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Cycling councillors

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Started 6 years ago by Stickman
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Stickman
Member

Following the recent CEC election I thought it may be useful to list the councillors we know cycle...please add to the list if you can, especially the new ones.

SNP
David Key (Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart)
Adam McVey (Leith)
Lewis Ritchie (Leith Walk)

Conservative
Joanna Mowat (City Centre)
Cameron Rose (Southside/Newington)

Labour
Scott Arthur (Colinton/Fairmilehead)
Maureen Child (Portobello/Craigmillar)
Cammy Day (Forth)
Gordon Munro (Leith)

Green
Chas Booth (Leith)
Steve Burgess (Southside/Newington)
Gavin Corbett (Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart)
Claire Miller (City Centre)

Posted 6 years ago #
Ed1
Member

Councillor Graeme Bruce cycles

Posted 6 years ago #
cb
Member

Green | Melanie Main (Evidence | "I count myself a cyclist now")

Posted 6 years ago #
gembo
Member

Scott Arthur (lab) colinton eschewing 'free' bus pass as cycling better for his heart

Oops I see he is already on the list

Posted 6 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

For my ward (C&D) you can count in John Mclennan, the Conservative candidate (and former Evening News editor). He cycles for work and pleasure. I'm pretty sure none of the others are regular cyclists.

I emailed him (John) about a question (Powderhall Railway and potential use as a cycle / foot path) and he took the liberty to remind me that when he was in charge at the chipwrapper he had been very pro-Tram and pro-congestion charge.

Posted 6 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"pro-congestion charge"

Must have missed that (though probably before he was editor?)

What did he say about the Powderhall ParksLink line?

Posted 6 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

@chdot, I emailed all candidates, and all except 1 (wo didn't get in anyway) got back to me with varying levels of tentative, non-committal support.

Mr Mclennan was quite enthusiastic and took the trouble to tell me he was a regular user of the NEPN but wanted to be clear he wasn't signing any cheques just yet.

Posted 6 years ago #
Frenchy
Member

Must have missed that (though probably before he was editor?)
Congestion charge was before my time, but from wikipedia:

He was editor 99-02 and again 04-09. Congestion charge seems to have been a big issue from 01-05.

Posted 6 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

I've re-read the email and he said that when [he] was editor, he came out in favour of the tram project and "few might remember that in the end we actually supported the congestion change plan to fund tram Route 4 to the Royal Infirmary. The public had other ideas". He also said he has long been in favour of the principle of expansion of rail and tram services "where there is passenger demand". It was a good response and he seems like a good candidate for a councillor, shame I couldn't bring myself to put his party anywhere but the bottom of my preferences.

Posted 6 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"but wanted to be clear he wasn't signing any cheques just yet"

Not the stage things are at.

Maybe he would like to find out what CEC 'plans' are and some idea of costs (and NetworkRail attitude).

Ideal Sustrans CL project.

Have you written to him since he was elected?

Draw him a nice map from his house to the NEPN.

One of these has his name correct -

http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/councillors/52/john_mclellan

http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/ex-scotsman-editor-john-mclellan-elected-as-edinburgh-councillor-1-4438416

Posted 6 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

Like all the candidates standing in our ward, he doesn't actually live in it.

I'll be writing to our 4 councillors to follow up, once they've settled in to their new roles.

He did say that he was sure the trackbeds were "protected under the local development plan".

Posted 6 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"He did say that he was sure the trackbeds were "protected under the local development plan"."

I think that's true, which should mean it's worth less than if NR could expect to sell for housing etc.

I seem to remember that the route of Abbeyhill Loop (which may or may not get used as a railway, sometime) was only protected when Lawrence Marshall campaigned hard when he was a councillor.

Posted 6 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

The trackbed of the Abbeyhill Loop is protected, but in a rather useless manner; it's protected only with the junction facing Powderhall. The Urbane Den development on the Butterfly has built over it facing the Piershill direction. This realistically means the Loop can never be used as a bypass for local services through Piershill/Meadowbank/Abbeyhill stations.

Posted 6 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"This realistically means the Loop can never be used as a bypass for local services through Piershill/Meadowbank/Abbeyhill stations."

Really??

Posted 6 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

The letter from Network Rail regarding the planning mentions only the need to retain the western side of the trackbed for potential use as a turnback. The rest of it is just referred to as "land in Network Rail's ownership.

It's not impossible that you could put the rail line back in (I should clarify that the building on the trackbed is landscaping/public realm type stuff), but you would have to do a pretty major ground engineering exercise to provide a cutting.

It would be much more sensible to put a cycle path on it :)

Posted 6 years ago #
Frenchy
Member

Mary Campbell (Green, Porty/Craigmillar).

Posted 6 years ago #
crowriver
Member

@kaputnik, I thought they were keeping the Meadowbank side of the loop clear? AFAIK only thing "built" on the trackbed is the "temporary" footpath in lieu of a footbridge. Might be worth doing another site visit to see if anything's changed? IIRC the plans for Urbane Den show all three rail beds kept clear...

Anyway this should all be in the Powderhall thread no?

John McLellan: interesting that he's a cyclist. He's been keeping that quiet! Most of his noise during campaign was about 20mph zones and some weird objection to the Jock's Lodge pub being turned into a hipster/yummy mummy cafe bar. I just had him down as typical grumpy, reactionary Tory TBH. I suppose such folk can also be cyclists, not mutually exclusive it it? :-)

Posted 6 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

@Crowriver would be happy to proved wrong in that case, maybe need to have a better root around the Urbane Den. A friend has bought a flat there and will be moving in soon.

J McL also wrote into the Evening News / they gave their old pal a 2-page spread on the subject of Meadowbank redevelopment. He was unhappy the council proposed to transfer part of the site for building social housing (did he use a phrase like "financial black magic"?) rather than flog it on the open market to the highest bidder. I'm sure a fellow as smart as he knows that councils must pay market value for any land the acquire for housing (the market value of the land with permission, whether it has it or not, therefore if this site was not retained for housing there would be a big expense to acquire other suitable land.

Posted 6 years ago #
crowriver
Member

I passed across the Crawford Bridge on foot yesterday (also went across on bike Saturday but too busy dodging pecs to see much) , and noted that they have cut down some trees and cleared shrubs etc. on the Urbane Den side of the Abbeyhill loop track bed heading south. There appear to be steps leading down from the development: presume some kind of fire exit/assembly point rather than path access? However track bed clear. Haven't checked the Meadowbank facing track bed yet, but may do so this week.

Posted 6 years ago #
Stickman
Member

Add Lesley Macinnes to the list: proud and happy new owner of an e-bike:

https://mobile.twitter.com/lmacinnessnp/status/985441944754106368

My first ever e-bike ride this morning and first time properly on a bike for decades. Bloody marvellous - hills hold no fear and sense of freedom was fab-u-lous! Highly recommended.
Oh, yes - gently get to grips with it and try to make it as much part of urban living as poss. Had been very keen to try for sometime but various hold ups. Now proud owner of shiny red e-bike. Great possibilities for normalising bikes for the not so fit, not just for MAMILs!

Posted 6 years ago #
I were right about that saddle
Member

@Stickman

We must invite her to the grand opening of the Island of the Dead. The ride in from her ward will be interesting.

Posted 6 years ago #
Trixie
Member

I saw the Tweet this morning. First thought was "Great, I know how she feels, nice one!" Second cynical thought was maybe Gilmerton Road will see some tarmac now.

Posted 6 years ago #
Frenchy
Member

Second cynical thought was maybe Gilmerton Road will see some tarmac now.

Let's hope so.

Posted 6 years ago #
chdot
Admin

https://twitter.com/cllrnickcook/status/985519160095539200

Posted 6 years ago #
Stickman
Member

https://mobile.twitter.com/cllrnickcook/status/985870528895438848

"Clocking up lots of time on @Deezer @nextbike today. Easy coexistence with high volume of vehicles, pedestrians through quality on/off road cycle lanes. And - importantly - pothole free carriageways. #activetravel #berlin

Posted 6 years ago #
chdot
Admin

https://twitter.com/annalangside/status/985973363112906752

Posted 6 years ago #
Stickman
Member

Safe to say that Mark Brown is getting good use of his new ebike. Superb.

https://mobile.twitter.com/mr_mark_brown/status/993208257236951040

Posted 5 years ago #

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