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21 March SPOKES Public Meeting - Hustings for Holyrood

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  1. Rosie
    Member

    A reminder for this evening.

    Topics within the Holyrood remit:- budget & bikes on trains.

    SPOKES HOLYROOD HUSTINGS 2016

    As our Spring Public Meeting, Spokes will hold a 2016 Holyrood election hustings on Monday 21 March, to discuss cycling issues.
    Where: St Brides Centre, 10 Orwell Terrace, Edinburgh
    When: Monday 21 March 2016, 7.30pm – doors open 6.45 for coffee, stall and chat
    We have invited all the parties currently represented at Holyrood to send a speaker – who must be a candidate for any Edinburgh/Lothians seat or for the Lothians List. Details confirmed so far are:-
    • Con – Cllr Nick Cook [candidate for Edinburgh East & Lothian List, Conservative Transport Spokesperson on Edinburgh Council]
    • Green – Alison Johnstone MSP [candidate for Edinburgh Central and Lothians List, Spokes member]
    • Lab – Sarah Boyack MSP [candidate for Edinburgh Central and Lothians List, Spokes member]
    • LibDem – Emma Farthing-Sykes [candidate for Edinburgh Pentlands]
    • SNP – Jim Eadie MSP [candidate for Edinburgh Southern]
    Format: The meeting will begin with the candidates giving short talks, from the platform, on their party’s concerns and commitments on cycling and any related transport policy issues they wish to mention.

    We may then use the very successful format of our Scottish Parliament hustings in March 2011, where the audience splits into groups and the candidates spend 10 mins or so in each group. This gives you a much greater chance to engage with the politicians, rather than the usual format of a speaker panel sitting on the platform and a limited number of questions from the floor.
    Finally, the speakers will close with a brief summing up of what they have learned from the meeting.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  2. Rosie
    Member

  3. Stickman
    Member

    What's the bike parking like nearby? I know there are racks at the Co-Op but they might get full quickly.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  4. neddie
    Member

    Could be an 'interesting' event, since Gregson and his merry band plan to disrupt it:

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15760&page=49#post-213903

    Posted 9 years ago #
  5. "What's the bike parking like nearby?"

    Openstreetmap shows racks (3 racks, capacity 6) only at the Co-op. Google Streetview shows 4 racks there and 2 in front of St Brides (and several bikes locked to lampposts in Dalry Rd). So somebody should update OSM and also ask Council to install more.

    The railings around the trees at Maplin also work.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  6. OSM also shows parking at the Dalry Swim Centre in Caledonian Rd (no info about capacity, on Streetview it looks like 8 bikes).

    Posted 9 years ago #
  7. Claire
    Member

    I plan on attending this evening. I think there is some parking at the Lidl also.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  8. fimm
    Member

    The Dalry swim centre racks are Sheffield stands against a wall - but useable for one bike per stand. They could be quite busy depending on what group is using the pool. I'd look at the co-op first. If you do try the racks at the pool, go for those to the right of the entrance as you look at it as there's more space for handlebars than at those on the left of the entrance (can you tell I use those racks a lot?).

    Posted 9 years ago #
  9. SRD
    Moderator

    Golden Rule or Fountain after?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  10. chdot
    Admin

    Now there's a question.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  11. fimm
    Member

    Just had a quick look - there are two Sheffield stands actually at the St Brides Centre itself, as well as the others described upthread.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  12. chdot
    Admin

  13. Arellcat
    Moderator

    I haven't missed a Spokes meeting for ages, but too many other things to do this evening plus a super early start tomorrow. Plus my folding bike is 'between drivetrains' right now.

    Any fireworks?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  14. HankChief
    Member

    Disappointingly quiet in our group.

    Some good stuff but hard to know what will transfer into Party Policies - we obviously got 'The cyclists...'

    Posted 9 years ago #
  15. SRD
    Moderator

    Given that we had the roseburnites in our group, I was delighted that it was quiet.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  16. HankChief
    Member

    Alison just summed up. Absolutely key point that need a whole party behind active travel & not just 1 or 2 candidates.

    Others have talked about difficulty in persuading others.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  17. unhurt
    Member

    Sorry not to come along (just returned from Orkney). One day the planets will align...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  18. Stickman
    Member

    Any fireworks?

    No. Our group was chaired by Rosie, who told him and an accomplice to take their side conversation elsewhere so that others could hear Alison Johnstone speak. Alison also put him in his place when he said "I don't agree with protected cycle lanes" and "people don't want to cycle on the main roads, side streets are better"

    I didn't get much out of the night to be honest: as HankChief said, all the speakers were cycling supporters (the Conservative to a lesser degree) and pretty much all agreed with what needed to be done. It's persuading the rest of their parties that is the challenge.

    One thing from the night was I finally got to see who my Conservative constituency candidate is. He's been completely anonymous up until now.

    Nice to meet Claire and SRD and probably some other forumites.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  19. Rosie
    Member

    One of the other Chairs said you should always pin the legislators on what they can actually legislate on. The Tory chap was best on that. He made the point that you could make cycling provision a prerequisite for getting a contract to run the rails as eg offering x amount of apprenticeships. Of course Tory chap's party will never be in a position to bring that about.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  20. LaidBack
    Member

    Post meeting debrief at Fountain. Jim Orr, chdot, SRD, Hankchief, Shuggiet, Claire, Kim, DaisyDaisy, Iain I - maybe others.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  21. chdot
    Admin

    "

    Ms Johnstone, who took part in a hustings organised by cycling campaigners Spokes last night, also called for spending on cycling and walking to be increased from under 2 per cent of the transport budget to 10 per cent.

    "

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/scrap-new-roads-to-fix-edinburgh-s-potholes-greens-1-4078762

    Posted 9 years ago #
  22. chdot
    Admin

  23. Rob
    Member

    "Alison also put him in his place when ..."

    What was Alison's response?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  24. Stickman
    Member

    Along the lines of "where's your evidence for that; other countries show direct segregated routes work"

    Posted 9 years ago #
  25. The meeting was good, and the speakers are all clearly very active and supportive; this was all very positive.

    It's a bit of a shame though that one doesn't get the non-enthusiastic politicians to such meetings. There are so many good arguments why active travel is good for society, economy, city life etc., so why is it that too many still see it as a fringe interest, and how can we get them on board?

    I thought it was good that some of the Roseburn activist came along. In our group it wasn't disruptive at all, but the main point is that they listened to various other perspectives, and perhaps also got an impression that all sorts of nice people use the bike to get around.

    Listening to each others' perspective is good for breaking up preconceptions and polarised positions. It's a long process and different people get different things out of it, but it's a start.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  26. From twitter:

    "A whole evening of talk if active travel at #spokesmtg but not one mention of canoeing! Paddlers vote too! — jriddell (@jriddell)"

    That is actually a very wise word. Perhaps too many people still see cycling like canoeing - nice and healthy, but we can't build lots of canals along main roads to accommodate a small minority of canoeists. We might build a few examplary canoeing facilities to attract tourists though.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  27. Rob
    Member

    If we did build the canals, lots more people would canoe to work. It isn't safe to canoe along main roads without segregated canoe infrastructure so people don't do it.

    Just look at Venice, that could be us if we make some bold decisions.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  28. crowriver
    Member

    That comparison sums it up. It's why the cycling as sport model will never deliver mass cycling as transport. That perception that you need specialist clothing, a h*****t, a fancy road bike, etc. is off-putting to the majority who don't see themselves as particularly sporty.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  29. jonty
    Member

    I cycled along the canal on Saturday afternoon and spotted only one kayak and five canoes in half an hour! If they don't use the facilities they already have, why should we give them more???

    Posted 9 years ago #
  30. Stickman
    Member

    When Alison Johnstone mentioned obesity levels last night I had a quick look round the room: certainly below the national average! Possibly a connection with cycling?!

    Posted 9 years ago #

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