No 12 : September 2001

Compiled, edited and largely written by PETER HAWKINS & MIKE HARRISON

INDEX to this issue

Our Rights work has really been paying off recently, as evidenced by some of the conditions the City Council has attached when granting planning permission. For example, a number of secondary schools are being re-built, so we have asked for better cycle access and better parking facilities.

Conditions have now been set for the Royal High School as follows:

“details of cycle parking to be submitted for approval... dropped kerb footway crossings at school entrance, at E Barnton Gardens, at S Barnton Ave and short section of footway on island (desire line)...short section of footway to be built inside entrance gates to connect to existing footpath (completes natural desire line)...raised carriageway tables [various locations]”. The recognition of ‘desire lines’ is especially interesting here - officials usually deny their existence!

And at Broughton High

“secure, covered cycle parking shall be provided to meet the standard required by Council policy...details of the type, design and precise location of the cycle parking to be approved before work commences, with no alteration later...dropped kerbs at seven different locations”.

But the conditions go far beyond cycle provision as such, and extend to areas such as traffic calming, speed restrictions and Green Travel Plans. At Broughton High for instance, “the school extension shall not be occupied until appropriate road markings, 20mph restrictions and traffic calming measures on the surrounding road network are undertaken....the applicant shall submit a Green Travel Plan detailing measures to reduce travel in general and private car use in particular...and details of a scheme for monitoring travel patterns to achieve mode share targets”. And likewise for the Royal High.

Many other residential and office or commercial developments recently given permission, have similar requirements. Here are some examples of the conditions imposed:

At Brunstane Farm Steading:

“the Right of Way along the southern edge [that’s the one leading to Newcraighall] shall be retained, barrier free, at all times with an unobstructed width of 3 metres...”

Brown Bros site, Pilrig:

“all internal roads, and Pilrig Gardens, shall be traffic calmed...both shall be designated as 20mph zones, with all necessary approvals and signage in place prior to occupation”

“all car parking spaces shall be allocated on a communal basis”

“cycle storage shall be at a standard of 100%” [that means at least one space per flat]

“routes created through the site between Pilrig Gdns and Broughton Rd shall be for pedestrian and cycle use only”

Wester Hailes [on south side of canal, near new footbridge]

“the proposed footpath connecting the development to the canal footbridge shall be completed prior to occupation of first dwelling”

Fountainbridge [former car showroom]

“the offices shall not be occupied until a staff travel plan has been produced... demonstrating how travel can be minimised, and how private car travel in particular can be reduced in favour of more sustainable modes”

“the applicants shall provide a financial contribution towards the cost of [modifying] the junction with Gardiner’s Cres...to improve local conditions for pedestrians and cyclists”

“cycle parking for the residential development must be protected from manoevring cars... and in lockable rooms”

Hopetoun St/ Hopetoun Cres residential and offices:

“all internal site roads to be traffic calmed and designated 20mph zones. Hopetoun St and Cres to be traffic calmed...”

Muirhouse Bank [former Ferranti at Ferry Rd]

“a pedestrian and cycle path shall be formed through the site, with a link to the existing path in Muirhouse Park to the north and onto Ferry Rd to the south...improvements shall include a ped/cycle crossing of Ferry Rd; a ped/cycle link to the National Cycle Route to the south, and junction improvements and traffic calming on adjacent public roads”

Lindsay Rd, Leith

“100% cycle storage shall be provided...traffic calming measures for all internal roads and for North Leith Sands...a 20mph speed limit”

All this of course is good news for cyclists because reduction of traffic speeds has a knock-on effect elsewhere and makes conditions safer for us, which in turn will hopefully bring more people to consider cycling to work or school.

Bridge re-build, Innocent Path

The bridge over the Braid Burn, near Duddingston Rd West, is to be raised by about one metre to prevent flooding. The work is due to be carried out over a period of 3 weeks during August and should be finished by the time you read this. Flooding has been a serious problem for the path, with the floods leaving masses of debris as far along as the western end of the Nature Reserve. As the bridge is a listed structure (1827) special care has to be taken. The diversion to the cycle route has been treated as if a road were involved - full advance notice and consultation, temporary Orders, diversion signs and alternative routes - again an indication that the City Council is taking cycling seriously. The Council also plans to re-surface the lower section of this path where tree roots have pushed through, but it’s not clear whether this work will be done at the same time as the bridge. And a new Council leaflet on the Innocent Path is due for publication shortly.

Canal towpath, Kingsknowe

In the last issue we reported the blockage at Kingsknowe Rd. Although the road itself has now been realigned, the path is still not open, and Hailes Park (the former quarry) is still being landscaped and hence closed. The best alternative route is to leave the towpath at the Kingsknowe footbridge, get onto the Lanark Rd and go up it (use pavement if necessary to avoid crossing main road twice), turn R into Kingsknowe Drive, at the end turn R and cross railway, then immediately L along lane which leads to back of Tesco car park. Cross the carpark, take footpath beside high-rise flats, and then follow route of canal along parallel roads until you can rejoin the towpath. Much of the spoil from the excavations has been dumped in Hailes Park, which has been ‘creatively landscaped’ and is now about 5m higher than before!

No date for re-opening of the path has been set, but I doubt it will happen before the end of Sept. - VeloCity or no VeloCity!

Firrhill School Footpath under Threat

Not all the Rights news is good. The redevelopment of Firrhill School proposes to close or divert the path which goes through it, and which provides a vital east-west link, off-road, from Firrhill and Colinton to the Morningside area, via the City Hospital. This link means cyclists can avoid the dreadful Glenlockhart Road, which is narrow and busy.

Diversion of the path round the school is unacceptable, because to the south the diversion would be lengthy, while to the north it would mean heavy gradients over the hill. Ironically, the line of the present, direct path is proposed to become an ‘environmental garden’ - at the expense of the most environmentally friendly mode of travel! Please if possible write about this to your local Councillor, and ask for retention of the existing route.

SOCIAL PROGRAMME

Winter evenings are coming soon. Have you been in the Clubroom since it was improved – new kitchen, floor re-sanded (is there any wood left?), painted? If not, then why not come along to some of the evenings this winter. Last season, some of the best events had almost no ‘customers’, and I wrote about those in the last issue of Cycle Forth. They are always good and some are excellent. Between now and Christmas we have several evenings of slide shows, plus a Hallowe’en Party intended for children – though I understand that adults can come along and join in the fun as well – and the late St Andrew’s Ceilidh.

date event (at 20:00 normally)

AGM

To keep all this show on the road plus the campaigning plus the social side as well as to maintain links with CTC nationally we need to have an Annual General Meeting to report on the year and to appoint people to the various offices. Please note the date and come along on MONDAY 19 NOVEMBER at 19:30.

Leading A Run

- Will you lead a run?
     - No thanks
- Why?
     - I can’t read a map
         - I couldn’t set the right pace
             - I couldn’t take the responsibility
                 - I might be working that day
                     - I just want to enjoy myself
                             ............ (ad infinitum)

We have runs coordinators, but we don’t expect them to have to lead every week. There are several members who know their way about, but won’t lead a run. In the past we have sometimes had ‘Guest Leaders’ on Sundays. The last two years we have had a team who have done 2 or 3 of the Tuesday evening runs. We would like a few more people to take on this little task, especially on Sundays.

What’s involved:

If you know in advance that you are going to do the job it’s a lot easier than it is arriving at the meet to find the leader is ‘missing’ (for whatever reason) and taking over without preparation. Here’s a guide for someone who has never done the job before.
So let’s assume that you know in advance that you are going to do it.
1. If it’s a Sunday run, then a destination is already fixed, if it’s a Tuesday or Saturday then you have the choice. Let’s think about Sundays –
2. What time of year is it – this can affect the weather (though you might not believe it!)? Summer runs are traditionally longer than winter ones.
3. What ‘escape routes’ are there if the run turns out to be slower than expected, or for those who don’t want to stay out all day. Have a few alternatives up your sleeve (see paragraph 8).
4. Get your map out and start to estimate some distances and times. Especially for a long summer run consider cafes for afternoon tea.
5. Then you need to look at the types of roads available – most don’t like long stretches on main roads with a lot of traffic. Some people don’t like going off-road, but often there is an alternative nearby road which those who have just washed their bikes or are using their road-racing machine can take instead.
6. Once you have juggled with all these factors you can determine your route. If possible, try to make it varied and interesting.
7. That’s the advance preparation, what happens on the actual day – consider who’s there and their abilities. If it’s the usual mixed ability group then you have an impossible juggling act to do – you don’t want to bore the pants off the faster riders, but also you don’t want the less fit ones to see the day as an endurance test. Any teacher will tell you that there’s no magic solution to this problem.
8. Be firm but not dogmatic. Listen to what others say, but you’ve done the work in preparation, and you are the boss!

Why not have a go?

It’s a fun challenge to find a new variation to a ‘standard’ route; but there are always people there to help you if you have difficulties. If you have a favourite route that’s not one of the club standard rides, share it with us (the Saturday group – which does not have a predetermined destination – would love to be your guinea pigs).

Volunteer to any of the runs leaders, please.

Water of Leith – new path

The new path from the WoL Visitor Centre to Gorgie is now open. Not a good short-cut for cyclists (the path beside the prison is better for that), but a pleasant meander. Difficult to find at the Gorgie end - it’s at the end of Chesser Loan, to the right of the entrance to the allotments.

CAR – Car-Assisted Run – No.2

It’s bright and breezy as we wait with anticipation to see who arrives to join the June ‘car-assisted’ run from Oldhamstocks. Ah well!
10.10 a.m. and its off to Copath and over the A1 to climb Coldingham Moor with the help of a strong northerly. Roe deer scamper over the hill and away from us as we made for an early coffee stop at the Headstart at Northfield. Back through Coldingham and we benefit from the wind swinging into the east as we make for Ayton, Foulden and Paxton. Lunch at 30 miles by the suspension bridge; out the wind and in the sun.
The afternoon sees us crossing into England and we continue ‘wind assisted by Horncliffe’ and Norham where we pass the only other cyclists (3) making use of today’s bracing air. We pass close by Coldstream and through Swinton as we make our way to the ‘Pewter Plate’ at Duns for afternoon tea. At 50 miles a most welcome break.
On through Abbey St Bathans and over the moor to the Ecclaw and back to Oldhamstocks somewhat hindered by that same northeasterly that we benefited from for most of the day.
Sixty six miles; a good day out lasting until 6 o’clock plus.
Who won the final 30?

Runs Lists

HINT: If you come out for a ride, ask the leader for a handy Runs Card - easier to keep in your pocket than a copy of Cycle Forth
We now have an ad hoc Runs Committee to try to avoid clashes in runs. There are a few people who go out on more than one run per week, and now that both Wednesday and Sundays both have specified destinations we try to avoid having two almost identical runs within 10 days of each other, we also try to spread runs around the compass. The draft list for the whole of 2002 has now been done, and you may be interested to know the spread:

Shared-use Paths

Funny thing – the law! It’s illegal for a shop to sell a bicycle without pedal and wheel reflectors and a bell, but it’s not illegal to use a bike without these items. I occasionally get letters from pedestrians complaining about cyclists who give them a start by approaching silently and fast when on shared-use paths, in particular on canal towpaths. Some of these are quite heavily populated by pedestrians, especially near towns – Linlithgow is a case in point. Now that most of the Union Canal towpath has been improved cycling is easier (and faster), but we must remember that letting people know we are there and ‘requesting’ to pass them is a courtesy. My personal experience is that people don’t recognise a bicycle bell nowadays! I usually give a single ping when I am about 30m away, this is frequently ignored, then a double one a second or two later, even that does not register. Obviously people use the towpath for deep meditation or animated conversation, and traffic awareness is grossly diminished.

Remember that you need a permit to cycle on a towpath. They can be obtained free of charge from your local waterway office (British Waterways (Scottish Regional Office, Forth & Clyde, Union & Monkland Canals), Canal House, Applecross Street, Glasgow, G4 9SP. Tel: 0141 332 6936). Send your name and address on an email, along with the number of passes you require and they will be sent to you by return of post.

Pedal for Scotland - Sunday 16 September

2001 riders - if you help to make up the numbers

Entry forms now available from bike shops, some CTC members, from the web site www.pedalforscotland.co.uk

or from the organiser - Brian Curtis.

Book the date NOW, get a form SOON, commit yourself!

Details on www.pedalforscotland.co.uk