CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

George St cycle lane

(297 posts)
  • Started 9 years ago by wee folding bike
  • Latest reply from spytfyre

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  1. wingpig
    Member

    I can make the Thursday lunchtime thing.
    Is anyone going to the Monday morning thing? It would be useful to know the main points raised (particularly from non-cycling/pedestrian PsOV.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  2. DdF
    Member

    @wingpig Glad you can come to Thursday mtg. Don't think numbers are restricted, so if anyone else is available and has strong views/ideas, pls come too.

    Re the Monday mtg, going by the previous similar meeting the top concerns were not to do with transport but the appearance of the street, historic-ness etc. Very strong feelings from locals including community council reps etc re need for 'symmetry'. Also people not liking the so-called 'downmarket' wooden cafes.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  3. neddie
    Member

    Reminder: Tomorrow!

    a meeting specifically to discuss the 'interim' cycleroute (which will probably be in place for a year or so, maybe more, before the 'final' solution). The mtg will be at 12.00 (noon) City Chambers on Thurs 18 June. Anyone interested is welcome, and I hope one or more CCE people unhappy with the plans and with alternative ideas can come along.

    See also: http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=14657&page=2#post-190864

    Posted 9 years ago #
  4. Disco Dave
    Member

    I have noted a new "thing" on the past few occasions I have used George Street...

    Not so much the pedestrians using the cycle lane as a walkway...more them deciding to continue to stroll along it, straight across the roundabout at Hanover Street, regardless of who has the green light

    One chap with mahoosive headphones seeming firstly oblivious to the LRT bus travelling North, then finding himself trapped in "no mans land" in the hatched area as the eastbound George Street traffic was then turning right to go southbound on Hanover Street....

    Posted 9 years ago #
  5. wingpig
    Member

    Might not be able to get to this as work-stuff isn't working properly and needs to be eased through manually. Anyone else about?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  6. ARobComp
    Member

    I've had to miss both the active travel forum and this today. Stupid work.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  7. wingpig
    Member

    Made it, with fortuitous course correction courtesy of HankChief.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  8. kaputnik
    Moderator

    The lane outside the Assembly Rooms appears to being used as a limo park / access / exit lane just now. There were 3 stretched Mercs and a blacked out people carrier there on Wednesday, more stretched Mercs attempting to drive down the lane against the flow of cyclists this morning.

    Person who looked in charge outside the Assembly Rooms had a golf-themed waterproof on, but that could just have been because it had been raining, not neccessarily because it was golf related limos.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  9. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Today's George Street fun was brought to you by the enormous deckign being contructed across near full width of the central part of the road at Castle Street. Lane suddenly closed and barriered off, LGV with crane dropping concrete base sections down. Looks like it's here to stay for the Festival, whatever it is.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  10. mogwai1375
    Member

    I saw that monstrosity last week and was hoping they would reopen the lane (maybe divert it around? there would have been space), but no luck.

    No inconvenience for the drivers, of course.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  11. wingpig
    Member

    So that's the lane effectively blocked until the whole experiment ends?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  12. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I've tweetered to the council and the city centre & Leith team to see if there's an explanation

    Posted 9 years ago #
  13. kaputnik
    Moderator

    From Twitter - "It's for "George Street Festival". Cycle lane suspended there til 31st Aug."

    I think the structure is a "pop-up Famous Grouse bar"
    http://edinburgh.stv.tv/articles/1325419-famous-grouse-house-pop-up-bar-opens-on-george-street-for-fringe/

    Can't help but think things like this is why Castle Street was designed as a pedestrianised public space...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  14. Have you asked them if they're putting up diversion routes given the road option is only one way there?

    T.I.E.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  15. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Someone beat me to it. The response was there is a signed diversion. There wasn't one this morning, just a lane-closure barrier half way down the street.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  16. gembo
    Member

    ah but the roadworks at lady lawson are now suspended as the unofficial dealine for roadwork embargo was Friday (the hole is still there)

    Posted 9 years ago #
  17. Rode through there this morning, didn't notice the hole, luckily didn't ride into it.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  18. gembo
    Member

    Heading east next to the pavement on the North east corner. Not too big a hole but not filled in

    Posted 9 years ago #
  19. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Blocked both ways. Westerly you could nip onto the road side and cycle that, impossible easterly as you're into oncoming traffic. So no eastward through route.

    No diversion or advance warning signs, just stops dead.

    Pretty pathetic really for what's meant to be the Council's big ticket city centre active travel project...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  20. dougal
    Member

    Came home eastbound and like kaputnik said it just stops dead. Who does that??

    Posted 9 years ago #
  21. Chug
    Member

    When I rode along there the road closed sign had either been removed or blown over, so it was just a solid barrier, with no prior warning. Tempting as it was to ride over the decking and follow the line of the cycle lane, I was good, and didn't, and simply pushed round it and remounted on the other side.

    Really interesting to see the differing treatment of this temporary trial (we have to cut it short, then take it away, then evaluate before we can do anything) and the removal of 24-hour buslanes trial (We're going to do it temporarily and if it is successful even part-way through the trial, we'll make it permanent - or at least that's how I read it). All trials are not equal?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  22. wingpig
    Member

    Four or five cyclists were contraflowing around it in the westbound all-traffic lane this morning. The equivalent blockage last year (stupid hedges around the Assembly Rooms) had a ped/bike detour around it (the Festival Compromise) so why did they forget this year?

    FixMyStreeted it.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  23. gembo
    Member

    @chug - glasgow has gone for 7-7-7 for bus lanes. 7a.m. to 7 p.m. 7 days a week. Simples.

    THe hole has gone from lady lawson st.

    not been along george st on bike. avoid during festival mightr go along at lunchtime to waterstones as skimming donna tartt's THe Goldfinch on a kindle has made me want to reread Catcher in the Rye and despite there being two copies in the house I can find none. Tartt won the pulitzer prize for Goldfinch (600 pages too long, Dickens it ain't, if only she had channelled more JD and written a shorter book. Will be good movie as all 600 extra pages will be cut)

    Posted 9 years ago #
  24. Reminds me, must download a copy of the Mockingbird sequel... Apparently people getting upset about what has been done with the Finch, but hey, it's her character, she can do what she wants...

    That has no bearing on George Street - but I think daily tweets to the Council from as many people who use it as possible would go some way to a movement.

    I guess this is where what many people were saying about Princes Street now rings true (sand I was wrong); because they've gone for no provision whatsoever there, there isn't a safe and easy alternative with George Street closed down.

    Does anyone in the Council consider cycling anything more than a useful soundbite that can then be ignored?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  25. gembo
    Member

    Tweets from The Finch?

    I think your point is well made regards Queen St George St Princes St and I think I will be taking it up with the cycling team

    I agreed that P st for trams and buses, G street for bikes and Q st for cars etc So keep the lane free.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  26. Chug
    Member

    GS is core path, so might be legal but not advisable to ride around obstruction using pavement.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  27. gembo
    Member

    I reported my disquiet at the closure of george st and then just as a way of highlighting our poor treatment I proposed a leaflet - Cycling in Edinburgh during the festival

    here is the response so far

    Gembo -
    I passed a similar enquiry to S. F. yesterday about the blocking of the cycle lane on George Street without suitable diversionary signs for cyclists.

    I shall pass the suggestion for cycling during the festival to C. B. and P. N. and see what they say.

    Helpful CycleTeam Colleague

    Posted 9 years ago #
  28. chdot
    Admin

    "

    John Edward (@cartleyhole) tweeted at 10:59am - 4 Aug 15:

    @CyclingEdin oh well, that's that. pic.twitter.com/7gdZHN9eUS (https://twitter.com/cartleyhole/status/628505436455596032?s=17)

    "

    Posted 9 years ago #
  29. Arellcat
    Moderator

    "Quick, we need something typed up for a George Street sign."
    "Something like this? It's just a quick draft."
    "Perfect. Laminate it and get the bods to stick it up."

    Posted 9 years ago #
  30. Got a pic of that this afternoon as well. Just thinking on it, they've got 'use Hill Street' on both sides, but Hill Street is one way isn't it?

    Posted 9 years ago #

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