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.
"All for the sake of a few loading bays..."
As I passed through this morning east to west the traffic was struggling despite being seemingly light. Transpired someone was parked in a loading bay, and a cyclist had to ride out in the general traffic to go past it, and was quite slow, and therefore was holding up the traffic.
Couldn't help but muse that with the bike lane the traffic would.... 'flow'.
@The Boy
I think you're probably spot on there actually. I hadn't thought of PG being quite that calculated, but it does make sense.
@The Boy
I have to say I am absolutely against any boycotting of local shops. However deranged Mr Gregson's arguments are sounding, some shop-keepers do have concerns around their livelihoods. If anything, I'd like their business to be increasing. Gregson has injected a whole lot of nastiness and paranoia about an argument of conflicting interests - which may not necessarily conflict in the long run.
A lot of opposition is just simple conservatism. Streets being the cars' territory has come to seem the natural order of things. Never mind that streets existed thousands of years before cars were a twinkle in a bicycle mechanic's eye.
It was a terrible mistake when cities became to be designed around cars which we are trying to reverse, but this thought is too radical for many to think. There is the same sense of being affronted and the natural order being overturned, as when women and propertyless men began asking for the vote.
A couple of articles on the subject:-
About the investment that has gone into cars vs cycles
On cities losing cheap public transport in favour of expensive private transport:=
@TheBoy
Wouldn't any reputable organisation ignore complaints like that against a member of staff? What employees do in their spare time is their own business, surely.
@Rosie
I'm not suggesting an organised boycott, but I'm under no compunction to spend what little spare money I have anywhere, and the campaign against the cycle path looks to me to have gone beyond simple conservatism and is now targeting individuals in their place of work.
Anyone supporting that - even only implicitly - ain't getting a penny of my hard-earned.
He's also playing on the likelihood that most people won't have heard of a BUG.
Despite what he says, BUGs aren't employer lobbying groups. Actually, they are the reverse: they are more likely to exist for employees to ask their employers for better cycling facilities (lockers, parking etc). Also they will help new cyclists with route advice etc.
I've said it before, but he is running a textbook campaign - misinformation, distortions, playing on fear and ignorance, creating bogeymen that cause all the problems. Targeting individuals though is dispicable.
Large organisations such as RBS are very very careful about their reps these days, especially since the CEO gets his name dragged into a Google search. I suspect at the very least someone may see it, and someone will have a word with the named employee.
The last large such organisation I worked for, before the one I'm now at, was incredibly worried about bad publicity, and bringing the company's name into disrepute (even if it appears minor, this is the type of thing where mud can stick, especially in this industry) could lead to disciplinary action.
"What employees do in their spare time is their own business, surely."
Ah if only. For reference note people who have lost their jobs after tweeting about hating cyclists and wanting to kill them. Entirely in their own time. Entirely done away from work. Their workplace never mentioned. Jon Ronson has written a book on social media shaming - it can be remarkably destructive.
@The Boy
I agree about targeting individuals, which is low and dirty.
I suppose I'm saying there's a lot of unnecessary warfare being caused between neighbours/customers/members of the same community and I want the least ill feeling possible.
@Rosie,
A reputable employer might. A bank who's reputation is already dirt might not.
And if they feel that the RBS brand is being tarnished then BUG members who have been publicly named might find that 'bringing the company into disrepute' is a phrase they hear a lot from their management.
edit: WC makes the same points I was trying to get to more clearly than I.
There is a certain amount of cognitive dissonance that a man is trying to silence someone through mentioning their employer in a suggestive manner whilst also running a campaign about whistleblowing and employee rights to speak up.
I think this is a very unpleasant development. However, as I have said before, we should not overestimate this guy's influence. The development of the east-west cycle route is council policy, supported by many councillors and officials. I imagine the formal consultation will come out strongly in favour, as we focussed on getting people to respond positively to it.
Hanchief and Co. have a strong counter petition (very useful ammunition against claims that everyone is against the scheme). In addition, the new website provides a great resource and effectively destroys the KNS guy's alternative "vision". I notice that he hasn't been able to rebut any of the well researched facts listed.
The more outlandish and frequent the attacks become, the more the anti arguments are undermined. Who wants to associate themselves, or their business, with someone who could easily be portrayed as unhinged. I say let them rant, demonstrate outside meetings where the issue is not under consideration - they are simply undermining their own case.
The updated Vision, with full and extensive analysis of the in-depth consultation, is here:
http://www.kidsnotsuits.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/The-Roseburn-Vision.pdf
Highlight for me is that West Coates is made safe by the simple act of "marking cycle lanes more prominently and share with buses"
I can't believe the SNP Group are giving this the time of day.
@ Stickman
The opposition are not interested in an alternative route and its details, they are against the cycle route in Roseburn. Many of them are against urban cycling altogether. The SNP is sucking up to them taking their concerns on board to chase votes.
@Stickman
No cognitive dissonance whatsoever. You've started from the position that this guy is a rational and honest individual, when in fact Swivel-eyed zoomers such as he are invariably anything but.
And he's not "Trying to silence someone through mentioning their employer in a suggestive manner", he's actively canvassing for RBS customers who are opposed to the scheme to get in touch. there's only one reason people do that sort of thing.
Not that I'm even sure his whistleblowing campaign stands up as a counterpoint anyway.
edit: Also worth pointing out that Cllr Ross appears to be standing by this twunt. Which obviously bodes well for anyone who might oppose him when he is council leader.
It is the next thing to doxxing.
@Rosie
you've probably just given him an idea ;)
Is this remotely true??
"
The vast proportion of those coming from the west of the city come via Roseburn Park, by the Water of Leith path.
"
Would require actually standing and watching I guess, but I seem to see a lot more cyclists when I take the main road, compared to the round-the-houses route.
It is the next thing to doxxing.
The message copied to here is textbook doxxing aside from the fact that the invited harassment will mostly not take place online.
I had the joy of witnessing the 'protest' firsthand at the Transport committee this morning as I was bringing a deputation on behalf of Edinburgh Playing Out. I overheard a lot of unsavoury rumour-mongering including a self-defeating argument about "self-appointed leader* of RBS cyclist group" claiming to represent 20,000 employees of RBS (the clue that it is a subset is in the title, actual correct title).
*pot, kettle, black
When the meeting started, 4 people walked out with little signs. I'm not sure anyone noticed. I observed from the window afterwards that 6 people were being filmed by a lone cameraman. Some protesters stayed for the parking debate (2 for the price of 1). To my consternation, one of the protesters literally patted me on the back about my deputation and said "Very worthwhile cause". Obviously I couldn't return the compliment.
(BTW Playing Out report passed with revised motion that a pilot this summer should be free for 20 streets.)
Is this remotely true??
"
The vast proportion of those coming from the west of the city come via Roseburn Park, by the Water of Leith path.
"
No, not according to the largest record of cycle movements available to anyone (Strava). I know not all cyclists use Strava but short of having a manual count lasting for at least a week I'll stick my neck out and say that it's the most accurate data that anyone has access to.
I don't know how the thickness of lines varies according to volume but I would say the direct route is definitely on the east-west desire line. It's a shame it doesn't follow it all the way through town.
Running shows a similar bias, although with more people heading along WOL.
@ Klaxon - I was thinking of address, phone number, but yes, place of work is textbook doxxing.
The irony being that the named person isn't even the Chief Cyclist at Gogarburn, let alone RBS's Roseburn Bike Supremo.
I hope the protestor person feels deep shame for his actions at some point in the near future.
@ Saddle - I'm hoping those who have let him rant at Murrayfield CC are feeling ashamed of their association with him.
"They are committed to throwing away taxpayers cash and only Ruth Davidson can stop them."
Careless and unhinged.
You missed the bit in the middle!
"
Sustrans are being greedy because they want another cycle track at their front door too.
"
@weezee
Was the entire protest 6 people? No sign of a dog?
On the positive side - they doubled the number of people cycling through Roseburn! Or at least freed up one of the "parking" spaces for a bit.
"Hard working researcher and pragmatist"
I must say that while all the Gregson stuff has been going on, I have wondered what his true motivation is. I haven't reached any conclusions, not having evidence, but my list of possibles is:
• hatred of CEC and all its works
• genuine fear that businesses will be adversely affected
• genuine fear that road congestion will get worse
• belief that roads are for cars
• intense dislike of cycling except 'in its place', off road
• belief that the East West route is a waste of money
• belief that buses will be delayed
• loss of 'loading' and illegal parking facilities on Roseburn Terrace.
Anything else?
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