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.
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Other measures to be considered include sending shovels and even mini-tractors to local communities to let them help them clear snow in their area themselves.
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http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/6m-melts-away-from-city.6691760.jp
SO
Let's book a mini-tractor!!
YES!
Yes please. give me one of those quad-bikes, some grit and some insurance and I'll take care of the major cycling/shared use paths in the city.
I've always wondered why we don't set up our own 'big society' style scheme to clear cycle paths. Apparently the snow clearing tractors cost c£5k to lease. Plus insurance, plus grit. £10k a year max?
Just signed up 200 people to pay a £5/mo or £60/yr subscription we could have the project up an running. Heck we could set up a charity and a charitable company for the promotion of adverse weather cycling. Simples.
Duplicate post, sorry.
That is an interesting idea rosscbrown, do you think there are 200 people in Edinburgh willing to pay a £5/mo or £60/yr subscription, for something which they might expect their council tax to pay for? Don't get me wrong, I am not against the idea, I think it is a good idea, I am just wondering if it could work?
Parents are signed up to clear playgrounds of snow. THe council might send shovels to schools [some of the dudes out here got mighty fine shovels of their own]. THe council tax would therefore be paying to get the road to the school passable and the parents are making sure the access / fire doors / playground is clear for the health and safety.
I doubt the council would give rosscbrown a tractor.They need them all for the pavements. Now if we had our own tractor....
Some more ideas:
Organisation Structure
- Charity: for the promotion and facilitation of safe cycling in adverse conditions providing help and support to those interested in cycling in adverse contions by way of information, training and lobbying. Raises funds from donations etc.
- Charitable company: As directed by the above, to undertake snow clearing activities and route safety audits. Owns equipment and raises funds from the use of such equipment.
Funding
- Donations from path users
- Grants from government, cycling groups, sustainability funds etc
- Commercial activities - undertake additional snow clearing for third parties on a commercial basis.
In Kind Support
- Weather monotering / road temperature data access - Local councils
- Grit - Procurement, delivery and storage logistics - local councils - they've already got the contacts/infrastructure to support this
- Path access
- Knowledge transfer from the public/private sector - I'm sure there must be a lot of science to road gritting that i've not considered...
Potential Challenges
- Raising capital for equipment - £10k to get the idea off the ground
- Insurance issues / public liability / operator training - general risk management issues
- Volunteer recruitment - to operate the equipment, fundraise and administration
- Operational considerations - routes to clear, clearing policy, rotas and SLA/KPI measures
- Contingency - using volunteers and with uncertain funding, how do we ensure a consistant service.
Wider community impact
- Public benefit - the non-cycling public would also have access to safer paths, material benefit to some 'at risk' groups
- Public engagement - badge value for the cycling community, bicycle users 'giving back' etc
- Employment and training - paid or community placement work for those out of work or ex-offenders being rehabilitated.
We start in Edinburgh and branch out across Scotland
rosscbrown - good plan
http://ccf.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/
deadline 14 feb
Oh, that looks good - I'll have a little look into the CC(F) Fund later today :-)
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