http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: This IS a cycle path en Sat, 27 Jun 2026 14:18:12 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1092#post-10272 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:25:37 +0000 duncans 10272@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Update after first commute...</p> <p>"The Pipe" is still there. </p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/duncansmith/4809593858">The Pipe<br /> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/4809593858_2e6430d33d_m.jpg"></a></p> <p>The path is pretty overgrown in places, it feels rather neglected:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/duncansmith/4809588638/">A8 Cycle Path<br /> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4077/4809588638_8f40299604_m.jpg"></a></p> <p>And very rough and broken in some sections, which I noticed on the road bike. A certain forcefullness required at the Maybury.</p> <p>I missed a chance to get a picture of another cyclist carrying his bike over the bridge at ratho station; another day. I think there's room to improve this cheaply with a large Aluminum L-section at the side, like at FRB underpass...makes it possible to push bikes over without lifting.</p> <p>Still, coming back it beat sitting in the queues in the car. :) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1092#post-10222 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 22:39:30 +0000 chdot 10222@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"various main-road cycle upgrades in Midlothian elsewhere"</p> <p>Yes - as mentioned in <a href="http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1032">Commuting from Midlothian</a>. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1092#post-10220 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 22:16:28 +0000 DdF 10220@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>A couple of bits of history.</p> <p>a. Under the previous (Lab/Lib) Scottish administration the local Regional Transport Partnership (Sestran) set up a major project to upgrade routes between Edinburgh and surrounding areas (to include A8 and A90) including a £4.6m budget over a number of years [Spokes Bulletin 94]. This was something Spokes had lobbied really hard to get, so it was fantastic. Sadly, when the SNP came to power they removed all capital funding from RTPs and gave it instead to councils, to spend on whatever they liked - not even necessarily transport [Spokes 99]. By that time only the first year of the new project had happened - this included the nice new A8 section on the north side and various main-road cycle upgrades in Midlothian elsewhere, but then all the plans ground to a halt.</p> <p>Because these routes tend to be away from the centres of population they have lower potential usership than the inner urban routes, so the local councils (such as Edinburgh, West Lothian, etc) tend to concentrate their own cycling efforts into the built-up areas - you can see their point to maximise usage per £ invested. The RTPs on the other hand had a regional perspective (Sestran covers Fife to Borders) so could concentrate on routes like A8 and A90. Now there's no obvious source of money to implement regional infrastructural projects like this one - it's a public transport problem too.</p> <p>b. Re the muddy field to RBS site, when RBS was seeking planning permission there were forceful submissions to the council from spokes and CTC calling for decent access routes (including that one, which I seem to recall is a right of way). The cost would have been insignificant in terms of the total investment in that massive site. But the council was desperate to get RBS World HQ for Edinburgh (RBS was looking at sites in other countries too) so objections on things like how you'd get there by bike, which might have meant fiddly negotiations with RBS, were happily disregarded. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1092#post-10205 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:27:29 +0000 chdot 10205@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"so watch for updates"</p> <p>That would be good.</p> <p>The pipe (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/duncansmith/4451496374/in/set-72157623664359440">in one of your pictures</a>) is due to go soon. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1092#post-10204 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:18:19 +0000 duncans 10204@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Cheers, I start commuting this route in anger Monday, so watch for updates! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1092#post-10199 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:56:44 +0000 SRD 10199@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>If you say it too often you end up as an embittered and reactionary community councillor... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1092#post-10194 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:51:14 +0000 chdot 10194@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"resigned exasperation."</p> <p>If you do it often enough it becomes resigned desperation. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1092#post-10191 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:47:07 +0000 Arellcat 10191@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>The phrase "this is Edinburgh" springs to mind...</em></p> <p>I believe the traditional delivery of this phrase is muttered, with a tilt of the head, slightly raised eyebrows, and inflected to suggest resigned exasperation. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1092#post-10189 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:42:00 +0000 Arellcat 10189@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The bollards have actually been there for a few months, but I agree that they need some retroreflectors on them. Perhaps a guerilla bollard maintainer will attend to them in the dead of night, and then for an encore do the new ones beside the Meadows. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1092#post-10177 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:23:06 +0000 SRD 10177@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>On a related note, there are now concrete bollards on the path between the canal and slateford station (en route to Asda for many). The trailer just fit through, so they're not obstructions, but not reflective, and potentially hard to spot at dusk. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1092#post-10176 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:16:11 +0000 SRD 10176@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Looks like a nice wide road! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1092#post-10175 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:15:28 +0000 Stepdoh 10175@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>It is a little bit clearer and wider on the other side, and it links up to the Newbridge new bridge better. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1092#post-10174 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:13:50 +0000 Stepdoh 10174@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>ah, thought that looked familiar, I'm just about to ride past it to get my lunch from M&amp;S. There are similar pinch points all down this 'bike path'. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1092#post-10171 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:57:12 +0000 chdot 10171@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/duncansmith/4450722787/in/pool-barriers_to_cycling_in_edinburgh"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4450722787_46e4ba8e99.jpg"></a></p> <p>Photo <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/duncansmith/<br /> ">Duncan_Smith</a></center></p> <p>This photo has been added to the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/barriers_to_cycling_in_edinburgh">Barriers to Cycling in Edinburgh Flickr group</a> along with the comment "At rush hour, you basically have to stop and walk past each of these busy bus stops. You certainly can't go belting past at 20mph". </p> <p>It's part of a set called "<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/duncansmith/sets/72157623664359440/">Edinburgh Park Cycle Route</a>" - several photos ought to be in the BtCiE group!</p> <p>I thought the "A8 Cycle Route" was actually better thought out/delivered. Apparently there are plans to improve signage and 'look at' some of the "obstruction issues".</p> <p>The phrase "this is Edinburgh" springs to mind... </p>