CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

A throng of bicycles

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  1. cc
    Member

    Heading north on Causewayside this morning, when I was stopped at the Grange Road traffic lights, I saw a startling number of people waiting at the other side of the junction: I'd guess about two dozen folk on bicycles all heading south. And not intensely fit-looking sporty types either, these folk looked like they were on their way to work.

    It's the first time I've ever seen such a crowd of people on bikes in Edinburgh and been irresistibly reminded of the Netherlands. Such a cheery sight! Despite all my moaning about the Quality Bike Corridor it seems that it's having some sort of effect.

    Between the busy streets and CCE, it's lovely to feel like I'm not the only cyclist any more.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  2. Iratesheep
    Member

    Good, isn't it?

    I would like to think that after a while the cyclists will deter car drivers from taking this route, unless they have a pressing causewayside destination.

    Hey, I can dream. Don't squash my dreams.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  3. Min
    Member

    I saw a ton of cyclists in the ASL at North Bridge/Princes Street this morning. Also our changing room was hoachin. A bit surprised (in a good way!) as this is normally the time of year when many people stop cycling as it will now be completely dark when most people are going home.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  4. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Strange this, because I headed up the Innocent for a change today (oh alright, my legs felt weak as kittens and I couldn't be bothered with the Royal Mile), with quite a few cyclists about, and then once into the town centre roads there just seemed to be bikes everywhere!

    Posted 11 years ago #

  5. SRD
    Moderator

    bikeshed at brunstfield was packed out too! (my eldest and recombodna's youngest had a race to see who could get the last free rack; they ended up sharing)

    Posted 11 years ago #

  6. ARobComp
    Member

    I was riding along the canal - a rarity for me - to Wester Hailes for a meeting this afternoon and counted over 20 bikes in total just on the canal path which was pretty good for 12:30 heading there and 15:30 heading back. ACtually more bikes than I passed people pretty much till I got to Cargo.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  7. stiltskin
    Member

    Odd isn't it? Especially now that the clocks have gone back. This morning after a night shift at 6:30 am I saw nearly a dozen bikes on the Costorphine Road when I am normally lucky to see one or two. Perhaps the Revolution has started.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  8. Uberuce
    Member

    The bike racks are work are down to a hard core of 15-20 from summer's peak of ~50, but I can recall half a dozen riders individually on the way home, which probably means I saw 50-100% more but promptly forgot them.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  9. SRD
    Moderator

    my theory is that people were inspired because it was lighter than usual this morning?

    Posted 11 years ago #

  10. fimm
    Member

    8 cyclists coming down Lanark Road as I was going up about 7:15 - 7:30 this morning, plus two newspaper boys on bikes. Just one more on the out of town section, and a few in Livingston.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  11. cc
    Member

    Plenty of folk again in Causewayside this morning, including a little girl in pink being shepherded steadily along by her dad.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  12. Uberuce
    Member

    I don't normally see more than one cyclist on the way in, but today I saw four. One gave me that smug feeling when you take the not-shortcut but are faster than the person who does.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  13. Coxy
    Member

    Loads out last night - around 17:30 down Princes Street. All had lights too!

    Felt positively Dutch - crossing the tram lines in a group of 4!

    Posted 11 years ago #

  14. crowriver
    Member

    Lots of cyclists about mid-morning city centre/Newington. Pretty normal, I think: students and academics are around just now, making up for the loss of the fair weather cyclists...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  15. fimm
    Member

    Ended up in a group of 4 on the way home, all filtering merrily past a huge queue running up to the Gillespie Road crossroads until we got to the back of an Argos lorry quite close to the lights.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  16. cc
    Member

    I thought for a second that was the Golspie crossroads, not Gillespie; was thinking, that's an exceptionally long commute even by CCE standards.

    Nice and busy again today - it's great to have company on the way to work. And - miracle on the QBC! - this is the third day in a row when there has been no van, no taxi, nothing parked "for a minute" and blocking the cycle lane outside the Snax Cafe on Buccleuch Street (map). Am I suddenly God's Chosen Commuter or is there now some sort of actual law enforcement happening there?

    Posted 11 years ago #

  17. cc
    Member

    A friend tells me that my blissful "miracle on the QBC" might indeed indicate that a bit more enforcement is happening. More specifically, he contacted all his councillors a few weeks ago to complain about lots of vehicles illegally parked between the Bike Station and Meadow Lane; and received a lot of helpful replies promising that the parking enforcement contractor would be reminded to enforce the rules there. Round of applause!

    It looks as if contacting your councillors can actually work and be thoroughly worthwhile. I'm pleased.

    Posted 11 years ago #

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