http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Smoother roads en Mon, 18 May 2026 02:31:29 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=508#post-3758 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:36:55 +0000 chdot 3758@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Ah, but did CEC actually ask them?"</p> <p>A valid question. </p> <p>Not sure of the exact mechanism but the councillor was convinced - and although 'quite in favour of cycling' wasn't willing to go against the motoring voting majority... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=508#post-3757 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:36:51 +0000 chdot 3757@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Ah, but did CEC actually ask them?"</p> <p>A valid question. </p> <p>Not sure of the exact mechanism but the councillor was convinced - and although 'quite in favour of cycling' wasn't willing to go against the motoring voting majority... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=508#post-3755 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:27:24 +0000 Kim 3755@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Stumbled on the 'residents wouldn't like it if we took parking spaces away'</p> <p>Ah, but did CEC actually ask them? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=508#post-3749 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:04:30 +0000 chdot 3749@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>It used to be council policy - worded along the lines of 'where practical' or possibly "practicable". </p> <p>When Forbes Road went one-way I tried hard for a contra-flow. Stumbled on the 'residents wouldn't like it if we took parking spaces away'. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=508#post-3748 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:56:13 +0000 SRD 3748@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I noticed the other day that there is one on Sciennes House Place, which runs between Sciennes and Causewayside. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=508#post-3746 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:40:42 +0000 chdot 3746@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"They did something like this on Valleyfield St recently."</p> <p>Shame they didn't add a contra-flow cycle lane. </p> <p>But this is Edinburgh. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=508#post-3745 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:37:54 +0000 SRD 3745@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>They did something like this on Valleyfield St recently. Not quite overnight, but quite speedy. They removed all the tarmac one day, and had replaced it by the next time I went down. Impressive. Now if only they could do this on Merchiston Ave, and the intersection of Marchmont Rd Strathearn/Beaumont, both of which are pitted like lunar landscapes. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=508#post-3735 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:44:54 +0000 chdot 3735@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Are there people living next to these roads?"</p> <p>Yes, London equivalent of tenements. </p> <p>One night every 5 years or so. </p> <p>It's not like the the tram works... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=508#post-3734 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:39:34 +0000 Kim 3734@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Are there people living next to these roads? Road resurfacing over night is all very well, if there is no one living next to the road, some of us like to sleep at night! One of the things which make Edinburgh different is that people live in the city centre. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=508#post-3730 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:11:05 +0000 chdot 3730@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chdot/4437949400"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2731/4437949400_518e90461e_o.jpg"></a></center></p> <p>I've just spent five days riding around London. 'Facilities' for cyclists are far from ideal, there's a good amount of bike parking - though not really enough for the clearly rising number of cyclists. </p> <p>There are quite a lot of shops. Two fairly large chains with flash shops all over, doing pretty well out of the Government's Bike to Work scheme (in terms of new bike sales). A variety of smaller shops - one with a café, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chdot/4432755369/">another with everything you could possibly imagine for an expensive, colourful, singlespeed/fixed habit</a>.</p> <p>But there have been two other 'impressions'. I've cycled in London (as a visitor) for years. My impression always used to be about speed and proximity. The roads were pretty much like race tracks and even with reasonably wide roads, so much traffic was packed in that vehicles often came unnervingly close. </p> <p>Now there is a real feeling that cars are actually holding back when it would be a squeeze to pass. There are now so many bikes it's hard to not be aware of them - and the clear realisation that overtaking will only get the driver to the next car ahead fractionally sooner. </p> <p>The other BIG realisation is that a lot of the main routes are relatively smooth (I'm comparing with Edinburgh of course). The reason is that whole roads are resurfaced in fairly long sections (one side at a time - with contraflow traffic lights), DURING THE NIGHT. </p> <p>The photo above was taken at half past midnight this morning. </p> <p>Imagine Morningside Road or Leith Walk having it's surface replaced over a number of nights. </p> <p>OK this is Edinburgh. </p>