PUBLIC MEETING, 29 FEB: EDINBURGH’S ‘FUTURE STREETS’ POLICY, AND THE PLACE OF CYCLING
Venue: Augustine United Church 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL
Date: Thursday 29 February
Time: Starts 7.30, Ends 9.30. Doors open 6.45 for coffee, stalls and chat, including a special stall to join Spokes or renew your membership
SPEAKERS
Cllr Scott Arthur City Council Transport Convener – the Future Streets policy, with particular reference to the place of cycling, and when/how action will follow
Laura Laker Cycling, transport and environment journalist – to critique the proposals. Laura researches and writes on cycling issues extensively, including in national/international media such as The Guardian and Bloomberg; and in specifically cycling publications such as Cycling Industry News and Road.CC
… followed by our always-anticipated one-hour panel QA, chaired by Ewen Maclean, organiser of Blackford Safe Routes – your chance to interrogate and challenge the speakers
Questions: Questions for the speaker, can be emailed (at least a day in advance) to spokes@spokes.org.uk. However, questions in person from audience members are likely to have greatest priority on the night
Online: We hope to live broadcast on our youtube channel – confirmation nearer the time – and make the recording available a few days later
On February 1st the Transport Committee approved the ‘Future Streets’ policy, which incorporates the Circulation Plan (deciding which transport modes will have priority on which roads), the Active Travel Action Plan (ATAP), and the City Centre Transformation (to free the City Centre from through motor traffic). Although much detail is still to come, and there will be future consultation on some aspects, transformative basic decisions have now been taken and action can and must begin.
As a city centre token of action-intent, motor traffic will be wholly or largely banned in the Cowgate in 2024.
For main roads, detailed plans will be drawn up for bus and cycle priority on the A8 from CCWEL at Roseburn through to Gogar, with St John’s Road due to become a pedestrian-friendly shopping street. We had suggested this route as a priority in our comments [para 3.3] on the 2023 ATAP consultation, and a Council analysis in the report confirms that it is indeed a priority.
However, for a city with a target to cut car-km 30% by 2030, and become net zero by 2030, things need to move far faster than one or two individual schemes each year. The decade-long gestation of CCWEL or of George Street (see ‘maxi-consultation’ section here), must no longer be the pattern.
Our public meeting on Thursday 29 Feb gives you the chance to hear more and to tell the Council what you think.
Masses of more information on our website.
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