CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 16years 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.
Wasn't quite sure where to put this but 'debate' seemed the most apposite...
We've revised the manifesto quite a lot - it's here on google docs https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D9794mOjUE98Y1KuEM5AlSYn5YJGZF3tkMebfVyxcjw/edit
Let us know what you think! And thanks for all the contributions and ideas so far
Really, really minor pedantic point: if you're going to have that many references, I would avoid using roman numerals for the endnotes. It just gets messy once you get past v.
cheers. I think it's the word default for endnotes and then we got a bit carried away!
"a bit carried away"
at the risk of making the footnotes longer, I would also encourage you to either look for stable urls where possible, or give authors/titles of sources where possible, so that if links cease to work, the sources will still be relevant.
I'd like to be able to assume that this manifesto will have staying power, but urls tend not to, and are fairly unreliable references.
Ah, you can tell there are academics reading this. I'd agree with SRD, and would just add that giving authors/titles/dates for references enhances the credibility of the document making the reference to the report, article, whatever it is.
Otherwise, it seems to be quite well written, makes the points concisely but with some clarifying detail where needed. Manages to bring together a number of key demands under succinct headings. Not bad at all.
Damn it I'd going to be in cambridge that day. I'm gonna miss the mass uprising of the bike militia......
yes, very well written. I have sent a marked up copy back by email with some suggestions, but it has fewer changes than pretty much anything I have read in the last six months....(that's not saying much, tbh, but it does include texts by some rarified figures...)
ps if you put author/date/title and then hyperlink the url, it may even make the endnotes shorter!
Haven't read it yet.
Will do - and comment.
Two observations -
"Work as if you are in the early days of a better nation – Alistair Gray"
Nice touch, though there will be some who see that as an SNP sentiment/policy.
"Cycling is a magic bullet for many of Scotland’s ills"
I'm sure most people on here will understand and probably agree.
BUT
I think many of the people 'we' wish to influence will find it easy to scoff and read no further.
Well it is the "Debate" section.
I really like it! Very well argued and not too wordy.
One thing: "magic bullet" is often a phrase used for something that isn't possible/not real?
Also I agree with the others that the references should be as URL free as possible (another academic here I'm afraid :P).
Thanks to those who put so much effort into this.
See you all at the Pedal on Parliament!
cheers all. I'm going to do one last revision, try and sort out those URLs and add a rousing para at the end.
On magic bullets, perhaps if we say 'Cycling is a real magic bullet' - acknowledging that usually they don't work but here's one that does?
Very good. I think aspiration is a big part of what we want to emphasise. (ie Shame Holyrood into getting cycling budget increased)
The Scottish Government also spends a lot on comparisons with other small European countries - so stats are good. Always seems odd though that we are told that we are subsidised and yet on cycling Scotland is way behind. Or maybe a case of free social care and other measures taking up the money. Nicola Sturgeon does like to talk about preventative health spending and cycling fits right in.
With the refs at end... maybe take off the justification as it's word spacing too much.
I'll run it by my partner ... good work though.
Magic bullet... I'm not keen on. I always think 'snake oil' when I hear it. Gill Scott Heron would never use....(!)
Can't read GDocs at work but shall try on phone.
Not keen on bullet, magic or otherwise, particularly in such a prominent location, even if enough people get it in the way you meant it.
"Elegantly simple solution to many of..."?
A bit further on, "The risks still (sometimes) appear unacceptably high..."?
Point one could be "Proper and sustained funding for cycling"?
I'd also avoid narrowing point six down to just HGVs, when taxis and non-LRT buses seem to be so prominent in our complaints (and are mentioned in point seven). "Reduce the risk presented by large/heavy or commercial vehicles to cyclists and peds"?
Read it.
All good, sent a few minor tweak suggestions by DB.
Main thing I think worth expanding something like -
'the SG should set a good example where cycling is not seen as simply or mostly a transport issue. There needs to be much closer working between the sections of national and local government dealing with Transport, Health and Education. In addition there needs to be a greater understanding of the role of cycling and requirements of cyclists in other areas including economic development and tourism and sport.'
Very good points, chdot.
I must confess, looking at it again, I'm not madly keen on "magic bullet". Too American, too much like corporate management speak. Plainer language might be better.
@cr
Ta
Folks - thanks so much for all the input, particularly @morningside for the legal comments & @SRD for the thorough editing - and everyone else who took the time to comment on here and by email. I haven't been able to take everything on board, there have been some good suggestions that I just couldn't squeeze in without making the language even more puddingy - but you'll be pleased to hear the magic bullets have gone and Alistair Gray has been shuffled away discreetly to the end. And I was up till midnight reformatting footnotes, so thanks for that :-)
The absolutely last final version until the next one is now here. Now all we have to do is get as many people as possible and their bikes onto the road on the 28th ...
Well done Sally etc.
Need coffee before I read...
"Now all we have to do is get as many people as possible and their bikes onto the road on the 28th"
Well we also need to start the 'betting'
Definitely 1, probably 2, could be 5.
(k)
Looks sensible to me :-)
Hopefully I'll be on bikeability training that day(!) but if not, I'll be in Edinburgh :-D
If everyone who posts or lurks here brought their friends and relations that would be instantly over 1000.
And 'we' are a tiny minority of a tiny minority.
Need all the people who are 'too scared to cycle to work'.
If I can't get any two of wife or mum or dad or sister along there'll be two spare bikes in EH6 if anyone has any need of them on the day.
"there'll be ... spare bikes"
I'm sure most of 'us' might be able to say the same.
Obviously can't just offer to 'anybody' but it's worth thinking about if friends try the 'I'd love to come but I don't have a bike' excuse.
Though of course plan is to make it suitable for scooters, skaters and peds.
Thanks to Sally for looking at wording. On low battery phone so will look at later.
yes, loaner bikes would be brilliant, although I appreciate the caution!
Realistically, given the trains, many people coming from further afield will be coming by car (or maybe van if they're really organised) if they want to bring their bikes. Can you suggest somewhere suitable for a park and ride? Ideally with free (and reasonably plentiful) parking and then a clear and well signposted route to the meadows that's not to daunting for out-of-towners? If people co-ordinate their arrivals they could then ride in in a bunch.
Yes, was thinking that we must try and get our octogenarian neighbours out - they were stalwarts of the mid-20th century cycling club scene - but also that their children and grandkids might come from Glasgow.
Maybe we should try to ride in convoy from Polwarth.
"Maybe we should try to ride in convoy from Polwarth"
Assemble in Harrison Park for morning coffee.
'Take' Gilmour Place.
Is it possible to get vehicles into (former) Big W car park?
Could be a start point for some out of towners - then all way up Innocent.
Hate to complicate things, but has any thought been given to portaloos at either Meadows or Parliament? [as in is there any expectation that we would provide?]
Cafés + public north and east of Meds.
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