Monday 29th of October; freeeeeeeeeeeeeeezing day in Edinburgh; talking to daily cycling commuters, applying for grants and a story about my favourite cycling family
Up early again for a quick run before catching the 6.54am train to Edinburgh. Frosty morning calls for lots of layers.
On my commute and at the college I decided to ask every cyclist a few questions. I thought it was the perfect cold day to ask people what motivates them to continue to cycle through the cold winter.
Why do you cycle and why do you continue to cycle when it is cold and frosty outside?
On the commute I mostly spoke to adults commuting to work, the top reasons that they cycled were:
-Faster to get to work
-Allows them to keep fit, some people mentioned about sitting at a desk all day
-Two people mentioned better for the environment, which I was super excited about.
The top reasons students I ask cycled were:
-Cost
-Faster to commute than public transport
-Easy
It was really interesting to hear the different experiences and reasons of why people cycle. Since starting this job, I have become a lot more aware of cyclists. I seem to see them everywhere. It has been really encouraging to see how many diverse people choose to cycle in Edinburgh.
My favourite experience so far was seeing a family of five cycling through Edinburgh town. One parent was riding a cargo bike with two kids in the back and the other parent was cycling on a tandem bicycle. I almost wanted to wave, and shout well done, it was amazing.
Monday was spent replying to emails and sending out the staff travel survey I designed.
Tuesday 29th of October; designing a new active travel board, cycling at night and my new-found love for E-bikes
It was another cold but lovely morning. I managed to squeeze in a morning run at 5am before hopping on the train to Edinburgh.
Every day for the past 2 weeks a rail volunteer at Stirling has asked me if I want help up the stairs with my bike. Although, I have refused and thanked him every time, every morning he asks. He then smiles and says have a good day. Such a nice gesture, one small act of kindness can really change someone’s day. Especially whilst commuting when people can be tired, stressed and in a hurry.
I have really noticed that when I chat to someone on my commute, I feel so much better than when I just read or reply to emails. There is something about sharing and find out about someone else’s day that makes the journey fly by.
E-bike revolution
Like I mentioned in a previous blog, I first tried E-bikes a few years ago. One of the amazing men from the over 60’s cycling group bought one after knee surgery. I instantly fell in love. Although expensive, I love the idea that E-bikes allow people to start or continue cycling no matter their fitness level, age or ability.
Imagine cycling with ease through the beautiful Scottish Highlands!!!
My mum sent me a link to a new BBC doc about a journalist who cycled through the Cairngorms on an E-bike. It inspired me to hire out E-bikes from the Stirling Cycle Hub this weekend.
E-Bikes in Scotland
The Smarter Choices Smarter Places Open Fund are funding different projects to improve awareness and access to sustainable travel in Scotland.
Two projects that caught my eye
Trossachs Rural eBike Demo (TRED) – a National Trust pilot scheme to promote the use of e-bikes in rural and deprived areas.
Green Passenger Transport in Rural Areas (G-PaTRA) – a campaign promoting the introduction of a new electric bus service in rural Morayshire, which had not previously had any public transport links.
Wednesday 31st of October; woo starting to get responses from the staff travel survey plus planning future events.
So far, the results show that 20% of respondents cycle to work and the majority of people choose their current transport method because of time and convenience. I also asked staff about potentially signing up as a team for Pedal for Scotland next year. So far, more than half the respondents said they would be interested. Other responses from the survey have been really helpful and will shape the work I continue to do for the rest of the year.
Thursday 1st of November; Be bright and Be seen event with The City of Edinburgh Council and Lothian buses plus, World Vegan Day; a chance to open up and talk about reducing our meat consumption; for the environment, our health and the animals.
Today Edinburgh City Council Road Safety Team and Lothian buses ran the Be bright and Be seen outside Napier and our Sighthill campus. As the dark winter nights begin it is important for the safety of cyclists and pedestrians. The Be Bright Be Seen Campaign started last year and runs at different locations throughout Edinburgh. The sessions aim to raise awareness of cycling road safety; encouraging cyclists to use lights and reflective gear but also making drivers aware of their responsibility to look out for cyclists.
Having Lothian buses at the event was a great addition to the event. We had an opportunity to sit in the bus drivers seat and see first-hand the challenges drivers face spotting cyclists and pedestrians. There are certain ‘blind spots’, where it is literally impossible to see anyone. Add dark nights and no lights to the mix and its juts a disaster waiting to happen.
I think the events are really impactful and have the potential to save lives. I am glad I had this experience. It was great to learn more and meet the road safety team. I have a new perspective that I can now pass on to students and other cyclists. It has encouraged me to buy stronger lights and be more cautious on the road.
World Vegan Day
Quick expert from my blog about World Vegan Day. This day gives us a chance to open up and talk about reducing our meat intake for our health, the environment and the animals.
“Veganism should be about integration not separation”
An extract from the blog
“What we eat or what life style we choose should not separate us from others. It should bring us together. The difference in opinion, value or belief should not put us against each other. It shouldn't be an us against them relationship. We should feel united and in celebration that we have the opportunity to choose!!! (Generations before us would have not had the choice to be vegan; eating anything to survive).
~Today we have the choice and the access to information to make a change. We know the impact we are having on the planet. Reducing your meat intake, even just one meal, adds to the bigger picture and does make a difference.
Friday 2nd of November; 1hour train delay made up for with kindness, car free cities and encouraging story about recycling in science labs.
Woo its Friday, another good week. I feel I am starting to make progress, network and gain confidence in my role. I know we will face challenges along the way, but I am excited to see what we can achieve for cycling in Scotland this year.
Today we experienced a one-hour delay on the way home from Edinburgh. As this was peak time, the station was packed with tired commuters wanting to get home after work. After lots of complaining, people started to organize and plan different methods of getting home. It was really nice to watch how people came together. After all of the negativity, people started offering lifts, sharing taxis and helping people find alternative ways to get home.
After 1 hour and 10 mins, ‘delayed’ changed to ‘arriving’. Everyone cheered.
On the train home I spoke to a man about different steps we can take to help the environment. We spoke about a range of things including reducing plastic, recycling, upcycling, active travel and car free cities. He mentioned him and his colleagues at work having a debate about car free cities. I was really happy to hear that more people are opening up and talking about these issues. He worked in research, he told me about the different things they are implementing in the lab to reduce waste like replacing single use plastic dishes with reusable glass. It was encouraging to hear that change is happening all over.
Making small changes in our daily life together add up and will make a difference overtime.
Excited for next week; Cycling Scotland Conference and The Scottish Physical Activity Conference run by The University of Edinburgh. Last year I attended the physical activity conference- it was amazing; it was my first ever standing conference, plus we did yoga half way through the day!
Thank you again to everyone taking the time to read my blog. Every week I feel overwhelmed with support and encouragement from your feedback. I never thought I would have the confidence to write, never mind share my writing.
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