Death trap installed on Morrison Street « CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum

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Death trap installed on Morrison Street

(31 posts)

Started 14 years ago by kaputnik
Latest reply from chdot

Tags:

badly designed road works

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kaputnik
Moderator

If anyone cycles up Morrison Street from Dewar Place, heading into town, they may have noticed that the works associated with expanding the EICC have installed a special cyclist-crushing system as part of the "traffic management" put in to allow the contractors to park their fleet of transit vans behind a security fence.

The pedestrian crossing has been disabled right where the hoarding extends out into the road forcing pedestrians to need to use it. Secondly, they are expecting both ways traffic to co-exist in the space of roughly 75% of the previous 2 road lanes (the previous works in the same location closed Morrison Street to west-bound traffic coming out of Semple Street at this point).

Thirdly they've left the central traffic island in just past the contraflow, forcing cars to move over to the left to pass it, crushing any cyclist trying to filter up the inside.

I'd strongly recommend not filtering here at all and, if you must, go up the middle of the road where it's far safer.

Posted 14 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Photo?

Posted 14 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

I'm commuting armed with the camera tomorrow. Lights getting a bit low now and I've got leek and tattie soup on the go to be keeping an eye on!

Posted 14 years ago #
steveo
Member

Urgh tell me about it, i've been fighting with that all week. I generally just get out in the middle of the lane as soon as i come round from Dewar Place folk can just bloody wait as i slog up that hill.

Posted 14 years ago #
Smudge
Member

Be glad you commute here and not in Glasgow, sounds like being squished is the less painful of the options :-0
http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=16439504

Posted 14 years ago #
Arellcat
Moderator

If you value your dinner, for crying out loud don't read that newspaper article. That's just horrible. :-x

Posted 14 years ago #
Rabid Hamster
Member

What stuns me is the comments by CI Graham Clarke of StrathPol:
"We need to piece together what happened and get these people locked up. As the days go on, we will look at if this is connected to something else."
Mr Clarke warned associates of Hanlon not to try to retaliate. He said: "We will be looking closely at the poor man who was the subject of this horrendous attack, and his associates..
Did he consult his Media Office about appropriate comment before saying this?
Reminds me of an awful leather cheesecutter saddle I had when I was an oik in Stockeree!
Back on topic... speak to the helpful Mr Rimmermann at EICC and ask him to move his building site a little, as he spent all summer complaining about the tardy Heras fencing and the RJ MacLeod site in front of the Usher Hall!

Posted 14 years ago #
recombodna
Member

Off topic?

Posted 14 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"Off topic?"

I've seen worse...

Blame BikeRadar.

Posted 14 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

Back on topic.
As requested, some pictures (with abridged versions of my flickr captions)

At the end of the "management", the traffic island has been left in position. This forces drivers to pull into the left to pass it, exactly where a cyclists may be filtering, and is a bit stuck due to the badly placed cone. And notice the lowered kerbstone on the island - pedestrians are being re-directing the pedestrians to cross back across the road here, right into confused traffic trying to filter into one of the 3 lanes here for left / ahead / right at the junction with Lothian Road.

"Where shall we cross, Mummy?"
"At the lights, little one"
Er, no. The lights have been disabled exactly where the "traffic management" forces pedestrians to cross the road into 2-way traffic. Notice green portacabins installed on what was previously the pavement. They're not actually doing any work on this bit of ground, they just want somewhere where they can eat bacon rolls and scratch their ars*s

The 2 previously wide lanes have been restricted to 1 and a quarter lanes. However there's still 2 way traffic (no alteration to road markings), with a conveniently positioned bin at the end of the westbound lane to force drivers to make a chicane. Pedestrians are directed between the hoarding and the red and white plastic device. Again notice that the portacabins extend to the full width of the road that has been reclaimed - there is no actual work happening on this ground.

Posted 14 years ago #
Kim
Member

Nothing will be changed until some gets hurt, that is the way Local Authorities work...

Posted 14 years ago #
Arellcat
Moderator

Kaputnik wasn't the only one taking photographs of Morrison Street today. Here is the pedestrian crossing point, noting that there is no pavement to the right of the traffic lights:

Here is a cyclist giving some scale to the proceedings:

and here are some cars to give some more scale:

As pointed out earlier, there is no cyclist filter room at all along this stretch.

Posted 14 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

Unfortunately neither of us caught a snap when it's backed up with cars in both directions and truly intimidating.

On the basis of the success of my letter to Lothian Buses I better get writing a picture-assisted note to the cooncil methinks.

Posted 14 years ago #
chdot
Admin

I had a look at Dewar Place.

I've been complaining for years about the way the council allows developers to put their offices on or over the pavement (like at SpringSide/Fountainbridge) - resulting in problems for pedestrians and cyclists.

I thought I'd finally got somewhere earlier this year.

Seems not.

Posted 14 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Had a quick look today.

No apparent reason for crossing to be out of use.

Women in photo said "wish me luck" before running across the road.

This is what's behind the blue wall -

Posted 14 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

Didn't have a camera on me as I came home this way, however there has been 2 minor improvements on this section.

1/ The traffic lights have been re-instated
2/ The former road markings have been burnt off and new lines painted to provide 2 equally-sized (if tiny) lanes

An improvement for pedestrians, and less confusing than making drivers think they're going the wrong way down a 1-way street, but still very narrow, still with the nasty chicane at the end and still doesn't really deal with the fact that this is being put in purely to provide a transit van park.

Makes you wonder if it was always the intention to finish the temporary re-alignment of the road in this manner and - if it was - why it was opened to traffic in an incomplete state. And if it wasn't, perhaps a word from on high came down to "get it sorted" ;)

Posted 14 years ago #
steveo
Member

"perhaps a word from on high came down"

Chdot, you been pestering the council??

Seen the lights were back on today, does lead to moron racing you to the lights now though, can't win really.

Posted 14 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"Chdot, you been pestering the council??"

Yes/no

I believe the fact that the councillor concerned with transport thought that he must have missed a one way street sign (while driving) helped...

P.s. and these photos...

Posted 14 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

Seeing as you appear to do my commute, but in reverse, one of these days I'm going to recognise you Steveo and give you a wave!

Posted 14 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"one of these days I'm going to recognise you"

You'll both have to slow down...

Posted 14 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

You'll both have to slow down... Well the headwind helped me this evening, particularly as I was on the singlespeed, but I guess that meant Steveo was doing maximum warp going the other way.

Posted 14 years ago #
steveo
Member

You'll both have to slow down...

Not sure what's being implied here...

I'm the ~~poor~~ lazy b... struggling up Morrison Street one the white mtb with rubbish semi slicks on because i've never got round to putting the nimbuses back on....

Kaputnik, what do you ride?

Posted 14 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

blue/white Trek road bike with yellow bar tape, pedals and cabling, blue tyres and some roadracer crudguards (which unfortunately only come in black). There's only one of them on the road!

Occasionally seen on a red / white giant singlespeed with red and white tyres or a blue ridgeback touring bike with yellow bartape and backrollers if there's a load to be carried.

Easier to spot the SPAM or BANANA cycling jersey!

Posted 14 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

So this just got a lot better.

Gardner's Crescent closed, so traffic can't go straight across from Dewar Place. Therefore lots of confused cars all trying to squeeze into the left turn lane for Morrison Street. As a result, traffic backing all the way along Torphicen Street.

And rightmost lane of Morrison street (heading East) coned off from Sainsburys to Odeon (so they can dig up the pavement). Meaning traffic turning right out of Semple Street now has to try and filter into the already confused traffic exiting the EICC contraflow.

What a load of nonsense. You really think that they (whoever "they" are) are actually trying to make things as complicated as possible. Someone has put a lot of thought and effort into coordinating a perfect storm of roadworks here.

Posted 14 years ago #
steveo
Member

I've given up with that for the time being and taking my chances with the Gorgie obstacle course and the really fun bit of fountain bridge where the cars try to kill you while getting to the approach road.

Posted 14 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

and the really fun bit of fountain bridge where the cars try to kill you while getting to the approach road.

You mean the bit between Diggers and Dundee street, where there's a red painted cycle lane across the entrance to the West Aproach? Right where cyclists are going slower after an uphill start (that I've never, ever managed to avoid) so the drivers just assume they have right of way to pull a left across a cycle lane and a white "give way" line to barge you out of their way and get onto the WA 3 seconds earlier...?

Posted 14 years ago #
steveo
Member

Yeah that's the bit... know it well? :D

I tend to come out to the middle of the road just after the lights to make sure they have to run me over from behind instead of sideways, not sure if its really any better.....

Posted 14 years ago #
druidh
Member

(a) I've never once had any issue with cars trying to take me out as I cross the end of the approach road. Most even indicate.

(b) I still can't see what the problem is around Morrison Street. With all that traffic being at a standstill, it's even better for bikes.

(c) The work at Gardners Crescent/Fountainbridge includes the installation of a cycle crossing for those existing the canal at Cargo. Carry on through Scottish Widows and you have a great shortcut to the EICC and beyond to Rutland Square. Now, if only they would make a cycle lane along Rutland tSreet so as to avoid a right turn into Shandwick Place.....

Posted 14 years ago #
Min
Member

(a) I've never once had any issue with cars trying to take me out as I cross the end of the approach road. Most even indicate.

Are you sure you are thinking of the right place? I used to live round there and I found that road terrible to cross even walking because drivers NEVER indicated and there was no way to tell out of the constant stream of motorists driving round there who was going to slam their foot on the accelerator and try to hit you as you walked across.

Posted 14 years ago #
gembo
Member

Certainly seem to be plenty of dangerous obstacles to complain about at the moment. I would like to add my own complaint, personal to me which annoys me about myself. I occasionally approach this giant hole in the ground from Lothian Road and cycle up past the All BAr One wine emporium as part of a wee short cut. At this point I then remember I cannot cycle across to the EICC anymore as there is a huge hole in the ground. I then have to cycle round the hole and they have even put up signs saying cyclists dismount. Eventually I then join this accident blackspot. Accident blackspot? They're throwing themselves into the middle of the road.

Posted 14 years ago #