David Key (@davidfkey.bsky.social)

@merchistoncc.bsky.social Oct 6, 2026, 8:44 PMReposted by @davidfkey.bsky.social

Leaf clearing volunteers needed 🍂

We invite residents to join the Volunteer Team in the Merchiston Leaf Clearing Project

Learn more and get in touch to help out!

merchistoncc.org.uk/the-merchist...

People sweeping and picking up fallen leaves at the side of a road. A young boy crouches down to pick up leaves while a woman behind him holds open a large black bag

@spokes.org.uk Oct 4, 2026, 10:01 AMReposted by @davidfkey.bsky.social

#GeorgeStreet #PrincesStreet

🙋 Spokes #TrafficCount

! 🚲 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

@blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk Oct 1, 2026, 6:22 PMReposted by @davidfkey.bsky.social

What happens when you create a high-traffic neighbourhood by removing the modal filters on the Braid Estate… SUVs end up on their side Junction of Braid Rd and Hermitage Dr. Around school pick up time, Thursday 1st Oct

A black SUV on its side with the underside visible. A police car in the foreground and an ambulance in the background. A police officer stands in hi viz beside the SUV. The pole of a zebra crossing can be seen in the foreground

The same as the first picture, but zoomed in on the overturned SUV

@davidfkey.bsky.social Sep 27, 2026, 2:59 PM

After the “trauma” (😀) of running this year’s London Marathon, I swore I’d never do another.
Doh!
#AlzheimerScotland
#EdinburghMarathon2027
@alzscot.bsky.social

@spokes.org.uk Sep 26, 2026, 12:03 PMReposted by @davidfkey.bsky.social

📈 #FlashFlood hits @thebikestation.bsky.social

🤩 Spokes is matchfunding the #Crowdfunder

🚲 helps tackle #ClimateCrisis; but #floods fight back!

🙋 Donate-> www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/keep-us-ro...

@edi.bike @chdot.bsky.social @davidfkey.bsky.social @chasbooth.bsky.social @drscottarthurmp.bsky.social

Photo Inside the bike stn, showing the flood damage

Edinburgh Bike Charity launches crowdfunder after flash flooding forced workshop to close

The Bike Station, a Scottish charity which promotes cycling through sales of affordable refurbished bikes and a variety of community programmes including a free library of children's bikes, has launched a fundraiser after flash flooding in Edinburgh’s Old Town affected its Tollcross branch.

On 19 August 2026, extremely heavy rainfall led to flash flooding in several areas of the Old Town including South Bridge and the Grassmarket. At the same time, the basement workshop of The Bike Station in Tollcross was flooded, forcing staff to evacuate, and causing damage which took over a week to repair.

While The Bike Station has now re-opened its Tollcross branch, the charity is feeling the impact of losing over a week of work and revenue during its busiest time of the year, with demand for bikes at its highest and the communities programme in full swing as schools return from summer holidays. In the wake of the flood, the charity has launched an online fundraiser, aiming to raise £10,000 to support the ongoing recovery of the Tollcross workshop, and its varied community projects working with children and young people, asylum seekers, and groups which are underrepresented in cycling.

“We are so proud of our amazing mechanic and branch team for the work that they do year-round, and we are particularly proud of the pace at which they have been able to recover and rebuild from this flood. Extreme weather events are only going to happen more often due to climate change, so we are more determined than ever to carry on our work helping everyone to enjoy a sustainable, and joyful, mode of transport.” Sasha Taylor, CEO of The Bike Station.

The crowdfunder can is available via this link, and more information about the work of The Bike Station is on the website.

Photos are available here.

For any further information please contact Sarah McArthur at sarah.mcarthur@thebikestation.org.…

Extreme weather makes The Bike Station’s mission even more important- support us to get more people using sustainable and joyful transport.

August in Edinburgh is always busy!! - but this August was also difficult. Will you help us to raise £10,000 to ensure more people can choose cycling? Everything you donate will be match-funded by Spokes, up to £5000!

August is one of our busiest times at The Bike Station- especially in Tollcross. Our branch is buzzing as more people want to get moving on two wheels. We refurbish over 125 bikes in the month. Downstairs in the tiny but mighty Tollcross workshop, our amazing mechanics work their magic and dozens of high quality lovingly refurbished bikes. For August and September everyone is on full speed to keep up with demand.

That is, until extreme weather brings everything to a stop

@merchistoncc.bsky.social Sep 7, 2026, 1:51 PMReposted by @davidfkey.bsky.social

Our next public meeting is Tues 15 Sept 2026 7pm - Polwarth Tennis & Bowling Clubhouse 🗣️ All residents invited to attend & share views! Register at [email protected] Agenda: 🏠 Napier Uni reps on plans to sell Merchiston Campus site 🍂 Leaf Clearing volunteer project 🚶Road safety initiatives

@davidfkey.bsky.social Sep 5, 2026, 10:33 AM

So, why has the Israeli-owned Navitas Petroleum been given a licence to drill for oil off the Falklands?
@drscottarthurmp.bsky.social

@spokes.org.uk Sep 4, 2026, 3:45 PMReposted by @davidfkey.bsky.social

Spokes members' views on
#Granton #tramline
and
#PrincesStreet

--> www.spokes.org.uk/2026/09/spok...

@edi.bike @chdot.bsky.social @edfoc.bsky.social @stephenjenkinson.bsky.social @chasbooth.bsky.social @kevin-lang.bsky.social @davidfkey.bsky.social @edinreporter.bsky.social @joshpizpom.bsky.social

Spokes members’ views on tramline & city centre controversies

Spokes operates through working groups of dedicated volunteers, not by referendum. However, in the rare case of major controversy or the need for further evidence we may conduct a survey to gauge the views of the wider membership, and whether our central decisions are reasonably compatible.

In this survey we sought member feedback on route options for the proposed northern tramline extension (Granton to City Centre) and on the relative roles of Princes Street and George Street for cycling.

Northern Tramline Extension

On the northern tramline extension, there is very strong agreement (over 80%) on an extension. However marginally over a quarter of members (27%) say this must be via Orchard Brae, whilst marginally under a quarter (23%) say it must be via Roseburn; whilst 30% find both options acceptable. Thus, in total, 57% find the Orchard Brae route acceptable, and 53% the Roseburn route, a difference well within 95% confidence levels, as in the graph below from the above full report.

Importantly, comments suggest that support for either route is conditional on the preservation of safe, segregated active travel corridors on both.

Princes Street / George Street

The Council is shortly taking decisions on the future of Princes Street – although whether that will finally settle anything, given the years of prevarication and changing of minds, remains to be seen! Whatever is decided for Princes Street will also have major implications for George Street, where the long-debated proposals remain in limbo due to the massive costs of the current design.

Spokes has always argued that high quality conditions for cycling (and certainly for walking) are essential in both streets. For many journeys, they are not alternatives, and indeed to use George Street as a Princes Street bypass, as parts of the Council sometimes suggest, would on some journeys entail crossing tramlines twice and/or turning across major traffic flows on and off the linking streets.

Our survey found that somewhat more members currently use George Street than Princes Street, but that there is huge suppressed demand for Princes Street. If in future cycle facilities on each street were equally good, around 30% would find Princes Street most useful for their journeys compared to 15% for George Street (30% would find both equally useful).

Princes Street is seen by many as a direct, scenic route with fewer junctions, but plagued by hazards, while George Street feels safer but is often an inconvenient detour. Comments suggest that concerns about safety on Princes Street cause many respondents to avoid it entirely – and indeeed 36% of respondents say they never cycle along Princes Street compared to 26% who never cycle along George Street.

@merchistoncc.bsky.social Sep 2, 2026, 8:09 PMReposted by @davidfkey.bsky.social

🥳 Merchiston Ave/Colinton Rd: New project examining this busy junction (near Starbucks/Tesco). It's a key entry for local rat-runs. The Community Council is collaborating with the Road Safety Officer to improve safety for pedestrians & cyclists. We need your views!🚶