Spokes

City Centre traffic count: Bike numbers keep growing

The biannual Spokes city centre traffic count, on May 16, found a further substantial rise in bike traffic as compared to May 2022, whilst motor traffic was fairly static (pun intended!) Bike numbers were up at all our 4 count points and in both time periods, whilst cars and commercial (van, bus etc) were both largely unchanged from last May.

In total, combining northbound and southbound on Lothian Road and Forrest Road, bikes rose to 16.3% of all 8am-9am vehicles, from 12.7% last May, and at lunchtime to 10.8% from 9.2%.

A top takeaway is that bikes totalled 21.2% of all citybound vehicles between 8-9am at our two northbound count points, 18.6% on Lothian Road and 25.0% on Forrest Road.

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June 13: Bike Breakfast is Back!

Covid and post-covid have meant no Spokes Bike Breakfast since 2019. Now, in 2023, you and your bike are invited again for tea or coffee, a roll, degreaser and oil; getting you and your bike in top condition for the remainder of your commute!

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#SpokesMtg, May 24: “A City where you Don’t Need a Car”

Edinburgh City is consulting on a new Active Travel Action Plan (ATAP) and a series of other Mobility Plan ‘delivery documents’ (web links below) all aimed to support Edinburgh NetZero 2030, and a 30% reduction in car-km by 2030. Our public meeting will hear from the Council, followed by an expert critique, and then there’s a full hour panel discussion – your opportunity to challenge the speakers.

There is now a full video recording of the meeting on our youtube channel here.

Continue reading #SpokesMtg, May 24: “A City where you Don’t Need a Car”

Tramline Crash Reporting

Spokes now has an online-reporting tool for tramline crashes which, sadly, are all too frequent in Edinburgh. Also a new information sheet on how to reduce your chances of becoming a victim.

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Postponed: SpokesMtg on new Edinburgh transport policy documents

Our planned Feb 24 meeting has been postponed – new date likely in May. The forthcoming public consultation is promised to contain a lot more detail on specific options than in the policy documents, and so it feels more productive to hold the public meeting once the consultation is underway.

Meanwhile you can see our initial thoughts on the policy documents, particularly the Active Travel Action Plan, and links to all the documents, here. Tweet.

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Edinburgh Cycling: what will we see in ’23?

What can we expect locally for bike use and wider sustainable transport under Edinburgh’s new minority council? What will Spokes – and you! – need to support, to oppose, to provide, to improve or to highlight in order to encourage and speed up the move towards more sustainable and healthy places to live and get about? This article outlines some topics which we expect to matter locally in 2023 and beyond.

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Scottish Budget 23/24 & Active Travel

The Scottish Budget 23/24 brings a rise of nearly £40m for active travel [AT], up from 4.3% to 5.3% of the total transport budget.

At first sight this is very encouraging, especially at a time of austerity. However in the context of the SNP/Green ‘Bute House’ agreement, and of the UK Climate Change Committee’s recent excoriating report on Scotland’s lack of progress towards its legally binding emissions targets, the level of the rise is perhaps more questionable.

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City centre traffic count: post-covid bike growth continues

The biannual Spokes traffic count, on November 8, found a further substantial rise in bike traffic, whilst private and commercial motor traffic was fairly static (pun intended!) as compared to both November 2021 and May 2022. As a result, totalled at our 4 count points, northbound and southbound on Lothian Road and Forrest Road, bikes rose to 14.5% of all vehicles, from 11.0% last November and 12.7% in May this year.

A top takeaway point is that bikes totalled 20.2% of all citybound vehicles between 8-9am at our two northbound count points, 18.5% on Lothian Road and 22.5% on Forrest Road.

Continue reading City centre traffic count: post-covid bike growth continues

#SpokesComp 2022: Shopping by Bike

Shopping by Bike – our competition showed just how versatile it is! You can shop by bike with or without a trailer or cargobike, with or without kids, to transport small or remarkably large purchases, and at any age (within reason!) Whatever your shopping needs, our competition entries should give you endless ideas and handy hints!

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#SpokesMtg report: Cycling & Transport Policy in the new Edinburgh Council

The Climate Crisis and, within transport, the Council’s 30% car-km reduction target – Transport Convener Cllr Scott Arthur told the meeting that these are top issues for the new Council. To meet them, he said, will need big changes in parking management and bus priorities, together with a congestion charge, regional cooperation and faster implementation of active travel infrastructure. The Q&A then covered many topics, but a consistent theme was the slowness of previous councils to translate great ambition on active travel and on wider transport into action and to do so timeously – and will the new Council be different??

Continue reading #SpokesMtg report: Cycling & Transport Policy in the new Edinburgh Council

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