CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
"i was thinking we all go in with our bikes and order pizza... but yes, blocking in their delivery cars would be fun too."
I like that because I do did enjoy their pizza too!
Build it @SRD, and I will come. I will try to introduce firstborn to her first act of civil disobedience too (she likes their lasagne)
"It's the police that ticket double parking.." If the double parking is in the bus lane in the day then thought the council could enforce this if choose to do so although possibly unloading rules allow some of the double parking dont know.
It would have been nicer if the bike lane was behind the parked cars, seems like a missed opportunity. Designed in methods would have been better and caused less conflicted and cheaper in longer term possibly so yes.
la favourite is good but seeing as though can eat in cheaper Giuliano's with the 50 percent discount never normally go to la favourite even though I eat a lot of pizza. It's all the vans parked in the morning that I find difficult as cant get passed them, at night when la favorita cars there I normally manage to squeeze by.
i was thinking we all go in with our bikes and order pizza
They are NEVER getting my custom!
"They are NEVER getting my custom! "
Fair play. Of course, you could always queue up with your bike with the intention to order, only to change your mind once at the head of the queue?
@min well, I can't imagine they will actually take our orders....
Not sure I want to wake up with a horses head in my bed
You can order pizza from Origano takeaway next door then dally outside LF eating it from the box.
How many bikes would it take to form a locked chain around a double parked car while nipping into the local shops to order pizza?
An old bike chain locked through a wheel and a note on the windscreen saying 'Do not attempt to drive, clamped for double parking' might get the point across
Couldn't condone that, obviously
Two new people to take an interest...
"
LABOUR has had its first success at the ballot box in Scotland since it was reduced at the general election to just one MP north of the border.
The party took a seat from the Greens in an Edinburgh City Council by-election in the Leith Walk ward. The SNP also held a seat in the same ward.
"
Boak
The Labour win is good news though, she seems very keen on active travel.
I've forced myself up Leith Walk a few times over the past couple of weeks, mostly to get used to it as on Fridays it'll be my shortest route from a later start. At 08:00 it's mostly empty until Pilrig Street; at 09:00 it's busier at the bottom (whilst the top is about the same as earlier) but with the added bonus of parked lorries in the cycle lane, parked cars in the cycle lane and desperate morons using the right-hand edge of the cycle lane as their give way line from the side streets. I'll punt a couple of videos to the newbies as evidence of the vitalness of getting as much segregation as possible on the bits yet to be done.
I wrote to the council a couple of weeks ago about the double parking and loading on Leith Walk's cycle lanes.
This is their reply:
_________________________________________________________
Thank you for contacting the Council on 2 September 2015.
From your enquiry, it appears that the problems that you are encountering are caused by poor or inconsiderate parking on Leith Walk.
The Police should be able to take action against vehicles parked in the cycle lanes, where an actual obstruction is caused.
With regard to our Parking Attendants, they should also be able to take action as parking restrictions are present adjacent to the cycle lane. However, when issuing parking tickets in these circumstances a five minute observation period needs to be given and we often find that the vehicles are removed before the parking ticket issuing process is complete. However, we will request that some extra Parking Attendant visits are made to Leith Walk as their presence should help to deter the inconsiderate parking you have seen.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards
Ruth Muir
________________________________________________________
I'm not sure that anything will improve if more parking attendants are present on Leith Walk, especially due to the 5min observation rule. Plus, the majority of double parking seems to occur in the evening, and you rarely see parking attendents at that time of the day anyway. Not sure, maybe worthwile contacting the police?
"maybe worthwile contacting the police?"
If you mean 'so they can do something', you might be disappointed.
However
I think it's important that you DO contact the police - *presumably* they are aware of this - so you can find out what they say about priorities and lack of resources.
Sadly, bottom line, is that CEC claimed that once LW was 'done' and the parking restrictions were enforceable they would be enforced.
Apart from not enough enforcers and (probably) no police involvement, if 'everyone' knows about the '5 minute rule', it's never going to get any better.
ASBOs for repeat (business) offenders??
There should be no place for a "5 minute rule"; all it means is that people can park where they want, when they want so long as their vehicle is kept in eyeshot. Businesses like La Favorita can simply move their vehicles round the corner (they have the drivers to do this) on the rare occasion that a warden turns up. The offence is parking in a restricted area or in an obstructive manner, not doing it for more than 5 minutes.
I made the observation to the Pavement Parking Bill feedback that wherever there's a short term exemption (like a 5 minute grace period) and a business with a lot of passing trade, lots and lots of short magic parking lights stops one after the other all add up to a long-term obstruction.
The 5 minute rule doesn't bode well for the enforcement of a Pavement and Double Parking Act.
"The 5 minute rule doesn't bode well for the enforcement of a Pavement and Double Parking Act."
Oh I dunno. People abandon their vehicles on pavements for days at a time under the current legislation...
There's next to no parking enforcement currently in the Leith Walk ward (including Easter Road, Abbeyhill, Hillside, etc.) except where there are metered parking bays (e.g.. Brunswick Road). That is, apart from periodic "blitzes" e.g.. when the new road markings were freshly laid.
@ih - Perhaps it's one of these "self enforcing" laws.
Less cynically, if drivers become aware of it, the conscientious ones that currently park on the footway to "keep the road clear" will realise that society would actually prefer them to keep the footway clear.
That's a big "if" though, as most people have no idea of the road traffic laws. See CCE's discussion of cycling along a cycle lane up the inside of left turning traffic - drivers must give way to traffic on a bus or cycle lane when turning across it in either direction (Rule 183).
Robert
I've got a reply from the police:
______________________________________________________
Thank you for your e mail. I will pass on to Leith officers to give the area attention. In my opinion Council traffic wardens should also be dealing with the issue. Sadly the Police Traffic wardens no longer exist but council wardens should be able to take action. As a cyclist myself I’m well aware of the danger and annoyance this causes.
Regards
________________________________________________________
So, let's see if anything is happening. If indeed the council is sending more wardens plus the police taking more attention, MAYBE we'll see an improvement.
That's a good reply.
I have removed writer's name - just in case they were speaking 'too personally'!
"drivers must give way to traffic on a bus or cycle lane when turning across it in either direction (Rule 183)."
Freezes over. Hell. Waiting until. Etc.
I got 2 more e-mails from the nice police man. Unfortunately, the news are frustrating.
Here's the first one:
________________________________________________
Hello again
I’ve been looking for some clarification regarding parking on cycle lanes and came across this today on a CTC website
Cycle lanes. These are shown by road markings and signs. You MUST NOT drive or park in a cycle lane marked by a solid white line during its times of operation. Do not drive or park in a cycle lane marked by a broken white line unless it is unavoidable. You MUST NOT park in any cycle lane whilst waiting restrictions apply.
I checked Leith Walk last night and the cycle lane has a broken line. As I understand it this is an advisory lane so, technically driving, stopping and parking is not illegal. I’m trying to get 100% clarification on this from Roads Policing colleagues and will get back to you.
_________________________________________________
Followed by the confirmation via roads policing:
___________________________________________________
Hullo again
From Roads Policing
r140 of the Highway Code more or less covers it. If it’s dashed (Broken white lines) then it appears you shouldn’t park in it but nothing legal stops you unless there are waiting restrictions painted alongside. E.g. Timed loading restrictions etc.
Sorry but that’s pretty much what I expected.
_____________________________________________________
So it seems the council has invested quite some money on creating a second parking lane marked in pretty red with a couple of drawn on bicycles. Rubbish!
I suspect that even if there were loading restrictions, the police would do hee-haw about it.
For example, I have never seen police dealing with those stopped/loading on Forrest Road dashed cycle lane when the loading/stopping restrictions are in effect and there are folk in that almost every day when I pass.
https://twitter.com/LAHinds/status/649657865712586752?s=09
LAHinds: @LaFavoritaEd why do continue to allow your staff to double Park on Leith Walk and Block cycle lane?
"
Dear Stakeholder,
Leith Programme Phase 4 – Pilrig Street to McDonald Road – Draft Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) and Redetermination Order (RSO)
As part of our regular update series, we would like to inform you that the draft TRO and RSO for the next phase of the Leith Programme, Pilrig Street to McDonald Road, will be formally advertised, a week today, on Tuesday 20 October. TROs set out all restrictions on a road including where yellow lines, parking places, and bus lanes are to be located, while RSOs designate areas of the street as carriageway, footway or cycle path.
As part of the ongoing Leith Programme, various changes will be proposed for this next section of the works including:
· Changes to waiting, loading and stopping restrictions
· Changes to bus lanes and bus stops
· Changes to disabled bays
· Introducing segregated cycling facilities in both directions on Leith Walk
· Storing communal domestic waste bins in dedicated spaces in lay-bys
· Introducing a no entry restriction to Iona Street from Leith Walk (except for cyclists)
· Introducing a number of 60 minute maximum stay parking bays and loading bays in Albert Street
The Orders will be advertised in accordance with statutory requirements and details will be viewable on the Council’s website or in person at The City Chambers on the High Street. Over and above the statutory requirements, letters will also go out to all those in the immediately impacted section and surrounds to inform residents and businesses of the proposals. The period for submitting comments and/or objections will run for four weeks from Tuesday 20 October to Tuesday 17 November and full details of how to do this can be viewed on the Council’s website at http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/trafficorders.
We are aware that the draft TRO/RSO documents for Phase 4 were available in the public domain earlier today due to drafts being uploaded on our main website in advance of the formal advertising process. Due to the number of TROs our Transport Section deals with, this advance uploading is a normal procedure. Please be aware that these documents will not be fully visible on the Traffic Orders web page until Tuesday 20 October.
For your information, our next Stakeholder Update will provide you with direct links to the draft Orders when they are formally advertised.
Regards
"
Here is the link to take a peek at the plans alluded to in the email
At this point I'd really like to see the street fixed up and have the problems that actually emerge dealt with later rather than theorycrafting too hard. It looks 95% great.
"
Dear Stakeholder,
Leith Programme Phase 4 – Pilrig Street to McDonald Road – Advertising of Draft Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) and Redetermination Order (RSO)
We would like to inform you that the draft TRO and RSO for the next phase of the Leith Programme, Pilrig Street to McDonald Road, have now been formally advertised. The Orders have been advertised in accordance with statutory requirements and details are viewable on the Council’s website or in person at The City Chambers on the High Street. Please click here to see the details of the proposals contained in both.
As mentioned in the previous update, TROs set out all restrictions on a road including where yellow lines, parking places, and bus lanes are to be located, while RSOs designate areas of the street as carriageway, footway or cycle path.
As part of the ongoing Leith Programme, various changes will be proposed for this next section of the works including:
· Changes to waiting, loading and stopping restrictions
· Changes to bus lanes and bus stops
· Changes to disabled bays
· Introducing segregated cycling facilities in both directions on Leith Walk
· Storing communal domestic waste bins in dedicated spaces in lay-bys
· Introducing a no entry restriction to Iona Street from Leith Walk (except for cyclists)
· Introducing a number of 60 minute maximum stay parking bays and loading bays in Albert Street
The period for submitting comments and/or objections will run for four weeks from Tuesday 20 October to Tuesday 17 November and full details of how to do this can be also be viewed using the link provided above. For your information, the Order reference numbers are TRO/15/29 and RSO/15/23.
Regards
"
"
Dear Stakeholder,
Stakeholder Update 80 – Signal works and temporary traffic management
Further to the upgrade of the Foot of the Walk junction layout, completed in June, MacLay Civil Engineering are to install inductive loop traffic detectors (vehicle detection loops) for the new signals at the junction. Whilst the junction is operating effectively, the installation of the loops will further improve this by automatically adjusting the timings of the signal phases when necessary, depending on vehicle numbers.
The addition of the detectors is scheduled to start on Monday 2 November and is expected to take around 3 to 4 days to complete depending on progress. Temporary traffic management arrangements will be in place during this period involving 4-way temporary lights incorporating the pedestrian crossings on all legs of the junction. This same arrangement was used earlier in the summer during the initial commissioning, for a short time, when a power supply problem prevented them from being switched on. Contractors will also use these upcoming arrangements to carry out work to a utilities chamber cover in the carriageway at the same time.
Traffic management details:
· Working times are to be from 0930hrs to 1530hrs each day
· The temporary signals will be manually operated when they are in operation
· The permanent signals will be in operation at all other times
· Advance warning signage is to be erected a week in advance of the work commencing.
The temporary arrangements will inevitably result in some disruption and longer waiting times at the junction over this time for some but the contractors will be looking to get the work completed as quickly as possible in order to ensure this is kept to a minimum. Stakeholders, however, may want to inform customers, delivery companies, family, or friends who will be travelling in the area during these days in advance so they can alter their journey planning if required.
Regards
"
So they are digging up the foot of the walk yet again to do something properly rather than get it right first time. Maybe they could fix all the puddles outside the old waterworld while they are at it.
You must log in to post.
Cycling in Edinburgh Flickr group
Video embedded using Easy Video Embed plugin
posts