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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 07/10/2026

Count the number of things wrong in this picture Leamington Terrace

A view looking along an extremely narrow pavement. A yellow road sign blocks part of it. A white small campervan is parked on a paved-over garden and overhangs the pavement. Cars are parked on yellow lines. There are townhouses in the distance and the sky is sunlit but grey

Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 06/10/2026

Safe streets are mobility streets This couple were able to safely and easily cross the side streets because there is so little motor traffic Greenbank to Meadows Quiet Route

A couple walk along the pavement of an urban street. They both have walking frames. There is a large red sandstone building behind

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 02/10/2026

On today’s bike bus, we spare a thought for those on our sister bike bus at George Watson’s, who now have to suffer increased traffic and crashes on their way to school - their route follows where this happened

Kids pose on their bikes outside the school, in the people friendly section of street. The street is car free, there is a park behind, with mature trees

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 01/10/2026

What happens when you create a high-traffic neighbourhood by removing the modal filters on the Braid Estate… SUVs end up on their side Junction of Braid Rd and Hermitage Dr. Around school pick up time, Thursday 1st Oct

A black SUV on its side with the underside visible. A police car in the foreground and an ambulance in the background. A police officer stands in hi viz beside the SUV. The pole of a zebra crossing can be seen in the foreground

The same as the first picture, but zoomed in on the overturned SUV

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 22/09/2026

Safer streets are mobility streets ❤️ Greenbank to Meadows Quiet Route

Two people sit on the front of an adapted tricycle with a blanket over their laps. A rider pedals them behind. The low-traffic street has hedgerows and stone walls

Viewed from behind. Two people sit on the front of an adapted tricycle with a blanket over their laps. A rider pedals them behind. The low-traffic street has hedgerows and stone walls

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 19/09/2026

Great turnout for yesterday’s bike-bus. Bike racks packed 🚲🚲🚲

Steel hoop bike racks with semicircular Perspex covering. Assortment of kids bikes

Kids pose with their bikes in the people-friendly section of the street outside the school gate

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 17/09/2026

Cargo Bike Carnival Try a cargo bike… Meadows, 11th October

Leaflet describing the event per the text in the post

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 16/09/2026

Space on our streets is only crowded because cars are the least efficient mode in terms of space, and drivers have already taken the majority of it

Andy Singer Cartoon. A city street is covered in cars, with 2 people on bikes and one walking pushed to the margins. A person gets out of their car.The caption says if you take this parking for a bike lane, where will I park my car

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 14/09/2026

Incredible arrogance and selfish behaviour The car is an invasive species Bruntsfield Links park, Edinburgh

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 13/09/2026

Car-brained councillors, instructing tram engineers

Meme. Office meeting scene. Manager: “Morning, tram engineers. We must never upset car drivers!” Employee 1: “Let's put it on a cycle path and former freight line”Employee 2: “Let's say it can’t go on steep hills or old bridges”. Employee 3: “Or we could run it on-road, to shops, schools, hospitals”. Employee 3 is thrown out of the window

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 13/09/2026

Edinburgh’s original tram network, showing tram number 24, and Raeburn Place circled in red

Hand drawn map of Edinburgh’s original tram network

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 05/09/2026

Maybe we should have a funding freeze on Edinburgh council until they stop tearing out modal filters and cycle lanes, and until they stop producing ever more reports with no tangible results?

Which button to press, with guy sweating meme. One button is “deliver anything”, the other is “another report”

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 31/08/2026

Let’s also not forget that EVs *and* ICEs emit significant particulate pollution from tyre wear The true answer is to massively reduce car use by making places that are less car-dependent

The environmental impacts of a car cartoon

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 23/08/2026

This looks like a European holiday destination It’s actually the Cowgate without cars Edinburgh needs more vision in its planning @stephenjenkinson.bsky.social

The inside of a sunlit high stone arch that forms a bridge over a historic street. The street is backlit with sunshine and 100s of people walk along it, as there are no cars. A family pushes a buggy with child looking and pointing at the world in wonder

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 23/08/2026

Streets come alive when cars are removed Cowgate, Edinburgh (also noting that far too many private hires were being allowed through, spoiling the ambiance & putting people on edge)

A view under the sunlit stone arch of a high bridge across a city street. A family push a buggy and 100s of people can be seen using the full width of the street

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 21/08/2026

Fab to see the kids back again, for the first bike-bus of the school year! 🚲 🚌

Children pose on their bikes in a closed off section of street outside the school. There are trees and parkland in the background. To the left, a high stone wall of the school. One parent is riding a front-loading cargo bike, with a kid in the bucket

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 20/08/2026

North Bridge bus stops: “We’ve taken this decision [to remove stops]… to increase footway space on N. Bridge” No, you’ve taken this decision to preserve space for cars. Because you should have made N Bridge bus, cycle & walk only @stephenjenkinson.bsky.social @edinburghminute.com @spokes.org.uk

When asked by the Minute last month why bus stops were removed as part of the £86m restoration of North Bridge, whether there was any public input and why no equality impact assessments on the decision exist, city transport leader (and Pentland Hills Labour councillor) Stephen Jenkinson said: "We’ve taken this decision, with the support of Lothian Buses, to improve the reliability of our services and increase footway space on North Bridge. We’ve seen over the length of the project, and through feedback from Lothian, that services from South Bridge have performed well. We’re now taking work forward to widen the footway here and make the area more accessible for everyone.

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 17/08/2026

It’s not a 7/7/7 bus lane if you can load it in from 10am to 4pm! Why can’t Edinburgh council get it right?

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 15/08/2026

New modal filter just dropped! Both sides of Bruntsfield Links now reconnected ⛳️ 🦮 🏃🏻‍♂️👫 Essential traffic functioning normally (wish it were permanent) #EdCycTrav

Links parkland either side of a street. A normally very busy with people pedestrian crossing can be seen. The street is closed with cones and temporary signs

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 12/08/2026

This newly re-done junction at Summerhall puts cyclists at serious risk of left-hooks The desireline for people on bikes is straight on, but for cars it’s turning left Suitable for ages 8 to 80 ??? - We think not Edinburgh’s roads designers are morally bankrupt!

A cyclist in a blue t shirt exits a segregated cycle lane, traveling straight on. Cars to his right are turning left, threatening to drive over the top of him

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 12/08/2026

It won’t be boring not having enough food to eat, that’s for sure

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 11/08/2026

Bee and butterfly attractors 🐝🦋 Water absorption 🌊 Breaks up the grey of the urban realm 🌾 Not weeds

Purple flowering plant, growing around the base of a bus stop pole

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 11/08/2026

Dystopian scenes from London Apparently everywhere is like this Also, this is a bike route !?!!

Parkland with very short brown grass and baked mud patches. A tower block in the distance and a line of trees

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 09/08/2026

Remind us why we’re letting oversized cars down historic streets? They can’t even pass each other None of this was moving - a complete log jam W Nicolson St

A traffic jam, cars meeting head to head on a cobbled street

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 04/08/2026

Sae much for nae motor vehicles! Mair like free parkin’ fae ainybody ‘Mon the enforcement Tarvit St by the King’s

A narrow street with stone tenements either side. Both ends blocked to motor traffic with temporary red barriers and a no motor vehicles sign. A modal filter. The spaces between is filled with parked vans

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 26/06/2026

I like traffic filters on residential streets and I cannot lie.

Kids pose on their bikes, in the traffic filter outside the school

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 21/06/2026

That’s a wrap for the bike-bus ‘25-‘26 Have a great summer everyone, and we’ll look forward to seeing the happy, energised faces again after the break

Children pose on their bikes in the traffic-free area outside the school gate. There are trees and parkland in the background

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 20/06/2026

When a system is safe, bonnets can look like this, and accidents become vanishingly rare

Train locomotive, in red and grey. The front has a very high “bonnet” with lethal protrusions. However, no one gets killed because trains are kept separate from humans

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 20/06/2026

Is why we need to start designing safe systems, same as we do in every other walk of life

1980s style Audio cassette with a label that says “don’t teach road safety, design safe systems”

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 16/06/2026

When the local ”paper” produce an article on the removal of a safe route for children, this is the kind of comments it attracts

A Facebook comment from Stephen Banks, replying to Mark Embra Castle. The comment says “target practice” in the context of people on bikes using a safe route (including children)

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 12/06/2026

Super bike bus today! The kids having fun, all while playing their part in more serious matters like reducing air pollution 💨

A bunch of kids on bikes, in a section of road made available for people There are trees and parkland in the background

A group of kids on bikes, outside a large black wrought iron gate. There are sunlit trees behind

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 09/06/2026

Great to see this zebra going in, to help pupils cross to S. Morningside Primary, but… …it would have been cheaper, and more effective at reducing traffic, to have installed a modal filter here Edinburgh council too scared to upset a driver! 🤷‍♂️

A side road has a new zebra crossing painted, with belisha beacons. There is a cherry picker in the middle of the street, attending to the lights. There are tenement buildings either side. The sky is blue with light clouds

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 04/06/2026

Here’s ours from the other day. Sadly no time/energy to report it

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 30/05/2026

Bizarrely, the Ferrari looks more like a “normal” car The Nissan is just bloated, with a dangerously high bonnet

Two similar looking cars. One is a Ferrari, the other a Nissan. The are both a light blue/green shade

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 20/05/2026

It’s 30mph! Here’s the signs looking in the other direction If the video shows the plates clearly, I’d take that to the police. It’s a close pass if nothing else

Google maps image of the A71. A 30mph speed limit sign can be seen on the right. And some houses on the left, where the cyclist turns in on the original video

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 20/05/2026

The line that most cyclists will take (as seen on Leith Walk)

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 15/05/2026

Another super turnout for today’s bike bus! 🚲 🚌 Kids thrilled by having a police escort, and energised for the best start to the day!

Children pose with their bikes outside the school. A park can be seen in the background, with trees and grass

Children ride their bikes through a large wrought iron gate on the route

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 12/05/2026

Fab to see so many people, from across the community, attend our rally in support of safe routes for kids. As a result of our efforts, the two traffic filters outside JGPS primary school are now permanent and another filter that was under threat has been saved, on Braid Rd 🎉

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 11/05/2026

Thank you to everyone who’s told us you have written to councillors! You are amazing! Reminder: Supporter’s Rally, City Chambers, 12:30-2pm. Look for the banner

Banner that reads “keep our kids safe - Greenbank to Meadows Quiet Route” Underneath the text are some graphics of people walking, a bike, a wheelchair

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 03/05/2026

It gets worse, though: The council now want to monitor traffic after they’ve taken the filters out - as if they’re going to continue dragging on with the madness

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Blackford Safe Routes @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk · 02/05/2026

Cracking sunny day & great turnout for the bike bus! Kids fired-up and ready for the best start to the school day! ☀️

Kids and adult helpers pose next to their bikes, outside the school. There is blue sky, trees and the Links park in the background

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