Yes, taller, slightly girthier and shinier bollards have gone in, on what looks like stronger footings. But I wager they too are designed to collapse if hit by a vehicle, rather than act as a physical barrier.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
George Street Improvements
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Posted 9 years ago #
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I wonder if they could be filled with paint, SmartWater or some other kind of overt marker? Would help in both identifying and discouraging (in the case of particularly obnoxious shades of paint) miscreants whereas the hypothetical fire engine could still knock them down if need be.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Blue-tac some open pots of pink paint to the top of them
Posted 9 years ago # -
But I wager they too are designed to collapse if hit by a vehicle, rather than act as a physical barrier.
I suspect they've got to be, given the emergency services access requirements along the street (there are an astonishing number of fire
brigadeservice call outs on George Street every year). Hopefully the new bollards are big enough to deter people driving their own vehicle at least.Posted 9 years ago # -
Posted 9 years ago # -
1 down (gone) this evening, hole where it used to be, junction of George and Hanover Strasses.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I noticed last night that part of the "festive" additions to George Street are fake, illuminated trees in the central parking area. Rather than provide power by cables, each has a substantial portable generator attached to it, leaving an altogether unfestive atmosphere of 2-stroke engine noise and diesel fumes at ground level. The Hera safety barriers round each really completes the winter wonderland look.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Maybury to Leith last night after work, so I thought I'd swing by and check out the new George Street facilities.
Seriously. What in the wide, wide world of sports were they thinking?
Princes Street next time. Quicker and safer.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Two more bollards felled at the West end (entrance from Charlotte Square and eastern junction with Castle Street). Now forming a ground-level hazard.
Appear to be mounted with a central bolt on the base plate, which has simply bent under the load of vehicular abuse.
Posted 9 years ago # -
"Princes Street next time. Quicker and safer."
Must have caught it on a really bad day.
I mean, it's obviously not perfect, faaaaaar from it. But...
Safer? There are a gazillion buses, as well as trams and taxis, on Princes Street. George Street is segregated from traffic, with the occasional ped wandering in the way.
Quicker? I stopped going via Princes Street principally because there were loads of sets of lights, and at rush hour in the evening Eastbound the hold up with the buses is intolerable.
YMMV I guess, but for all of its (many and various) faults, I wouldn't say that being slower and more dangerous than Princes Street were either of them.
Posted 9 years ago # -
4 down now, the 2 for the most westerly (Charlotte Square end) and the 2 for the most easterly (St. Andrew Square end) block.
I've also noticed temporary "loading only" signs on short poles alongisde the cycle lane, not sure if it refers to the parking bays, my inner cynic thinks that the council has probably decided to designate the cycle lane as a Harvey Nicks / Jenners loading bay for the duration of the tinsel-clad purgatory season
Posted 9 years ago # -
At the weekend I took various photos of the traffic signs. If you were a visitor to Edinburgh and had no idea where "George Street" was, or which direction was east or west you have very little chance.
There's an absence of "no entry" signs at the end of each section. Not sure on the legalities of the closure without these.
On most junctions, there's only one no left or right turn signs, often hidden behind traffic lights. The only exception to this is Charlotte Square in to George Street which is clearly signed.
If I drive North on Hanover Street from the mound I cannot turn left (if I spot the sign). Nothing stopping me from driving round the "roundabout" 270 degrees and (trying) to drive down George Street. Saw 3 cars in a row try this last week. They all spotted the bollard fortunately.
I'm a pedestrian by the way.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Could definitely do with more signs, though that doesn't really excuse driving into a visible bollard.
On the legality without No Entry signs, the cycle lanes are sufficient - you don't need the No Entry signs (the legality is really created by the traffic order closing the road, how it's then done is down to the individual circumstances, which initially was the cycle lane signs, but needed the bollards - I think it's safe to assume that no entry signs in place of bollards would have as little effect...).
I just don't understand why we have these problems in this country. Certainly in Copenhagen, Amsterdam and even Paris I don't remember seeing cycle lanes needing bollards....
Posted 9 years ago # -
Cooncil flatbed Transit driving westbound along the cylelane this morning, one man driving, the other walking alongside pulling the litter out of the planters (seriously, they need a whole transit van for that?!)
My main observation was they hadn't lifted any of the bollards to get access, as it turns out you can fit a Transit around the side of them anyway...
Posted 9 years ago # -
You must have been on at a similar time to me. I think it's only 3 of the bollards knocked down though.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@WC - the one at the far end at Charlotte Square has been either fixed or replaced I think. It was certainly bent flat the other day but was standing up this morning.
Posted 9 years ago # -
This is surely the solution to the Chicane Problem. We club together to build a two tonne side-by-side cargo tandem and then accidentaly flatten the chicanes, shrugging and picking up litter as we go.
Posted 9 years ago # -
" ...you can fit a Transit around the side of them anyway..."
Yeah. Saw a transit from the marquee company do that on Tuesday. Well practiced in that manoeuvre it appeared.
Posted 9 years ago # -
There's a bit of a contrast, I think, between the George Street cycleway - very useful as a service road - and the previous Princes Street service road that was so great as a cycleway.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Do the Edinburgh Parking wardens work on a Sunday? I wonder of the bars are letting their more upmarket clients know there's zero chance of enforcement on the cycle lane or parking restrictions.
Also seen Lothian Busses frequently blocking the yellow box
Posted 9 years ago # -
The wardens work Sunday, but not sure those cars are parked illegally? Single yellow on a Sunday could be OK?
See also leamington lift bridge bit of canal towpath. There is a car sized space off the road but not on the towpath that always has a car in it.
I think the problem might be with some people who drive cars. For example in a two lane tail back where one lane is clearly not for the direction everyone is going in, some cars will drive right up to the front then indicate they want in. Bizarrely they are often let in. People are myriad in their duplicity, mendacity and depravity but if more people cared for home than gold the world would be a merrier place.
Posted 9 years ago # -
"not sure those cars are parked illegally? "
Depends whether they have knocked down a bollard and/or ignored the 'cyclists only' signs...
Posted 9 years ago # -
@Fountainbridge you must have been down there about the same time as me. I had a closer look as I passed, a couple of them had blue badges (not that that makes it acceptable to drive down what is clearly not a road).
Saw a private hire car also using that other "stop anywhere" tool for cars, the hazard lights - when blocking the roundabout at the top of Hanover st. He'd come up from Queen St direction and seemingly wanted to go right, saw the bollard, and stopped right there to let his charges out. Surely a taxi driver more than anyone should know which roads are likely to be inaccessible? Unless of course they "expect" the bollard not to be there...
Posted 9 years ago # -
Unless there is a specific TRO removing those parking spaces, they are not parked illegally. BUT to get to them the cars must have driven illegally.
The whole of the George St trial is compromised, not just by this sort of thing.Posted 9 years ago # -
@fountainbridge
I'm going to try pulling together a little video about George Street (see here: http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=14104#post-175768)
If you're OK with me using your photos, could you try putting copies here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/n1bt3c6o05i0119/AABcigt-h2TrctaNvkq5C3fxa?dl=0
As large as possible would be great.
Posted 9 years ago # -
No idea how to upload to dropbox. Have stuck a selection on Flikr
Posted 9 years ago # -
Hmmm - the parking one is interesting. These cars are technically parked on the pavement (footway). It just happens to look like a road (carriageway) due to the temporary nature of the George Street trial. While it would be an offence to drive down the cycle lane to where these cars are parked, it is unlikely to be an offence to park there (assuming the parking restrictions no longer apply, as it is a pedestrian space). If that is the case then the parking attendants cannot issue tickets to vehicles parked here.
The chance of being caught by the police driving along the cycle lane, and them choosing to do anything about it, would appear to be almost zero. A pretty much risk-free exercise for those with enough brass neck.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@fountainbridge
Excellent. Thanks.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@ Inst
Click through to any of mine and you should be able to get them from Flickr.
Posted 9 years ago # -
"
The other issue he highlighted was George Street, where the part-pedestrianisation of the street during the Festival has been extended.
Mr Smith said: “We will have to look at the changes made there and work with our partners to assess its success or otherwise.”
"
Posted 9 years ago #
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