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.
Half the reason we currently drive to do all our shopping is the epic anti-disability barrier over the canal at Middleknowe (more of a chicane-o-plex).
It is possible to avoid with an extensive bit of pavement cycling to join the canal further east, then doubling back. However, by that point it's certainly easier just to jump in the motor.
(The other reason is Donkey Lane. I have ridden it with the trailer but it's not good for the condition of your groceries).
Good letter PJ
Yes, good letter PJ, interested to hear how you get on.
Excellent letter PJ. I particularly like the bit about getting motorists to stop, get out and push around the new A71 chicane. It would be good exercise and help the council meet it's active travel targets.
I wrote to my local councillors (it helps that both the obstruction and my house are in the same ward, I guess). I also dashed off an email to Sustrans, as it's part of the National Cycle Network.
Got a very prompt response from one of the councillors, saying the barrier is going to be inspected soon and potentially modified, which I suspect is a result of others complaining too (well done PJ!). My councillor's email refers to 'several near misses' and children's safety, which is of course one of those arguments one can never win, although pushing cyclists towards using the main roundabout instead has got to be more dangerous overall (compare small risk of light injury to child with slightly higher risk of death to adult...discuss!)
Fingers crossed that the inspection, and any further letters etc, might help to get them to move the barriers so that it's a more sensible layout, at least.
@allweathercon - thanks very much for contacting as well! And great to hear that news; more than I've received back from the council so far.
And thanks all for your support and positive comments on the letter. Fingers crossed...
Result! From my local councillor:
I hope you had a good Christmas & New Year. I’ve now got some feedback on the chicane inspection which is shown below.
Following the site visit late last year we recommend removing one of the barriers (the southernmost) and trimming the northernmost barrier to be in line with the other. This is in order to make the facility reasonable for cyclists to use whilst still reducing their speed and would be more compliant with the Council’s and national cycle design guidance (Cycling by Design access controls - http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/strategy-and-research/publications-and-consultations/j185500-06.htm#accesscontrols). The remaining two barriers will provide plenty of speed reduction by themselves, especially as they are adjacent to the access which requires a complete ‘U’ manoeuvre around the northernmost barrier.
Hopefully this suggestion will satisfy both cyclists and pedestrians.
Best wishes
Bill
Well done!
Hope this is better than just 'a bit better'.
Fantastic, well done ! I was taking the tandem through it only the other day thinking if only they could reduce it to two barriers instead of three.
Makes you wonder what sort of QA was done on the plans before they handed them over to the installation contractor.
Hurrah! Got this reply today as well:
"Further to your enquiry I can advise that a site meeting was held and that a decision was made to remove one of the chicanes.
Unfortunately, I am unable to advise on a timescale for these works to be completed."
Although I hasten to add, if the residents of Hermiston village didn't store their bins on a public footpath and looked where they were going when they crossed the path they would also be safer.
well done both of you!
apologies @allweathercom I'd totally missed your post last week.
We're getting there - I received by email today new plans which show:
1. Removal of current chicane.
2. Construction of two barriers, one at each end of the path, each of whic slightly shorter than the existing obstructions.
This looks like a good result to me (though a heck of a waste of time, money and effort compared to them just getting it right to begin with). pjmathews, I can see you are on the consultation list, which is great, as I suspect most of the others on that list are the locals...
You have to feel sorry for the poor guy that lives on the corner. Used to put out his own signs and cones to get cyclists to slow down. Finally gets a barrier and now it is getting taken down. Hopefully the new system will slow cyclists but not impede them. Personally I have skipped through the wee chicane with my foot off the pedal without any trouble though I see that the chap who has kid in trailer can't get through there nor indeed a tandem.
They did get it right in the first place for the guy or gal living on the corner, just not quite right for us.
Good effort though in showing that you can get planning mistakes rectified. Would this work on the QBC.??
"Would this work on the QBC.??"
Hasn't so far...
Looks as though it's fixed - barriers reduced from three to two. Still slows you down, but not nearly as much of a pain. Hurrah!
I have been using the play park fairly regularly for about 5 years now. Never seen any kids apart from mine there. As a seasoned cyclist I would never use that bit of cycle path anyway. Way too many obstacles, lights and hard turns for my liking.
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