Gayfield Square - good news! « CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum

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Gayfield Square - good news!

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Started 11 years ago by chdot
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chdot
Admin

(Previous thread http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8418 )

"
Dear Mr ,

Further to your enquiry recently received, regarding the rubber kerbs on Gayfield Square, please note the following response;

The rubber kerbs were installed by the tram project, back in 2009, which in turn formed part of the overall temporary traffic management scheme enabling the tram construction works.

Further to your request to modify the current layout to allow access to Gayfield Square, arrangements have been made to remove 3 rubber kerb units to allow access for cyclists between Gayfield Square and Gayfield Street. However, this will only be considered as short term and as such, our cycle team have been contacted to advise on a potential long term solution for this location which should allow for the full removal of the rubber kerbs.

I trust that this proves satisfactory.

Regards

"

Posted 11 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Shows that CEC (at least the City Centre and Leith Neighbourhood bit) is beginning to deal with 'tram legacy'!

Posted 11 years ago #
AKen
Member

I bet someone will try and drive through that.

Posted 11 years ago #
chdot
Admin

No doubt!

After I got home I realised I should probably have put a cone in the gap.

Posted 11 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

Excellent. Trams are now officially recognised catch-all to blame for everythign wrong with cycling in the city?

Posted 11 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Think you mean -

'Trams are now officially recognised catch-all to blame for everything wrong in the city'.

Posted 11 years ago #
chdot
Admin

The saga continues, and progress is negative.

A year after the gap was created (pic above) to make it 'permeable' for cycling, there are no double yellow lines (of course) to combat (legal) evening and weekend parking.

It would seem that nothing has come of this - "our cycle team have been contacted to advise on a potential long term solution for this location".

A few weeks ago a couple of the rubber blocks were loose - looked like someone wanted a bigger gap to drive through. They were fixed.

BUT, THIS WAS ADDED -

Of course the blocks at the ends weren't removed to allow 'easy' cycle passage -

If they had used two or three sets of the new blocks instead of four there would be two 'adequate' gaps for cycling through.

No doubt the new addition is 'temporary'.

Unfortunately it's a clear, sad, indication of how little CEC understands (or perhaps 'cares' about) 'cycling'. Perhaps more importantly it demonstrates a lack of proper communication between various sections, AND shows how much rhetoric and policies are meaningless unless the the whole of CEC is willing to notice and implement.

Posted 9 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

It would take half a day to put in bollards here and the cast ironing ones would fit nicely with the Georgian square; much better than this rubber junk left over from the "temporary" road arrangement on Leith Walk / Elm Row / Leith Street.

Posted 9 years ago #
PS
Member

AND shows how much rhetoric and policies are meaningless unless the the whole of CEC is willing to notice and implement.

True.

I did overhear one CEC transport planning type at a recent event that Lesley Hinds was speaking at say to another CEC transport planning type something along the lines of (paraphrasing) "she needs to tell [council colleagues] that".

I do get the impression that the likes of Lesley do want to improve matters for cyclists and pedestrians, but car is king/all hail trafficflow is institutionalised in various Council departments. I suspect that direct leadership and instruction from above is required.

Posted 9 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"I suspect that direct leadership and instruction from above is required."

Yes.

Technically that's Sue Bruce's job.

I wonder if CEC's new CE will care about cycling, ActiveTravel and other things to make Edinburgh more 'liveable'.

Posted 9 years ago #
chdot
Admin

This week

Posted 7 years ago #
Frenchy
Member

"Hi Frenchy,

It is unclear why the gap was infilled with rubber kerbing.

It is something that is on my radar and there is a proposal to remove the rubber kerbs and install parking restrictions to maintain the space for cyclists and emergency vehicles to “cut through”. I hope to have this done later this year once I have consulted with the emergency services.

Regards

Person from Council's Active Travel team"

Posted 7 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Should have posted this when I got it, but just yawned (my bold) -

"

Date 13 January 2017

Dear Councillor Hinds

GAYFIELD SQUARE

Thank you for your e-mail dated 9 January 2017 concerning an online conversation on the City Centre Cycling blog about permeability through Gayfield Square. We are aware of this issue and have a desire to make changes which would allow cyclists to link through from Gayfield Square to East London Street. We have begun discussions with S, the local Roads and Environment Manager, and will consult with the local Police Station with a view to removing the rubber kerbing which restricts this movement, and replacing with bollards. It is intended to have this designed, approved and installed before the end of the financial year.

"

Posted 7 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Surreal

Posted 7 years ago #
Frenchy
Member

The gap looks suspiciously car sized?

Posted 7 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Posted 7 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Posted 7 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Yesterday -

HOW LONG BEFORE THIS IS FINALLY FIXED??!

Posted 7 years ago #
crowriver
Member

Probably won't get fixed until the trams go down Leith Walk, or Elm Row gets re-done, whichever comes first.

Posted 7 years ago #
Frenchy
Member

HOW LONG BEFORE THIS IS FINALLY FIXED??!

The person who told me they hoped it would be done this year (see above) has now left the active travel team, so I'll probably send another email to make sure someone else is aware of the issue.

Posted 7 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Friday

Posted 6 years ago #
Murun Buchstansangur
Member

It's like the Fawlty Towers sign.

Posted 6 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Today -

Missing bits nowhere to be seen.

Posted 6 years ago #
gembo
Member

War of attrition The New Town Ultra Gammon Society will break through soon. Parking, cut throughs once established will become the status quo ante

Posted 6 years ago #
chdot
Admin

https://twitter.com/cyclingedin/status/1037644545289281541

Posted 6 years ago #
dessert rat
Member

can the title of this thread be edited, as once again i was lured in by the 'good news' part, only to have hopes dashed.

How about:
"Gayfield Square - everything you need to know about where Active Travel is on CEC's priority list in one pic!".

I admit it's not as pithy, but is certainly more realistic.

Posted 6 years ago #
crowriver
Member

I disagree. The title, plus the ensuing catalogue of quiet despair, ultimately lead the reader to the exact air of bitterly ironic disenchantment that, frankly one has to be prepared for if harbouring any aspirations for active travel improvements in the city. As such, it is the perfect demonstration of the adage "politics is the art of the possible".

Posted 6 years ago #
chdot
Admin

https://twitter.com/CyclingEdin/status/1037644545289281541

Posted 6 years ago #
chdot
Admin

https://twitter.com/clairehimiller/status/1043415227528867841?s=21

Posted 6 years ago #
chdot
Admin

https://twitter.com/clairehimiller/status/1044121837070929920

Posted 6 years ago #