http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: How to fit a bike lane on Princes Street en Thu, 21 May 2026 20:33:13 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7478#post-77091 Thu, 05 Jul 2012 22:53:52 +0000 crowriver 77091@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Simple: just implement <a href="http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/207/planning-policies/1096/public_spaces/2">Gehl architects' master plan</a> and stop using Princes Street as a giant bus station! </p> <p>Then there'd be plenty of space. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7478#post-77087 Thu, 05 Jul 2012 22:35:15 +0000 kaputnik 77087@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>The walkway on the RBS building(when it was there) was walled in and could (in theory) be cycled safely</em></p> <p>The building you are referring to includes the A-listed "The New Club" by Alan Reiach, 1966. I don't think the ex-Royal Bank offices (part to the right, that shares the walkway) are included in the listing </p> <p>Apparently the interior of the club parts rescued the original interior of the original baroque building, so is completely unlike the modernist exterior.</p> <p>The idea for the first-floor walkway was part of the 1954 "Princes Street Panel guidelines". There are a few other bits of it. BhS was built to the specification, but with the "walkway" part only forming the overhanging sign, I suppose they might have converted it later on.</p> <p>I learnt all this from google.</p> <p>I prefer the following "solution" to Princes Street;</p> <p> buses, taxis and trams to fight it out on Princes Street. Bi-directional segregated cycle lane to be installed on George Street giving rapid and safe east-west transit through town. Single lane each way can be maintained on George Street for deliveries and taxis etc. Centre parking lane to be removed as surplus to requirements (big empty multi-storeys nearby at Kings Stables Road, Omni Centre and St. James Centre. Or they can take the tram!)</p> <p>I prefer the George Street idea as more practical given that it's now going to be impossible to re-locate the tram lines. I'm also of the theory that it benefits most people wanting east-west transit through the city centre, anyone wanting to get to the shops can turn off relevant side street (Castle, Hanover, Frederick, etc.) and park up there. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7478#post-77081 Thu, 05 Jul 2012 21:38:51 +0000 Kirst 77081@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>They could give us the whole gardens as a bike lane! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7478#post-77076 Thu, 05 Jul 2012 21:06:39 +0000 cc 77076@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I was surprised to see a very familiar-looking first floor ugly concrete walkway actually joined up and in use when I visited Hong Kong some years ago. Same architect perhaps.</p> <p>Seriously though, it's easy to fit in bike lanes - narrow or eliminate motor traffic lanes, simples. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7478#post-77069 Thu, 05 Jul 2012 18:34:07 +0000 chdot 77069@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"I was reading about that walkway the other day"</p> <p><a href="http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1474#post-13934">See second pic</a>. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7478#post-77068 Thu, 05 Jul 2012 18:22:24 +0000 custard 77068@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I was reading about that walkway the other day.<br /> The walkway on the RBS building(when it was there) was walled in and could (in theory) be cycled safely </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7478#post-77064 Thu, 05 Jul 2012 16:39:50 +0000 wingpig 77064@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>You could have a net like they used to have outside the Starbucks in the Waterstones, in which dead and decaying pigons could frequently be seen dangling. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7478#post-77063 Thu, 05 Jul 2012 16:27:02 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 77063@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I would imagine included in the plan was a fence or wall of some sort ;) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7478#post-77062 Thu, 05 Jul 2012 16:23:11 +0000 spytfyre 77062@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Genius - until someone falls... Then someone sues </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7478#post-77058 Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:40:38 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 77058@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Form the Princes Street Wikipedia entry:</p> <p>"<em>Another problem has been that upper floors are often used for storage, rather than as office, retail or living space. At an early stage in post-World War II designs for the street, a "high level walkway" was planned, as a further shopping frontage for the first floor level, in lieu of the other side of the street. However the walkway as built was never more than a number of isolated balconies and in practice the Royal Bank of Scotland was the only business to maintain a frontage at this level for any length of time; that branch of the bank closed early in the 21st century, leaving the upper walkway largely forgotten.</em>"</p> <p>Upper walkway would probably allow the existing ground level pavement to be narrowed. Job done. Where do I collect my consultancy fee? </p>