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.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
stickyCouncil budget debate tomorrow - proposals/counter-proposals here:
https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=150&MId=6105
As expected coalition/greens maintain 10% active travel ring fencing. Tories oppose this as usual (despite it being national policy). Also the usual vague commitments to “improved traffic management at key junctions”
Someone should tell the Tories that the City of Edinburgh Council already uses the very nifty real-time SCOOT (Split Cycle and Offset Optimisation Technique) system developed by the boffins at the TRL to manage signals at key points on the road network.
As ever, the problem isn't the signals - there are simply too many cars.
Always fascinating to know how many millions are apparently sitting around waiting for a service review/prioritisation according to opposition budgets.
@CycleAlex I once tried to understand how the LibDems were able to splash the cash so easily. Turned out to be a massive and escalating benefit from outsourcing services...
IIRC it was based on report from some other council that had considered it in a one area (but not done it) and this was extrapolated over many services.
Just spotted that the LibDems are putting up 2 candidates in the 3 Cllr Drumbrae/Gyle ward (covering East Craigs).
And 2 candidates in the 3 Cllr Murrayfield/Corstorphine ward.
Must think their anti LTN position will get them lots of votes...
You know I try really hard to avoid being party-political and take things one election at a time etc, but the parties here are making it really hard these days. Tories are Tories. LibDems have gone full Onesie. Now Labour are attacking "the SNP/Green Commuter Tax"(ie, the workplace parking levy which was in their own 2017 manifesto and is currently being pushed as a good idea because of its success in Nottingham...where the council is run by Labour).
Not leaving me with all that many options there chaps.
What @Yodhrin said......
Leicester City Council are currently consulting on a Workplace Parking Levy - of its 54 Councillors, 51 are Labour. If it's good enough for possibly the most Labour Council in the UK then why not Edinburgh?
I appreciate Scottish/Edinburgh Labour probably think they are involved in some smart realpolitik. Yet how many votes will opposing a Workplace Parking Levy will gain them, as opposed to votes lost from progressive types? Who amongst the vociferously opposed to the WPL are looking at Labour, rather than the Tories? People can smell the insincerity of their new position. Honestly, I'm beyond disappointed with this.
I wonder if my paper will count as a spoilt ballot when I list the candidates from -1 to -6. The hardest part of choosing the order will be deciding which of the lib-dem candidates is -5 and which is -4.
for anyone else who missed local Labour U-turn (can't see it above). Incredibly disappointing.
so for any hope of it happening.. Green & SNP need 32 for a majority & currently have 27.
Assuming national swings hold in Edinburgh..
it looks within realm of plausibility based on SNP growth in polls now vs 2017. But it's a pretty involved process to try and get good predictions with STV vote system and local wards
now: (2nd graph)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_next_Scottish_Parliament_election
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But Tory transport spokesman Graham Hutchison said: "This is consistent with the overall approach this administration has taken. It's aggressively anti-car. It's not taking into account the needs of people who require a car to get from A to B.
"It's very difficult to do a weekly shop on your push-bike.
“
He is of course wrong about many things but at least he appears to be aware that it's possible to do a weekly shop by bike. I suspect that the fact the wording highlights how much easier it is on an e-bike was accidental.
However the easiest option of all is to get your shopping delivered and then pick up only midweek essentials by bike/foot.
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After winning more than half the first-preference votes and getting two councillors elected last time in Almond – which includes Silverknowes. Cramond, South Queensferry and Kirkliston – the party has decided to put up a third candidate in the four-member ward.
“
(Curiously although story is on front of EN website, link doesn’t work.)
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Edinburgh Elects is a website and Twitter page dedicated to covering the local elections for the City of Edinburgh Council in 2022.
Local politics is often under-represented but it is an important function of our democracy. Edinburgh Elects is committed to providing news and analysis ahead of the elections on 5 May 2022.
“
Lib dems showed up on the doorstep last night. Surprising enthusiasm and support for the drive through restaurants planned locally.
Some people might find this useful
https://www.edinburghconservatives.org.uk/local_residents_survey_2022
Complete list of all candidates by ward:
https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/30811/notice-of-poll
Inverleith doesn't seem to have any surprises as far as where my votes are going then. Pleased upon checking to find that at least the Labour candidate gives the appearance of being pro-cycling so I can rank her fairly high without feeling grotty; is there a point in trying to figure out which Lib Dem to rank first, or they much of a muchness? In fact, I wonder if there any point "gaming" my ranking a little? I'd put the Liberals above the Tories certainly, but I'd rather not help them towards two seats. Dunno whether the Libertarians are feeling particularly optimistic and there's a mistake on the document, or if we've got a People's Front of Judea situation with a former member going independent against the current head of the party, but that could provide some entertainment if anyone's going to the hustings.
Wards Contested (Total Candidates)
SNP: 17 (25)
LD: 17 (22)
Con: 17 (20)
Lab: 17 (20)
Grn: 17 (17)
Alba: 7 (7)
Ind: 5 (10)
Others: 12 (22)
https://twitter.com/ballotboxscot/status/1509270683158786052
No party fielding enough candidates to gain a majority. It’s going to be down to who will work with who, which on recent evidence doesn’t bode well.
@Yodhrin you've only got two options really. Either you put the libdems above the Tories (you may elect a second libdem cllr instead of a Tory) or you can effectively abstain by not numbering any of them, and let others' votes decide.
Personally I'll be numbering every candidate with Tories last...
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SCOTTISH Labour is to field its lowest ever number of candidates in the local elections, amid reports it has been struggling to find members willing to stand.
“
https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/20035850.scottish-labour-stand-fewest-ever-candidates-may/
@Dave Ah well, hopefully I won't contribute too much to either of them getting in. I think I'll be ranking the Family Party even lower than the Tories though, they're real nasty pieces of work.
In Leith Walk ward I have quite an array of choices.
I see that in addition to the usual parties there are candidates from the left and right of the political spectrum. I'll be avoiding the latter, and frankly most of the bigger parties. On the left there's a real life Communist and a Socialist Labour Party candidate too.
Certainly keeps things a bit more interesting and gives weary voters some different options.
The Edinburgh Reporter* is running profiles of some of the council candidates.
The Labour Sighthill/Gorgie candidate said this:
Labour is strongly committed to measures that facilitate the necessary reduction in car use in the city – improving public transport, and building active travel infrastructure. This will be a major issue in Sighthill/Gorgie in the coming years, with proposals for a cycle route from Haymarket to Hermiston Gait on the horizon. I think Gorgie & Dalry is ideally situated to achieve this in a way that revitalises the High Streets in the area and puts pedestrians and local residents first.
Anyone know what route he is referring to?
*as always, doing the hard-work of actual local news reporting rather than the usual EEN clickbait.
I reckon the reference to Haymarket-Hermiston Gait might be a conflation of CCWEL and West Edinburgh Link programmes.
Isn't it CCWEL + Roseburn Park + the Bankhead path (parallel to the tram route)?
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