Bike Bus SW: Juniper Green Primary School via Lanark Road

Updated: Jun 19, 2023

Bike bus will now be leaving 08:00 Dovecot Grove, 08:15 Spylaw Park, 08:20 Baberton Crescent. Arrive at school 08:25

NEXT BIKE BUS - last Friday of the month

SW20 is pleased to support a new local initiative to serve Juniper Green Primary School; Edinburgh's newest 'bike bus' (at the time of writing!), run by parents of children at the school who have asked us to post the information below.

A leaflet has been created; this is a good starting point.

Essential Updates

Updates will be published here and Twitter

https://twitter.com/Junicycle_LR

To join the Whatsapp group (for updates), please contact SW20

Overview

This event has been operating as regular bike bus since June 2022, and is currently once per month (final Friday of the month); we are also keen to create and support plans to create a bike bus for families living in Baberton (please let us know if you are interested or can help!)

A bike bus allows a group of people to travel as a single 'vehicle' with confident cyclists on the 'outside' edges of the group, to provide protection and support to less confident cyclists within the group. The group will travel at the speed of the slowest cyclist: that gives the group a more relaxed feeling, a chance to wave to observers and to enjoy cycling in a safe environment. There will be fun elements to the ride; we generally see bike buses with happy folk safely getting to school.

Aerial view showing cyclsts in a bike bus

Aerial view of a (small!) bike bus

The bike bus will be well supported with experienced ride leaders and confident cyclists to look after everyone; they will manage the tricky bits. The council, police, Lothian buses, community councils and the school have been informed about the event.

There are at least 6 other bike buses in Edinburgh and many more further afield; they all report very happy families, great fun and safe ways of getting to school -- we think it's time schools in SW Edinburgh have the same!

We will reiterate here; we really want to run a route that helps families in Baberton: we need your help to make this happen; please contact us!

The Goal

To increase active travel to school in as safe and inclusive a way as possible! We want as many families to use active travel to get to school.

The Plan

The good news is that there is little to do except turn up: please ensure you've thoroughly read this blog and contact us (hellosw20@gmail.com) or via the phone number on the flyer above if you have any questions.

Please bear in mind this in an evolving event and so we are continually learning from each event.

There will be two main 'start points', however families are able to join anywhere on the route.

First start point will be at the very north-end of the catchment area at Dovecot Grove, meeting at 07:50 and leaving at 08:00 sharp. We will use the Lanark Road cycle lanes to get to Spylaw Park (the road, not the park!) where we will join the second start point.

Second start point from Spylaw Park (next to Lanark Road) meeting at 08:10, leaving at 08:15 (or whenever start 1 joins us). We will then cycle as a single group along Lanark Road before heading down Baberton Crescent.

Third start point if you can come from Baberton Mains Loan up to Woodhall Millbrae, you can join the group as they go up Baberton Crescent. This is expected to be around 08:20.

The group will then proceed to school, where children can be helped to the bike sheds to lock up bikes (parent bikes to be left out of the way). There are plans to have post bike bus coffees in Molly's deli in Juniper Green.

What's Required?

All children need a responsible adult; we are not providing a 'drop-off' or baby-sitting service.

At this time, we are saying a bike is a requirement; we may open the group up to scooters once we have trialled the event. The bike should be in good working order (test those brakes!). Helmets (bring your own) and hi-vis jackets (these can be supplied if necessary.

An open mind; we believe that cycling shouldn't be viewed as just a 'leisure activity'; encouraging children (and parents) to use active travel for local journeys (this is why SW20 exists) has many positive effects for the individuals and the community.

Rules

For everyone's sake (including those not part of the bike bus), we have to have some rules -- they are common sense but worth reiterating:

Adults are responsible for their children
All riders must ride legally
All riders must show respect to all other road users (including other bike bus users)
All riders must try and stay in their lane and away from the edge of that lane
This is not an 'official' led ride -- all riders have responsibility for themselves
You must not overtake the front ride marshall
All riders must obey the ride marshalls
If you join on the route, please join when there is suitable gap AFTER the front ride marshall
Please be patient; this is not a race to school and some people may be slower than you. Please also try and stay with the group if possible --if you need to stop and walk, please let a marshall know.
Parents must stay within sight of the children they are responsible for
If you cannot continue the ride for whatever reason, please pull over to the pavement and walk to school: rear marshalls will check you are ok and agree a plan with you
This bike bus will evolve as the ride marshalls and local community; we welcome ideas for improvement

The Route

Start 1, Dovecot Grove https://w3w.co/heap.lows.rugs

the bike bus will then go up the Lanark Road cycle lane to

Start 2, Spylaw Park (next to Lanark Road, not the park) https://w3w.co/apple.poppy.emerge

Start 3. at the 'top' of the path from Baberton Mains Loan to Woodhall Millbrae, then to Baberton Crescent (only a few metres) https://w3w.co/gangs.slows.trash

Start 1 + start 2 (plus anyone else who has joined) will then proceed directly along Lanark Road towards Juniper Green; there will be approx 500m on Lanark Road itself.

We will then turn onto Baberton Crescent. Start 3 can join us at this point.

At any junction (Gillespie crossroads, Baberton Crescent to Foulis Crescent, Foulis Crescent to Baberton Avenue), marhsalls will manage traffic; you shoud continue to follow the group at all points.