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.
"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?"
Advisory on-road cycle lanes = free car parking spaces.
Shared-Use Bus Lanes = free car parking spaces (and commercial parking bays for La Favorita's Mini fleet)
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Dear Stakeholders
THE LEITH PROGRAMME - email update 35, 31 October 2013
Constitution Street/Bernard Street junction works
In order to complete the improvement works at the Constitution Street junction as quickly as possible, the contractor will be working extended hours, if required, during the first half of next week to carry out road marking, stud installation and anti-skid surfacing works. Dry weather is a significant factor in carrying out these works and if the current good weather prevails as predicted we will be looking to take full advantage of this. The hours will be as follows:
Monday 4 November - 08:00 to 22:00
Tuesday 5 November - 08:00 to 22:00
Wednesday 6 November - 08:00 to 22:00
If you have any queries, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me.
Regards
Alan
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"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?"
Advisory on-road cycle lanes = free car parking spaces.
Shared-Use Bus Lanes = free car parking spaces (and commercial parking bays for La Favorita's Mini fleet)
On the bright side, they are working from the bottom of the road up. As soon as the "new" Leith Walk is open for business (and full of parked cars) we can ride up and down all day videoing it and kicking up a stink?
"Edinburgh Council spending £3m on glorified car parking" etc, the EEN should be good for a spin.
Ah but the man from Del Monte the council's street design team had an answer for that.
"We can't enforce restrictions at the moment because the markings are barely visible due to state of the road. Once the resurfacing is done, we'll be able to enforce restrictions." (More or less word perfect but from memory so caveats apply).
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Draft TRO/13/51/ADY, Leith Walk, Pilrig St to Duke St Comment from Spokes Planning Group
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Dear Stakeholders
THE LEITH PROGRAMME - email update 36, 19 November 2013
Constitution Street/Bernard Street junction works completed
The Constitution Street, Bernard Street and Baltic Street junction, the final phase of the northerly section of the Leith Programme, is now open and work on the adjacent pavements has been completed. A number of planters containing trees are still to be put in place in two separate locations in Constitution Street and, following the delivery of the trees, installation should happen in late November or in early December. You may still see a minimal presence from the contractors in the area over the next couple of days as there are small areas of lining to be carried out but this will be carried out with little or no disruption.
We would like to thank you for their patience during these works and hope that the new road surface, pavements and pedestrian crossings improve the area for everyone who lives, works or visits. We appreciate that some of you have been in touch to let us know about specific concerns; your input has helped us to manage the programme and strive to minimise disruption for all as far as possible.
Early next year The Leith Programme work will progress into Leith Walk and, again, we will work with the community and traders immediately affected to endeavour to minimise disruption.
Regards
Alan
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My bold.
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Draft phasing plan As the Constitution Street junction improvements are now completed, early next year the Leith Programme work will progress into Leith Walk. A draft phasing plan showing the estimated phasing of the works and start times is now on our website for your information. We will regularly review this plan and update it should there be any significant changes to take into account.
The Traffic Orders (TRO) for Leith walk from Pilrig St to foot of walk has been published for objections and/or final comments:
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/1523/transport_and_streets/431/traffic_orders
Spokes have neatly collated a lot of the Leith Walk info here:
http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/documents/members-campaigning/edinburgh/leith-walk/
including the TRO drawings
edd1e_h - thanks for the link. So this is what is Keith Brown hailed as "an examplar commuter corridor" - he's not wrong there - as long as you are commuting by car, that is. The Council seem to have forgotten to put in any cycling infrastructure (unless you consider advisory cycle lanes on the outside of parking bays, loading bays and bus stops to be infrastructure).
Well to be fair they have designated a fair number of 'cycle parking bays'. Will these be Sheffield stands? Danish style 'car' shaped bike racks?
Interesting article on Greener Leith about objections (not very good ones) to the proposed reduction in parking spaces at the Leith end. Greener Leith
@LivD, it seems the Leith Business Association have gone into knee-jerk mode about the parking, conveniently ignoring other issues like the resiting of bins, more pedestrian crossings, bike and motorbike parking, etc. The Broughton Spurtle appear to be stirring the pot for all it's worth too. Interesting to see this reaction. As 'we' all know, other consultees (eg. cyclists and cycling groups) feel their input has not been taken on board 100% either.....yet when car parking is threatened, the consultation is suddenly 'a sham' or 'a total waste of time'!
As an argument for retaining parking, much is made of the fact that Leith Walk ward has the highest population density of any area in Scotland. Yet, 54% of households in the ward have no access to a car...
Fom Greener Leith: "If you would like to comment on the plans – you can comment in support of reducing parking spaces too – then you can view the formal TRO documents and find details of how to respond to the consultation on the draft Traffic Regulation Order here".
There was a good piece in the NY Times today about Central Square(?) which was pedestrianised and has suddenly become THE place to go to shop. Revenues in stores have sky-rocketed and the city is benefiting from being able to charge higher rents (which companies can pay because they're making more money).
But, y'know, I doubt anyone buys a fridge there ebcause they can't take their car in, so it must be a failure.
I do wonder how much of this stooshie is because the traders (many of whom probably live nowhere near Leith Walk) have realised they will no longer be able to park their motor in front of the shop/pub/restaurant all day?
I don't know why motons get so uptight about parking spaces. If they feel their "needs" aren't being met, they just park on the pavements. That's what pavements are for, right? Cars.
"If they feel their "needs" aren't being met, they just park on the pavements. That's what pavements are for, right? Cars."
Interesting. Reminds me of something... Ah yes, EEN commenters.... "If they feel their "needs" aren't being met, they just ride on the pavements. That's what pavements are for, right? Bikes."
Sweeping generalisations don't really help.
Crowriver is spot on, many of the traders love the fact they can park all day for nowt. The Greener Leith piece is excellent in laying out just why getting upset about losing a few spaces isn't a bad thing.
More cracks appear in Leith Walk consultation
‘It seems to many that all the time and effort has gone into satisfying the cycle lobby at the expense of the wider community.’
‘It seems to many that all the time and effort has gone into satisfying the wider community at the expense of me.’
@ Coxy - that sounds about right.
It may be that some traders 'rely' on customers coming by car - though I don't know if any have 'proved' that.
If so they might be disadvantaged, but it would be hard to convince anyone that their self-interest outweighs everything else (though if they make enough fuss...)
Of course at present the previous parking restrictions are unenforceable due to tram related regulations. SO there is free parking for the traders (and perhaps some of their customer).
Proper parking enforcement (even with fewer spaces) should be good for business.
The major revamp of LW (with particular benefits for pedestrians and cyclists) should be even better for (most) businesses.
That of course all depends on the money being well spent...
I wonder how much consumer research the small traders of Leith Walk have done to really establish just how much of their clientèle arrives by bus, foot and car. Or even bike! I would wager it's heavily loaded to the former two modes. Surely they must appreciate* that their trading in an area with one of the lowest urban rates of car ownership in Scotland!
* you'd think. Wouldn't you.
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A very important new aspect is the para on ‘connectivity’ showing that the council intends making Leith Walk part of a wider network, including some vital but difficult links which (in our view) will require bold decisions and further roadspace reallocation.
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http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/documents/members-campaigning/edinburgh/leith-walk
I found this part very intriguing and pertinent:
Connectivity of the scheme
The Leith Programme can offer a number of opportunities for the improvement of overall cycle network in the city. Officers are in the early stages of discussing how these links are best achieved. These include, amongst others:
- links to the Seafield Portobello cycle route, to bring cyclists safely into Leith Walk;
- links through Picardy Place to George Street;
- links to Calton Road accessible entrance to Waverley Train Station and cycle parking area;
- improved link between Leith Walk and the St Mark’s park entrance to the north Edinburgh cycle network.
A travel behaviour change programme is planned to take place over a two year period starting 2015, to support a high intensity programme of travel behaviour change covering 10,000 households in area surrounding Leith Walk. Preliminary planning is underway between Sustrans and City of Edinburgh Council.
I'm sure we'll all do our best to support the Council in trying to get these important links sorted.
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I have recently rediscovered Leith Walk, which runs down hill from the edge of Edinburgh’s New Town to (almost) Leith Docks and so to the distant ends of the earth. When I was an Edinburgh councillor, in my optimistic youth, I wanted to ‘do a Barcelona’ on Leith and continue Leith Walk as a grand boulevard straight out onto a revived seafront.
But Edinburgh remains in the grip of middle class folk who can’t see beyond the city centre, and the capital steadfastly ignores its maritime heritage. Edinburgh as a whole remains insular and self-regarding – the antithesis of the genuine edgy, urban melting pot that a decent capital city should be.
...
Here is my theory: Leith Walk is vibrant precisely because it hasn’t been sanitised by the planning fraternity or the regeneration bureaucracy.
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http://www.scot-buzz.co.uk/business-economy/best-street-scotland
Foot of the Walk junction design proposals:
http://greenerleith.org.uk/blog/foot-walk-junction-design-proposals-released-3813
The usual rubbish cosmetic cycling infrastructure that will predictably fail to bring about a modal shift. I just don't understand why it is that, even with the extra money from the government, they are managing to produce something so mediocre. It's better for pedestrians, with direct single-stage crossings, so at least there's that.
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Lesley Hinds (@LAHinds)
16/02/2014 10:30
@DominicMHinde @kim_harding @greenerleith they are draft plans. Consultation with Cycle a Forum last week. comments welcome
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So that's official then -
COMMENTS welcome
It's a significant improvement for pedestrians. Alas only minor improvements for cyclists, ie. ASLs, fewer lanes of traffic, and a simpler junction traffic light sequence (presumably given the lack of separate filter lanes plus associated staggered crossings). Also I think I spotted some cycle racks at the foot of the walk there? (Red diagonal lines at northern end of parking bay/bus stop).
Single phase crossings will make it easier to dismount and walk across the junction with pedestrians, so a side benefit there. If they get rid of all the opppressive guardrail round there this will also make the junction safer for cyclists.
I don't see the point of being excessively negative. This section was always going to be more of a compromise than further of the Walk. I favour constructive engagement to try and improve what's still possible to achieve. ie.:
- removal of guardrails.
- consideration of 'bicycle only' phase for traffic lights (as suggested by Greener Leith).
- 20mph speed limits throughout.
"20mph speed limits throughout"
That has always been an 'aspiration' here - by politicians (and most others - except perhaps Lothian Buses and a Police 'we will not enforce' suggestion.)
CEC's proposed policy on 20mph in 'residential and shopping areas' PLUS the high profile nature of the LW project ought to mean that 20mph (and perhaps less in places?!) is a publicly stated 'design principle'.
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Lesley Hinds (@LAHinds)
16/02/2014 13:12
@CyclingEdin @CllrJimOrr @greenerleith options for 20mph being put together and go out for consultation at Neighboured Partnership meetings
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