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Leith Walk Project

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Started 11 years ago by chdot
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chdot
Admin

Today is the day that Keith Brown came up with £3.6m.

http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9687&page=11#post-125729

So I though it might be a good idea to start a new thread!

Already (not surprisingly) it's being portrayed as 'money for cycling'.

Well some of it is - but it's important to get the message across that it's about making LW nicer for people - residents, shoppers on foot, bike or bus - not, primarily, for those passing through.

For that it's important that CEC doesn't give in to pressure from Lothian Buses to drop the 20mph plan. Of course it would be better if LB was a positive supporter, but that won't be easy to achieve.

It's far from clear what the current proposals are in detail.

It's definitely the case that there are not detailed drawings for all the work that WILL happen.

It still seems unlikely that there will be segregated cycle lanes the complete length of Leith Walk.

It may not be desirable to create a 'cycle highway', but it's certainly essential that people who wouldn't consider cycling there at the moment feel 'safe' in all sections and BOTH directions!

A year ago some people thought that campaigning for 'a better Leith Walk' was a waste of time.

Fortunately a lot more people thought it was worth trying. Since then there have been 'consultations' - small meetings and public events, robust exchanges of views (not just between 'campaigners' and 'officials'!). Various 'can't be dones' have become doable - notably the removal of the London Road roundabout.

A lot more attention has been paid to the needs of pedestrians - particular road crossings. Now there is the money to do a lot of things that were 'impossible' last year. This should mean that officials who mostly also want a new/better LW can believe it IS possible and not feel stuck between 'public demand' and a real fear that there was no money to do anything other than resurface the road - welcome though that would be!

If you've been involved in the process to date, celebrate, tell people - officials, councillors, MSPs etc. that you're happy that things are moving in the right direction, but keep an eye on the detail.

It's not (just) about) cycling, if Leith Walk is done well it really can be seen as something for others to be inspired by.

SpaceForPeople.

Posted 11 years ago #
Tulyar
Member

How about a ciclovias for Leith at the top (ie lower end) of Leith Walk maybe a run of Sundays for a month?

After all Bogota's been doing this for the whole city for over 2 decades now.

Maybe some simple "Try before you buy" work with planters and moveable kerbs

Posted 11 years ago #
LaidBack
Member

Big positive story on STV tonight...

The non delivery of the trams had huge parts of Leith Walk isolated for nothing at all so it's nonsense to say more space for people isn't possible.

Posted 11 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"

This week, the Scottish Government finally announced a further £3.6m pounds for Leith Walk, bringing the total budget for the regeneration of the street up to £8.6million

Apparently, a key reason that the budget has more than tripled is that so many people and civic society organisations – both local and national – worked together to support an ambitious future for Leith Walk, one that should make it more prosperous and safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

"

http://www.greenerleith.org.uk/blog/leith-walk-revamp-awarded-millions-scottish-government-3388

Posted 11 years ago #
chdot
Admin

WELL!

"
Edinburgh City Council said the Leith Walk plans would include cycle lanes the length of the street with “significant sections of uninterrupted cycle space” including “off-road” sections.

"

http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/leith-walk-to-get-3-6m-bike-safety-upgrade-1-3108451

Sometimes I like to be wrong(?)

Not the same as 'complete segregation' - but not aware of plans for even painted lanes in certain sections.

Posted 11 years ago #
crowriver
Member

I have e-mailed my councillors recounting my observations on the drawings that were displayed at July's consultation, and asking them to press instead for the 'enhanced' design which was put forward just 6 weeks earlier in June. Reading the Council web site, this appears to be the option they are going for now the money is in place*, but we have to be sure we are getting the best facilities we can get for the budget.

You can see the 'enhanced' design from June 2013 here: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/10651/june_2013-draft_enhanced_design_concept_for_the_leith_programme

July's designs, which backtracked on the two way segregated cycle lane on Elm Row, do not appear to be online.

* As per this statement:

"This funding will support the delivery of an enhanced design along the street from Foot of the Walk to Picardy Place. The design prioritises pedestrians, cyclists and sustainable modes of transport, creating a vibrant and lively street which will benefit local residents and businesses as well as those visiting the area.
The concept for the enhanced design was developed following extensive consultation with the local community and will deliver on aspirations expressed by locals during the consultation process."

Let's hope they mean it!

Posted 11 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"
The concept for the enhanced design was developed following extensive consultation with the local community and will deliver on aspirations expressed by locals during the consultation process.
"

"Let's hope they mean it!"

There are undoubtedly people at CEC who want 'the best' - which may not, of course, be the same as some/all 'cyclists' want!

I can't really imagine how all the verbal, handwritten and emailed comments were distilled into anything that reflected such a range of 'interests'/views. I'm told that some '14 hour days' were involved!

As someone at CEC (not directly involved in designing this project) recently said to me 'the council doesn't have a traffic reduction strategy'.

This of course is part of the problem. 'We' often complain about the (apparent) assumption in favour of 'traffic flow' or 'smooth traffic flow'.

There are undoubtedly traffic engineers throughout the world who believe that's their job - especially when they work for politicians who see car ownership/use as measures of 'success'.

Or at least there is an assumption that car use is inevitable and has to be catered for in the way it always has - more/faster roads.

The disruption created by the tram was a unique opportunity for changing things, but mostly it's been apologies and 'we'll return things to normal as soon as possible'.

I was on Dalry Road yesterday around 'rush' hour. It was almost deserted eastwards after Ardmillan. No doubt that will change when Haymarket is 'sorted'.

As a residential/shopping street it should be on CEC's 20mph list - like Leith Walk. Presumably Lothian Buses will be objecting.

Posted 11 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

I've done collation of consultation responses before (in ym old job, for the Environment Ministry, on Carbon Trading), and it's virtually impossible to get the detail of the responses. You end up creating boxes into which you can say responses fall, with a few quoted examples ni the written up report to explain what the box means. Difficult to work out a better process, but extremely flawed (and that particular bit of work had four of us doing 7am to 2am the following day for a few days to get all the information down - from multi-national companies and organisations like Greenpeace, right down to Joe Bloggs who had stumbled across the consultation and decided to get his tuppenceworth in).

Posted 11 years ago #
PS
Member

I was on Dalry Road yesterday around 'rush' hour. It was almost deserted eastwards after Ardmillan.

I've started taking photos of deserted Edinburgh streets at "rush hour" (mainly George Street and St Andrews Square/York Place because that's where I tend to be then) with a vague notion of pulling together a load of them - possibly on a thread here - to demonstrate how useful urban space is wasted on motor vehicles.

Haven't progressed very far on it because it really needs a broad range of streets across town, but if a few others joined in we could get some good coverage quite quickly.

There may also be mileage in demonstrating how quiet some perceived busy streets (Leith Walk, Lothian Road) seem to be outside of rush hour?

Posted 11 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Still a 'cycle project' -

http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/3-6m-leith-walk-cycling-path-plan-hailed-1-3108514

Letters to the editor??

https://www.twitter.com/fodonnell23

Posted 11 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

I've offered them an opinion piece on why its good for everyone. just need to find time to write the bloody thing.

Posted 11 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Have they said yes?

Posted 11 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"
Dear Stakeholders

Leith Programme: stakeholder email update 32; 26 September 2013

FUNDING BOOST FOR LEITH PROGRAMME

You will probably be aware that on Tuesday 24th September, the Transport Minister Keith Brown announced funding of £3.6m of the additional £20m recently allocated to cycling towards the Leith Programme. This will enable the Council to deliver an enhanced street scheme from Foot of the Walk to Picardy Place as part of the overall Leith Programme area.

This funding is additional to the money that the Council has allocated to the Leith Programme which runs from Old Dock Gates up to Picardy Place. The additional money means the Council can deliver an enhanced design for the street from the Foot of The Walk to Picardy Place. This will prioritise pedestrians, cyclists and sustainable modes of transport, as well as creating a vibrant and lively thoroughfare which will benefit local residents and businesses as well as those visiting the area.

The draft designs are developed in partnership with Sustrans Scotland, and responds to local aspirations for the streets that all kinds of local people told us about during the consultation process.

Key features of the design include:
· Cycle lanes from Foot of the Walk to Picardy Place. There will be significant sections of uninterrupted cycle space including sections of dedicated on and off road cycling. Cycling will be largely segregated from Pilrig Street uphill towards the Omni Centre.
· Improved pavements and junctions to benefit pedestrians and more frequent crossing points along Leith Walk.
· Redesigned, simplified junctions that are much easier and simpler for pedestrians to cross.
· Replacement of London Rd roundabout with a signalled junction to significantly enhance conditions for both pedestrians and cyclists.
· A simplified streetscape more conducive to community activity, trading and business.
· Improved connectivity for sustainable forms of travel between the waterfront and the city centre.

For further information on the Leith Programme please visit

http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/leithimprovements

Posted 11 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"

improve safety for both pedestrians and cyclists, providing good access to transit, reducing the double barrier effect of crossing SW Barbur Blvd and the I-5 Freeway, improving pedestrian and bicycling connectivity and access for users of all ages and abilities and enhancing the walking environment. This project will build critical missing gaps in the sidewalks and bike lanes

"

http://www.bikeportland.org/2013/09/26/woman-hit-while-walking-on-barbur-but-help-is-on-the-way-94554

Posted 11 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

Lets have no talk of 'commuter corridor' #Leith Walk is a street to come to, not through!

http://www.leithopenspace.co.uk/community-news/bring-the-pedestrian-pound-to-leith-walk/

Posted 11 years ago #
chdot
Admin

http://m.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/susan-dorman-leith-walk-bicycle-plan-good-for-all-1-3116919

Posted 11 years ago #
Arellcat
Moderator

Susan? Good article though.

Posted 11 years ago #
Roibeard
Member

Tag-line correct, URL slightly iffy...

Robert

Posted 11 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

Motorcycle accident victim had ‘no chance’

HORRIFIED witnesses have told how a “speeding” motorcyclist gave a pedestrian “no chance” when his bike ploughed into her as she crossed the road.

The fatal accident happened on Great Junction Street, Leith, at 11.50am yesterday, close to Bonnington Road.

Or; Why we need a Leith Walk which is designed for people, not machines.

Posted 11 years ago #
neddie
Member

Article on red chips vs red paint:
http://www.broughtonspurtle.org.uk/news/city-cylist-has-beef-chips

Pictures come complete with a car parked in the entrance to the ASL feeder lane (of course!)

Posted 11 years ago #
mgj
Member

@kaputnik Are bikes not machines? I still cant find a timetable for this upgrade that tells me when I can expect a decent surface for my machine that doesnt cope well with potholes and bad patches, as opposed to my 40 year old car that copes fine with them...

Posted 11 years ago #
mgj
Member

Will the Leith Walk money also be used to either properly make Constitution Street a 20 mph zone, or take down the two signs that there are at the moment heading North (with no South bound signs, and no end of zone sign anywhere)?

Posted 11 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

@kaputnik Are bikes not machines?

Depends if you are applying Terminator logic or not. The bicycles cannot rise up without human power. They are merely a mechanical extension of our arms and legs.

The motor vehicles, judging by the multitude of "cars leaving the road" and "cars hitting trees" seem already to have become sentient.

Posted 11 years ago #
crowriver
Member

@mgj, may I humbly suggest you ask your local Councillor these questions. I have taken the opportunity twice to request from my (Leith Walk ward) Councillors to press for both Leith Walk and Easter Road to be included in the proposed 20mph zone. Maybe Bonnington Road needs to be included too, especially as the Gaelic language primary school will be opening there soon...

Posted 11 years ago #
mgj
Member

@Crowriver The Gaelic School is already open, and heaving (friends have a child in P1 there).

You'd think, since Constitution St has a police station that one of the patrol cars occupants might work out that the signage makes no sense at all.

Posted 11 years ago #
crowriver
Member

@mgj, as we know the boys and girls in blue appear to have no interest in speed limits nor their enforcement, except occasionally on motorways and trunk roads.

You could still write to your Councillors though ;-)

Posted 11 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"

The Leith Programme - email update 34, 18 October 2013
Traffic Regulation Order – Pilrig Street to Foot of the Walk

Dear Stakeholder,

This is just to inform you that the process for the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) required to implement the proposed improvements to the Foot of the Walk to Pilrig Street section of Leith Walk is now underway and the TRO drawings
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/leithimprovements

containing the proposals have now gone out to statutory consultees in order to receive any initial comments.

In due course these proposals will be advertised more widely and will be open to comments, both positive and negative, from the general public over a four week period. Another update will be sent out to let you know when this begins.

Further work is required in order to refine the design for the Pilrig Street to Picardy Place section of Leith Walk, the later phase of the Leith Programme, and we will continue to work alongside our partners in Sustrans to progress this. Once again, we will keep you updated.

Regards

Alan

Alan Dean BA (Hons) MSc PGDip I Partnership Development Officer (Stakeholder Liaison and Engagement) I Services for Communities I City Centre Neighbourhood Management Team I 1 Cockburn Street I Edinburgh I EH1 1BJ
Tel: 0131 529 7519 Mobile: 07739 188 438
alan.dean@edinburgh.gov.uk

http://www.facebook.com/cclneighbourhood

"

Posted 11 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

I Partnership Development Officer (Stakeholder Liaison and Engagement) I Services for Communities I City Centre Neighbourhood Management Team

It's "I am", Alan, "I am".

Posted 11 years ago #
Morningsider
Member

Advisory on-road cycle lanes on the outside of bus stops and parking bays between Pilrig Street and the Foot of the Walk, apart from where there are shared use bus lanes. Is this really any better than what is there already?

Posted 11 years ago #
crowriver
Member

What I also note is that the draft designs for the section from Pilrig Street to Picardy Place are now the watered down proposals which were consulted upon in July. Previously the drafts online were the June designs, which had two=way segregated cycle lanes all the way to Montgomery Street.

I think it's imperative to argue for two-way segregation on Elm Row, which is a very busy bus interchange area.

Posted 11 years ago #

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