Edinburgh Bike Network saved!

Today, 4 September, the TRO Subcommittee finally approved making permanent the Experimental Traffic Orders (ETROs) which enable the main-road Travelling Safely routes in the East, North and West of the city. Orders for the South will come to the Committee at a later date. A rolling programme, for which funding is allocated, will gradually upgrade the existing bollarding infrastructure to more permanent materials and to incorporate useful improvements.

The background – of ongoing deferrals which put the bike lanes at grave risk, resulting in a major campaign jointly by Spokes, Edi.Bike, and 16 other local active travel groups – is described here. Media coverage included the Evening News and Road.cc.

In the end, the TRO Sub today approved making the schemes permanent at an incredibly short meeting. Only Cllr Lang, whose interventions at previous meetings had led to the deferrals and the threat to the existence of the network, spoke up. But this time his queries were quickly and decisively answered by officers and gained no follow-up from other councillors.

Indeed no other councillors spoke at all, other than Convener Cllr Margaret Graham, who said the schemes improved road safety and moved the successful motion to make them permanent.

Edi.Bike did a great preview of the Subcommitee, and we have a bluesky thread of the meeting itself, which also covered the Meadows to George Street traffic orders.

Finally, we also have great respect for the officers who, largely as a result of the previous two deferrals by the Subcommittee, had to put in an inordinate amount of time and effort to reach this stage (see reports East and West/North and appendices 1-34).

Our huge thanks to all who participated in this campaign – led jointly by edi.bike and Spokes, supported by 16 other local active travel groups, and with many letters to councillors from concerned individuals following our member circular. – it makes a real difference!

So, now, the expectation and the hope in our Spring-printed 2025 Bulletin, has happened! And now that the bike lanes are permanent we look forward to the rolling program of physical improvements – and, hopefully, further development into a properly connected network, where doubtless more campaigning will be necessary!