http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Leith Walk - potential improvements en Thu, 21 May 2026 19:48:48 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6412#post-72259 Sun, 27 May 2012 18:56:09 +0000 chdot 72259@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Everyone who lives or works in Leith is welcome to attend the meeting on June the 5th at Out of the Blue. The event kicks off at 6pm."</p> <p><a href="http://www.greenerleith.org/greener-leith-news/2012/5/27/whats-your-vision-for-leith-walk.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.greenerleith.org/greener-leith-news/2012/5/27/whats-your-vision-for-leith-walk.html</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6412#post-69452 Tue, 08 May 2012 12:03:37 +0000 chdot 69452@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"THE rebuild of the St James Centre has been put on hold indefinitely, it is reported today."</p> <p><a href="http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/st-james-plans-placed-on-hold-indefinitely-1-2280849" rel="nofollow">http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/st-james-plans-placed-on-hold-indefinitely-1-2280849</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6412#post-69132 Sun, 06 May 2012 09:55:48 +0000 chdot 69132@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Just happened to be CycleStreets' pic of the day today. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6412#post-69131 Sun, 06 May 2012 09:47:01 +0000 SRD 69131@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>thanks chdot, i was trying to find that bit the other day using google streetview, but couldn't find quite the right place (I'm not great on streetnames around there). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6412#post-69130 Sun, 06 May 2012 09:41:01 +0000 Smudge 69130@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@Uberuce, are you <em>suuuure</em> ;-) lol </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6412#post-69129 Sun, 06 May 2012 09:40:01 +0000 Smudge 69129@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Nice, you could mistake it for a 21st century cityscape in a country committed to encouraging the use of sustainable modes of transport.... if you didn't know it's the exception not the rule :-/ </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6412#post-69128 Sun, 06 May 2012 09:28:42 +0000 chdot 69128@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"<br /> CycleStreets (@cyclestreets)</p> <p>06/05/2012 08:00</p> <p>Photo of the day: <a href="http://cycle.st/p9574" rel="nofollow">http://cycle.st/p9574</a> Torrington Place in London - segregated cycleway</p> <p>" </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6412#post-69118 Sat, 05 May 2012 23:05:35 +0000 Uberuce 69118@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Oh, I hasten to add that I meant the road surface needs nuked from orbit, not Leith itself. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6412#post-69116 Sat, 05 May 2012 22:44:19 +0000 PS 69116@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Time for a emailing frenzy on the newly elected councillors, I reckon. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6412#post-69111 Sat, 05 May 2012 21:50:36 +0000 chdot 69111@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/documents/members-campaigning/edinburgh/leith-walk" rel="nofollow">http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/documents/members-campaigning/edinburgh/leith-walk</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6412#post-69092 Sat, 05 May 2012 16:35:40 +0000 Uberuce 69092@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>NSFW - swearies. Also unsuitable to those offended by compression artifacts.</p> <p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s1MspmfEwg" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s1MspmfEwg</a></p> <p>NSFW </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6412#post-69090 Sat, 05 May 2012 16:24:28 +0000 allytibbitt 69090@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Yes, there's a few millions set aside to repair Leith Walk when the utility works that are fixing the utility works that were undertaken for the tram are finished. </p> <p>That's supposed to be in about 6 months time. </p> <p>A few weeks ago there was a <a href="http://www.greenerleith.org/greener-leith-news/2012/3/22/a-vision-for-leith-walk-what-people-said-online.html">"Vision for Leith Walk"</a> meeting, where Leithers were asked whether they'd support more consultation on the future of Leith Walk. </p> <p>To which we all replied, yes, but with elections and everything, officials have all gone a bit quiet. </p> <p>There is talk of organising a community led consultation day to keep things moving on. If anyone is up for helping let me know. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6412#post-69080 Sat, 05 May 2012 14:36:59 +0000 crowriver 69080@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>There's also Green councillor Maggie Chapman, who is a cyclist and has some ideas about the future of Leith Walk I believe.</p> <p>Oh and Greener Leith had <a href="http://www.greenerleith.org/greener-leith-news/2008/7/7/greener-leith-calls-for-a-green-bridge-over-leith-walk.html">a fantastic proposal a few years ago for a green bridge across Leith Walk</a>... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6412#post-68954 Fri, 04 May 2012 17:16:56 +0000 lionfish 68954@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>minimoth mentioned a while ago that a consultation (or something) was done on Leith walk... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6412#post-68953 Fri, 04 May 2012 17:07:26 +0000 LivM 68953@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I had a local Labour councillor at my door a couple of weeks ago, looking for my vote (Angela Blacklock) and her opinion on Leith Walk was that she wanted it to be slowed down to walking pace, like a shared use area (think of what they've done outside the Museums in London, removing all street furniture and levelling the pavements off, or something like that). Get rid of multiple buses and just have one bus (with a 60min bus ticket so that people can swap buses so not so many routes are needed). And of course make sure that it's nicer for cyclists. </p> <p>I think that rather a lot of this is pie-in-the-sky...although checking the Council website she has just been re-elected, so we shall see :)<br /> (<a href="http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20188/scottish_local_government_election_2012_results/1571/local_government_election_results_2012/12">Ward 12 results</a>) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6412#post-68952 Fri, 04 May 2012 17:05:35 +0000 ExcitableBoy 68952@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@PS I have been thinking something similar recently too. I work in Leith and several people I work with would not consider cycling on Leith Walk or Easter Road. There is no route from Leith to the centre of Edin, suitable for less confident cyclists.<br /> Post POP with all the politcal will and open doors it would make sense to me to construct some 'World class' cycle infrastructure. Not something half-hearted. Be bold, build it and they will come. Start one piece at a time. Then if it is not used sufficiently well, then all the anti-cycle moaners have something to back-up their position - so they should be happy and willing to give it a try. However, I am convinced it would be a huge success! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6412#post-68843 Fri, 04 May 2012 11:38:35 +0000 wingpig 68843@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'd seen something somewhere mentioning restoration of the neckless pigeons but it wasn't on any council website.</p> <p>Leith Walk, though continuous, always feels like a few different chunks, exacerbated by one direction being uphill. Going up/south-west it always feels like the road is much more insulated from the pavement by parked cars, delivery vehicles and giant bins than the northeast-bound lanes. I used to avoid it on the grounds of it being an uphill busy road (especially from the point of view of where I now live) but it's never quite as bad as I thought when I go back, but then I'm probably faster than I was, certainly more assertive and far more used to appalling bus lane surfaces.</p> <p>Seeing as it's second only to Easter Road for neds on bikes blithely heel-pedalling their way along the pavement, widening the pavements and officially sharing them would give it that European look that people keep mentioning that is usually invoked through pavement cafés and restaurants with seating in the central reservation. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6412#post-68837 Fri, 04 May 2012 11:26:13 +0000 PS 68837@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I suspect it may be pedspace that cyclelanes will have to eat into, but the pavements are wide, as is the road, and there are loading bays aplenty... </p> <p>In fact, on most sections of the Walk a lot of space is "wasted" with a central barrier of hatched space to separate the two directions of travel. Loads of space there.</p> <p>Plus, any segregated infrastructure would affect just one side of the street. I'd suggest the north side - fewer shops and at the top end easy to curve into the cut off bit in front of the Holiday Inn for ease of entry to York Place through a redesigned junction at the top of Broughton Street. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6412#post-68834 Fri, 04 May 2012 11:17:43 +0000 crowriver 68834@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I agree. Leith Walk is a brilliant opportunity.</p> <p>However, we've the assorted van drivers/double parkers/loading light blinkies "I'll just be a minute" types to deal with. They'll be none too pleased at cyclists taking over "their" road. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6412#post-68828 Fri, 04 May 2012 11:07:52 +0000 PS 68828@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Appealing to the CCE hive mind here...</p> <p>I could have sworn I read something about the Cooncil, post-trams fiasco, committing to getting Leith Walk back on its feet with loads of repairs / improvements being made to the road. Either I dreamt it or my googling skillz are letting me down.</p> <p>Anyone know anymore about this? In particular, did the Cooncil have anything to say about cycling facilities? Thing is, this looks like an ideal opportunity for the Cooncil to make a statement about its commitment to cycling, to wit:<br /> - Major busy thoroughfare requiring measures that return it to a human scale to encourage footfall for shops<br /> - Loads of buses (and other traffic) on it, so a relatively hostile environment for cyclists<br /> - Mahoosively wide street with deep pavements - therefore ample space for separate segregated cycle infrastructure allowing cyclists a clear run up the long grind into the usual headwind without them holding up the buses behind them (although, noting that sensible design required to deal with crossing of numerous sidestreets). Ie, this is one of the streets where the usual "Britain's roads aren't as narrow as the ones on the continent, so we can't fit this stuff in" argument does not get any traction.<br /> - An opportunity to fill a significant gap in the cycle network (the Broughton Road / London Road / Easter Road / Great Junction Street block) by linking a good piece of cycle infrastructure with some strategic side streets to allow cross traffic</p> <p>Thoughts? </p>