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Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 3m

Indeed. But wouldn't it be better if all Scottish card holders could use it on subway/tram just as they do on buses?

(In case policymakers are reading this, we venture most such trips would be shifted from bus to subway/tram, with little additional cost to ScotGov's budget)

Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 2h

TOP TIP; save yourself time, money and/or clicks by going straight to www.transport.gov.scot/news/ instead of a paywalled article that just recycles the ScotGov press release.

News | Transport Scotland

www.transport.gov.scot

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Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 1d

OK Minister, 'By encouraging early adoption of public transport, the initiative has made a lasting impact', but how are you going to keep them there?
Our helpful suggestions (already sent to all parties)
edinburghbususers.group/ebug-suggest...

www.transport.gov.scot/news/over-25...

Over 250 million free bus trips made by young people across Scotland | Transport Scotland

www.transport.gov.scot

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Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 1d

The bridge that ScotGov proudly proclaims as a public transport link, even though it ditched the funding for bus priority stuff from the edge of the city inwards.

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Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 1d

That yin. The one that's connected to a bridge that one MSP thinks is empty, even though thousands of bus passengers use it.

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Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 2d

@stephenjenkinson.bsky.social @chasbooth.bsky.social @kate-c.bsky.social @sannedd.bsky.social @sw20.info @spokes.org.uk

(Correlation is not causation, but banging your head on a brick wall correlates with a lot of headaches)

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Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 2d

Handy link to www.edinburghinquirer.co.uk/p/mapping-th...
We read as much as possible (*declined to hand over our details*), but couldn't help noticing that the busiest urban corridor is the one without significant bus priority. 🤔

Mapping the radical changes in the way we use the city's roads

From the 'traffic-light' city centre to the cycle route that has proved a surprise hit

www.edinburghinquirer.co.uk

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Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 2d

Oooh; looks good even to our hyper-critical eyes.

'responsibly sourced from hand-selected trees in Scotland', so at least we can claim we contributed!

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Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 3d

Our curator's chief claims to fame:
1. Has met one of the Marples family.
2. Has been a transport activist since writing ‘Marples must go’ in the dirt on his father’s car.

(as Marples went shortly thereafter, our curator calls that an early win)
@sw20.info

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Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 3d

Meanwhile, in today's other news:

Countries that didn't start the climate crisis lead the way on renewables.
Countries that did start the climate crisis stall on renewables.

(Wonder how the 'ah, but China' brigade will spin that?)
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
@nigelbagshaw.bsky.social

Renewables overtake coal as world's biggest source of electricity

Developing countries lead the historic clean energy charge but the US and EU rely more on fossil fuels than before, a think tank study shows.

www.bbc.co.uk

Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 4d

Zhou Enlai on the consequences of the French Revolution:
'It is too early to tell'

(Possibly apocryphal)

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Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 4d

About transport in Edinburgh? Doesn't that contravene a local bylaw dating from the days of the Pilrig Muddle?

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Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 4d

'Let's have a heated debate'

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Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 4d

IWRC, Cllr Hinds attended a briefing where Network Rail announced it was progressing electrification of the ESSR when she was Transport Convenor.

So 'imagine' is the key word there.

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Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 4d

Ooof. Looks like the Council's rewilding policy is in full swing.

Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 4d

Us, shamelessly hitching a ride here with our short and to the point response.

bsky.app/profile/edin...
But, if anyone asks, a lift from the station to North Bridge is one of those things that ain't gonna happen.

Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 5d

And in other uncontroversial news, our submission on tramline 2.

(Good job we sent it by email, as the consultation hub did strange things to what we actually said)

Edinburgh Bus Users Group response

Any further routes must be based on a systematic network approach, notably including buses, incorporating and embedding high quality public transport infrastructure within high quality public realm. In particular, buses must be planned in from the outset, not squeezed in as an afterthought. (As set out in our deputations to Transport and Envonment Committee on 1/2/24 and 25/4/24).
a) In particular, buses being planned in from the outset, not squeezed in as an afterthought means (i) sufficient space for buses and bus stops where they run on the same corridor as the tram, and (ii) providing bus priority lanes where they are displaced to parallel corridors; this is particularly relevant for South Bridge.
It also means identifying and constructing interchanges between buses and trams, based on minimising walking distances, adequate bus stops, seating, lighting, maintenance and service information.
b) the Bridges route must be under-pinned by an early engineering assessment detailing the structural capacity of both Bridges and existing defects of all South Bridge spans.
c) the costs for the preparation of the Strategic Business Case must not impact on the maintenance and overdue improvement of bus infrastructure.

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Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 4d

bsky.app/profile/edin...

Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 5d

Disappointing when several groups (us, @livingstreetsedi.bsky.social @spokes.org.uk @leithcentralcc.bsky.social etc etc) all pushed for a better design, to find the revised layout still needs tweaks to sort it.
edinburghbususers.group/ebug-joins-o...

Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 5d

Disappointing when several groups (us, @livingstreetsedi.bsky.social @spokes.org.uk @leithcentralcc.bsky.social etc etc) all pushed for a better design, to find the revised layout still needs tweaks to sort it.
edinburghbususers.group/ebug-joins-o...

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Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 5d

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Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 5d

See also London Mayoral candidates proposing new shelters with 6 new features, only 3 of which are about bus use.

Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 5d

Yes, but we're stuck with them.

A good example of the adage 'never let an award-winning designer design a bus shelter; they'll do what they think looks good, and forget what it's actually for'

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Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 5d

And in other uncontroversial news, our submission on tramline 2.

(Good job we sent it by email, as the consultation hub did strange things to what we actually said)

Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 5d

Small signs of progress on an otherwise nondescript day:
Confirmation that red surfacing should be standard practice in big resurfacing projects on bus (and bike) lanes ✔️
Improved bus shelter cleaning; JC Decaux taking more work in-house & a Council task force to tackle stubborn graffiti ✔️

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Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 7d

www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/fi...

especially section 7.

www.edinburgh.gov.uk

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Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 8d

OK, fair enough. And 7-7-7 @stephenjenkinson.bsky.social .

(With red chips too, seeing how we've been 'engaging' with CEC on that subject this week @cllrcmiller.bsky.social )

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