@rosie, yep, daisy and Lesley pretty active. Lee in danger of being tokenistic I fear. Trouble is the hive mind on here rightly needs a pro cycling person also to campaign against road building. Scot Gov and UkGov love building roads. Roads to drive on that somehow instantly become choked so the only solution is to build more roads that instantly become choked. So the only solution is to build more roads. Sorry to go on I am reading Ducks, Newburyport by edinburgh resident Lucy Ellman it is 1080 pages long and not an easy read
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News
“Active Nation Commissioner”
(129 posts)-
Posted 4 years ago #
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@neddie
I've got loads of time for Ms Craigie. She's a very interesting character. But Scot Gov is very, very good at capturing and neutralising potential critics.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Rode to shop side by side with acquaintance past Quartermile. No need to go on cycle ways today. Family group just went over bridge at Viewforth.
Our cargo bike and e-bike is there for anyone to use btw. Ideal time to try out alternatives.Posted 4 years ago # -
You never know, guys, a little sisterly solidarity in a time of crisis might go a long way in terms of influence over policy when we come to rebuild our society after this is over.
You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar
Posted 4 years ago # -
@sallyhinch - so you think Lee Craigie showering praise over Nicola Sturgeon is going to mean different transport policies? I really can't see that.
Posted 4 years ago # -
There's no doubting that Ms Craigie is on the side of the angels. Nonetheless she who sups with the Devil should have a long spoon.
Posted 4 years ago # -
If you want the devil to eat from your own plate, you need to get it pretty close to their face, though.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Lee needs an ally - Boardman can do what he does as he has full backing from Burnham same as Andrew Whatsit and Boris.
Hopefully she also loves Alison Johnstone but is not being gushin g about it. The problem there is cycling gets funded in deal to get budget through with greens but on top of massive road building instead of massive road closures.
Posted 4 years ago # -
@gembo - Sarah Boyack did do stuff when she was responsible for transport. You need it from the transport minister. Matheson is an empty space.
Posted 4 years ago # -
@Rosie, what did Sarah Boyack do? Would have been good if Sarah had Lee I guess?
Posted 4 years ago # -
She handed out money! The chief job of any politician.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Rosie, i like Sarah Boyack, i just cant remember what she did, sorry
Posted 4 years ago # -
SB was doing fine until she upset the Daily Record (can’t remember what - workplace parking tax perhaps) and printed a photo of her riding a bike (not at a photo opp...)
Her boss Jack told her to stop cycling. Very supportive.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Boss jack I was not so big a fan of but better than Salmond.
Posted 4 years ago # -
She took an interest in Home Zones (there might be one in Edinburgh) and cycling at schools (gembo she visited Stenhouse).
With a professional background in planning and being a bicycle user she actually understood many of the joined-up-issues ‘we’ always go on about.
Hostile press, party that didn’t really want to upset things too much and the usual ‘roads interested’ civil service etc, was a hard job.
What DID she do?
Well
“
she was Minister for Transport and Planning from 2000 until 2001, during which time she introduced one of Scottish Labour's flagship policies of free bus travel for people over 60 and disabled people.
“
Posted 4 years ago # -
I think about influencing a lot. Badly I suspect. Clearly you can't influence someone unless they think your interests overlap. So Ms Craigie is correct to get close. However if overlap of interests is too great they know you won't walk or make a fuss.
Mr Matheson is quite interesting in that he has directed some funding away from middle class interests to marginalised communities including the working class which is most people? Unwilling to fund free bike servicing for UoE staff on the Meadows for instance.
In my experience the two ways of reliably effecting change are subterfuge and insurrection. These are the techniques the car industry used and uses. There will be no debate on electric or autonomous vehicle infrastructure it will just be necessary and inevitable.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Free bus pass is big thing. I am happy to pay for retired people to use the bus perfectly happy.
Hebtroco the trouser firm from Hebden Bridge who pick up delivery of ultra warm socks ( i have a pair) on electric cargo bikes from Bradford. Use reverse Influencing. Brew dog. Do it too.
Has worked on me and maybe also on @SRD. ?
Posted 4 years ago # -
“In my experience the two ways of reliably effecting change are subterfuge and insurrection.”
I’d add subversion and direct action.
Some years ago the entrances to most of Edinburgh cyclepaths had barriers, supposedly to stop motorbikes. This included a special low bar to catch pedals!
I know someone who took a hacksaw to the one on Russell Road. CEC welded it back
Hacksawed again. This time CEC tidied up where it had been cut and left the space so bicycles could get through without stopping.
I am aware other similar things, some I have been involved in - including strategic vegetation removal to create (or rescue) paths.
There are ramblers groups doing this all over. Technically illegal without landowners’ permission, but usually ‘a good thing’.
If only SG put a fraction of its road budget to maintaining, improving and extending Scotland’s path network.
“There will be no debate on electric or autonomous vehicle infrastructure it will just be necessary and inevitable”
That’s not entirely true.
In terms of charging points there’s plenty of discussion about how many, where and when. There does seem to be some sort of expectation/acceptance that ‘the Gov must pay’.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Commissioner Craigie has now reported on her first two years in post;
https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/48631/active-nation-report.pdf
I have to say that it reads like an application for another two years more than anything else.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Lee Craigie is obviously a passionate advocate for cycling and active lifestyles and all-round good egg. Unfortunately she is a political novice and whoever wrote that report is effectively trolling her. One of the commitments in the report is:
Continue to support political enthusiasm for the 20 mph bill
This is what her boss Michael Matheson MSP said about that Bill (voted down on 13 June 2019 by 83 votes to 26, with 4 abstentions):
As I have made clear, the Scottish Government supports the introduction of 20mph zones. However, we do not support a one-size-fits-all blanket approach to all restricted roads, which is exactly what the bill proposes.
The rest of the report is standard "government capture" stuff - involving someone who could be a passionate critic in endless committees, presentations and consultations.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Yeah I like her too but jeezo that's bad.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I am reminded of the Wire song Fly in the ointment goes
I am the fly, I am the fly, I am the fly in the ointment
Posted 4 years ago # -
Care to guess which organisation is responsible for establishing this "culture"? I'll give you a clue, they drafted a contract that includes the following requirement:
The Franchisee shall, so far as is reasonably practical and subject to the availability of appropriate space on any rolling stock vehicles in the Train Fleet, ensure that reasonable facilities for the transport of bicycles on such rolling stock vehicles are made available, to passengers using the Passenger Services.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Scotland shall, so far as is reasonably practical and subject to the availability of appropriate space, ensure that reasonable facilities for transport by bicycle are provided on such roads as are made available for transport by car?
Posted 4 years ago # -
Reasonable, adj. A get out of jail free card in policy and contract writing.
Posted 4 years ago # -
When I worked with actuaries we used to play a game where we'd try to manipulate them into pronouncing the phrase 'reasonably reasonable' in a meeting.
Posted 4 years ago # -
@IWRATS - that is an unreasonably unreasonable game. Actuaries are shy, delicate flowers that require tender nurturing. They are not a toy for the idle amusement of others.
Posted 4 years ago # -
@Stickman
True dat, but they are also the possessors of subtle minds. Who knows what games they were playing with us?
Posted 4 years ago # -
Posted 4 years ago #
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