There was a fair bit of hostility to the George Street changes at the NTBCC meeting last week, but almost entirely from residents of Albany Street who understandably aren't happy about the increase in HGV/commercial traffic along their street since the tramworks (and the fact that it has been designated an arterial route on the 20mph maps), so seemed keen to lash out at any changes to traffic plans.
There may be some knock-on effect from George Street, but I'd have thought that was minimal. Chap stated he'd rather see George Street as a through street at one point, which is odd given it's never really been a through street. [The Cooncil's given people a stick to beat them with with its half-way house approach on George Street - although better than four lanes of traffic, it's still not a set-piece urban space because of the parking and two lanes for motors - it doesn't feel like Munich's Kaufingerstrasse or Theatinerstrasse, Dijon's Rue de la Liberte or even Buchanan Street.]
To be fair to the most vocal NTBCC complainant, he also made the very sensible suggestion that the north-south pavements at either end of Albany Street should be extended across the end of the street as raised tables to slow/discourage use of this as a rat run. I'd have thought some bollards would be even more effective.
Unclear whether the Cooncil is amenable to such as suggestion - I suspect the traffic planners do see Albany as an arterial route to relieve pressure from Picardy and York Place.