From the BBC
Edinburgh Airport has pulled back on its expansion plans, saying there is no need to consider a second runway for another 20 years.
Or the Full BAA masterplan (website, with sections)
On cycling, under "current infrastructure" it says;
Cycle racks are provided in front of the terminal and outside most office buildings within the airport campus. Additional facilities, such as showers and lockers, are also available for some staff..
I don't think they're aiming this comment at passengers.
Under plans for "non motorise transport" it says;
Non–motorised modes of transport
There are well established routes for pedestrians at the airport and these are kept under review to ensure that pedestrian access to and around the airport continues to be safe and convenient.
Note - "at" not "to". I'd like to point out here that Pedestrian access to the airport is anything but "convenient", therefore it cannot continue to be something it is not.
In 2008 the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) published its Core Paths Plan – identifying a system of paths and routes throughout the city, providing secure and welcoming access. We aim to work with the CEC to facilitate pedestrian access both to the airport and around the airport campus, as appropriate.
We aim to facilitate bicycle access to the airport for both passengers and staff, and in recent years have significantly improved cycle parking facilities at the airport. A cycle to work scheme is also available to BAA staff and quarterly free bike maintenance sessions are provided for all staff based at Edinburgh Airport.
"Aim to". That's a bit of a vague aspiration and makes no commitment whatsoever. And if their aim is just to work with the council then that's even less of an aspiration.
Point noted about C2W scheme for BAA as a positive thing (hardly a ground-breaking piece of initiative on their part though, to offer their employees a government subsidised scheme...).
I'd wager a number of BAA employees new to cycling and thinking of commuting to the airport might prefer not to fight their along the A8 path to get to work.
In 2010 we commissioned an assessment by Cycling Scotland to identify improvements which could be made to cycle access routes both on and off the airport, and made this report available to the CEC and other stakeholders.
One bit in the BBC news article caught my attention;
the masterplan forecasts passenger numbers will grow from nine million to 12.3 million per year until 2020, with aircraft movements increasing from 116,200 to 141,300.
So I found it interesting that BAA would seem to feel no obligation to make firm commitments to supporting and/or financing any alternative to motorised transport for all those extra people going to/from the airport (each of whom will be paying into BAA's coffers) beyond some vague aims and aspirations and statements about how it's all glorious already.
The report asks "what do you think?". I think I might tell them.
</cynicism>
Note - there's plenty money in the masterplan to add an additional multi-story carpark and enlarge the access roundabouts. So it's not all just my particular, positive spin on the subject ;). They make a lot of noise about how bus journeys now account for 26% of all trips to/from the airport, however are very silent on the point that as passenger numbers increase, car journeys still increase although have a lower overall percentage share of all journeys.
Note 2 - apparently 2.7% of journeys to the airport are by plane(!) and 1.1% of journeys to the airport are made by "other" means. I wonder what these are beyond statistical/surveying error.
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