No 6 : October 1999

Compiled, edited and largely written by PETER HAWKINS

INDEX to this issue

Survey of Cycling

SNH has now published its Survey of Cycling in Scotland, based on household interviews and travel diaries. Some of its findings are unsurprising, e.g. that "more cycling is done in August than in February" (!) but other findings are less predictable. For example, women cycle almost as much as men (the split is 55% men, 45% women). But most cycling is done by _ children! Over half of all cyclists are 18 and under, and a third are aged 10 or less.

This is good news in some ways, as it means that many people do learn to cycle at the critical age (and learning to ride, like many other skills, is much easier if taught early - I shall never forget my (unsuccessful) attempts to teach a 26-year-old Arab student to ride a bike). But how do we encourage people to continue cycling on a regular basis once they're old enough to drive a car?

The bad news in these figures is that cycling in Scotland is largely a leisure activity, and is seen to be such by the authorities. Not just children either - 55% of adults gave 'leisure' as their main reason for using a bike. We in the CTC believe that cycling has to be seen as a mode of transport, which can play a vital role in reducing traffic in towns and cities. Only 20% gave travel to work/college as their main use of a bike, but the health value of cycling was recognised, with 23% claiming their main use being to 'keep fit'.

The main difficulty cyclists complained about was, not surprisingly, traffic. Other concerns were the lack of specific cycle routes, and poor surfaces. At a lesser level the need was expressed for more route signing, secure parking facilities, and leaflet information about cycle routes.

Cycling accounted for only 4% of all journeys, according to the travel diaries. 65% of journeys were made by car or light van. It's a sobering thought that, 60 years ago, these figures would have been reversed. Is that what we mean by progress?!

Cycle Route Leaflets

West Lothian Council is about to publish leaflets on 6 cycle routes in the county. Each leaflet has a map, a description of the route, and a mention of places of interest and places to eat or drink. There are two routes based on Livingston, two on Bathgate, and two on Linlithgow. For each town there is a 'short' route of about 15 miles and a 'long' route of 25-30 miles. The routes are designed to use minor roads and off-road where possible.

The leaflets will be available from West Lothian Council or from Tourist Information Centres in Linlithgow and Edinburgh.

Union Canal Towpath - 1

Work on the Millennium Link, the restoration of the Union and Forth-Clyde canals between Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Bowling on the Clyde, has begun. Work is in progress at Wester Hailes, where the canal is being restored (in Phase 1) from Hermiston to the Shell garage, and also at the M8 blockage, where the canal will be diverted so as to pass under the motorway.

In West Lothian parts of the towpath, between the A801 and the Almond Aqueduct, are being upgraded, and sections will be closed for a short time. Information on time and place of closures is available, but only in W. Lothian. However we have been assured that diversion signs will be put up, and that the path will be open at weekends. If you find a section closed, and the signing inadequate, please contact British Waterways (0141 332 6936).

Union Canal Towpath - 2

The towpath at Hermiston, which was closed while a new bridge to a car showroom was being built, is now open again. But the contractors put a barrier along Cultins Rd, which not only stopped vehicles getting to the towpath but cut it off for pedestrians and cyclists too! There must have been a lot of complaints, because the very day after your Editor raised the matter with British Waterways, the barrier was modified!

A701 at Bilston

Opposition to the plans by Midlothian Council to build a dual carriageway 'bypass' at Bilston has become so strong that the Council have been forced to refer the decision to the Scottish Executive, which probably means there will be a Public Inquiry. The Councillors still do not appear to realise that not only would the road cost ratepayers heavily (remember Skye Bridge tolls?) for years, but that, if Parliament's plans to allow road charging are passed, the existing road could become an asset - vehicles could pay to use it, bringing in lots of revenue for the Council.

If you live or work in Midlothian please support the opposition, by contacting your local Councillor, and tell them what an opportunity they'll be missing.

The CTC opposes the road because, although a cycle track is promised, the road will generate a lot of new traffic, which is bad for cycling, bad for health, bad for the environment. The road would also be built on Green Belt and bring industrial "parks" in its wake, turning a quite rural corner of the county into a suburban jungle.

The cyclists' alternative route - the newly restored Bilston Viaduct. Work is now going on to make approaches at the Loanhead end.

Pedal for Scotland

The inaugural Pedal for Scotland charity ride took place on Sunday 19^th Sept. Participants cycled from Glasgow to Edinburgh. The Convener of Glasgow Council, Walter McLellan, sent them off. After the bad luck of facing a head wind the whole way, they were made very welcome in Linlithgow, where the Provost Joe Thomas not only turned up in person but laid on heaps of sandwiches and a pipe band! Strathclyde Police and Central Police were also very helpful, arranging pointsmen at roundabouts and right turns.

On reaching Holyrood Park there was a marquee with stalls run by various organisations.

About 800 riders started, and 700 managed the whole distance. The youngest to ride all the way was 9 years old, and one 68-year-old, a DA member, did the ride in both directions!

If you took part yourself, send the Editor your personal experiences and we'll publish them in the next Newsletter! Pedal for Scotland will be an annual event, Scotland's answer to the London to Brighton. Don't miss the deluxe version in the Millennium Year!

Path News

The Broxburn-Newbridge path is now surfaced all the way from the roundabout at the east end of Broxburn to the bridge at the Newbridge roundabout so riding on that busy section of the A89 can be avoided.

The Bilston Viaduct is now restored - made safe and surfaced (see picture above). It was one of the items which was 'Open' on the recent Mid-Lothian 'Doors Open Day'. It's worth a visit just to see the construction which is of historical architectural and engineering significance. At the moment it's not a viable way of getting from Milton Bridge Cemetery to Straiton if you are in a hurry, as the approaches at the Loanhead end still need some work. From the viaduct there is the narrow lane leading into Polton Bank, there is a bumpy track across a field to the garages in Mavis Bank (modern houses off Polton Road) or the original colliery track leading into Park Avenue (off The Loan) but this has large tyre-shredding chips on it. It is hoped to clear the line towards the High Street and join the road by the cemetery gates.

Talking of tyre-shredding skittering chips, at Crewe Toll the temporary ramps down to Ferry Road which replace the bridge have just had a layer of tarmac laid over the chips, and the street-lighting now extends down the ramp. Joining and crossing the road is not particularly easy. The new bridge was due by the end of October, but seems to be a bit behind schedule. At the time of writing, even the new ramp on the north side is closed, and one has to wheel the bike down the steps.

To facilitate the passage of the 700+ cyclists on the Pedal for Scotland ride, the narrow iron-railing chicane at the snicket leading into Silverknowes Terrace from Cramond Road South was removed just in time (though the sign reading 'No Cycling' was still in place at the far end!). The barrier has now been replaced. A toucan crossing is to be installed to cross to Barnton Avenue.

Tell them about it...

Have you seen things like this on your travels? Do write to the Councils. They may not have money, but certainly won't even think about doing anything unless they are made aware of it.

Before After one letter and within 4 weeks. Thank you, West Lothian Council!

CLUBROOM PROGRAMME 1999

Social Progamme - Winter 1999-2000

12 Clubnight - I'm sure it will restart will a bang!

Farewell to.....

the 20th Century: well, we are all hearing enough about that, and it's being made the excuse for all sorts of changes, but we are saying 'Farewell' to the little handy pocket-sized annual Handbook in the DA colours.

For several years it has been printed, as you will know if you read it well, courtesy of Scottish Life. It was a very felicitous piece of sponsorship - it was a relatively low-cost item for such an organisation to print, but it would have cost us a very large sum out of our budget to have had to take it to a commercial printer. Thanks, Dennis for arranging this, and for all the work in putting it together. The booklet itself is difficult to loose, distinctive and a handy size. But the deal, like all good things, has come to an end and 'farewell' it is.

The one drawback is that, being a yearly publication, decisions have to be made in the autumn about every detail of the programme for 15 months ahead. People rely on the Handbook, and even though for two years now we have distributed Cycle Forth to every household, changes to the programme are not always noted. For instance, when we added some extra events during National Bike Week it was not always clear in people's minds whether the runs in the Handbook were being replaced or supplemented by these events. People change and different people take on different roles in the DA, so it's often not accurate.

Cycle Forth was initially set up as a two-year experiment in communication _ both to members and potential members (copies are supplied to most of the cycle shops in Lothian and to most of the Public Libraries). The two years are now up, and at its last meeting the committee decided to do what several other DAs do (and what the Lothian DA has also done in the past) and incorporate the Runs List and General Information into a thrice-yearly newsletter.

This issue is a bridge between the two. The first of the new-style Cycle Forths will be published in January, and will contain runs from January to May. The next one, issued in May will have all the National Bike Week events (remember the Millenium Festival of Cycling which will be happening) and runs from June to September, and the final one of the year will be early September with runs from October to January plus the first part of the winter social programme.

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