CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

George Street Improvements

(1175 posts)

  1. jonty
    Member

    Can't help but feel it'll end up looking like the High Street or Rose Street - vans and lorries everywhere at peak morning commute time, which will be totally legal thanks to the loading exception.

    Not sure how they plan to square the loading exception with ANPR without a very onerous set of permit requirements - so just a de facto open through route during the exception period (like the High Street was)?

    Hope I'm being excessively cynical though!

    Posted 2 years ago #
  2. PS
    Member

    I don't think the loading exemption should apply here as entry for delivery to the street should be restricted to particular times. No idea when those times will, but I'd have thought best bet would be to avoid rush hour - maybe 9.30 til 11.30? How the hell that is policed is anyone's guess, but management of delivery vehicles is something we as a city (and a society) need to get a grip on.

    Posted 2 years ago #
  3. neddie
    Member

    And we all know, that anywhere cars can physically access, they will appropriate that space

    And even when they can't physically access that space, they'll still appropriate it :-(

    https://twitter.com/harts_cyclery/status/1427980275036958722

    Posted 2 years ago #
  4. jonty
    Member

    By the loading exemption I do mean the (say) 9.30-11.30 period when loading will be allowed and presumably cameras will just have to be turned off? I'm assuming it will turn into a de-facto through route at these times on the assumption a permit system wouldn't be viable.

    There's ways around this, practically speaking - you could spot vehicles that get between two gates too quickly, or restrict it to vans/lorries only, but I strongly suspect that anything beyond a simple time-based system is legally impossible. I hope I'm wrong!

    Posted 2 years ago #
  5. chdot
    Admin

    The city’s festive ice rink, which was controversially ousted from St Andrew Square following protests from businesses about its impact on its historic garden, will be making a comeback after a three-year absence.

    It will run along the west end of George Street, between Charlotte Square and Castle Street, after the idea was backed by local businesses.

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/underbelly-reveals-edinburgh-christmas-festival-expansion-plans-for-princes-street-gardens-3390103

    Posted 2 years ago #
  6. acsimpson
    Member

    That seems like a much better place to have it. No need for any turf replacement or risk of tree damage. Hopefully there will be plenty of spill over business for local eateries too who will be able to expand out the front of their premises.

    Posted 2 years ago #
  7. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    As someone who commutes along George St, can't say I agree given Queen St is car sewer and Princes St is bus sewer. There's often something there at Festivus time with grudging narrow cycle lane maintained - suspect land take for a rink will be even higher.

    If any of this actually happens this year, could be busy given ongoing Murrayfield closure.

    Surely the traffic island of Lost Souls would be ideal for this? </sarcasm>

    Posted 2 years ago #
  8. Morningsider
    Member

    I just wish someone at the Chipwrapper would ask Underbelly "£119m benefit to Edinburgh businesses, how do you work that out? That's roughly £240 for every person living in Edinburgh."

    Posted 2 years ago #
  9. chdot
    Admin

  10. chdot
    Admin

  11. Morningsider
    Member

    Hmmm - open to HGVs, bin lorries and taxis from 0700 - 1000 Mon to Sat and 0700 to 1200 Sunday. Council considering taxi access at other times. Roughly the same restrictions as the famously traffic free section of the High Street outside the City Chambers.

    Posted 1 year ago #
  12. Yodhrin
    Member

    Yeah I wrote a comment in the other thread saying it was decent, but I misread that part as 10pm to 7am. It's functionally just a regular street for the whole of morning rush hour and the whole morning on Sundays, nobody's going to let their kid cycle to school along that, nobody who's currently put off by the car sewer on Queen Street or the bus sewer on Princes Street is going to be encouraged to start riding with the provision of a lorry sewer, and the people who were already fine with the existing routes will just keep cycling the more direct routes.

    Complete farce.

    Posted 1 year ago #
  13. Frenchy
    Member

    What are the Princes Street loading hours?

    Posted 1 year ago #
  14. chdot
    Admin

    This is fantastic

    (As in fantasy)

    Posted 1 year ago #
  15. Yodhrin
    Member

    Don't know if you're even allowed to load on Princes Street, thought they had to go in the back via Rose Street and its lanes which is 8pm to 10.30am iirc.

    I've been mulling this over trying to think of ways we might try lobbying for things to be tweaked on the assumption that, unless the plans here are just being put forward as they are so that the council can let Spokes object to it and blame limiting loading and taxis on them, they're intent on allowing a pretty significant amount of motor traffic on this "cycle street". How about this: narrow the roadway from 6m to 5m, 10mph speed limit, explicitly forbid overtaking of cyclists by motor vehicles, and finally limit motor vehicle access to two one-way routes - ie you can move east-west from St Andrew's Square to Frederick Street, and west-east from Charlotte Square to Frederick Street, then you *must* turn down Frederick Street onto Queen Street.

    It's still yet another compromise we shouldn't be expected to make on what is ostensibly a main strategic cycle route, but it would at least make the street less useful to taxis and trucks as a ratrun to avoid Princes Street & Queen Street during rush hour, which is all it will be under the current plans.

    Posted 1 year ago #
  16. Morningsider
    Member

    Hmmm:

    The central squares are large, clutter free areas (figure 1.7) in the mid sections of each block...Their primary purpose is to slow down traffic, allow for informal street crossing points mid-block and provide spaces where temporary events can be hosted.

    So what happen to cyclists when these areas are occupied by events? There are no cycle lanes that can be kept free. The layout of wide pavements and street furniture (seats, bollards, planting) means that it would be difficult to create useable temporary lanes around any event.

    Of course "events" = "the festival+Christmas/Hogmanay". These aren't the odd one-off, but occupy the street two to three months every year.

    The Council can call it a Cycle Street, but a true East-West cycle route through central Edinburgh seems to have been deemed "too hard". Mad when you consider that George Street is 30m wide.

    Posted 1 year ago #
  17. chdot
    Admin

    The views of the public have been consistently ignored and, despite Councillor Arthur's claim to the contrary, the design has worsened not improved as a result.

    Councillors at next week's Transport & Environment Committee can still demand a rethink.

    #GeorgeStreetTrees

    https://mobile.twitter.com/EdinburghSSC/status/1586361171409608708

    Posted 1 year ago #
  18. Arellcat
    Moderator

    What we really need is a Boulevard du Roi George, not a stale, warmed-over Castle Street full of granite flagstones, granite benches, and footways and cycle lanes barely distinguishable from the carriageway that invite the dumping of trade vans, and square metres for butterflies that go untended until marvellously large fungi sprout from the corners.

    Buchanan Street in Glasgow springs to mind in terms of the transformational effort required. And it has trees, too.

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=544#post-322165

    (Having been up and down BH many times, I am aware that it too often features trade vehicles, but they are rarely in the way.)

    Posted 1 year ago #
  19. chdot
    Admin

    Back on Twitter this morning to a lot of messages regarding the George St proposals going to Committee next week! Thanks for all the brilliant feedback, especially regarding street trees - a topic of intense (sometimes fiery!) debate over the years on this project.

    https://mobile.twitter.com/daisynmurphy/status/1586286230589034496

    Posted 1 year ago #
  20. chdot
    Admin

    After very careful consideration and consultation with stakeholders I will be moving the following @EdinburghSNP addendum to the George Street transformation plans at TEC tomorrow.

    https://twitter.com/finlaymcf/status/1587872208025706496

    Thread

    Posted 1 year ago #
  21. chdot
    Admin

    One of Edinburghs issues, particularly if you live on the periphery of the tourist trap/city is a fondness for big investment spends then ignoring maintenance.

    https://mobile.twitter.com/endless_psych/status/1587936319883321348

    Posted 1 year ago #
  22. chdot
    Admin

    #GeorgeStreet #edinwebcast

    Q: (Cllr
    @sjenkinson76
    ) How secure funding?

    A:
    @SustransScot
    funding 100% of design + 70% of construction costs, as #ActiveTravel/#Place project
    A: Council expecting more
    @scotgov
    ring-fenced AT cash, but amounts unknown & big uncertainty re inflation

    https://mobile.twitter.com/spokeslothian/status/1588146225316069376

    WHY is Sustrans so heavily involved in funding this when the AT element is relatively small?

    Posted 1 year ago #
  23. chdot
    Admin

    The #GeorgeStreet motion, with this Green amendment, was also supported by Lab/SNP but not by Con (? or LibDem)

    https://mobile.twitter.com/spokeslothian/status/1588465061382983687?

    Posted 1 year ago #
  24. chdot
    Admin

    George St is largely funded by the Scot Gov.

    https://mobile.twitter.com/cllrscottarthur/status/1588508358172082176

    Unless of course the ‘active travel’ bit gets cut in the latest SG statement…

    Posted 1 year ago #
  25. chdot
    Admin

    Ross McKenzie has also condemned the spending plans. “But instead of helping to house vulnerable people they are spending it on a bunch of granite slabs - it is no wonder people are disgusted and upset. It beggars belief what the council and government think is appropriate to spend money on.

    https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/edinburgh-locals-pothole-ridden-roads-25493676?

    Posted 1 year ago #
  26. chdot
    Admin

  27. gembo
    Member

    Setting up the Virgin Estadio da Luz there today but bikes get through both ways

    Posted 1 year ago #
  28. chdot
    Admin

    “The ski chalet design fits in with the temporary installations on George Street such as the pop-up bars alongside the Ice Rink, keeping the Edinburgh's Christmas theme alive.

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/lifestyle/christmas/edinburgh-cocktail-bar-tonic-in-north-castle-street-sparks-row-over-chalet-style-grotto-in-new-town-3925106

    Posted 1 year ago #
  29. chdot
    Admin

    Bristol’s Imperial Tobacco owns 25 properties in George Street, Edinburgh.

    https://www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/23137492.owns-scotlands-cities-high-streets-urban-centres/

    Posted 1 year ago #
  30. chdot
    Admin

    Lots of fuss about trees/not trees, maybe less about this sort of thing -

    https://twitter.com/pcbruc3/status/1596159539438813184

    Posted 1 year ago #

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