Hasn't taken long for drivers to grow used to nothing being in that right-turn lane, unless that's what would have always happened had I not usually sported a bright front light.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
George Street Improvements
(1192 posts)-
Posted 10 years ago #
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FFS:
https://twitter.com/OChapmanArch/status/486549582571393024
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@SpokesLothian @SustransScot @SRDorman @LAHinds Bikes directed around Thomas Chambers statue is wishful thinking. pic.twitter.com/uIOZpSIjIL
"""Posted 10 years ago # -
Apparently it's not due to be finished until September!!
Posted 10 years ago # -
It is an experiment, after all, and experiments go wrong - and you have to be prepared to experiment more than once if it doesn't work perfectly the first time.
The junctions along George Street were always going to be the tricky bits, especially if you cling to the idea of them being roundabouts. Keeping the Castle St/N Castle St junction as a roundabout is perfectly ridiculous: how much traffic actually uses those roads?
In fact, how much traffic actually crosses George St anywhere? Hanover St will be the interesting one because I'd say that alignment carries the most, and no doubt it'll have some sort of default priority.
And if cyclists are going to have to press a button to continue across a junction - we are designing for 8 year olds, aren't we? - please CEC, don't put the control box right at the stop line and high up, out of reach of trikers and handcyclists.
Posted 10 years ago # -
"how much traffic actually crosses George St anywhere?"
Is was there just after five on Monday, there was hardly any traffic at all.
Are the eastbound buses using Princes Street?
Posted 10 years ago # -
how much traffic actually crosses George St anywhere?
Hanover Street is the busiest crossing by far; the others are largely used by delivery wagons and drivers looking to park on George Street.
The main bit of traffic going along George Street that I'll be glad to see the back of is the CityLink coaches. God knows why they are routed along there, but they are repeat offenders in going as fast as possible, driving through lights that have just gone red, and generally making the street an unpleasant place to be. Oh, and Stagecoach Fife coaches too.
Posted 10 years ago # -
"
Blimey: Vauxhall to Pimlico cycle track that looks and feels like a real cycle track. Step change on all previous plans. Still some niggles in the central section of the scheme, though. Online consultation now open.
"
http://www.cyclelondoncity.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/blimey-vauxhall-to-pimlico-cycle-track.html
Posted 10 years ago # -
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Work on George Street will take place as follows:
June 16-20, Charlotte Square to Castle Street (north side closed)
June 23-27, Castle Street to Frederick Street (north side closed)
June 30-July 4, Frederick Street to Hanover Street (south side closed)
July 7-11, Hanover Street to St Andrew Square (south side closed)"
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/news/article/1575/george_street_opened_up_for_pedestrians
Posted 10 years ago # -
Plans and Spokes responses -
http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/documents/members-campaigning/edinburgh/princes-st-city-centre
Posted 10 years ago # -
The roundaboutiness of the Castle St junction combined with the pedestrian crossings just back from the edge often (during the times I used it, mostly either morning or evening rush hours) resulted in vehicles of all types being stationary on the roundabout whilst they allowed pedestrians to cross, resulting in impatient toads getting impatient whilst waiting to pull out of their own exit, resulting in punishment passes once everyone started moving again if one of the protruding vehicles was a bicycle.
The Hanover St junction will presumably be getting some timing alteration as it previously rotated clockwise, showing green to one feed at a time, with no full-pedestrian phase, which would surely be unsuitable for the purposes of the make-it-nicer-for-non-mechanical-people experiment?
Posted 10 years ago # -
Posted 10 years ago #
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Don't know whether to laugh or cry really -
I knew about the 'crossover', but didn't realise cyclists were supposed to go round the statues instead of 'straight on' (in both directions) -
Posted 10 years ago # -
Posted 10 years ago #
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You laughing, crying or cheering?
Posted 10 years ago # -
On first sight of the dotted lane eastbound I cheered. Then I saw the sweeping curve westbound and stopped cheering.
I just hope that the experiment is allowed to be run again and again. But I don't know what criteria CEC will use to determine whether the experiment is 'successful'.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Crying here. I am always stupidly optimistic about these things beforehand and am invariably left disappointed.
Posted 10 years ago # -
I spoke to one of the road engineers at one of the Leith Walk sessions, and he said that there was no point building a proper segregated path there, because it wouldn't join up to anything. He said that unless there's a network in place, there's no point building a path.
I thought this was crazy, cos every network has to start somewhere.
So, maybe this will be the *start* of a network. It doesn't join on to anything, because it's the first part of the jigsaw. But the next piece, or the one after that, will start to join things up.
Posted 10 years ago # -
It's a duff start, but I'll try to use it as much as possible, filming as much as possible, feeding back to the council.
Posted 10 years ago # -
"So, maybe this will be the *start* of a network."
Well there is a grand plan -
http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12044
but still 'local issues' to sort first -
"I'll try to use it as much as possible"
After riding the (partial completed) route yesterday, I can't see many people doing the whole 'roundabouts route'. Drivers accepting that the statues are roundabouts has always been a bit of an issue, this will make things worse with lots of 'unexpected' manoeuvres and (probably) cyclists (illegally) going straight on - either 'mistakenly' or wilfully.
I don't use the full length of George Street that much, but I suspect that I will 'keep left' at all times and not circle any of the statues.
Posted 10 years ago # -
As with the jug-handle implementation, I'll try whatever I can legally try. I'll check whether a Keep Left is a MUST NOT or should not.
Posted 10 years ago # -
In addition there are various issues that will affect pedestrians.
Various zebra crossings will now have two way (cycle) traffic.
There is the detail of the above photo (cycling across existing pavement) to be dealt with - and presumably similar at the St A Sq end.
Posted 10 years ago # -
"I'll check whether a Keep Left is a MUST NOT or should not."
Do you mean using the existing road instead of 'swapping over' ?
Posted 10 years ago # -
I think the new George street should have a ten mile per hour speed limit for all joggers, cyclists and drivers?
Posted 10 years ago # -
"should have a ten mile per hour speed limit"
You mean all of the street or just the 'cycle' (with taxis yesterday) bit?
Posted 10 years ago # -
Just noticed!
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Edinburgh Council (@Edinburgh_CC)
10/07/2014 16:24
George Street update: Cycle lane set for completion by festival, with special arrangements in place during Fringe"
Posted 10 years ago # -
Making the whole street 10mph is a good thing. It is simple, it does not have bits and it is about the speed you go anyway, except if walking. Course it fits with my longstanding opinion that princes st for the lovely trams and buses, George st for the bikes and queen st for the motor cars. Little walls with spaces for cycles might work but then some jogger would trip over the wall doing the steeple chase and sue. Maybe high but soft see through fences? Just to stop the cars?
Posted 10 years ago # -
"[a keep left/right sign] is used to indicate the only route which may lawfully be taken through a junction."
Posted 10 years ago # -
Don't know what the signage will be, but 'obviously' the statues are roundabouts so no (legal) option.
When I said 'keep left I meant staying on the south side (all the way) going west and north for east.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Just had a wander along here at lunchtime. Taxi doing a drop off and one van squeezing past the large red "road closed" sign at the west end of George Street then reversing so they could squeeze past the planters in the central reservation to get onto the south side of the street. If taxis are going to use this as a drop off point it could lead to some dangerous conflicts with cyclists and peds.
Posted 10 years ago # -
**confession time**
I was riding along George street on sunday - admitadly a little dulled by a hangover - and absolutely completely forgot about the roundabout. I cycled straight out and if there had been any traffic I would have been in a pretty bad situation! I was so confused! (first time I'd ridden it and hadn't seen these pictures)
I can see real issues with others doing the same thing.
Pretty embarrassing really.
Posted 10 years ago #
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