CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years 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.
Complete support for the winning project from a local SNP councillor. If only we had the same here:
"@mhairihunter:
@joelcacooney Tough. There are so many people - like me -who would cycle if they felt safe doing it. This needs to just be the start."
"
Sustrans Scotland wants the project to be so good it attracts international attention, despite the country lagging behind many in cycle development.
Deputy director Daisy Narayanan said: “We want people to come from Europe and see there is lots to learn from Glasgow.” The South City Way will link Victoria Road with Stockwell Street in the city centre - a route which has deterred some cyclists in the past because of its busy traffic.
Transport minister Humza Yousaf, announcing the award, said: “Glasgow City Council has shown real ambition and vision towards improving conditions for people who choose to walk or cycle along a major commuter belt.”
He lives five minutes from the route and pledged to use it, saying it would be “absolutely ideal” for picking up takeaways and ice creams en route to the city centre.
"
http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/glasgow-to-get-6-5m-copenhagen-style-cycle-route-1-4201592
Had my first and likely only response to my tweets for the Lothian MSPs to raise the issue of Edinburgh not losing out on funding (whether CL or CL+) for our E-W Route.
From Alex Cole-Hamilton (Lib Dem)
"As requested, I have now written to Nicola Sturgeon MSP, The First Minister of Scotland, copying my correspondence also to Humza Yousaf MSP, Minister for Transport and Islands. I will write to you again as soon as I have received a response. "
Anyone else get anything back?
I got a reply from the Minister via my Local MSP Alex Cole Hamilton.
Copied here in full for your enjoyment
Thank you for your email of 7 September 2016, enclosing an email from your constituent, Hankchief, concerning the recent announcement of the Community Links PLUS (CLP) winner. I agree with your constituent that cycling and walking does bring health, environmental and financial benefits to both individuals and communities and should be seen as a healthy alternative to driving for cyclists and walkers of all ages and abilities.
I would also like reassure Mr Chief that this Scottish Government is fully committed to actively working in pannership with our stakeholders such as Sustrans Scotland, Cycling Scotland and local authorities, to ensure infrastructure is delivered to the highest standard to make cycling a safe and realistic travel choice for everyday journeys wherever possible to improve health and reduce carbon emissions. This is why we are investing record level of funding in active travel projects and I have committed to continue this for the term of this parliament.
The Scottish Government continues to allocate funding to local authorities through the Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets grant and in last year and this Scotland's local authorities will receive £14.1 million, with Edinburgh receiving almost £l.3 million. In addition to this Edinburgh City Council will receive £3.6 million for cycling infrastructure on Leith Walk.
There is also £18 million pounds allocated to Sustrans Scotland for Community Links projects where local authorities can bid for 50% match funding for cycle path development and maintenance projects in their area.
Regarding the Community Links PLUS award, an expert panel convened by Sustrans Scotland considered the final five high quality bids. I can understand your constituents disappointment in the outcome, however by the nature of any competition there must be a clear winner. Also, Sustrans Scotland has written to the 4 unsuccessful local authorities, including Edinburgh, to offer positive and constructive feedback and ensure that continued progress is made on the designs to achieve high quality cycling infrastructure.
With regard to the First Minister's announcement on 8 August concerning post-'Brexit' spending, your constituent has suggested that a proportion of the funding should go to the 'proposed East — West Centre route' in Edinburgh.
Further details of the Capital Acceleration Programme, including the projects to be supported by the initial £1OO million of additional funding and details of funding for future years, will be announced in due course. Full and due consideration will be given to providing additional funding for active travel capital measures.
Successive Transport Ministers have reiterated on a number of occasions that when funding becomes available that they would make the strongest case for that funding to be allocated to active travel. This is a pledge I stand by.
Although disappointed in the outcome of the Community Links PLUS award, I hope my comments will reassure Mr Chief that active travel will continue to be a priority for this Scottish Government as we work in partnership with all stakeholders to make Scotland a safer, healthier and more active nation.
Best wishes
HUMZA YOUSAF
Successive Transport Ministers have reiterated on a number of occasions that when funding becomes available...
It's almost as if they're not in control of their own budget.
Bernard: Why did you tell the Minister we are "working in partnership" with the local authority, we aren't doing anything.
Sir Humphrey: Bernard, that is what working in partnership means. We do nothing, they do nothing and everyone is happy. I understand that is known as a "win, win".
Bernard: So what would "actively working in partnership" mean?
Sir Humphrey: Ah, that means we blame them when someone asks why nothing has been done!
"when funding becomes available"
Translation: If we've a few bawbies left over from building new motorways and dual carriageways across Scotland, we might - just might, mind you - throw some scraps in the direction of "active travel" (snigger). Only if we feel like it though, or it's a leap year or there's a total eclipse - then we'll definitely find a handful of groats down the back of the sofa for cyclists to play peevers with.
Essentially this is meaningless -
"
Full and due consideration will be given to providing additional funding for active travel capital measures.
"
"It's almost as if they're not in control of their own budget."
In some ways it's true. Each minister is 'given' an allocation, much of which is earmarked/constrained by continuing commitments/new or existing Policies.
As I've said for years 'cycling is not (just) transport'.
It's also health, leisure, tourism, sport etc.
In the early days of the SNP Gov (probably even before the first minority administration) there was much talk (and some action) about removing 'silos' and the implications/opportunities of thinking differently.
But there seems to be very little desire/political will to really do things differently/more-joined-up.
Serious INVESTMENT in ActiveTravel would save the NHS lots (and perhaps a lot sooner than the imagined 20 odd years - which is obviously well beyond the timescale of any political 'vision').
We are giving full and due consideration to working in partnership with all stakeholders towards the shared vision. The government is absolutely committed to that, we can assure you.
The letter to 'Mr Chief' from Humza is remarkably similar to Nicola S's reply to the spokes letter! ...
http://www.spokes.org.uk/2016/08/quick-chance-for-brexit-cash/
However I'd be surprised now if we didn't get some worthwhile crumbs from the Brexit cash (though more likely allocated to Sustrans for their decision how to distribute rather than directly to Edinburgh).
Obviously very frustrating that it is a question of looking for such additions rather than a decent allocation from the transport budget. It will be fascinating to see what is revealed in the first budget of the newly re-elected SNP govt. It should not be less than last year, as their manifesto promised that, but I'd be very pleasantly surprised if it was significantly more.
But how do we make sure it is spent on good stuff and not 1) the first part of a project that gets blocked by NIMBYs or 2) a lane that gets ripped out again for no reason other than it is a cycle lane and we don't want those kind of people here?
@John_Lauder
.@HumzaYousaf launches 2016/17 Community Links Plus design competition for walking & cycling infrastructure today #Sustrans
Need to make sure EW link is up for this.
"
Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf)
02/11/2016, 10:24
Active Travel Summit I announced Taskforce examine how we can introduce a presumption towards segregated cycle paths in planning guidelines
"
Next year's projects announced:
http://www.sustrans.org.uk/scotland/communities/community-links-plus-design-competition
City Centre West to East Cycle Link and Street Improvements Project - City of Edinburgh Council - To provide a step change in the quality of west-east cycle access through Edinburgh city centre and to the north, northwest and west of the city.
West Edinburgh Active Travel Network - City of Edinburgh Council - To develop an attractive, direct and convenient cycling and walking route from the western edge of Edinburgh city centre at Roseburn to the major business district of the Gyle and Edinburgh Park. A 'mini Holland' approach will be applied to the business district, transforming a car-dominated development into a people-friendly place.
Meadows to George Street-Places for People - City of Edinburgh Council - A project to transform the Forrest Road-George IV Bridge-The Mound-Hanover Street route into streets where walking, cycling and public space take top priority.
So how does it work with CEC putting in 3 bids?
If you don't like this one, how about this one or maybe this one...
They all look like they would make a real difference so can we not combined them into 1 big one and go for broke...
Are there more details on the designs?
Will be interesting to see what they put forward for the EW route and the route to get to Edinburgh Park. Presumably some upgrade of the Stenhouse path?
Isn't Edinburgh Park privately owned?
"So how does it work with CEC putting in 3 bids?"
Ask Glasgow, who put two projects in last year, and have this year re-entered the project that didn't get funded...
For each short listed bid the Council gets a grant of up to £10,000 to develop it further. This means it's worth just getting a bid on the short list.
https://mobile.twitter.com/annalangside/status/861601745138577411
First commute back to the office and discover @GlasgowCC have been hard at work getting started on the south city way. Happy days!
Much prefer the design shown in Stickman's tweet where the cycleway is not 'on the pavement' as one could accuse the Leith Walk path of being.
Good luck to them - hope there isn't too much opposition
First lot of plans now published:
Winner of this year's competition will be announced at 11am today.
https://twitter.com/SustransScot/status/909682606563880960
May the best scheme win, but this being CCE I hope one of the Edinburgh schemes wins.
Details of finalists here
Thread for Meadows to George Streer
Thread for West Edinburgh Active Travel Network
Anyone able to see the FB video?
Nope. It's all fallen silent..
Live now. Sustrans scotland FB
All FIVE !
Fabulous!
All five announced as winners? Is that right? Or are some bigger winners than others?
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