A Range of Winners

This year’s Commuter Challenge showed that different modes of transport can be used effectively to travel to the centre of Edinburgh and two wheels tend to do best.

Of course it’s hard to beat the train for speed, but the train plus bike option from Newcraighall was only 5 minutes quicker than the person who cycled the whole 5 miles. Both were almost twice as fast as the runner – but she took only 3 minutes longer than the car driver!

The straight run in from Ingliston gave the motorbike a clear advantage, but a keen cyclist managed 27 minutes for the seven miles – beaten by only 4 minutes.

Running the Challenge

Tomorrow’s annual Commuter Challenge has a new class of entrant. As well as bikes, buses, cars and a train there will be a runner! 

One bold person is running from Newcraighall Station to the St. Andrew Square finish (just over 5 miles). They won’t beat the rail passenger (unless the train doesn’t turn up – which happened a couple of years ago!)

But will they beat the car driver? 

All finishers should be in by 8.30.

SEStran Welcomes EMW Initiatives

SEStran Chair, Russell Imrie, has added his support for EMW in Edinburgh. This year’s innovation is Green Passport Day which he says; “is an ideal opportunity to get on your bike and discover the advantages of cycling instead of using the car. Cycling is good for the environment, good for our health and its fun, for people of all ages and abilities. It can also contribute towards reducing traffic congestion and tackling pollution. By improving the facilities available to cyclists across South East Scotland, SEStran hopes to encourage people throughout the region to get out of their cars and onto their bikes.”

On the annual In Town Without My Car Day event he adds; “encouraging people to make smarter choices about transportation is central to SEStran’s Regional Transport Strategy.  If we all left the car at home just one day a week it would take up to 20% of the cars off the region’s roads.  In Town Without My Car Day is an opportunity for everyone to try out a new mode of getting into the city centre.  So whether you decide on cycling, bus train, or walking into town, you will be making a real contribution to cutting congestion and reducing the region’s carbon footprint.

TripshareSestran – encouraging car sharing in and around Edinburgh.

Same Challenge Different Destination

For the last few years the Commuter Challenge has been the best publicised part of European Mobility Week in Edinburgh.

People start from the ‘four corners of Edinburgh’ and travel to the city centre by bus, bike, train, car and motorbike. It’s not a fix – but bikes tend to do quite well!

In previous years the destination has been Princes Street. This year it’s the fabulous, newly opened, St. Andrew Square Gardens – with permission from Essential Edinburgh. Complete with grass to lie down on (if the trip was tiring) and a cafe for breakfast.

Car Free Day in Portobello

Once again PEDAL is organising a Car Free Day in Portobello (Sunday 21st, 12.30 – 3.00). This year POD is organising a Village Show on the same day (Rosefield Park from 3-5pm).

Details

BAAs For EMW

Three schools will be getting a Bicycle Awareness Afternoon during this year’s European Mobility Week.

This brings a mix of classroom exercises, bike checks and basic bike maintenance lessons to P6 pupils about to do Cycle Training.

The schools are Trinity, Pentlands and Lismore. All are keen to encourage cycling.

Green Passport Day

A brand new innovation for European Mobility Week in Edinburgh (2008) is the Green Passport Day.

This is open to all, though it will probably appeal to children – who will take their families with them.

On Saturday the 20th five checkpoints will be set up along the North Edinburgh Path Network between Roseburn and Victoria Park. Map

A Green Passport is being distributed to all primary and nursery school children in Edinburgh. Spare copies will be available at the checkpoints on the day.

The idea is to walk, cycle or scooter along this green corridor collecting stamps at the checkpoints. After collecting two or more stamps the passport can be handed in and will be entered into a prize draw.

In Town Without My Car Day

ITWMC Day is always on September the 22nd at the end of European Mobility Week. This year that’s a Monday.

Some people see it as a token gesture ‘what’s the point of not driving one day per year?’. If that was the only time regular drivers didn’t drive it wouldn’t make much difference.

European Mobility Week is about highlighting travel choices and options. For all the people who say they have no choice other than their car, because of where they live and work (those are choices they have already made), there are plenty who could make changes in their travel habits.

The recent television series The Woman Who Stops Traffic demonstrated that (some) people would change if given a small nudge. One man was asked why he drove his child to school every day. He said it would take too long to walk. He was asked how far away he lived and how long he thought it would take to walk.

The answers were less than a mile and three quarters of an hour! Once persuaded to give it a go he found that it was more like a quarter of an hour and he (and his daughter) actually enjoyed the walk.

Maybe you already walk/cycle/use public transport. What about your friends and work colleagues. Could you ’sign them up’ for one day a year?

Tax-Free Breakfasts + Free Track Pump

Employers are being encouraged to encourage their staff to cycle to work on September 22nd – “In Town Without My Car Day”. (And other days as well of course!)

Some employers offer Bike Breakfasts a few times a year. People who cycle get a free breakfast. Normally “such meals are a taxable benefit in kind but regulations exempt them from tax, as long as they are provided on designated “cycle to work” days. Full text on HMRC site.

Any Edinburgh company that encourages its staff to cycle during European Mobility Week will receive a free track pump. (Register here).

Correctly inflated tyres make cycling easier – and therefore more pleasant. A track pump is easier to use than a hand-held pump, (quicker to reach the correct pressure too). Employers should make the pump easy to find – at the reception desk or bike shed for instance.

Free Cycling Books

Thinking of cycling to work? If so you can claim a free copy of “Cycling to Work a beginner’s guide” supplied by SESTran.