http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Tag: city centre - Recent Posts en Wed, 13 May 2026 03:50:25 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438&page=2#post-301824 Thu, 21 Feb 2019 11:51:09 +0000 ejstubbs 301824@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Have had to walk Lothian Road to Haymarket Terrace a couple of times this week and I've decided that it's a lot easier if you use the pavement along the northern side of Morrison Street (ie the EICC/<em>Jolly Botanist</em> side of the road). That way there's only two side roads to cross, and both have traffic-light controlled crossings. So you avoid the rather disconcerting Gardner's Crescent junction, and the other unsignalled junctions between there and Morrison Link. You also seem to get fewer pedestrian commuters on that side, which makes life easier.</p> <p>You do have three sets of lights to negotiate at the bottom of Morrison Street but they're usually* fairly well synced for pedestrians (unlike the Torphichen Street/Atholl Place ones, which <u>always</u> make you wait in the middle of the junction). If you arrive just at the end of the pedestrian phase for the first crossing then the wait for the next green man can be a bit lengthy, but once you get the green for that one the rest seem to follow in sequence. Which is nice.</p> <p><em>* Edinburgh does seem to have a problem with the phasing of its traffic lights going out of sync - reference the scary behaviour of the lights at the King's Theatre junction reported on CCE a number of times.</em> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438&page=2#post-301200 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 19:18:42 +0000 I were right about that saddle 301200@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>End up with one chunky and one withered leg?</em></p> <p>This is the content for which I come to CCE. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438&page=2#post-301199 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 19:14:00 +0000 Frenchy 301199@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@sally - no, not too bad, but almost certainly slower than getting off at Haymarket and walking. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438&page=2#post-301198 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 19:10:51 +0000 sallyhinch 301198@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Cycling from Waverley to Kings Stables Road down Princess St wouldn't be too bad though would it - it's three left turns (once you've come out of Waverley) so no need to tangle with the tram tracks, although I don't know what it would be like in rush hour - a wall of buses?</p> <p>On the way home, you could cycle to Haymarket as long as you were taking the bike with you on the train </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438&page=2#post-301194 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 18:33:53 +0000 crowriver 301194@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Scootering maybe."</p> <p>Fun downhill, not so much uphill. End up with one chunky and one withered leg? :-) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438&page=2#post-301190 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 17:17:18 +0000 LaidBack 301190@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Make walking more fun?</em></p> <p>Scootering maybe. Big wheeled of course to avoid getting caught in cobbles.<br /> My SA lodger saw one of these scooters with big front wheel on towpath last week.<br /> Waterborne commute is restricted to 6 knots? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438&page=2#post-301189 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 16:45:00 +0000 crowriver 301189@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"I agree it's not a long walk, but I'm impatient. "</p> <p>How much more impatient are the "frustrated" drivers just itching to knock cyclists out of their way like skittles on those city centre roads?</p> <p>There are ways to make walking more fun: varying the route, "speed walking", sticking the cans on and listening to some tunes, etc. Apart from anything else, it's better exercise to walk a mile than to cycle it... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438&page=2#post-301187 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 15:56:23 +0000 paulmilne 301187@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I could almost see that as multi-modal commuting, given a secure bike lockup at Lochrin basin. Would free up some space for walker and other bicyclists on the towpath to scull, row, kayak, pedalo from further up. </p> <p>Or better yet, a way for Lothian buses to expand - Waterbus division, park and ride at Ratho, points further west? They do it on the Thames, why not the Union Canal? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438&page=2#post-301182 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 15:00:31 +0000 Rosie 301182@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Amphibious commuting.</p> <p>Ride share - really fast kayaking with extra passenger behind on water skis. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438&page=2#post-301181 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 14:38:18 +0000 unhurt 301181@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Bike mounted to pedalo driven by rollers, then lift bike off pedalo at Lochrin Basin? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438&page=2#post-301179 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 14:33:48 +0000 Rosie 301179@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@unhurt - "canal all the way" - presumably by kayak? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438#post-301171 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 12:41:12 +0000 unhurt 301171@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@ARobComp then why get the train at all? Canal all the way from Glasgow. Might need shorter working day though... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438#post-301167 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 12:35:19 +0000 ARobComp 301167@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Get off the train at Falkirk and cycle over the bathgate alps to access the canal, along the canal to fountainbridge and then connect to the routes above. </p> <p>Much longer overall but will reduce the % of your total ride that is a total disaster. </p> <p>It might save you up to £2 a trip on the train ticket too! </p> <p>#outsidetheboxthinking </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438#post-301033 Fri, 08 Feb 2019 14:46:06 +0000 Rosie 301033@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>On the icy days I've been walking in from Roseburn to Exchange Crescent. It's about 2 miles and takes about half an hour. I can go directly up Morrison Street, instead of the more convoluted route I take on the cycle, up Magdala Crescent, along Palmerston Place, and then Torphicen Street and then either a steep little hill to Morrison Street or onto Canning Street and across the WAR to the car park under Exchange Crescent. </p> <p>It's about 20 minutes to cycle, with the added faff of cycle out of shed, high-viz Sam Brown belt, not to mention the general unpleasantness at the Roseburn Terrace intersection and the inevitable hazard flasher on Palmerston Place. I'll still cycle as it's more convenient for doing messages eg library, shopping, and come the longer evenings, I'll go for an after work work-out, but there's a stunning lack of a direct route. The proposed CCWEL will help with some of that but even so this is inner-city cycling on streets with plenty of space for seg lanes and it should be (physically not politically) straightforward to make some decent routes. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438#post-301032 Fri, 08 Feb 2019 14:39:17 +0000 vioforla 301032@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Thanks. I agree it's not a long walk, but I'm impatient. And (at risk of going all "when I were a lass...") I used to ride half a mile between lectures at university because the folk on bikes got there on time, and the pedestrians were late. Those were friendlier streets though! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438#post-301024 Fri, 08 Feb 2019 13:52:39 +0000 ejstubbs 301024@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm afraid I'd be with crowriver on this: it's less than a mile. It might not be a <em>pleasant</em> walk but apart from the Gardener's Crescent junction (which does, as Rosie says, need a properly controlled crossing - although to be fair <em>most</em> drivers seem to be prepared to give way there if they find a pedestrian ) the only real drawback of the direct walking route is that you have to keep your wits about you on the narrow pavement along Morrison Street.</p> <p>For various reasons, I've walked from the Lauriston Building on Lauriston Place, via Lady Lawson Street, West Port, Bread Street and Morrison Street to the south end of Magdala Crescent a number of times recently. That's pretty much bang on a mile, and it's never taken me more than 20 minutes. On a good day with the crossing lights and other pedestrians in my favour I can do it in 15 or less. (I find that dodging glaikit pedestrians adds to the interest of the walk, if not to the enjoyment.) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438#post-300968 Thu, 07 Feb 2019 17:17:52 +0000 crowriver 300968@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"In Belgium and Holland people seem to leave bikes at stations (presumably bangers)to pick up."</p> <p>That's because it's around 7 euros for a ticket to take your bike on the train... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438#post-300966 Thu, 07 Feb 2019 17:06:51 +0000 I were right about that saddle 300966@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'd say it was a hot mess. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438#post-300964 Thu, 07 Feb 2019 16:37:16 +0000 dougal 300964@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>If I'm heading from Haymarket to Lyceum I often go along Shandwick place then down Lothian Road but absolutely wouldn't recommend it for a daily commute.</p> <p>Twice a week I cycle from Haymarket to King's Theatre junction and I follow @gembo's route through the Dalry colonies and across the W Approach Road and canal.</p> <p>When I used to regularly visit Tollcross primary (opp Evans) I'd do half that route, rejoining the carriageway between WAR and canal.</p> <p>In short you pick at the bits and pieces of quiet route and shared path like a magpie. But I think it's clear from all the other responses now there is no recommended route. It's a mess, a solid mess. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438#post-300954 Thu, 07 Feb 2019 14:32:13 +0000 paulmilne 300954@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Bicycle parking at Haymarket is at capacity already - once I had to cycle on to Waverly because all the racks by the station were full, the Sheffield racks out on the corner of the street were full, and there was no space at any of the railings that go round the street corner. </p> <p>They need to clear out the unused Bike and Go bikes and put some extra racks in that vestibule. Apart from that, I'm not sure where else they could go. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438#post-300948 Thu, 07 Feb 2019 13:15:52 +0000 Rosie 300948@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@jonty - it has been mooted recently though don't know the details.</p> <p>Morrison Street's biggest need is to widen the pavements and install a controlled crossing at Gardener's Crescent. It's an appalling pedestrian link from the Haymarket to busy bits of Edinburgh.</p> <p>As for cycling from the Haymarket to other points in Edinburgh - the cycle on the train wouldn't work if we got the cyclists in reasonable numbers. In Belgium and Holland people seem to leave bikes at stations (presumably bangers)to pick up. In Ghent by the station I saw a massive building with cycles in tiers. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438#post-300940 Thu, 07 Feb 2019 11:08:15 +0000 jonty 300940@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>What happened to Morrison Street going two-way? The council seemed really keen on it for a while. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438#post-300934 Thu, 07 Feb 2019 10:53:39 +0000 mcairney 300934@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The main issue is that this area is the centre of the hellish one-way system created by the tram works. I'm wondering if you might be better taking the long way round i.e. go back along Dalry Rd for a bit and turn up either along the Telfer subway and along towards Fountainbridge or along the canal then towards Gilmore Place. In either case you will eventually have to deal with Tollcross and Lothian Rd though.<br /> I'll keep an eye out for any new bikes appearing in the ArgH lockup :-) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438#post-300918 Thu, 07 Feb 2019 08:39:14 +0000 paulmilne 300918@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm with the walking brigade. Only caveat is if you want your bike for lunchtime forays. Plenty of people tied their bikes up along the front railings of Argyle House when I worked there a few years ago (UoE), but more serious types use the basement lockup. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438#post-300904 Wed, 06 Feb 2019 20:26:04 +0000 Rosie 300904@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>In an ideal world - bleh in a city with sensible cycling provision - you'd go along Shandwick Place in a cycle lane, turn right via a cycle lane onto Lothian Road, which would have a cycle lane and then peel off to King Stables Road.</p> <p>Or you would have a contra flow up Morrison Street and then drop to the left on the Lothian Road cycle lane, with an easy turn right on to King Stables Road.</p> <p>Or you would go along Shandwick Place and turn a hard right on a toucan to a contra flow along Canning Street then exit out of Rutland Street on a contra flow and then get on to the cycle lanes of Lothian Road.</p> <p>But this is Edinburgh and cycling infrastructure in the inner city is pants. So I'm with crowriver - you may as well walk. There isn't much time difference. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438#post-300902 Wed, 06 Feb 2019 19:24:48 +0000 crowriver 300902@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>It's less than a mile. Frankly, for that short distance, given the lack of pleasant or safe cycle routes, if I were you I'd just walk. Not worth the hassle of cycling, getting the bike on the train, etc. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438#post-300901 Wed, 06 Feb 2019 19:20:06 +0000 vioforla 300901@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Thankyou so much for all these suggestions! </p> <p>The consensus seems to be this is much harder than it should be. In fact it sounds barely worth worth the time saving, once I factor in the hassle of bringing a bike on the train and getting in and out of stations, risk of storing a bike semi-permanently at a station, or getting a hire bike unlocked and stowed.</p> <p>I am planning (now that I have the code to access the showers) to cycle from home to Queen St - that will save me at least 10 minutes compared with my little train from the Southside. If I'm cycling at one end it would seem to make sense to do the other end too, but I'll try a few of your routes and see whether it's worth it.</p> <p>It's almost exactly the same walking time from Waverley or Haymarket (about 16 minutes from train arrival to work's front door - walking is incredibly slow and boring!) so although the walk from Haymarket is nastier, it's quicker overall. And going home from Haymarket, it's much easier to be on the right platform quickly. Plus it seems the Gardens close at 5.15 at least some of the time (they did tonight), so not always available for the homeward journey. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438#post-300895 Wed, 06 Feb 2019 17:53:19 +0000 panyagua 300895@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@davecykl</p> <p>You've not come across Codebase then? They have the main entrance on Castle Terrace and several floors of the building.</p> <p><a href="https://www.thisiscodebase.com/edinburgh-1/" rel="nofollow">https://www.thisiscodebase.com/edinburgh-1/</a></p> <p>Tried your alternative routes early in my stint at Arglye House, but not really to my taste. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438#post-300894 Wed, 06 Feb 2019 17:37:23 +0000 davecykl 300894@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@panyagua "Edinburgh's largest high-tech hub"?</p> <p>I know that the University of Edinburgh's Information Services department is based in Argyle House, but I'm curious as to what else is there? (I'm vaguely aware that Amazon and Microsoft are in the old GPO, but I wasn't aware that there was any sort of Edinburgh silicon volcano as such…?)</p> <p>(Oh, and my route suggestion would be: Shandwick Place, disregard the unnecessary-for-bikes one-way on Canning Street, and then, either: West Approach Road, Lothian Road (southbound), kerb-hop to Usher Hall plaza and onwards (there really should be a cycle access point there), or, probably less traumatic at peak times: Rutland Square, overbridge, unFestival Square (ditto cycle access point required on this side as well).</p> <p>Actually, if Festival Square really wants to live up to its name, and be a place for people, there should be an additional crossing on the north side of the square (to mirror that near the Filmhouse), and Lothian Road should be swerved westwards in a gentle semicircle, to both slow the traffic and greatly expand the (probably more useful for festive purposes) plaza outside the Usher Hall in place of the mediocre "military parade ground" outside the Sheraton Hotel.) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19438#post-300893 Wed, 06 Feb 2019 17:24:38 +0000 Edinburgh Cycle Training 300893@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'd cycle right along shandwick place, hop off, hop back on again on Lothian Road, or at the top of Kings stables road if you don't like LR.</p> <p>Very easy and straightforward. </p>