Consultation now open by @Edinburgh_CC on ‘North Edinburgh Connections’ active travel scheme (Ferry Road-Pennywell Road-West Granton Road).
You can see the plans and comment (closing date 9 June) here:
Thinking of getting back on a bike or learning to cycle but not ready to invest in a bike just yet?
The NEA Bike Lending Library has bikes ready and waiting for you – and it’s completely FREE for NEA Members!
– Standard bikes in all sizes – available up to 1 week
– E-bikes & an e-trike – perfect for a day out, available for 1-day hire
– Ideal for trying out cycling, running errands, or exploring the area!
– Not a member yet? It’s quick and easy to join at https://northedinburgharts.co.uk/get…/become-a-member/ or in person at our Welcome Desk
– Fees for non-members: standard bike – £25 per week; electric bike – £25 per day
For more information:
Call us: 07493 876130
Email: bikes@northedinburgharts.co.uk
Supported by The City of Edinburgh Council Active Travel Group and Cycling UK in Scotland
BALFOUR Beattie started work on the West Edinburgh Link this week (December 3). The West Edinburgh Link (WEL) will transform provision for cycling, walking, and accessibility around one of Scotland’s key business parks, whilst better connecting local communities to places of work, retail, leisure, and education.
WEL will also link up with key active travel routes to the city centre, including Quiet Route 8, the Union Canal and the Water of Leith Path.
Some of the work the city council is undertaking in the first phase includes new segregated cycleways on South Gyle Access and Bankhead Avenue, along with widening, surfacing, and improving lighting on the Torwood Path.
Full details on phase one and the wider project are available on the city council’s website.
Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said: “It’s brilliant to see this new work getting underway in the west of the city.
“Properly connecting our communities and encouraging our residents to travel in more sustainable and healthy ways remain key priorities for us. WEL is an important project under our ambitious City Mobility Plan as we keep Edinburgh moving.
“From revitalising active travel provision on the Torwood Path to improving access to Edinburgh College at Sighthill, alongside a host of other improvements, I’ve no doubt that local people will experience real benefits once this transformational project is complete.”
The works are expected to last until Summer 2026.
Edinburgh’s new trial cycle hire scheme, delivered by Voi, has been launched.
The public will be able to use the city’s new scheme of dockless e-bikes from Wednesday 3 September via the Voi app. A guide to using the scheme is available on their website.
A typical 20-minute journey on the e-bike will cost £2.20. There are a range of discounts and concessions for many groups including those on low incomes, people with disabilities, those over the age of 60, blue light workers, veterans, students, apprentices and many more.
In addition to pay as you go fares, Voi also offer day passes and multi day passes.
Full details on fares, concessions and promotions are available on Voi’s website.
There will be an initial tranche of around 50 e-bikes in the city centre. Alongside Voi, we’ll then gather rider feedback and monitor initial performance. This will then be used to expand across the city over the coming months, with a target of approximately 800 e-bikes for the full scheme.
The contract between Voi and the Council runs from 22 August 2025 for a period of two years with the option to extend for up to a further 18 months undertaken at the sole discretion of the Council.
The contract will also run at no cost to the Council.
Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said: “I’m really pleased that we’ve returned a cycle hire scheme to Edinburgh. Voi is a highly experienced operator, with many successful schemes across the UK and abroad, and I’m looking forward to working with them in this exciting new chapter for our city.
“The new scheme will allow everyone to be able to move around our city in a healthier and more sustainable way. We’re also ensuring that the scheme is accessible for all our residents and visitors, with a wide range of concessionary and discount fares available.
“We know that the demand and appetite for cycling is already strong, and getting stronger, here in Edinburgh. Just last week we saw the record for daily cycle journeys on Leith Walk being broken with 2,147 at the Picardy Place counter.
“Meanwhile, our other major active travel routes such as the City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL) and Roseburn to Union Canal have also seen increasing patronage since opening.
“The scheme will complement our existing active travel and transport infrastructure and enhance connectivity, while also cutting congestion and reducing emissions. I look forward to seeing the benefits the scheme will bring to the city and our residents.”
James Bolton, Voi’s UK General Manager said: “We’re excited to set up in Scotland, starting in the historic capital.
“We are working closely with the council to make an affordable scheme that is sensitive to, and learns lessons from, the previous scheme and our experience in similar cities like Oxford, Dortmund, and Regensburg.
“At Voi we see massive amounts of untapped potential in Scotland, where people are really looking for affordable, quick and convenient ways to get around.”
TUESDAY 2nd SEPTEMBER from 7.15 – 9pm
Cargobikes are seen more and more in Edinburgh, and the potential is massive, as in many European cities and elsewhere around the world.
Our public meeting on 2 September will feature the 90-minute documentary film MOTHERLOAD – a mother’s experience of how cargo bikes can be an antidote to the increasing isolation, disconnection, and planetary impact of life in C21.
The meeting will then hear from local organisations in the forefront of cargobike development in Edinburgh, including…
A great opportunity to hear what is happening in Edinburgh and around the world, and to put forward your ideas and suggestions in the QA.
Background & Links
We object to the advertised Traffic Regulation Order (TRO/24/27 bit.ly/3IFOQQ6) allowing two-way cycling on Rose Street.
The idea of promoting two-way cycling on the street was raised in a report to the Transport and Environment Committee (TEC) on 30 January 2025, as a means to facilitate cycling across the city while the CCWEL route through George Street is not yet in place. We made our objection to this proposal at that time.
The Council’s own report recognised that “integrating cyclists into a space primarily designed for pedestrians presents challenges. The narrow width of Rose Street, combined with the high footfall at certain times, could lead to safety concerns between cycling and walking/wheeling. With no dedicated cycling infrastructure, conflict could be created between users.”
It is not appropriate in our view to encourage Rose Street – the closest thing Edinburgh currently has to a pedestrianised street – as a major cycle route.
The proposal does not respect the Council’s agreed travel hierarchy which places walking and wheeling first. The TRO is especially inappropriate given that the TEC recently decided that two way cycle access should be maintained on George Street itself during any redevelopment works.
You can object to the order by 1st August – details here: http://bit.ly/3IFOQQ6.
FREE HIRE FOR NORTH EDINBURGH ARTS MEMBERS
Need a bike? Borrow one from the NEA Lending Bike Library!
We’ve got standard bikes in all sizes, available for up to 1 week hire.
Plus e-bikes & an e-trike, available for 1-day hire.
FREE HIRE for NEA Members! (Find out more about our NEA Membership at https://northedinburgharts.co.uk/get…/become-a-member/)
Contact us: 07493 876130
Email: bikes@northedinburgharts.co.uk
Huge thanks to The City of Edinburgh Council Active Travel Group and Cycling UK in Scotland for funding the bikes for the library.
PATHS FOR ALL HAS BEEN RENAMED WALKING SCOTLAND
SCOTLAND’S national walking and wheeling charity has today announced it has rebranded, marking a bold new chapter after almost 30 years of empowering people to walk more, move more and enjoy the outdoors.
Walking Scotland has officially unveiled its new identity, replacing its long-established name, Paths for All, to better reflect its mission and growing impact across the country.
The change signals the charity’s renewed commitment to embedding walking and wheeling into the everyday lives of Scots, enhancing health, wellbeing and sustainability.
From local Health Walks to national policy changes, the organisation has built meaningful partnerships and inspired communities to enjoy the benefits of active travel.
This rebrand follows their ‘Every Day in May’ campaign as part of National Walking Month, which encouraged people across Scotland to walk daily and to discover the profound social, physical, and mental benefits that even short walks can bring.
The charity’s new name reinforces its position as the country’s national authority on walking and wheeling – building on decades of proven impact while setting ambitious goals for the future. It envisions a Scotland where everyone, regardless of who they are or where they live has access to safe, welcoming environments to walk and wheel.
Walking Scotland’s launch follows overwhelming support for a clearer, bolder brand that better communicates its purpose and makes it easier for people to get involved – whether through walking, wheeling, supporting or donating.
The shift also reflects the growing recognition of walking as a low-cost, high-impact solution to a range of societal challenges, from health inequalities to the climate-nature emergency.
Kevin Lafferty, Chief Executive of Walking Scotland said: “This isn’t just a name change, it’s a renewed commitment to putting walking and wheeling at the heart of everyday life in Scotland.
“For almost 30 years, we’ve made a real difference in communities across the country. But we’re not done yet. Walking changes lives – it improves health, connects people and helps address some of Scotland’s biggest challenges.
“Walking Scotland reflects a fresh and inclusive identity that truly captures the scale of our ambition for the next 30 years. We want everyone in Scotland to be able to walk and wheel, everywhere, every day.
“The feedback from our stakeholders, communities and partners has been incredibly positive – this brand resonates and will help us reach more people and grow our impact.”
The organisation points to a growing body of evidence that supports its mission. According to the most recent national attitudes survey, over 77% of Scots agree that walking helps to clear their minds and improve their mood.
Crucially, walking is free, widely accessible, and requires no special equipment, making it a simple yet powerful tool in the fight against inactivity, social isolation, and pressure on the NHS.
To find out more about Walking Scotland, visit: www.walkingscotland.org.uk
FRIDAY 20 JUNE 2 – 4pm at GYPSY BRAE
Come along to this special Community Cycling & Walking event on Friday 20 June!
Local Scottish Greens MSP Lorna Slater has heralded the delivery of key cycling infrastructure in Edinburgh as part of Bike Week, the UK’s biggest celebration of cycling.
Thanks to pressure from the Scottish Greens during the party’s time in Government, the SNP has committed to increase spending on active travel projects across the country by more than 400% compared to 2019/20. While it still remains short of its £320m spending target on walking, cycling and wheeling infrastructure, the extra funding it has provided so far has already made a major difference on the ground.
Scottish Greens MSP Lorna Slater said: “Active travel has come on leaps and bounds since we got the Government to boost spending on it.
“Now, more people can safely cycle, walk or wheel around Edinburgh and enjoy the physical and mental health benefits that come with travelling under your own steam.
“Bike Week provides the perfect opportunity to reflect on this success – but also to look forward. I would urge the Scottish Government to meet its target of spending £320m – or 10% of its transport budget – on active travel as soon as possible.
“We’ve already seen that if the infrastructure gets built, people will use it. The SNP must provide more funding so that as many people as possible can bolster their wellbeing whilst helping the planet at the same time.”
