CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
Venting rage is never a good strategy if you want people to listen.
I would go with - At festial time we all need to go with the flow but having made compromises (despite the info that the route would remain open) I am hoping that the new roseburn to leith route along George st is going to be a proper route. Whilst it is hard to keep the shop keepers and car drivers happy I think it would be a good decision to make George St cycle only.
L Hinds has taken up cycling, she is one of us.
@chdot: Hey back again, having just got off my hamster wheel! Back in my cage now! Nope that's not 'The Plan'! Try again, Lesley has one!
Just wheelied along GS on my Brompton Flying Bristle Brush, and found to my dismay an Iceman In Transit from Glasgow blocking the cycle lane entry point, whilst he delivered... yes you guessed it ICE! Not that the signage was any help as it had been stacked to one side! Never give the children barriers to play with, they just end up scattered around the living room! Grounded the Folder by its pedal on the Sleeping Polis Persons for good measure!
"Lesley has one!"
You sure??
"Try again"
Good idea.
"Grounded the Folder by its pedal on the Sleeping Polis Persons for good measure"
Could 3-wheelers handle the route?
lesley email address please
guessing lesley.hinds@edinburgh.gov.uk
remember we are all currently living in an absurdist production by Beckett or the romanian guy who wrote Rhinoceros. He is not done so much these days. Over in three weeks. Lovely time of year september.
Have you seen the big pink bus (clothes shop) on George Street? How lovely, next to the Lobster Shack (AKA we carry hot food and drink over the busy pavement when Zazou canal cafe boat was not allowed to serve coffee over the towpath to a picnic bench)
George Street is going to be a mess for the time being because it is a mess. As a wise man once said, you can't polish a turd.
The important thing will be to impress upon the folks who have been engaged to come up with a solution that the status quo (and the status quo ante) are not fit for a 21st century European capital city and that we need a high quality design with high quality materials and (for my money) some severe restrictions on car use (I'd go with a design that allows for a creeping pedestrianisation, so events can be held on bits of it whilst maintain a cycling and walking through-route).
Public consultation this Thursday 13th at the Roxburghe Hotel. Be nice now.
Customer from a year ago was passing through town today with friends. Took opportunity to sample Edinburgh from a visitors perspective - following signs etc.
Cycle Touring North via Edinburgh by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr
Cycle Touring North via Edinburgh by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr
Cycle Touring North via Edinburgh by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr
This morning, unmarked blue-tarpaulined HGV parked up half on pavement, half on road at the constriction, outside Slater's Menswear. It may have been Dalkeith Transport on the mudflaps.
Anyway, driver had moved the yellow "no parking" cones out of his way and was in the process of pushing the cycle lane contraflow fencing tight up against the wooden fence of the bar area to create "room" for other buses and cars and lorries to go around his obstruction. Security guard/bouncer from the compound was just standing watching him.
As if "we" didn't know this would happen.
Hi @Edinburgh_CC The barriers yellow circled here aren't yet in place, and the orange circled bit is not 'straight'.
@Edinburgh_CC That's from your own plans, any chance of them being implemented? #georgestreetshambles
"
Lesley Hinds, said: “Throughout this trial we have involved the public to ensure changes take into account the users of the street, and I think that’s reflected in the positive feedback we’ve received along the way.
"
No caption required -
That could have been posted in any one of the "rubbish driving", "rubbish grammar" or "rubbish George Street" threads....
Hmmm, same company as my last video in the rubbish driving thread (different truck). May send that email after all.
Way to go -
Only one in use
Not blocked
Staff route
"
GEORGE STREET CONSULTATION This Thursday Drop-in consultation on 'key issues' for the long-term future of George Street. Thurs 13 August, 2-7pm, Roxburghe Hotel, 38 Charlotte Square.
http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12983&page=29&replies=863#post-195700
"
Just waiting for an accident waiting to happen, deliveries at any time, drivers ignore barriers, HGVs stopping on roundabout, cyclists ignore traffic flow, barriers knocked over, vehicles intruding on site, oh and ordinary people trying to do their daily life! Chaos and anything goes!
What the nice event people promised they would do:
"We will retain one lane of traffic running East – West from 6am – 6.30pm, in order to minimise disruption to traffic across the city. Traffic will be suspended at all other times, when the East side of the block will be used as a Cul de Sac, retaining a portion of the parking spaces, the taxi rank and disabled parking bays on the
block. We will accommodate the cycle lane as far as possible and have discussed our plans from the onset with Spokes. To ensure that the plans do not interfere with other temporary traffic orders at the end of the festival the site will be cleared ready for the road reopening by 5pm on Monday 31st August. Vehicle Access Deliveries to all businesses near the site will be permitted between 7.30am – 9.30am and the barriers to allow access will be attended during this time. Deliveries outwith this time may be arranged with the Site Manager. Outwith these times, unless arranged, any
vehicles on site will require a site pass."
George St latest by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr
What's that?
Is that what it's supposed to be like in evening??
Hot news: Head of Cycling Scotland.gov.uk? 'spotted' in George Street having a look at the unusual traffic and event installations... mibbe checking up on Spokes advice?
If only CS had power/influence...
I am off to Roxburghe Hotel now to see about the consultation
I can't find the full ETRO details online (TRO/14/13) however I have found various summary parts and supporting documents.
None of these refer to closing the lane with temporary structures.
Mention is made of using the space in a "pop-up" manner as they did last year for the Spiegeltent, however that this would require separate planning and licencing permission for each instance.
A quick scour of the planning portal shows there's no planning permission for the structure.
I think this is definitely worth a dig further to get hands on the full TRO and any licencing or planning applications submitted for the structure. The planning permission would be an important one as it would be at this point that people had a chance to scrutinise the plans and object, rather than after they had just gone ahead and done it.
I did manage to fiend previous years applications for the Spiegeltent on the portal, so these things do exist.
I'm happy to make an issue over this, it seems worth it. Despite the occassional conciliatory sounds eminating from Councillors Hinds and Burns, the more you sniff at it the more it smells like there's been either wilful or incompetent ignorance on the council's part over the relevant regulations and permissions on this. But because it's the festival they've gone ahead and done it anyway and once it's done just wrung their hands and put in a crummy compromise only after quite a bit of pressure was applied.
"I'm happy to make an issue over this, it seems worth it."
Good, yes.
"because it's the festival they've gone ahead and done it anyway"
I don't think that is strictly true, but not clear what is 'true'!
As has been said upthread, if this had been 'look, this is the Festival City, a short push won't hurt you' it would be understandable - perhaps even acceptable to many.
BUT
Lesley made a big, public, deal of 'making sure a two way cycle route is maintained (and signed)'.
Even making allowances for 'reality' and deliveries, it has just not happened.
She has been made to look foolish and certainly not in control.
I have a certain amount of sympathy for her - there are bits of CEC that pay no attention to outside (or even inside) influence - bit like Network Rail (which LH has also tried to deal with).
However she is an experienced politician with a reasonable track record of getting what she wants. 'We' don't want to hear her saying 'look it's bad, but there is nothing I can do about it now' - but that might be more sensible/honest.
Of course the important thing is to make sure it doesn't happen again.
I have very little faith that can be done.
Just stop pretending/promising.
Moveable, temporary structures that are erected for no more than 28 days in any calendar year generally don't need planning permission, under the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992 - Class 15, temporary buildings and uses.
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