Council budgets for 5% « CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum

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Council budgets for 5%

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Started 12 years ago by chdot
Latest reply from kaputnik

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chdot
Admin

Spokes has been busy studying the details of today's CEC Budget -

"

Edinburgh City councillors have taken a remarkable decision on cycling investment in today’s Council 2012/13 budget, setting a completely new standard for other councils…

The council decided today that 5% of its transport capital budget will be invested in cycling infrastructure and projects [p19 of budget motion, 1.7MB] – and this is quite apart from additional ‘external’ funding. To our knowledge, no other Scottish council has set a percentage for cycling, let alone such an ambitious figure.

"

http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/2012/02/edinburgh-sets-new-standard/

Posted 12 years ago #
Kirst
Member

Let's hope they don't display the same competence they've put to such good use on the trams project.

Posted 12 years ago #
Claggy Cog
Member

This is good news, non? Let's hope that it doesn't get rescinded after May 3rd, with a new set of councillors. Is this a vote grabber? Have they realised that cyclist votes count? Perhaps they have been reading the other posts about TE projects creating more jobs etc...

Posted 12 years ago #
Instography
Member

It's one of those classic situations I'm sure Lenin had something to say about where you can praise them unequivocally today and restart the campaign for more tomorrow.

I have a nice map in the office that estimates the level of cycling for every neighbourhood in Scotland. In Edinburgh it shows where cycling is concentrated and where it is depressingly low. Could be a good basis for some targeted campaigning around funding and facilities if I knew someone who could use it.

Posted 12 years ago #
Kim
Member

That is more like it! Now all we have to do is get the rest of the country to follow suit!!

Posted 12 years ago #
chdot
Admin

@Instography map sounds interesting. Can it be put on-line (the Edinburgh bit at least)?

Posted 12 years ago #
Instography
Member

Dunno. It's a big file if you want to be able to see it. I'll try sending it to my Flickr account and see how it looks.

Posted 12 years ago #
Dave
Member

Hmm. I can't believe they're doing it for a non-cynical reason, so what could that be? Are the lib-dems seeing the writing on the wall in these parts?

Posted 12 years ago #
Morningsider
Member

This is incredible - if you read what hs actually been agreed, it is even better than reported by SPOKES:

"Council agrees that the percentage of transport spend (net of specifically allocated external transport funding) allocated to cycling shall be a minimum
of 5%, for both revenue and capital, in 2012/13 and that the percentage of spend on cycling will increase by 1% annually"

So, 5% of revenue AND capital - and rising by 1% per year! Bravo City of Edinburgh Council - I think we should congratulate our Councillors on this, after all we are always quick to complain when things go wrong. We have to prove there is some political benefit to them doing this.

Posted 12 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

Wonder if kaputnik could come up with something suitably uncynical and we could send all our councillors a big thank you! (after all, we are so quick to criticize them!)

Posted 12 years ago #
ruggtomcat
Member

congratulatory tweet sent!

Posted 12 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

I have sent email to my councillors and also to Gordon Mackenzie. let's give them some positive feedback!

Posted 12 years ago #
chdot
Admin

https://www.twitter.com/ruggtomcat/status/167904040267681792

Posted 12 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

Quick and nice reply from GM:

"Thanks [SRD], getting that through was really satisfying - of the Councillors you have [Craiglockhart/Fountainbridge] only Cllr Lowrie voted for it. Hopefully the others will follow suit in their election manifesto."

This is email I sent to my councillors:

"The decision to allocate 5% of the transport budget to cycling is well-chosen, but also very brave. Well done all of you who supported it. Many thanks for listening to all of us who want to help make Edinburgh a healthier city to live in, and a great place for our
children to grow up in."

Posted 12 years ago #
Min
Member

Is there any way to find out who voted for it and who didn't? It would be nice to target a little.

"Great that this has gone through. Sorry that you didn't feel able to vote for it on this occasion" :-P

Posted 12 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"Is there any way to find out who voted for it and who didn't? It would be nice to target a little."

Basically a straight coalition v other parties split on whole budget.

So no-one specifically voted against.

Good idea to send message to those who appear to 'oppose'!

"
Dear

You voted against...

I hope you are in favour of a higher percentage...

"

Posted 12 years ago #
LaidBack
Member

Pleased that pressure has had a result. Thanks to those who have been part of the process.

Posted 12 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

I think the cooncil spies were reading my post where I said I'd vote for any party that pegged cycling budget at just 2%.

But finally perhaps this is the goods neccessary to begin delivering on that old "world class cycling city" chestnut.

Let's now all be on our guards to ensure this isn't spent on bollards, chicanes and "cyclists dismount" signs for existing paths and is spent upgrading the substandard (i.e. non-surfaced) routes, restoring infrastructure ruined by the tram shenanigans and building new and safer routes, particularly in the city centre and to places of work and to schools to encourage less car journeys for pleasure, the "school run" and commuting.

Posted 12 years ago #
Dave
Member

I've sent a congratulatory write-to-them email. What a great site, I'm really getting into it!

Posted 12 years ago #
Kim
Member

We should all use writetothem.com to send a message of support to our Councillors to show that this move has popular support. Also to make them aware they will actually make a positive change with this money. Crap infrastructure is not acceptable, the times they are a changing.

Posted 12 years ago #
Cyclingmollie
Member

Kim: "That is more like it! Now all we have to do is get the rest of the country to follow suit!!"

I think I might send a letter to my councillor to point out how pathetic East Lothian Council's £50,000 budget for cycling looks in comparison. That they still do stuff like this only makes me keener.

Posted 12 years ago #
Kim
Member

Might also be worth pointing out some of the resent changes in Glasgow. Lets face it this could be a greater spur to action than anything else, we can't let Glasgow be better than us... ;-)

Posted 12 years ago #
Min
Member

My god that looks horrible. Particularly at the side streets where as I suspected (from one of the comments), drivers just don't give way. :-(

"There are a number of problems with this route that users have found, namely the cycle track priority at the Berkeley St/Claremont St Give Way junction is ignored by motorists and some collisions have resulted,"

Posted 12 years ago #
LaidBack
Member

My current challenge is 'can we link NCN 1' to the Meadows? Routes with wheelie bins and railings don't count! The tram blitz has curtailled any guided tours to Cramond....

Posted 12 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

'Obviously' NCN 1 should go around via south suburban, and connect to Russell Rd, with a spur off through meadows to city centre (although access via canal would make more sense).

Posted 12 years ago #
wingpig
Member

@Laidback How do you feel about cobbles and kerbs?

Posted 12 years ago #
Dave
Member

Laidback - I heard that someone in Claire's old office was looking into that very link. Unfortunately, because there is an obvious solution (move the pedestrian crossing up to encompass the whole junction and add a phase for crossing over) it won't happen.

Posted 12 years ago #
LaidBack
Member

Cobbles and kerbs... Crosscauseway has plenty of cobbles. The link to innocent path has been half completed in the usual half baked way bike routes are 'handled'. The toucan crossings are not aligned etc. One has a painetd route but cyclists have to cycle on the unmarked pavement.

Posted 12 years ago #
Arellcat
Moderator

If CEC holds to this redoubling of effort, it should be commended wholeheartedly.

Remember, our little family of cycle infrastructure advisers has already done the cataloguing of areas for improvement!

http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4466#post-47330

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=209737842711828293504.0004b23ebd5637d894842&msa=0

Posted 12 years ago #
crowriver
Member

Where's that Google Map that some of us added to/annotated showing where improvements are needed? Oh yeah, here it is:

http://g.co/maps/wn9pr

Please add your suggestions here! The council could do with sorting that lot out to start with!

Posted 12 years ago #

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