On 24 September, a traffic count carried out by Spokes in the morning rush hour found that bikes made up 30 per cent of all vehicles on George Street, a crucial thoroughfare crossing New Town.
This is largely attributed to the council’s Voi bike scheme.
While this recent data champions the council’s push to lower emissions throughout the city and become net-zero by 2030, it also stands in conjunction with the council’s decision this February to indefinitely pause the semi-pedestrianisation and construction of bike-lanes on George Street.
This marks a U-turn in policy, as the council had initially approved the £35m scheme in June 2025.
Due to the recent closure of Princes Street throughout August after the fire in the former Debenhams building, traffic was rerouted through George Street, which faced severe congestion issues as major bus routes were temporarily changed.
Fears over further congestion and reliance on Princes Street had a clear impact on the council’s plans for the semi-pedestrianisation of George Street.
Concerned students have also raised the issue of Princes Street remaining “nightmarish” under present circumstances.
However, the data reflects a broader public shift in commuting by bike, which George Street currently fails to sufficiently accommodate due to its lack of cycle lanes.
Another student, who cycles regularly, has noted how George Street is “intimidating […] due to its high volume of buses and cars.” They said they would feel more inclined to cycle on George Street regularly if it had more adequate infrastructure.
Councillors will therefore be scrutinised further to justify the delayed plans and provide a substantial time frame and budget commitment to the project.
Image by Spencer Siles for The Student
