http://deceasedcanine.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/a-cycling-high-heid-yin.html
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
"how about a Cycling High Heid Yin?"
(11 posts)-
Posted 12 years ago #
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I think SRD is being completely unfair.
We KNOW CEC only puts in Quality infrastructure -
http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6240&page=2#post-107017
Posted 12 years ago # -
There's another post coming about why it's the implementation that counts.
Posted 12 years ago # -
SRD - I understand why you have reached this conclusion, but I think it would be a really bad idea in practice. Let me explain my thinking:
As soon as you remove the responsibility to champion cycling from the people who are responsible for transport (and its budget) you give them an excuse to ignore it.
In addition, the post of Tzar is normally used to provide a job-for-the-boy. To my knowledge the only such cycling post in Scotland is in that cycling success story Glasgow. The post is held by Frank McAveety - who was forced to resign as a junior Minister for lying to Parliament and then as a committee Convenor for perving over a 15 year of work experience girl. He then lost pretty much the safest seat in Scotland by choosing to do no campaigning. True to west coast political form he was ressurected as a councillor and now sits on umpteen boards and is also cycling Tzar. These sort of political troglodytes are common holders of Tzar type posts - effectively it is a way for them to either add kudos or pocket a few extra thousand quid a year. Generally, it has nothing to do with furthering the aim they have been appointed for - if the job was serious then why wouldn't a political heavy hitter want to take it on.
There are a number of Scotland level Commissioners, e.g. Children's Commissioner, but everyone just ignores them and I suspect they will eventually be rationalised out of existence.
Cycling really needs buy in from the political top, which can even over-ride unwilling senior officers. The only way this idea could work (in my opinion) is if the post of cycling Tzar and head of transport were one and the same.
I would be happy to be convinced otherwise.
Posted 12 years ago # -
"The only way this idea could work (in my opinion) is if the post of cycling Tzar and head of transport were one and the same."
I don't think SRD would disagree with that.
The crucial thing is for politicians to 'get it'.
People like Andrew Burns and Jim Orr do to a reasonable extent. Both are "cyclists" - both cycle to work. One is an experienced tourer the other has an active interest in racing.
I suspect both underestimate the disincentives experienced by non/would-be bike riders.
SRD's piece today highlights that.
Lesley Hinds (transport convenor) doesn't get it enough - she's too scared to cycle on Edinburgh roads - and leaves it to her deputy (Jim Orr).
Keith Brown clearly doesn't get it enough. Just hope KB and JO enjoy their trip to Amsterdam, and learn some things AND find ways to implement them.
Politicians don't always get what they want - even from the people who are notionally working for them.
Many officials in local and national government post know that politicians 'move on' - in a Westminster context, very rapidly.
Many politicians seem to believe that 'only car owners vote' - and haven't caught up with the idea that many drivers also cycle.
They are stuck with the notion of 'balance' (enhanced by years of governing by focus group/Daily Mail approval.
But rather than 'balance' the views of a few noisy cycle people against the mass of motorists (and the wannabe motorists who are more important than would-be cyclists) they should be doing more to address the unbalance of the last 60 years or so.
The new Forth bridge may or may not be balanced by the Borders Railway, but both are costing colossal sums compared with those available for walking and cycling.
There's a post today on the Broomhouse Cabinet trambles, part of which sums up the 'attitude' problem' -
Posted 12 years ago # -
You want it in full? I may start a separate thread for it as it puts a counter argument to the call for building cycle lanes and cycle paths, and suggests that measures like the recent (quiet) announcement that all LoHAC contractors for London Boroughs are signed up to use safer trucks with drivers who are trained for pedestrian and cyclist awareness (they might add that full compliance with Chapter 8, and having vehicles operating in 30mph areas governed to a max speed of 30mph - but its a start)
I'd also promote a Ridacard for the buses that also gives free (or discount) membership for the City Car Club, and (when it arrives) the City Bike Hire/Sharing scheme. It's already been used in Belgium (2009) and Newcastle (2012) as part of a car scrappage scheme, to help people ease in to not owning a car, and potentially unlocking a boost to the local economy from the £2000-£3000/year saved by each household giving up car ownership, and (from annual surveys of car club members) making twice as many trips by bus and twice as many trips by bike as the National average.
Not a) having enough time, and b) being a brilliant mind in socio-economics, I'm not really able to do study/report on my own, but it might be very interesting to model, based on data from car clubs and other sources, the effect of offering a car scrappage scheme that offers no loss of convenience in access to a car, but a saving on the drain on resources that sits idle for 95% of the time, taking up road space. Any offers to do a modelling exercise for Edinburgh Council/Lothian Buses?
Posted 12 years ago # -
Hi Tulyar. Sorry but I don't follow your 1st para.
Don't get me wrong, I'm interested to hear your thoughts :)
Posted 12 years ago # -
for those of you who thought this wasn't controversial enough - here's the followup:
Not much has changed...everything has changed.
http://deceasedcanine.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/not-much-has-changedeverything-has.html
Posted 12 years ago # -
I emailed our Tzar to ask about the cycle to work scheme. He hasn't replied but a green councillor did.
Posted 12 years ago # -
I think I agree with Morningsider. Regardless of what Jim Orr does (or doesn't) achieve*, in creating his 'post' Lesley Hinds manoeuvred in such a way that cycling issues somehow don't seem like the responsibility of the Transport Convenor any more.
Instead they are always referred to someone more junior. Being more junior, there is less expectation (rightly and wrongly) that anything can be achieved. Job done.
* fwiw, overall, I think he does an OK job.
Posted 12 years ago # -
but I'm not suggesting that the problem is mainly with the politicians. I'm not sure it is.
I don't necessarily think there are problems with any particular officials either. they all seem quite well-intentioned. and as chdot said, there are particular tensions to their position, that I am sympathetic to.
But, I am coming to think that the problem is more institutional and structural.
Which is where I can see the appeal of an andrew gilligan-like figure, who can come in from outside, and see across these barriers and ways of doing things.
Posted 12 years ago #
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