CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

Suggestions for other pedestrianised spaces

(53 posts)
  • Started 9 years ago by Wilmington's Cow
  • Latest reply from chdot

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  1. Moving on from George Street, I was on a wander at lunchtime, and West Bow / Victoria Street should really be pedestrianized. If the Council were to be worried out the through traffic it carries, open up Candlemaker Row again.

    Victoria Street is a little gem of a street, nice shops, and the veranda up top, with bars and restaurants having seats out.

    Walking up the street the pedestrians are bumping into each other all the way, looking from above those eating are subjected to constant traffic rattling up the setts, and examining from above there were cars parked either side, with still loads of space in the middle (at the very least enforce parking restrictions, allow them on one side only, and significantly narrow the road to widen the pavement on both sides).

    Where else?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  2. neddie
    Member

    - Forrest Rd.
    - The remaining non-pedestrianised parts of the Royal Mile.
    - Queens Dr. (around the palace)
    - Mound Pl / Ramsay Ln.
    - Cowgate 24/7

    Posted 9 years ago #
  3. wingpig
    Member

    Well, 1: Candlemaker Row has similar numbers of tourists bimbling all over it and spilling off the footways into the paths of the fairly rare vehicles - there aren't as many shops for them to stand outside, but there's a fair bit of foot-traffic heading up and down from the Greyfriars' lower gate and from the Grassmarket and...
    2: Cowgate. Shut to motorised traffic during the bulk of the day during festival-time, with slight exemptions for deliveries (but restrict booze-deliveries to vans of fewer than three metric tonnes) to stop everyone having to try and restrict themselves to the narrow footways, which are often half-blocked by stacks of beer kegs and the huge vehicles delivering them, forcing pedestrians to walk around them into the face of impatient tubes trying to whizz along at over thirty.
    3: Forrest Road (again, during the peak hours of pedestrian use during festival-time). The spillover from MMW and Lothian St is even more marked this year with the stupid diversion away from the outside edge of Bristo Square. (One can cut through from the medical school quad to Charles St Lane, but it's not obvious unless you know it's there.)
    4: Horse Wynd/the bottom end of the Canongate. Pave the whole lot and make it one of those motor-vehicles-here-on-pedestrians'-terms places between March and October, seeing as pedestrians are walking all over it regardless.
    5: Leith Street.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  4. Wandered down Candlemaker Row at lunchtime too, and it was markedly quieter than Victoria Street. Loads of folk at the top trying to get photos of Bobby (and rub his nose), but they then seemed to bimble up George IV Bridge to take a selfie in front of a sign declaring a coffee shop as being the birthplace of Harry Potter.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  5. neddie
    Member

    to take a selfie in front of a sign declaring a coffee shop as being the birthplace of Harry Potter

    This is good enough reason to make the pavement wider at this point. Meh, go the whole hog and pedestrianise George IV Br.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  6. Min
    Member

    I would semi-pedestrianise by keeping cars out of (but still allowing buses and of course bikes along Clerk Street/Nicolson Street along where all the shops are. If it were actually possible to get from one shop to another without running a gauntlet of racing traffic it would make the area amazing.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  7. PS
    Member

    Driving along South Bridge on Friday, it was clear that pedestrian provision is far too low for what is required - the pavements were full and folk were walking along the road (which, luckily, was largely empty in the bus lane).

    Posted 9 years ago #
  8. ih
    Member

    "to take a selfie in front of a sign declaring a coffee shop as being the birthplace of Harry Potter"

    Always smile when I see folk taking pictures outside the Elephant House thinking it was where Harry Potter was brought to life. The café with a much stronger claim to that honour was Nicolson's Café on Nicolson Street where JK, in pre-leylandii hedge days, used to take advantage of the fact that the café was owned by her brother in law, and she could sit there undisturbed. The café closed some time ago.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  9. chdot
    Admin

    "The café closed some time ago."

    Sort of (new owners, new name)

    https://m.facebook.com/pages/Spoon-Cafe-Bistro-Nicolson-Street-where-Harry-Potter-was-born/160523140638559

    Posted 9 years ago #
  10. gembo
    Member

    Has Morrison St tool shop become a bistro?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  11. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    That rub the nose of Greyfriars Bobby thing really pisses me off. They're going to destroy it. It was never a tradition just the wishful thinking of an individual with a can of brasso. If they want to rub something - the "me" generation - they can go and get off on Hume's big toe.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  12. Stickman
    Member

    gembo: think so.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  13. chdot
    Admin

    Bigger toes -

    Posted 9 years ago #
  14. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    That's a better photo of the Manuscript of Monte Cassino than any in the Council archive. But you should have said "a bigger toe" for the arty farties like me.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  15. chdot
    Admin

    Better view too...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  16. gembo
    Member

    @stickman, where am I going to get odd spanners for a pound now?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  17. Chug
    Member

    @Gembo Murray's is still in existence - it's just moved to Leith (Pitt St)

    Posted 9 years ago #
  18. chdot
    Admin

    But is it still in business?

    https://mobile.twitter.com/murraystools

    http://murraystools.com

    Posted 9 years ago #
  19. Chug
    Member

    Good question @chdot.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  20. cc
    Member

    Good thread.

    A pedestrian Causewayside could be beautiful. Lovely old wee stone buildings all along it, high population density, a big variety of wee shops and pubs. There could be a fountain in the middle for people to play in on hot days. Some trees. Cafe tables.

    Now that Summerhall is such a hub of cultural activity, the big wiiiide road in front of it should be made into a public square, too. Or there could be bowling greens there, to replace the ones nearby recently eaten up by the property bubble. Big trees could grow where the cars now snarl and hunt their victims.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  21. chdot
    Admin

    "Now that Summerhall is such a hub of cultural activity, the big wiiiide road in front of it should be made into a public square"

    Remarkable amount of space for a minor road.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  22. Looks arterial to me guv.

    Lothian Road is a 6 lane highway at the top!

    Posted 9 years ago #
  23. Fountainbridge
    Member

    One issue I've noticed over the past few days is just how few cross city general traffic routes are fully open. Many seem to have been closed or bus only. Cowgate, Leith Street and Cannongate are so busy as all the traffic is being funnelled in to them. At night during the festival the Cowgate and Chambers Street are shut so you have a choice of Queen Street, Market Street or Hope Park Terrace as the only options.

    Areas that should be pedestrianised? Rose street, North side of Grassmarket, South section of Castle street, Royal Mile (area outside Filling station) etc etc. All previously pedestranised zones but now free car parks.

    Issues in Cowgate - double yellows are due to be installed this month for it's fully length. Should cut down on long term parking but not the delivery vehicles.

    Candle Maker row could be pedestranised at the top very easily. Only one bus route which could be diverted. Only way for general traffic to legally enter the street is via Forrest Road.

    I would suggest more streets could be narrowed without having much impact. Victoria Street is a perfect example. Frederick street, Easter Road, Forest road etc etc other examples.

    One area that really needs to be pedestranised is Lawnmarket / Castlehill. Roads mainly used by taxi's and tourist buses. Both could enter from Johnston Terrace and U-turn at the top.

    Frederick Street south end

    Posted 9 years ago #
  24. paulmilne
    Member

    I've advocated closing that length of road (University/Potterow/Buccleuch Street/Hope Pk Terrace/SummerHall/Cswyside/Ratcliffe Terr) to through traffic for some time now. It would need local access though, but the carriageway is too wide. it would benefit from narrowing the carriageway and widening the pavements in addition to through traffic closure.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  25. paulmilne
    Member

    @chdot, re your photo, perfect example of a junction with high levels of cycle use that is crying out for hard cycling infrastructure/segregated lanes and waiting areas / left turn at all times/all ways green scramble phase for bikes. Plenty of room for all that. I walk across it every day. Far too much room for cars.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  26. As a pedestrian crossing the two side roads on the left there is a nightmare too - no sightlines, and people driving too quickly.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  27. paulmilne
    Member

    @Wilmington's Cow, yes, the radii on those corners encourage fast cornering. All in all it's a guddle, for cars, pedestrians, and cyclists alike. And the classic bad design of a cycle lane between two lanes of traffic ... sigh. Easier ways to avoid left hooks.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  28. chdot
    Admin

    "the radii on those corners encourage fast cornering"

    Actually if you (both) mean Sciennes (that road's name) than the kerbs and island were altered fairly recently. (Pic shows revised layout.)

    Posted 9 years ago #
  29. Kim
    Member

    If you look at equivalent sized cities on the mainland of Europe, an increasing number of them are fully pedestrianising their centres. These cities are easy to spot, they are the ones that are thriving, they are saving money by NOT paying large subsidies to private motorists. There are good financial reasons for keeping cars out of the city, it is costing council tax payers a fortune.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  30. chdot
    Admin

    "it is costing council tax payers a fortune"

    Yes, are there good examples of detailed costings to point to?

    Posted 9 years ago #

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