Yes, but this is our taxpayers money that they are squandering on badly designed 'facilities' that when they are not used will be thrown back at us to say there is no demand. I was in Barcelona recently for the first time in 20 years; cycling has gone through the roof, in part because there are protected cyclelanes everywhere on the wide boulevards, made by taking away road space from other traffic and protected by big lozenges on the ground that traffic doesn't tangle with. Cars head around at 40 mph plus but it feels much safer. Wide roads though.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Leith Walk Project
(1166 posts)-
Posted 7 years ago #
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"Wide roads though."
They aren't that wide. Mostly they're just one way with no parking.
Posted 7 years ago # -
"They aren't that wide"
Not as wide as LW then...
Posted 7 years ago # -
"Mostly they're just one way with no parking."
It's the parking/loading issue that has compromised Leith Walk. Just look at the Foot of the Walk. Ultimately the previous council were running scared of "local traders" (how many actually live in the area?) and Lothian Buses. Then when "cyclists" piled in with overwhelmingly negative comments, certain parts were just dropped completely (understandable that frustration has built up, but still).
Again, I'm going to wait until the whole thing is finished. However maybe once that is the case, there are lessons about campaigning and politics we can draw from the whole process.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Posted 7 years ago #
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"
Stakeholder Update 100
Leith Programme
Phase 4 (Pilrig Street to McDonald Road)
Weekly lookahead (w/c 26th June 2017) and further CEC project updatePlease see below details of works to be undertaken during the course of next week, and the associated worksite locations during the course of next week:
- Complete grouting to the slabbed paving at the Library corner and open up areas to pedestrians where safe to do so
- Commence paving to the N/W corner of Croall Place (West side of Leith Walk)
- Commence paving to Brunswick Street footpath at the junction with Leith Walk
- Continue paving to the east side of Leith Walk
- Kerb realignment, and commence kerb laying at Brunswick Street junction
- Continue works to the road crossings at McDonald Road junction, excavating the tracks and installing ducts165 Leith Walk – Former Tram Depot Demolition
The former tram depot (located at 165 Leith Walk) is due for demolition and further communication will follow regarding the programme for these works in the coming weeks. The area will be cleared and a creative workspaces project will occupy part of this site.
The smaller building at the front of the former depot (165a Leith Walk) will be retained and refurbished to create a pilot partnership hub delivering local services. The project is a collaboration between site owners, The City of Edinburgh Council and local arts trust, Out of the Blue.
The project team intend to hold a drop-in community event on 28th June, between 4.30pm - 7.00pm, in the McDonald Road Library. At this event, there will be an opportunity to find out more about these proposals and to ask any questions.
Should you have any queries or concerns with regards to the above, please do not hesitate to contact me direct either at this Email or at leith.programme@edinburgh.gov.uk
Kind regards
Michael"
Posted 7 years ago # -
Just noticed this morning where the pavement path rejoins the road near the Magnet Kitchen showroom on Leith Walk. This is where the Tesco artics park up to load/unload throughout the day - so I fully expect access to/from the road here to regularly either be completely blocked or require the cyclist to swerve out directly into traffic to overtake the artics. (Or be stuck waiting an age for a gap in traffic to pull out).
Spiffing.
Posted 7 years ago # -
"How do we deal with left hook risk?"
"Just dump the cyclists onto the road before every junction! They'll work it out!"
Posted 7 years ago # -
Given that everyone knows that there will be artics and vans parked up outside Tesco, Coop etc, why was delivery space not designed in for them?
Posted 7 years ago # -
Oh if anyone wants to check the designs for current and proposed works they are here:
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/leithimprovements
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/9446/iona_street_to_brunswick_street_approved_design
Posted 7 years ago # -
@mgj Previously they were delivering by parking on double-red "must not park here at any time" lines, and obstructing sightlines around traffic lights and a green-man crossing.
I always marvel when supermarket 'express' stores open up on streets where there's no off-street loading bay and all deliveries are made by huge articulated lorries parking on double-yellows / double-reds in front of the shops. How do they ever get permission to open given there's no facility for safe, obstruction-free delivery?
Posted 7 years ago # -
"all deliveries are made by huge articulated lorries"
This appears to be the nub of the problem. It's the company supply chain and logistics that are at fault, rather than planning per se.
If the council banned large HGVs from entering the city during the day, it might help. Clearly a piecemeal approach (eg. Rose Street, Castle Street) is just vein wantonly ignored!
Posted 7 years ago # -
@threefromleith
Not quite fair. There was an HGV sized 24h loading bay outside magnet specifally for Tesco. It was used when available.
Usually parked in and no enforcement, so then the red lines were used
Posted 7 years ago # -
@klaxon My apologies - I didn't know that.
Possibly because in all the years that Tesco Express has been there, I've never seen the lorries park up anywhere other than on the double-reds.
I do notice that there are often lorries and delivery vans double-parked in the 'cycle lane' on Leith Walk because the 'Loading Only' bays are used for shopkeeper / residents parking instead. They really need full-time wardens on LW - they'd pay for themselves with the never-ending revenue stream they'd create!
Posted 7 years ago # -
You'd think so, but drivers would just learn to double park with impunity, like they do outside of empty spaces now.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Were my eyes deceiving me this morning as I passed on the bus, or have the new contractors mistakenly used white chippings instead of red chippings in a newly laid section of the on-pavement path on LW?
Or is there perhaps a reason for the intentional use of a white-chipped section between two red-chipped sections?
Posted 7 years ago # -
Can confirm white chips around the back of the city bound shrub place bus stop then back to red
Must be a deliberate choice
Different arrangement from every other bypass so far
Posted 7 years ago # -
Thanks @Klaxon - confirmed it myself this morning. There's no use of white chips anywhere else on the new LW cyclepath - so either every other bus-stop 'bypass' section is wrongly using red chippings, or this white section is a c*ck-up by the new contractors!
Posted 7 years ago # -
It could be a trial, as requested by Living Streets
Posted 7 years ago # -
A trial of what, though? If it's to indicate a bus stop, surely the physical presence of the bus shelter and - undoubtedly - folk standing around unwittingly in the cycle lane beside it would alert cyclists to the fact that it's there?
Posted 7 years ago # -
White chips are arguably further camoflage as most of the city's pavements are surfaced the same
Posted 7 years ago # -
I hope the white are cheaper, since this is the biggest white elephant since the trams. (In the rain, the colour of the chips makes little difference)
Posted 7 years ago # -
How many bus stop bypasses are there? From memory one in each direction. My cynical suspicion is that someone is making a deliberate statement here that the cycle path behind bus stops is primarily a pedestrian footpath.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Two citybound because the council refused to split the difference and combine the Shrub Place and Albert St stops (they're only 120 metres apart)
One northbound (Shrub Place).
Posted 7 years ago # -
the bus stop bypasses are all supposed to have white chips
Posted 7 years ago # -
Posted 7 years ago #
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Pity that Spurtle piece didn't mention the longstanding issue of the row of vehicles parked 24x7 on the double-reds in the bus lane on Leith Street.
You'd think with the roadworks / St James works and the huge congestion & tailbacks around that area right now they'd be lifting these vehicles or ticketing them daily until they moved, to at least allow the two lanes for traffic movement.
But no - seems the only way you can clear them is to wait until the Festival Fireworks night - the only night of the year when parking there is enforced.
Posted 7 years ago # -
"
Dear Stakeholder
Stakeholder Update 102
Leith Programme – Phase 4 (Pilrig Street to McDonald Road)
Weekly lookahead (w/c 10th July 2017)With regards to the works and worksite locations for next week, these have been specified and set as the following:
The footpath paving at the Library Corner (McDonald Road) is to be finished Saturday, with footpath to be opened to pedestrians as of Monday
Continuing paving to Leith Walk East side, towards Brunswick Road
Continuing paving to the southern corner of Brunswick Street
Continuing paving to the N/W corner of Croall Place
Works will continue to the McDonald Road junction with regards to traffic signallingAs per last weeks communication, we remain on Programme to be off site for the Festival embargo.
Should you have queries, or require any further information, in regards to the above, please do not hesitate to contact me direct.
Kind regards
Michael"
Posted 7 years ago # -
I was on the (as yet not in service) segregated cycle track on Leith Walk this afternoon, going uphill. Have to say it's pretty useful when cycling with a humungous load of messages, and that's despite the following:
- Spare barriers stored across the on-ramp at the northern end of the track
- Trade waste wheelie bin plonked on track
- Big "men at work" signs weighted with sand bags plonked on track
- A few errant pedestrians walking on track or waiting with suitcases on track by bus stop at Albert StreetManaged to cycle nearly all the way to Brunswick Road, or at least as far as the pedestrian diversion round the back of the shops, which was handy.
Definitely preferable to mixing it with buses, HGVs, light good vehicles, 4x4s, taxis, etc. on the carriageway, at least for this bloke on a big old heavy Pashley Pronto.
Posted 7 years ago #
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