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@spokes.org.uk Oct 4, 2026, 10:01 AM

! 🚲 are 1 in 3 of all traffic
! #VoiBikes success
! #CCWEL #MissingLink vital

--> www.spokes.org.uk/2026/10/city...

@edi.bike @chdot.bsky.social @edfoc.bsky.social @edtiss.bsky.social @davidfkey.bsky.social @chasbooth.bsky.social @sw20.info

City Centre: bikes now 1 in 3 in rush hour

A Spokes traffic count in George Street and Princes Street on 24 September found bikes forming over 30% of all vehicles in the morning peak period, and over 20% at lunchtime. Other findings suggest a major boost to bike travel thanks to the Council’s Voi bike hire scheme.

Our count was conducted to add concrete evidence to current uncertainties over the future of both streets, with Princes Street likely to remain 4 lanes of tarmac for the some years to come and no funding available for the ambitious but extremely costly George Street proposals for a semi-pedestrianised ‘cycle street’ (albeit with significant motor traffic at times!). The money which had been intended for George Street will now go to repaving Princes Street footways with high-cost materials in what Cllr Lang termed a “glorified resurfacing project.”

Thus, whichever east-west route best suits a cyclist’s journey, Princes Street or George Street, cycling conditions in both look set to remain dire, with a major central gap remaining in CCWEL, the Council’s City Centre West-East Link, unless the Council thinks again.

map showing CCWEL missing link along George Street

@thisismyglasgow.bsky.social Sep 27, 2026, 2:43 PM

The monumental former Royal College of Science and Technology on George Street in Glasgow. Designed by David Barclay and built in 1903, it's now part of Strathclyde University.

#glasgow #architecture #architecturephotography #strathclydeuniversity #georgestreet

@spokes.org.uk Sep 19, 2026, 8:28 AM

They changed their mind at recent Planning Cttee

Instead of #GeorgeStreet, much of that money now goes to #PrincesStreet

.. for a "glorified resurfacing project"
(Cllr @kevin-lang.bsky.social)

-> bsky.app/profile/spok...

@edi.bike @chdot.bsky.social @edfoc.bsky.social @edinburghviews.bsky.social

Saved Posts
SpokesLothian
@spokes.org.uk
· 21h
Replied to
Brent Toderian
😍 #JanGehl 90th birthday

Sadly
@edinburghcouncil.bsky.social
forgot his 2011 call for🚶👩‍🦼🚲🚌🚊
#PrincesStreet

🙄 Instead: 4 lanes #tarmac

-> www.spokes.org.uk/wp-content/u...
@edi.bike

@chdot.bsky.social

@edfoc.bsky.social

@chasbooth.bsky.social

@sparksstirling.bsky.social

@urbaneprofessor.bsky.social
90th birthday celebration picture for Jan Gehl Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social Follow One thing we can never do enough is celebrate our heroes while they’re still with us. Today’s the 90th birthday of the great urbanist Jan Gehl, who started as a hero to me and became a mentor & friend. I’m proud to have been asked to contribute to his celebration messages today. Happy birthday, Jan. 1/2
ALT
Start of Spokes deputation to the Council on Princes St/ George St, referencing Jan Gehl 2011 report Princes Street and Waverley Valley CEC Planning Cttee 9.9.26, agenda item 71 Spokes submission on transport aspects Spokes fundamentally rejects the recommendations in this report. The proposals represent only minor change from those rejected by councillors2 on 12 November 2025, under Cllr Lang’s motion as amended. Their very description as ‘pragmatism’ does not reflect councillors’ request for an “ambitious and exciting strategy.” As regards Princes Street itself, the approach mainly consists of repaving the north footway, and a 1.5m improvement to footway width on the south side, whilst leaving the bulk of the width of Princes Street as a 4-lane transport corridor which, whilst busy at times, is for much of the day mainly an expanse of tarmac. It is not the ‘place’ proposal which has been recommended by experts in urban design, from the Council’s 2011 Jan Gehl report [para 1102 here3] and subsequently, for what is Edinburgh’s premier street, and, indeed, Scotland’s. Gehl recommended4 a place with high pedestrian provision, safe cycling as well as quality public transport. This…

@newsuluruspace.bsky.social Sep 16, 2026, 2:00 PM

Ostatnia część George Street przeznaczona na strefę pieszą

https://news.uluru.space/article/23066?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=auto #GeorgeStreet #Pedestrianisation #Sydney #Revamp

@spokes.org.uk Sep 10, 2026, 4:36 PM

☝️ Transport Cttee 10.9.26 thread

👍 Good 🚲 outcomes on:

#tram 🚲 dangers
#Lothianburn
#TRO delays
#GeorgeStreet Nov report to consider interim 🚲route

@edi.bike @chdot.bsky.social @edfoc.bsky.social @joshpizpom.bsky.social @bjpaddy.bsky.social @sw20.info @morningsider.bsky.social @edinpl.bsky.social

SpokesLothian
@spokes.org.uk
#EdinWebcast #Tram

Conservatives oppose entirely

Cllr Jenkinson accepts Green amendt & part of SNP

Vote
7 Lab/Green/SNP
2 LibDem
2 Con

So..
a. Support for entire route, priority South
b. No more work till Autumn '27 after SEStransit report
c. Strong Green amendt on 🚲 safety included

SpokesLothian
@spokes.org.uk
· 21m
#EdinWebcast #TRO delays

Cllr Booth: Officers have told him the exemptions requested by Spokes & Green amendment for bike hangars, voi bike parking & carclub parking already included (but wasn't clear through the legalese !)

Cllr
@stephenjenkinson.bsky.social
agrees modified Green amendt

Agreed

SpokesLothian
@spokes.org.uk
· 3h
#EdinWebcast .. City Centre Future

Cllr Lang: Policy limbo: George St was priority, now it's Princes St!

Cllr Gardiner: George St future now unclear - may need buses for resilience (re Princes St fire). Interim CCWEL bikeroute urgent

👍 Cllr Jenkinson: Report on all this will come to November TEC

SpokesLothian
@spokes.org.uk
· 15m
#EdinWebcast #Lothianburn junction

Cllr Cuthbert Conservative motion seeking updates on the current trial by BEAR Scotland

Cllr
@rosssmckenzie.bsky.social
Green amendment notes Spokes concerns and asks officers to engage with BEAR to improve 🚲 safety

👍 Cllr Cuthbert accepts and motion agreed.

@spokes.org.uk Sep 10, 2026, 12:15 PM

#EdinWebcast ... Visitor Levy

Cllr @chasbooth.bsky.social Green amendment seeks #GeorgeStreet interim 🚲 route

Cllr @rosssmckenzie.bsky.social agrees - #GeorgeStreet #CCWEL gap has remained for far too long

Cllr @stephenjenkinson.bsky.social accepts Green amendment

AGREED

Addendum by the Green Group
Transport and Environment Committee
10 September 2026
Item 7.4 – Edinburgh Visitor Levy: New Projects
Add at the end of recommendations:
1.1.7 Notes the decision of Planning Committee of 9 September 2026 on the Princes
Street and Waverley Valley Strategy; further notes the information in paragraphs 4.16 –
4.20 of this report in respect of Princes Street and George Street; notes that these
decisions taken together would potentially leave a gap in the City Centre West East Link
(CCWEL) for years to come, and therefore agrees that the report outlined at paragraph
4.18 which will return to committee in due course, should contain proposals on how the
completion of existing projects could be prioritised.
Moved by: Chas Booth

@spokes.org.uk Sep 10, 2026, 12:02 PM

#EdinWebcast ... Visitor Levy

Report--> democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/documents/s1...

Cllr Gardiner: Need to complete #CCWEL now that #GeorgeStreet delays likely due Planning Cttee #PrincesStreet decision + resilience debate due to fire

Officer: CCWEL completion important - officers will consider

City Centre Public Realm (Princes Street and George Street)
4.16 In February 2026, officers were asked to consider how the unallocated COI budget could be utilised to deliver public realm improvements in the city centre, including Princes Street and George Street.
4.17 A report on Princes Street and Waverley Valley Strategy will be taken to the Planning Committee on 9 September 2026 which seeks approval on the direction of the development strategy.
4.18 Following the decision of Planning Committee, a report will be brought to the Transport and Environment Committee outlining the need for public realm investment within the city centre, including both Princes Street and George Street.
4.19 As a decision is yet to be made on the development of Princes Street and George Street, officers recommend that the £31.75m, that was previously allocated for George Street and First New Town, is ringfenced for the development of city centre public realm improvements, to be released once members have considered the report referred to at 4.18.
4.20 It should be noted that ringfencing the capital borrowing would allow for the other projects presented to Transport and Environment Committee and Culture and Communities Committee to be carried out, however it would limit any additional capital borrowing that could be undertaken in future years.

@spokes.org.uk Sep 9, 2026, 2:54 PM

#EdinWebCast #PrincesStreet

Cllr Griffiths moves to support Option 1, but says officers will ensure 🚲 safety, and scheme needed now

SNP Cllr @davidfkey.bsky.social amendt supports option 1 as can happen soon & helps 🚌🚊🚶
BUT problems for 🚲 so seeking seg lanes & remove parking on #GeorgeStreet

Amendment by the SNP
Planning Committee
9 September 2026
Item 7.3 – Non-statutory planning guidance –
Princes Street and Waverley Valley Strategy
Update
Delete: 1.1.3
New 1.1.3
Agree that a revised Princes Street and Waverley Strategy, based on the enhancements
set out in Option 1, will be returned to Committee in early 2027.
Further to the above, a scoping out of options for segregated cycle lane(s) and removal
of parking on George Street and a review of how to minimize non-essential traffic on
Princes Street. This will provide an ambitious, exciting and deliverable strategy for
Princes Street and Waverley Valley.
Moved by: Councillor David Key

@spokes.org.uk Sep 9, 2026, 2:47 PM

#EdinWebCast ... #PrincesStreet

Cllr @davidfkey.bsky.social asks what for 🚲 in #GeorgeStreet if Option 1 approved

A: "conversation is ongoing" [under-statement !] But there is unallocated (visitor levy?) money that councillors could decide to use