Starting Sept 20th, and lasting for 12 weeks, the roundabout at Gardners Crescent/Fountainbridge will be removed and replaced by a set of traffic lights. These will include a cycle crossing, to allow bikes out of the Cargo area of the canal, over to the shiny new Lochrin buildings and through Scottish Widows. Another crossing over Morrison Street (scene of the current road narrowing) will make this a through route to the West End.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Gardners Crescent
(16 posts)-
Posted 15 years ago #
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This has been coming for ages. Good to know it's about to happen - finally.
How useful it will be will partly depends on the details - like how quickly the lights will change to a cycle phase if bikes are waiting.
Of course things like the ramp to Scottish Widows is a bit sinuous, no doubt to slow bikes down. I have never used the route at 'commute' time so I don't know how much (potential) pedestrian 'conflict' there is.
Then of course there's the question of how long it will be before it's possible to cross Morrison Street.
It will be interesting to see how well it's signed. Spokes has been campaigning for YEARS to get the route marked through the Exchange to the bridge over the Western Approach Road.
'Most' people still don't realise that this has always been an official cycle route.
This is what it was like 2 years ago. (GPS accuracy has improved since then!)
Posted 15 years ago # -
That's a nifty route chdot. I will need to hunt down the bit between Lochrin Place and Cargo but the rest I knew although I was not aware it was an official cycle route (needs some signage to prevent pedestrians getting snippy with cyclists)
Takes you past a creche as you go under(?) Scottish Widows also Exchange Cres, and the bridge over to Standard Life would never have struck me as proper cycle routesPosted 15 years ago # -
"would never have struck me as proper cycle routes"
Quite. This is world class, iconic, cycling city, Edinburgh.
"I will need to hunt down the bit between Lochrin Place and Cargo"
West of Tollcross Primary and dogleg through the Napier student residences.
One day it will be possible to cycle straight from Lochrin Place onto the canal - when the old Arnold Clark site is developed.
Posted 15 years ago # -
I never knew that route was there...
Posted 15 years ago # -
One day it will be possible to cycle straight from Lochrin Place onto the canal
Splash!
Posted 15 years ago # -
on the rare occasions I've used that bridge over the West Approach road between the Sheraton / Rutland Square I always seem to get shouted at like I shouldn't be there
Posted 15 years ago # -
I've walked that way loads of times, and seen cyclists using it, and I have to admit I thought they shouldn't have been there and were contributing to tarring me with the same brush.
I agree, that route needs proper signage!
Posted 15 years ago # -
It's a nice quiet route as a shortcut through some pretty traffic-heavy areas. It does feel like a secret though: I think the only reason I was aware of it was that it's on the Spokes map.
I've never had a problem cycling along the pedestrianised bit at Exchange Crescent, but I do feel a bit out of order cycling across the SL bridge if there is anyone coming the other way - it's not the widest bridge in the world, so in those circs I get off and push. The chicane at the end of it tends to encourage me to dismount as well...
Posted 15 years ago # -
Yeah that chicane is not wide at all
Posted 15 years ago # -
I think the only reason I was aware of it was that it's on the Spokes map.
Likewise. After checking out the building works on Morrison St, the map suggested I could get across to Fountainbridge, roughly where the bingo hall was, by cutting through Scottish Widows. That really didn't feel like a bona fide cycle route, yet there are indeed little blue signs here and there. Gardner's Crescent would have probably sufficed but I was in an exploratory mood that day.
Posted 15 years ago # -
I can sympathise with why it's being done but have just realised what - for someone who heads west out of Fountainbridge then north down Grove Street - this is another set of blasted lights to contend with. If it weren't such a deathtrap (and also another 2 sets of lights to contend with) I'd go down Semple then west onto Morrison Street.
ANYTHING TO AVOID LIGHTS!
Imaptient? Moi?
Posted 15 years ago # -
I go down Morrison Street becuase it avoids having to ride on the pavement when i leave the office on Semple Street but yeah great fun with taxis et al coming out of Grove street paying not a jot of attention. Might just push round the corner some days and go that way but knowing me i'll continue to fight with the taxi's.
Posted 15 years ago # -
Yeah that chicane is not wide at all
That's what the steps are for.....
Posted 15 years ago # -
Council to celebrate new traffic lights.
CCE not invited it would seem...
As ever don't waste your time reading the ill-informed EEN comments.Posted 15 years ago # -
Is there an EEN equivalent to that alleged thing you can use to read stuff on the Daily Mail without contributing to its advertising revenue? I assume the EEN habit of sticking the last sentence on a second page is solely to generate additional clickage.
Posted 15 years ago #
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