet to be announced. (more at http://www.spokes.org.uk/2015/12/spokes-holyrood-hustings-2016 ). Of course, any of us going will face fierce words from everyone else present; this will truly be putting your head in the lion’s mouth.
Spokes Spring bulletin had this to say on page 4 about the Roseburn track, as part of a bigger news article indicating fears that Sustrans may pull out and scupper the whole programme:
“Unfortunately the plans generated hostility at Roseburn, backed by local SNP and Conservative councillors Frank Ross and Jeremy Balfour, mainly due to loss of traffic lanes and parking opportunities – though the parking is often illegal, and alternative loading will be provided. A 2014 Murrayfield Community Council report says the main road there is “noisy, busy, smelly ” and locals don't “ linger or walk there for pleasure.” The Council plans will reduce traffic space, widen the south footway, and separate pedestrians on the north footway from traffic. Public consultation is now over, and a decision by the council on how / whether to change the plans will follow. After detailed thought and much feedback from Spokes members, we are convinced that in general the Council has got it right. The plans will greatly improve the local Roseburn environment, encourage local shopping by walkers and cyclists, and provide the direct and visible route needed to foster substantial growth in bike use.”
Please let me know if you’d like to attend; I’ll be inviting the press too.
Finally, I have just written to each of the Edinburgh Central candidates for the May election to Holyrood and asked them to sign the petition. They are Sarah Boyack (Labour), Alison Johnstone (Green), Ruth Davidson (Conservative), Alison Dickie (SNP). (I have been asking Alison since January and she is firmly on the fence; I asked Sarah at Xmas and she never replied). I’ll keep you posted.
Best wishes, P. G.
"""
eddie_h: where is the petition flyer?
I did see a carriage being transported along St John's Road a few weeks ago: it's quite a strange sight!
I'd be exceptionally disappointed (and surprised) ie either Sarah Boyack or Alison Johnstone were to support him.
I'll put up a link to the new petition flyer as soon as I can get access to my dropbox.
There will be fireworks and it will be like putting your head into the lion’s mouth
Haha! I must have missed the febrile and rabid nature of Spokes attendees at all the meetings I've been to.
I’ll be inviting the press too.
I'm sure Spokes will be glad to get the publicity for this event.
Wonder what his invite will say? Please come along to this event which I am not organising, at which I will attempt to generate some outrage and anger. I know that this kind of thing appeals to your usual below-the-line commenters who are the most important decision makers in Edinburgh
Posted without comment:
https://insidecroydon.com/2015/07/06/morgans-rum-conduct-raises-suspicion-over-20mph-survey/
Have you noticed that the pictures on the flyers have parked vehicles taking up the lane that the cycle path would take.
Motor traffic is still getting by.
"Lothian Buses and Living Streets Edinburgh oppose the track on the grounds it will increase congestion and air pollution."
Did Living Streets actually say that?
Probably not worth the bother of deconstructing, but I do wonder how much the photos actually support the 'against' case - esp the 'NCN route at Haymarket' one.
Nice pic of train on lorry - PROVES there's room for cycle lane where vehicle is parked!
Wonder which bit(s) of this are true -
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Lothian Buses and Living Streets Edinburgh oppose the track on the grounds it will increase congestion and air pollution. They
are also unhappy about the bus-stop “islands” whereby pedestrians must cross the cycle track to get on and off the bus.
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This is the best bit -
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So far 230 cyclists have come out against the track. Cyclists say:
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(Followed by a quote, perhaps from someone he knows...)
It doesn't matter if cyclists object to it. The quote only demonstrates they've completely missed the point:
"Cyclists say ... a track we do not need"
Of course we don't need it. If we needed it, we wouldn't be cyclists. The people who need it aren't cyclists yet.
It's incredibly selfish to object to something which might benefit other people, just because it won't benefit you.
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