CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

CEC and chicanes

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  1. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    There was also this thread. The electric bridge barriers there have been improved but the cyclists' cut-through on Inveresk Road is still unramped and a cause of cyclist/pedestrian conflict, especially at school lunch-times and closing times.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  2. Stickman
    Member

    " (the issue of passes for which are probably another "statutory repair" scandle just waiting to be uncovered)"

    When I worked out at EP we were initially told that there would be a limited number of passes, issued only if you could show that your commute justified it. I think that in practice anyone who applied was issued with one (on payment of the correct fee of course.....)

    Posted 10 years ago #
  3. kaputnik
    Moderator

    In past years they issued people with a code for the barriers, later realising that everyone wash sharing the codes with colleagues. So they went to passes.

    Then there were the people who used to park up and wait for a car to come through with a valid pass to tailgate past with them. So they put in CCTV and anti-tailgate barriers.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  4. Arellcat
    Moderator

    I really must take a measuring tape to the one before the canal bridge at Westburn Middlefield. I have to get off the racer to get round, I can't imagine a wheel chair user would manage.

    I've saved you the trouble, Steveo. And you're right: it's amazingly tight for space.


    Middleknowe chicane gates schematic

    Posted 10 years ago #
  5. Snowy
    Member

    That's absolutely bonkers! The top gate is entirely superfluous. It only needs the bottom one, angled into the centre of the space, to be effective.

    Waste of time and money. Who installed it?

    Posted 10 years ago #
  6. chdot
    Admin

    Presume that's 'private' estate/land rather than CEC.

    Doesn't mean it's acceptable/legal.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  7. HankChief
    Member

    Thought of another one...

    In Cramond, if you try to cycle between the Falls cafe on School Brae, along the riverside to the boat club and Promade, you come across a tight chicane.

    Streetview

    (Quite a funny Streetview in it's own right - you can just about make out the chicane.)

    Coming home from the Prom, I prefer the quieter climb on School Brae to the chaos on Cramond Glebe Road.

    Obviously once the Salvesen steps are sort it will become more important to fix it.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  8. chdot
    Admin

    In spite of suggestions (which make sense to me) that an even number of bollards 'encourages' people to use the middle gap, I wonder if a two bollard system would work -

    Would need a path entrance at least three metres wide.

    The bollards would be about 60cm from the path edge/wall. So plenty room for most bikes - but requiring a degree of skill/nerve to go 'fast'.

    There would be a centre gap of about 1.5m.

    "So everyone would want to go through it"

    Except that the big gap would have rumble strips and/or humps.

    Worth a trial(?)

    One side of Crawford Bridge?

    Posted 10 years ago #
  9. crowriver
    Member

    Ha! Crawford Bridge used to have bollards on both sides for many years before the new shicane gates were installed.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  10. SRD
    Moderator

  11. chdot
    Admin

    I say BOLLARDS.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  12. chdot
    Admin

    1.1m since you ask.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  13. neddie
    Member

    Those 'skillards' are enough to make you want to buy an old Landrover & knock them all down by driving over the top of them.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  14. chdot
    Admin

    "

    But my real objection is that chicanes are so not the right tool for the purpose. They don't minimize conflict - they create it. They take a wide path, and narrow it down so that people are funnelled down the narrowest section.

    "

    http://deceasedcanine.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/the-trouble-with-chicanes.html

    Posted 10 years ago #
  15. wingpig
    Member

    "Except that the big gap would have rumble strips and/or humps.

    Worth a trial(?)

    One side of Crawford Bridge?"

    Only if installed by a competent and careful contractor who tests things with all path users in mind, unlike the council's current favoured low-bidding path-knackerer. Even a badly-dropped kerb on the flat can be a pain for a wheelchair, so a hump on an upward slope might not be compliant.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  16. crowriver
    Member

    This is what Crawford Bridge used to look like. Note the narrowness of the gap and the 'No Cycling' sign...

    Posted 10 years ago #
  17. SRD
    Moderator

    been asked to share this - diversion around Dovecot rd

    Posted 10 years ago #
  18. chdot
    Admin

    Posted 10 years ago #
  19. chdot
    Admin

    Are there any others as extreme as this left in Edinburgh?

    Posted 10 years ago #
  20. chdot
    Admin

    Two ways into trap in previous post.

    Yes, that really is an out of date 'no cycling' sign AND a Sustrans sign.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  21. TonyJ
    Member

    In chdot's post with 4 photos the rounded aluminium barriers by the "trap" were put up many, many years ago (50ish at a guess) by the owner of the house on the left looking downhill. This was in response to me (& others I hasten to add) cycling down there at speed. Didn't really stop you belting past his front steps & straight into the culdesac though.
    The "trap" used be a bit more extreme to use as originally there was a gate on it as well but someone nicked that a good while back.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  22. chdot
    Admin

    With all that scrap should be able to make a few BOLLARDS!

    Posted 10 years ago #
  23. chdot
    Admin

    Meanwhile in -


    Electric footbridge, Musselburgh by Cycling Mollie, on Flickr

    Posted 10 years ago #
  24. chdot
    Admin

    OK this probably isn't responsibility of CEC -

    Is it still like this?

    Posted 10 years ago #
  25. DaveC
    Member

    I cycled along the path in Leith last Friday, and simply skirted round the chicanes on the ptah between the Playing field and the Bowling Green.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  26. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Is it still like this?

    Yep.

    There was a bad similar one just before the Scott Russell aqueduct but it was lifted a few years ago when they extended the tarmac.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  27. Greenroofer
    Member

    Not only is it still there but earlier this week Scottish Canals gave it a fresh coat of paint. The pathetic thing that's not obvious from chdot's picture is that there's a gap in it on the right hand side (where the obviously worn path is) so nobody at all uses that vastly complex chicane.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  28. chdot
    Admin

    That's nice!

    Maybe SC needs to consider BOLLARDS!

    Posted 10 years ago #
  29. SRD
    Moderator

    those two canal chicanes are the ones that used to give us grief - terrible times trying to get loaded bikes through. much better now that the worst one is gone.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  30. wingpig
    Member

    There are some similar daft gates further out, definitely at least as far as the Almond aqueduct, if not Broxburn.

    Posted 10 years ago #

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