Does Drumdryan street have enough width to put end-on parking spaces on one side to allow removal of all parking spaces from one side of Tarvit street where a segregated contraflow could go? Probably not but just asking...
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Canal-Meadows (STILL NOT finally!)
(309 posts)-
Posted 9 years ago #
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Hankchief and I both (separately) made the point about the right-angularness of the proposed route. It still feels like it's being shoehorned in because of the need for parking, wheelie bins, articulated lorries and bin lorries, and consequently has the feel of London's less flowing routes than a fundamental desire to change priorities.
Of course, the design is for families and young children. Or is it? Should it aim to accommodate all types of cyclist, if not all ranges of speed? I asked what capacity we were designing for: current or future (thanks, SRD) and I posed the impertinent question, 'How would the Dutch do it?'. Chris Brace smiled a little awkwardly and acknowledged the different land take issues, and excused himself by moving the discussion point to the Dutch's modal share being so much higher than ours. It felt a little self-defeatist.
Posted 9 years ago # -
"I honestly do think this is the best of them."
Only if they don't do stupid compromises like 2way TSt.
MUST sort TSt to GPl as a 'legitimate' (light controlled) option.
Of course (part of) the 'problem' is not 'delaying' LB.
'We' 'expect' a bit more 'priority' when it comes to implementing its notional policies of encouraging 'Active Travel'.
As Arellcat says -
"It felt a little self-defeatist."
Posted 9 years ago # -
answering my own question - it doesn't look to me like the width of the road in Bruntsfield Avenue (Which has such parking):
is much wider than Drumdryan Street -
even if it's a bit narrower - could it be made one way and this approach employed thus appeasing the local need for parking spaces?
Posted 9 years ago # -
Drumdryan is quite wide. I'm sure 'we' discussed this as an option years ago (although I may have imagined that)
Posted 9 years ago # -
Hmmm. The principal of building the link is a good one and the design does accomplish a usable route but the devil is in the detail.
I had a good chat with one of the reps with a few good points discussed but the response was typically "we'll work out those sorts of detail when we get there". Did make me wonder which bits of the designs we were being consulted on...
I also realised near the end of the chat that he wasn't taking notes (my misunderstanding about the purpose of the event), so I had a mad rush to write a lot of the points down before I forgot.
Here goes the delayed recall:
Right angled turns/crossings will be slow and cumbersome - any reason why they can't be angled diagonally? Navigating with a tagalong/trailer requires space without multiple poles etc.
Access to/from Tarvit St's West end needs to be considered from multiple routes - especially if the setts alongside the canal aren't fixed then the non-mtb cycle traffic will use Gilmore place
The 3m wide segregated cycle path on Home St, will only have 2.50m of actual cycle path with 50 cm being a 'divide'. Feels a little narrower than ideal. When cycling with children I like to cycle just behind but to the side in case they stop suddenly - not sure if this will be possible.
Coming from NMW, it wasn't clear if there would be a dropped kerb so you could join the main carriageway directly (if clear of traffic). Depending on the speed of the Toucan, I could see this being a popular option.
All in all, it felt like a good idea, with some good outlines of how it could be fitted into the streets, but felt like a leap of faith that it would be implemented in a way that made you want to use it because it was quicker and safer than alternatives.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@SRD - yes sorry - I realise you worked hard and no doubt considered it, but I was wondering out of interest whether there were some council guidelines about how parking is oriented on a street according to width etc…. I mention it particularly because the man from the council seemed concerned about the loss of parking spaces on Tarvit street should a proper (segregated) cycle contraflow be installed.
@Hankchief - good observations about cycling with children and trailer - and concentration on detail - it's a good point about a leap of faith…
Posted 9 years ago # -
@algo - i meant 'we' as on this forum :) of course 'we' do work hard.
@hankchief i suspect there will not be a drop kerb at the end of NMW nearest lonsdale terrace, but there will be on at the 'dog-leg' which takes you to the existing toucan (which will remain)
Posted 9 years ago # -
Consultation closes tomorrow
Posted 9 years ago # -
That'll be the consultation on the very sketchy plans we saw(?)
Posted 9 years ago # -
Spokes response to CEC consultation on their website:
http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/documents/members-campaigning/edinburgh/south-central-qbc-20mph/
and
Posted 9 years ago # -
Noticed there are double cables now across both Tarvit street and valleyfield street. Are these traffic counting things? Am I being optimistic in thinking they might be getting further along in the process of thinking about improving the canal to meadows route? Would love it if they could fix some of the pot holes on Gilmore place while they're at it!
Posted 8 years ago # -
@karenjs i spotted those counters too and wondered. I am really not at all sure what stage this part of the project is at. there was an original consultation (not called that), that I participated in. then there was the local consultation with the display at barclay church. as far as i know they haven't yet done TROs.
maybe chdot could get someone from the council to let us know.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I wish they'd count cars using leven/glengyle terraces as a rat run... had one go through this morning at a most inappropriate speed.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Workshop?
Posted 8 years ago # -
From the recent transport committee meeting:
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/meetings/meeting/3784/transport_and_environment_committeeSection 7.10
Mentions cycle project slippages due to staff shortages...
Also sounds like the Meadows to Canal link will be delayed from 2016 to 2017. There is also talk of transferring cash away from transport to other capital projects, as there are not enough staff to spend it.
COME ON CEC! This glacial pace is just not good enough. MAN-UP and get more staff employed!
Posted 8 years ago # -
They can't. They've got a massive, massive budget hole for many years to come thanks mainly to the tram project.
Posted 8 years ago # -
So, what's the likelihood of the Roseburn Leith Walk project being delayed?
Posted 8 years ago # -
eddie+h, it doesn't sound quite as bad as all that:
"3.10 At the half year SfC is projecting £1.6m of slippage against its general fund capital budget. The lack of design capacity following a number of recent resignations is resulting in delays to the carriageways and footways programme and other transport projects. This has contributed to £1.1m of slippage. SfC is hoping to recruit to these posts by November, but delays are still anticipated. "
And...
"3.11 In order to reduce the level of slippage, the Acting Director of Services of Communities is seeking to accelerate other capital projects, where this is practical. This includes bringing forward school boiler replacements and other essential works within the Asset Management Programme."
Sounds more like internal accounting necessary to get budgets spent before financial year end rather than actually transferring budget expenditure elsewhere in perpetuity. That is, a cash-flow issue, where funds will be transferred back to transport projects later?
Yeah could always be quicker but hey, it's at least going in the right direction...
Posted 8 years ago # -
Can they not just crowdsource out the design to this forum? It would save a lot of consultation time...
Posted 8 years ago # -
Then who would 'we' blame?
Posted 8 years ago # -
Bringing other projects forward in order not to miss a year end deadline assumes that money will be available in future years budgets. Please take a look at what is happening in the UK to budgets and think about whether that is likely, and whether spend on cycling is likely to continue at the current level when there will be pressure on things that are real manifesto commitments.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Responding to this consultation was one of the first things I did when I moved to Edinburgh a little over two years ago. Does anyone know when things are going to be happening?
I thought the delays were just staffing issues but we've had progress on lots of other projects recently that presumably also need lots of staff time. It seems strange that these plans haven't been finalised.
Posted 7 years ago # -
An early post on this thread -
"
Looks pretty good - my only gripe is that construction isn't due to start until early 2016!"
http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13465#post-166180
Posted 7 years ago # -
I get the impression CEC has made all their transport staff redundant. All the consultations are being done by outside vendors.
So the council has plenty resources to pay for consultants / consultations but nobody to actually carry it out.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Does anyone know who to get in touch with to find out if this is ever going to happen?
Posted 7 years ago # -
At the Castle Terrace consultation yesterday, I did initially speak with the council's project officer, so it wasn't exclusively Aecom consultants.
However I don't know if that means they are understaffed in terms of carrying out the work. There was the suggestion of a substantial pipeline of work being designed and planned, such that the exact sequencing of the various plans wasn't certain.
I suppose if lots of effort goes into a single project (THAT one), then that will take time away from and necessarily slow the others.
Robert
Posted 7 years ago # -
I don't think anyone's been made redundant, but I thought some people had left and not (yet) replaced.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@shivas you could try cycling@edinburgh.gov.uk or spokes@spokes.org.uk
Posted 7 years ago # -
@Shivas - Off the top of my head there was supposed to be a consultation on the final design in September & then work to start in 2017. However the consultation in September was put off & there seems to be no fixed date.
Posted 7 years ago #
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