Shades of "Mission Accomplished" I fear...
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Scott Arthur Latest
(1432 posts)- Started 2 years ago by chdot
- Latest reply from chdot
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Posted 1 year ago #
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I don't understand Cllr Arthur's claims here. The prohibition on pavement parking applies across Scotland from 11 December. This isn't an Edinburgh thing. All the Council has agreed is that its current parking attendants can choose to issuse penalty charge notices for pavement, dropped kerb and double parking.
Interestingly, they cannot issue penalties for parking on shared use pavements and cycle tracks. These are seperate offences, which are only enforceable by the police.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I realise this is CCE and not CCG or CCA, but are the Glasgow or Aberdeen equivalents of Cllr Arthur making bold claims along the same lines? Are Glasgow or Aberdeen quietly getting on with the enforcement? Are they quietly ignoring the duty?
Posted 1 year ago # -
“
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “We’re making good progress on City Centre West to East Link and in a matter of months will be able to open it, providing a safe and accessible walking and cycling route across the city. In Roseburn, contractors are making some final improvements to roads and pavements to ensure long term quality.
“Over the last few days they’ve been carrying this work out overnight to minimise disruption but I do appreciate that this can cause noise and inconvenience, and I’d like to thank residents and businesses for their patience during this time, and for the entirety of the project. I’m pleased that work in this area will be complete by the end of this week too.
“Once complete, this project will transform the area, providing a much improved environment for spending time and visiting local businesses, and I look forward to the benefits it will bring.”
“
https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/edinburgh-locals-cant-sleep-noisy-28117432
Posted 1 year ago # -
We’re making good progress on City Centre West to East Link and in a matter of months will be able to open it, providing a safe and accessible walking and cycling route across the city
Did “best seat” forget about George Street? That mile long section bang in the middle of CCWEL that isn’t complete and has no safe cycling facilities?
So it isn’t a “safe and accessible” route across the city at all, it’s two disconnected end-sections (motorway to nowhere)
Posted 1 year ago # -
He also seems to have forgotten about the centre part of "across the city". The majority of the city lies either east or west of the route's extremities.
Posted 1 year ago # -
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This is my wee summary of a busy day on the Transport & Environment Committee.
Four key things covered:
The inquiry report considered.
A pavement parking ban approved.
Public toilet plan requested.
Supported bus routes agreed.Much more on the webcast:…
“
https://twitter.com/cllrscottarthur/status/1725271508312785208
PLUS 8 minute video
Posted 1 year ago # -
You can understand why the craven decision to reopen Silverknowes to private cars isn't headlining :/
Posted 1 year ago # -
Is SA planning a ferry service?
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Pre-production electric hydrofoiling ferry rides above the waves
https://newatlas.com/marine/candela-p12-series-production/
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https://twitter.com/cllrscottarthur/status/1725685862233415830
Posted 1 year ago # -
Bridge over the river Dalry next week apparently
Posted 1 year ago # -
Once again he seems to have discovered something quite well known, appears to agree/endorse.
And once again shows no sign of advocating any of it for Ed…
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Growing cities right across the world are concluding that they are running out of space for cars, so are making space for people.
Getting this right will boost the wellbeing of residents, and support economic growth. #WinWin
https://twitter.com/brenttoderian/status/1725976332201230460?
“
https://twitter.com/cllrscottarthur/status/1725985645380731296
Posted 1 year ago # -
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I can't read all Tweets directed to me. Some tips:
1 Colinton, Oxgangs and Fairmilehead issues - mail me on cllr.scott.arthur@edinburgh.gov.uk or come to my monthly surgery.
2 Transport & Environment Policy issues - mail me.
3 Local issues outside my Ward - mailing your Cllr is best, but feel free to mail me.
I don't mind people disagreeing with me (it is healthy), but I'm getting fed-up blocking rude people (mostly men and anonymous accounts!) from this feed. The feed now has 6,694 followers - incredible! Most, however, don't come here to be trolled!
Promoted by Dr Scott Arthur on behalf of Dr Scott Arthur, both c/o 31 Minto Street, Edinburgh, UK.
“Posted 1 year ago # -
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The feed now has 6,694 followers - incredible!
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All relative of course
Cycling Edinburgh
@CyclingEdin
8,595 FollowersAfter 14 1/2 years
SA
6,694 Followers
After 9 1/2 years
Posted 1 year ago # -
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This is a wee update on Edinburgh's Bus Trackers.
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https://twitter.com/cllrscottarthur/status/1727060432144449947
(6 minute video)
Posted 1 year ago # -
More trolling
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This road is one of two (possibly three) options to take a tram to Granton.
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https://twitter.com/cllrscottarthur/status/1727252640030224618
‘Best seat’ video of Crewe Road South
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This line will connect to 3500 homes we plan to build in Granton - it means only 1 in 4 homes will need a car.
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https://twitter.com/cllrscottarthur/status/1727359160361038287
Posted 1 year ago # -
Does he believe his own hype?
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Getting stuff done.
From the ESPC - Reforming and regulating the Short-Term Let market in Edinburgh has led to homes becoming (slightly) more affordable.
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https://twitter.com/cllrscottarthur/status/1728041184168144904
Posted 12 months ago # -
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This is Elder Street - it runs between the St James Quarter and Multrees Walk.
One of the benefits of the Transport & Environment Committee's unanimous decision to retain St James Square (outside the W Hotel) as a pedestrian space is that the crossing is safer than it otherwise would be.
“
https://twitter.com/cllrscottarthur/status/1729204615596413071
Posted 12 months ago # -
"We've emasculated most of the city's protected cycle infrastructure, but don't worry! You can cross this one street slightly easier than before because we blocked one VIP coach every month from using it!"
Posted 12 months ago # -
unlike last Saturday when there was a mahoosive articulated lorry reversing down it through Christmas shopping crowds
Posted 12 months ago # -
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Getting Stuff Done - Parking attendants on buses in Edinburgh have now issued 949 tickets.
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Posted 11 months ago # -
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Useful insight here about why women cycle at night.
This is part of a wider report by
@limebike
/
@OpiniumResearch
.Key conclusions:
67% of female riders would feel safer with more cycle lanes.
68% of female riders would feel safer with more cycle parking in public transport hubs and stations.
69% of female riders would feel safer with better lit parking spaces for cycling.
66% of female riders would feel safer with a ‘well lit route home’ map feature (e.g. on Google Maps).
65% of female riders would feel safer with an in-app feature from operators allowing them to share their ride location and progress with close friends and family.Full report: https://t.co/eIwkoo85ZY
“
Posted 11 months ago # -
They missed the bit about 98% of women won’t cycle at all because of lack of protected lanes & LTNs
Posted 11 months ago # -
I'll catch flak for this most likely, but I really do think it's a mistake - strategically - to gender the issue. I recognise there is a gendered *aspect* in that the safety issues with the current approach to cycling have led to large numbers of women abstaining entirely and to women having a significant issue with perceived safety, but once you correct for men answering "err, potholes, yeah potholes is the issue" because "blokes don't admit fear innit" mentality - and for familiar contempt; a lot of the men I've met who're comfortable cycling in traffic have decades of experience gained when the roads were objectively less dangerous than they are today - I suspect the actual numbers on why people don't cycle/feel unsafe when they do wouldn't be *that* far apart.
I might be a bit cynical of people in general, but I really think making it a "women's issue" is less likely to get car-driving feminists to sign up to the cause than it is to drive the MAMIL/utility gap even wider, since you're then presenting safe cycling as a feminine concept and, sad as it is to say, some people - yes, people, plenty of toxic attitudes about masculinity from women as well IME - will react more dismissively to it if that's the case.
It also, unfortunately, invites a certain kind of activist into the space who're never helpful no matter what space they're in. You know the type; a man speaks up *in support*, pointing out they also feel unsafe on unlit paths at night, and are immediately told to sit down and stop comparing themselves to *real* disadvantaged peoples etc. They already float around the edges of online discussion on the subject but if the default mode of discussing cycle safety is a gendered one they'll come out of the woodwork everywhere.
Posted 11 months ago # -
“I'll catch flak for this most likely“
Probably not
CCE has largely moved on from full scale rammies.
Not least because many people have moved on from CCE (in some cases because of previous https://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/rammy">rammies).
“a lot of the men I've met who're comfortable cycling in traffic have decades of experience gained when the roads were objectively less dangerous than they are today”
Yes but
You sort of undermine your own case there.
More males than females cycle and did so ‘then’.
Too many people used to use the phrase “man up” when the issue of ‘cycling in traffic’ and ‘need for segregated’ were talked about.
Now (I believe) people who cycle are MUCH less likely to imagine that people just need training/experience/wisdom etc to ‘deal with’ traffic.
In recent decades cars have got bigger/heavier/wider AND more numerous.
(Some) drivers have got worse (arguably ramped up by Covid/lockdowns). Drink/drugs/entitlement/reduced fear of getting caught/‘persecution’ because of the ‘war on motorists’ (and related lies from politicians and significant sections of the media) are all factors unbalancing any chance of ‘safer roads’ even further.
Additionally it’s not hard to argue that policing has got worse. Whether that’s because of ‘institutional reasons’ or resources/overstretch is mostly moot.
Though Police Scotland’s stubbornness over video uploading is much more than disappointing.
Whatever
Any group that organises people to come out in the dark and cold to highlight issues and argue for things that will help to encourage more people to use bikes (and more often) is fine by me.
Posted 11 months ago # -
I don't think it does undermine my own point, which I maybe didn't relate to it very well; I think really such people shouldn't be included in the discussion when deciding if it's a gendered issue, because they're an example of what I believe is actually - once you account for people afflicted with machismo - not that big a difference between men and women in terms of their *reasons*, because it's the result of a *small* difference in the level of risk tolerance between men and women(on a population scale) being compounded over time in a very "frog boiling" environment, ie when they *started* riding in traffic, it only needed a small additional amount of confidence to get started, and they have been enured to the increasing danger over the years because it has happened gradually. Meanwhile while a modern "average" male may still have a slightly higher tolerance for risk than the "average" woman, the actual risk is so much higher that the "gender gap" is no longer enough to persuade most men it's a sensible idea to get started, putting them in exactly the same position as (population scale)women have been the whole time. If the goal is to get people who don't currently cycle to cycle, so heavily targeting the messaging at half the population when in absolute terms almost nobody of any sex or gender rides seems to be to be narrowing our potential pool of recruits not expanding it - like, sure, much more than a population share of cyclists are male, but regular utility cyclists as a whole are a tiny number compared to the populace at large, and the way to get men who don't cycle on a bike requires exactly the same infrastructure and approach as for women, so why "split the vote" with our messaging?
And, sad to say, I can think of at least a couple of my non-cycling male peers who would be less likely to support "bike stuff" in general if The Movement decides to present their concerns from a completely feminine perspective, and more still who'd at least be less likely to discuss it with anyone they suspect might judge them.
Posted 11 months ago # -
“but regular utility cyclists as a whole are a tiny number compared to the populace at large”
This of course is true and a significant problem in many senses and has real consequences in terms of individual and societal health and ‘unnecessary’ pressure on the NHS.
Whether ‘getting more people cycling’ or ‘reducing obesity’ (obviously they are related/overlap) is more important I don’t know (or if there is useful research).
Apart from notions of ‘person choice’ (a bit like smoking) there are decades of normalisation and the actions/interests of motor/oil/food/etc industries.
“and the way to get men who don't cycle on a bike requires exactly the same infrastructure and approach as for women, so why "split the vote" with our messaging?”
I think the point here is that it’s not about divided/dividing messaging. ‘Road safety’ affects everyone. The ability to travel around (especially at night) also affects everyone but can (and does ) affect individuals and groups in different ways.
Highlighting this (and all other issues - not just cycling related) is what campaigning is all about. Not all campaigning is successful. In many senses the need to campaign demonstrates wider failures.
Campaigning is ‘political’ (this simple fact unnerves some people) and generally aimed at politicians. Half a dozen councillors turned up to the latest ride, which is one measure of success.
Proportionally much higher than at PoP - but that is not a useful metric!
PoP itself HAS BEEN a highly successful campaign. The fact that the future of PoP is currently uncertain shows how fragile such things are - and depend on a relatively small number of people.
(For instance) PoP and InfraSisters are not ‘in competition’ or ‘dividing the message’.
For more people to cycle (and walk and use PT and drive less) there needs to be better infrastructure, different attitudes on things like “traffic flow”. This clearly needs MORE campaigning.
It would be nice if the campaigning for this was over because it was no longer needed or had been wrapped up in serious measures to avert a climate catastrophe, but it’s not.
‘Letters to the papers’ have largely gone out of fashion. Emails to councillors perhaps useful. Events and demos can have an impact (not always!) As well as ‘raising awareness’ they can also enthuse the participants and may lead to new things.
It would be nice to know ‘what works’ and just do that!
Decades of Spokes has changed many things. PoP made MSPs take note. Individual contacts with politicians, officials and journalists change things - not necessarily right away. (The Scotsman’s transport correspondent got the train from Glasgow with his bike for the latest InfraSisters ride.)
Some things might not be seen as ‘campaigning’, but are useful add-ons.
Small things like vegetation clearance on paths is ‘direction action’. Better if councils build such things into its maintenance regime. Likewise path gritting for paths - Meadows, NEPN etc.
None of this really happened by accident. Spokes pressure, individuals on Twitter. The existence of @EdinHelp - has made a difference, far better than Clarence.
‘Campaign’ by riding (etc).
Posted 11 months ago # -
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To be fair, I have no power to delay a project. Any suggestion that I have even sought to delay Meadows to George Street is utterly bogus (I requested an update just last week - statutory consultation starts soon).
Nonetheless, I'd welcome seeing *any* evidence people have to suggest otherwise. (I know there's absolutely none.)
Rather that attacking the Council, people may want to speak to the Scottish Government about funding and processes.
“
Posted 11 months ago # -
Meadows-George Street was awarded 50% grant funding by the Scottish Government through the Community Links Plus programme in September 2017.
Other projects awarded funding in that round are all at a more advanced stage, e.g. the Walk, Cycle, Live Stirling project is largely complete. I think a few of CCErs have already used the cycle lane from Stirling Railway Station to the University, which is pretty good.
This was built using the same authorisation process and funding awarded at exactly the same time as Meadows-George Street.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Sure, but what about consultation(s)?
Posted 11 months ago # -
Have to admit, I'm kind of losing my sense of humor over current developments. For a few months my family could safely cycle into town via the Meadows-Greenbank quiet route and the temporary Meadows-Princes Street cycle lanes.
Since then the cycle lanes have been removed, allegedly in preparation for new permanent lanes going live, and the Greenbank-Meadows quiet route is continually under threat from a Council committed to increasing active travel, improving child health and reducing the amount of driving.
Grr.
Posted 11 months ago #
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