I was also a volunteer who helped on the Pilton path. I even drove a massive dumper truck, which was a lot of fun. I bet you can't just pitch up and hire one these days...
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Who turned the rail-tracks into cycle-paths ?
(78 posts)-
Posted 5 years ago #
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Participatory democracy in action.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Someone needs to cut out some of this info and get it printed out to hand to the Sustrans chuggers at Fiveways at the top of the Chancelot Path, who I've overheard ovet the last few days loudly telling those who stop for them that they're responsible for building all of the cyclepaths in Edinburgh.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Chuggers gonna chug, regardless of the truth
Posted 5 years ago # -
98.54% of Sustrans Scotland funding in 2018/19 came from Transport Scotland (i.e. the taxpayer).
Posted 5 years ago # -
Turned on its head, I really hope sustrans scotland doesn't put a lot of effort into its charity collection.
Posted 5 years ago # -
So 98.54% of Sustrans Scotland funding in 2018/19 came from Unsustrans Scotland?
What proportion of the active travel budget is that?
Posted 5 years ago # -
IWRATS - around 71% of the Scottish Government's total funding for active travel.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Sustrans is such an anomaly. One the one hand, it's absurd that a quasi charity (tax funded) should be organising/funding transport routes, something which even in highly libertarian societies is done by government. On the other hand, it does excellent things and has some great people working for it, and you might not get the equivalent in a public service. So perhaps its independent role works best.
Within local and national government is there any role with the powers that a Transport Commissioner like Janette Sadik-Khan had in New York?
Posted 5 years ago # -
@Morningsider 71% of the total budget, what would John Grimshaw have built with that?
Maybe it is easier to take over abandoned railways than get paths segregated.
WoL Path is supposed to be getting more Ultitrec and drainage - they will also need barriers to stop the radges on their stolen motorbikes
Things do move very slowly these days.
Posted 5 years ago # -
"Maybe it is easier to take over abandoned railways than get paths segregated."
Not when they are subject to a 100 year (!) contract between Network Rail and DB Cargo, as the disused Powderhall Line is.
Maybe if I am ever able to retire (a prospect that appears to be receding faster than my hairline into the distant future) I will one day cycle or stroll along a Powderhall Path.
In the meantime, a feasibility study is funded by Sustrans/unSustrans for the coming year...
Posted 5 years ago # -
On the other hand, it does excellent things and has some great people working for it
My suspicion is that its function is just that: to gather up the good people and allow them to do things that make them (and sometimes us) feel good.
Posted 5 years ago # -
"This bunch can get in the sea too."
Indeed. Victim blaming as displacement and justification of motorists' subconscious anxiety over operating lethal two tonne hulks of machinery at high speed.
Posted 5 years ago # -
MS as poster boy for the folk in the sea
just completed that Bio Quarter survey stating clearly that Segregation is the thing
SESTran (South east JockLand Transport Whatsit) - Who are theyu and how are they different from SUSTRANS Scotland. Just asking, bnot an exam question
Posted 5 years ago # -
I'm not sure about that 100 year contract with DB Cargo. Their current track access agreement for the entire GB rail network expires in 2026. Also, DB Cargo are a commercial operator. There is now no reason to run trains to Powderhall, I can't see why they would object to the line's closure.
Posted 5 years ago # -
SEStran are the "Regional Transport Partnership" for South East Scotland. They are ostensibly a way of getting local authorities to work together on regional transport, mainly buses and active travel as far as I can tell.
RTPs used to have larger budgets, allowing them to actually build infrastructure. SEStran had plans to build lots of cross-boundary active travel projects (such as Porty-Musselburgh) before their budget was cut. Now they only seem to have enough money to fund feasibility studies, which they do seem to be doing a good job of, to be fair.
Posted 5 years ago # -
How cycling is funded beats any Brexit deal in complexity.
Posted 5 years ago # -
they will also need barriers to stop the radges on their stolen motorbikes
That's the main issue I have with Sustrans - they seem to condone (probably illegal) barriers on cyclepaths to attempt to limit possible illegal users whilst definitely limiting legal use.
I still can't belive they've endorsed NCN76 through the Dalmeny and Hopetoun Estates with their (probably illegal) barriers which mean I'm excluded on my handcycle.Posted 5 years ago # -
"I can't see why they would object to the line's closure"
I'm sure they won't - for the right level of compensation. Which I presume is one of several sticking points.
Posted 5 years ago # -
This bunch can get in the sea too.
I realise this is not a railway question, or even a question at all, but Be Bright Be Seen makes me all uneasy. I am very minded to ask Streets Ahead exactly why cyclists riding outwith hours of daylight should be
requiredexhortedstrongly encouraged to wear magical clothing that is not required by law.For drivers:
- When turning right into, or turning right out of junctions, look closely for approaching cyclists
- Before turning right, always wait until there is a clearly visible safe gap between you and approaching traffic.
For cyclists:
- Use front and rear lights at dusk, night and dawn. If you don't use lights at night, you could receive a £30 fine.
Stand out. Wear reflective or light-coloured clothing, especially when cycling at night, so that drivers can see you- All cycles must be fitted with a rear red reflector, and amber pedal reflectors
I fear I will one day be asked to promote BBBS at work. I also have one of the fluorescent waterproof rucksack covers which, I discovered recently having deployed it as a basket cover on the Elephant Bike, is not in fact waterproof.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Relevant rule in Highway Code merely states this:
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Rule 60
At night your cycle MUST have white front and red rear lights lit. It MUST also be fitted with a red rear reflector (and amber pedal reflectors, if manufactured after 1/10/85).
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Everything else is "should" i.e. optional.
Posted 5 years ago # -
On the matter of reflectors I am a bad bad boy. But then no roadie has ever ever had them on their clippy-ins have they?
Posted 5 years ago # -
But then no roadie has ever ever had them on their clippy-ins have they?
I spent a while, unsuccessfully, trying to find clipless pedals with reflectors, as I am paranoid about someone driving into me and then getting off by saying "Yes, I realise he had two front lights, two rear lights, a front reflector, a rear reflector, reflectors in his spokes and several items of reflective clothing but I'd've seen him if he had pedal reflectors."
Posted 5 years ago # -
I read somewhere that road shoes have reflective bits on them to make up for the invisible nature of road pedals. The reflective bits on my shoes aren't amber so that might be nonsense.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Shimano PD-M545 and (I think) M646 had options to fit a wrap-around cage with reflectors in. I even had them for a while until this happened
Never did manage to get any suitable replacements (I just *cannot* get on with single-sided SPD) so I'm pedal reflectorless at the moment.
However, dredging this up has inspired me to google and I found these...
Posted 5 years ago # -
"someone driving into me and then getting off by saying"...
...cyclist wasn't:
- wearing a helmet
- using the cycle path
- riding in the gutter
- wearing mahoosive day-glo reflective jacket
- where I expected them to be
- allowing me to overtake
- supposed to be on my road in the dark
- a motorist
- a car/lorry/bus
- my fuel gauge/speedo/satnav/mobile phone/tablet/laptop/bowl of cereal/newspaper/detective novel
- sufficiently respectful of my obvious superiorityThey're going to get off anyway, most likely, whatever they say.
Posted 5 years ago # -
“You ran down 3 cyclists! That’s dangerous driving.”
I was on my phone!
“Oh. Careless driving then, £50 fine.”
Posted 5 years ago # -
However, dredging this up has inspired me to google and I found these...
On my EB I have the Shimano XT PD-T780 trekking pedals. Single-sided with reflectors, not quite up to usual XT quality. The current PD-T8000 pedals are silly money, but have grippy spikes instead of the vague ridges that mine have.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@Arellcat - I have already been asked to promote the BBBS thing at work. I'm always up for getting free stuff for BUG members (this year they are including lights), so will gladly take that off the council's hands. This (hijacked) thread has prompted me to think about how we can communicate the wider 'look out for bikes' message to colleagues too.
Posted 5 years ago # -
I have walkable MTB-type cleats and shoes rather than clippity-clop road hooves but I imagine a strip of amber retro-reflective tape around the heel would work on other shoes too. I am not irked by pedal-reflectives as they were common when I was small and say "bike" quite clearly.
I moved here in 1994 but only discovered the Innocent in 1998ish and the NEPN in 2000, when I went from Roseburn to Newhaven then back up to Craigleith, which I had somehow missed on the way down, then on to the FRB.
Posted 5 years ago #
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