I can't tell if there's less traffic on LW at the moment. I'm off the bike at the moment so only on the roads in buses, not the same experience.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Leith Walk Project
(1166 posts)-
Posted 7 years ago #
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It is an absolute nightmare cycling up Leith Walk just now. Irate drivers revving engines at you, narrowed road, surface cratered like the moon. Alas, Easter Road is not much better as there are contraflow roadworks mid-way there too.
Posted 7 years ago # -
An early version -
Posted 7 years ago # -
"
Gillian Norval, owner of the Creative Showroom on Leith Walk, said: “Leith has got its own vibe and unique character. Too much significant change from re-development could threaten that character and potentially price out local independent business. At the same time every business wants to encourage and embrace more custom and any redevelopment that raises Leith’s profile will help to increase that trade.”
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Posted 7 years ago # -
"What makes Leith so successful is having world class developments like the St James Centre sit at ease with the rich network of cool, distinctive, bars, cafes and shops that make Leith what it is."
Leith making a land grab?
Posted 7 years ago # -
Certainly stretching the definition of 'Leith' a bit too far. It's not even Leith Walk proper. though of course Leith Street/Greenside Place are together effectively an extension of LW.
Posted 7 years ago # -
New road surface outside Scotmid very pleasant despite the weather. The stuff on the other side of road has been battered something rotten in the last few weeks of all four lanes squeezing into one.
Posted 7 years ago # -
It is such a nightmare cycling on Leith Walk during the roadworks I've taken to the following alternatives:
McDonald Road then across the bridge at Dryden Terrace (dismount necessary) then Dryden Street, Pilrig Street, Arthur Street to bottom end of Leith Walk. Good on the downhill as cuts out the awful surfaces and the contraflow traffic lights.
On the way up. possible to ride this route in reverse, but I prefer to just get off and push on the pavement at the contraflow if the traffic is backed up at red. Saves on waiting around followed by aggressive horn sounding from drivers behind me. Alsio I tried out the as yet unfinished segregated cycle lane southbound until Albert Street: quite usable even in its rough and ready state. Was still quicker that the lead car in the traffic queue waiting at the lights!
I'd suggest avoiding Easter Road for the time being: it would appear the more aggressive drivers are not prepared to put up with roadworks on Leith Walk and Dalmeny Street and are now using Easter Road instead... Lots of close passes, ill-timed pulling out from side streets, cutting up at traffic islands, etc. I had a particularly nasty close pass and cut up from a flat bed builder's truck today. Punished for taking primary position, no doubt.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Traffic evaporation in progress
Despite the Pilrig St junction being down to a 200m single lane stretch for several weeks now, the queue of vehicles waiting to pass is seldom beyond McDonald Rd.
A single track section is able to carry only a tiny fraction of a bi directional section, to give a railway example as I don't know the specifics of roads, the Borders railway can take 2 trains per hour in one direction whereas the East Coast Main Line can take 15.
Crowriver noted Easter Rd is busier but tbh... the queue to cross London Rd is regularly backed up to Albion Rd and vice/versa anyway. Maybe these periods are a little longer now, but it always was a route choked off by junction capacity.
I'm not at all suggesting that it should stay like this permanently, but it should go on the pile of evidence the city really doesn't need 4 lanes of urban motor traffic.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I noted yesterday there was a full scale diversion via McDonald Road, which consequently had Leith Walk/Easter Road style queues of traffic. Happily I was cycling and bypassed this lot on the bike lane - though there was of course one numpty in the tailback who took exception and edged into the lane to try and cut me up. He got a good talking to!
Easter Road not noticeably busier, just more idiots and high speed rat runners now that roadworks there are gone. So it's more the aggression of the drivers that seems to have increased rather than traffic volume. Usual caveats relating to subjective first person experiences apply.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Does this make ANY sense?
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“For example, on Leith Walk, if someone is going at 20mph they maybe cut along a side street to get to where they are going quicker.
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Posted 7 years ago # -
I love this line from Mr MacCusker:
"Nine times out of ten they cut along a street that’s either got a school or a park on it and they bomb along there."
Short, inaccurate and ever so slightly bonkers.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Needs to do more endless research.
Posted 7 years ago # -
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“The community hub will deliver vital services to people in Leith Walk and the wider Leith area, which is one of the most densely populated and fastest growing places in Scotland.”
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Posted 7 years ago # -
*** CONTINUOUS FOOTWAY *** spotted at Middlefield
Further here's the latest update from yesterday
- Stakeholder Update 95
Phase 4 (Pilrig Street to McDonald Road)
Footpath and public realm works are continuing on both sides of Leith Walk, south of the Pilrig Street junction. Footpath reinstatements at the shop fronts on Crighton Place will continue over the next week, as well as completion of the footpath reinstatement between Middlefield and the new People for Places development in front of Sainsbury’s, Starbucks and Liberty Living.The junction at Albert Street will close on Monday 10th April for a period of 3 weeks to accommodate road and footway works. The Contractor will also be commencing work at the McDonald Road junction, outside the Library, on Monday 10th April. This work will not initially require any footpath or roadway closures but is anticipated that both this junction and the Brunswick Road junction will then close on 24th April for a period of up to 10 weeks, with local diversions to be put in place. These works will include the installation of a two stage right hand turn for cyclist using this junction.
Works are progressing well and we are still programmed to complete summer 2017.
In addition to the above and, as communicated previously, the City of Edinburgh Council will be installing a number of planters and trees to Leith Walk at various locations North of Pilrig Street. The planters will be on site the mornings of 10th and 11th April, with the trees to be planted on the 12th and 13th April.
Edinburgh Tram to Newhaven
Ground sampling will commence next week in the Ocean Drive area as part of the Tram enabling works with disruption expected to be minimal. This is the final stage of the site investigation works and is expected to last from Monday 10th – Friday 14th April.For any responses and/or any queries in regards to the above, please direct these to leith.programme@edinburgh.gov.uk
Kind regards
Michael
Leith ProgrammePosted 7 years ago # -
I'm looking forward not only to Brunswick and McDonald Roads being closed to traffic for 10 weeks, but also to a segregated bike lane from Pilrig to Brunswick Road soon-ish. It will ease the passage of my regular bicycle journeys to LiDL in New Kirkgate Centre: especially the return leg with tens of kilos of messages!
Posted 7 years ago # -
I've been past the work most days this week. Fencing now up for kerbline reconstruction between Leith Walk Gallery and Tailend, including the closure of Albert St. The pace of this phase of the work seems very quick.
Twitter's favourite cycle lane lamp post has been replaced and will probably disappear tomorrow.
My current gut feeling is quite positive.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Stuart Hay has posted a picture on twitter of what the new Picardy place gyratory is going to look like, apparently it's on the builders advertising hoardings. Looks absolutely horrific. Adam McVey says that it's final, but it looks truly terrible, can't believe this picture is making anyone's draft.
Posted 7 years ago # -
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Cllr Adam McVey @adamrmcvey
Replying to @RangiRevo and @StreetWurrier
Design work of how to join cycleways hasn't been done yet so I'm not surprised it's not featured in images yet. #dontpanic"
https://mobile.twitter.com/undefined/status/851521119412785153
(And other posts in thread.)
Posted 7 years ago # -
Adam McVey: "That's not even close to what I'm saying."
Can anyone help me out here? It seems to be exactly what he's saying.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@frenchy maybe ask him, - once the design work is done, (why is it done after the main work instead of part of it by the way?) anyway Once it is done will that mean the cars lose a lane as there will be a lane of segregated cycle way? Is that what is taking the time, it isn't just going to be paint but actual segregated path? That would be good and might explain a delay.?
Obviously Twitter does not really allow for long or even modestly complicated debate, better for short arguments?
Posted 7 years ago # -
"maybe ask him, - once the design work is done"
Might be too late!
My reply from last night, no response yet -
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Cycling Edinburgh (@CyclingEdin)
11/04/2017, 12:05 am
@adamrmcvey @RangiRevo @StreetWurrier What's the point of the developers'/road engineers' design then?Innocence or pressure??
@SpokesLothian @LStreetsScot @LivingStreetsEd
"
Posted 7 years ago # -
Money and visions are all relative -
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The £45,000 project, which also backed by national arts agency Creative Scotland and the city council, is expected to build on the number of “creative hubs” in Leith. But it also aims to involve local communities around Leith to ensure there is a broad range of support for the blueprint.
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Posted 7 years ago # -
Picardy Place roundabout looks horrendous for Leith Street to Leith Walk cycling; whose stupid idea is this?
Posted 7 years ago # -
Such an unimaginative use of space.
(Apparently) one token bike lane - and no 'provision for trams'.
Not at all clear why anyone should pay for this 'design'. Presumably the whole area is still owned by CEC (??)
Posted 7 years ago # -
Updates: https://twitter.com/adamrmcvey/status/851737423730094080
Putting my pitchfork away (for now).
Posted 7 years ago # -
I don't buy Adam McVey's optimism. Making Picardy Place into a place for people is being held back from two sides.
1) The picture above is clearly derived from the tram design work (just without the tram). There's zero deviation in the as-built tram design from the originally released public road designs circa 2003. This is a looooong time ago before there was any consensus about segregating cyclists and before the air pollution scandal.
2) The developers. The cheap cop out is in the absence of any revised masterplan (for example the SUSTRANS one) the developer can say 'this is what the council wants' and it suits them because they need to fill their 1600 space car park. Everything will need to be negotiated as a 'compromise' against a flawed 15 year old design because there's as yet no leadership otherwise.
Posted 7 years ago # -
"because they need to fill their 1600 space car park"
Which of course should never have got planning permission.
I assume CEC didn't want the expense of an appeal going to SG which would, most likely, have backed the developers.
Posted 7 years ago #
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