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European Mobility Week 2015

(9 posts)
  • Started 9 years ago by Arellcat
  • Latest reply from Arellcat

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  1. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Some of us will remember when Edinburgh used to take part in European Mobility Week by closing roads in support of September 22nd ('In Town Without My Car' Day). Eventually ITWMC became a bit of George Street that was closed, then a bit less the year after, then it all sort of fizzled out. But that was history, when even an ETRO for a cycle lane was the stuff of a madman's dreams.

    So far has 712 cities signed up, of which 7 are in the UK. Up here we have Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh, and according to the pages, only Aberdeen has committed to a car free day AND permanent measures.

    Paths for All is, not entirely unsurprisingly, delivering Edinburgh's EMW agenda, but the page is a bit light on committed actions as yet. Compare with Aberdeen and Glasgow.

    A public event is being held on Sept 22nd, "Enabling everyone to choose active and sustainable transport", 17.00-20.00 in the Macdonald Royal Hotel:

    https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/enabling-everyone-to-choose-active-and-sustainable-transport-registration-18186994791

    "Join Living Streets Scotland and Paths for All to hear what you can do to enable everyone, including people with a disability to choose active and sustainable transport.

    We’ll be joined by two speakers with sensory and mobility impairment who’ll be sharing their experiences of walking and using public transport in our towns and cities. This event will increase your awareness of the measures you can support which will make every place a good place to walk."

    It might be an interesting event for anyone with a beef about tactiles!

    Posted 9 years ago #

  2. chdot
    Admin

    I was involved with several EMWs.

    The first was great shut George Street on a Sunday.

    The key date is always the 22nd. The next year it was a Monday - no chance of shut George Street!

    That event looks a bit limited in scope!

    Posted 9 years ago #

  3. Arellcat
    Moderator

    I went along to this evening's meeting. John Lauder, Keith Irving and Lesley Hinds all came along too. Mike Harrison, long of the CTC and as a wheelchair user now actively involved in about a million different access organisations and forums, was one of the main speakers, and he recollected the halcyon days of In Town Without My Car Day when George St was closed to vehicles, and talked about street clutter, poor surfaces and too-steep dropped kerbs. Michael Tornow (blind and partially deaf), who is busy collecting MScs, and whose guide dog was busy having a stare-off with another, spoke at length about some of the direct hazards of our streets, from clutter to step heights to tactiles.

    I had an excellent chat with a guy called David who was registered blind and although he had some vision he mainly relied on his guide dog. We discussed tactile paving. His view was that colour of shared-segregated pedestrian and cycle paths ought to be different, because compared with raised delineator strips colour contrast was of more use to the majority of users who can at least tell dark from light. Contrast detection is why tactile paving isn't (usually) grey. His guide dog could recognise those areas, such as at crossings, and would stop accordingly. He was very critical of the repeated incorrect installations because - as we have surmised - they give the wrong message to the user. It was a very real problem for him. Part of the installation nonsense he thought was that the users weren't actively part of the design process, only post-design consultation, which led to incorrect specifications, and poor design knowledge sharing led to incorrect installations.

    Michael Tornow described how he once fell onto train tracks because the platform edge didn't have any tactile paving.

    David also called for more design work when pedestrians and cyclists are put into shared areas, and agreed that the hard-wired need for British cyclists to feel they have to rush everywhere (because they're always competing with cars) needed to change, and that people on bikes should learn to slow down.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  4. chdot
    Admin

    Did LH say anything?

    Posted 9 years ago #

  5. gembo
    Member

    Reminds me, what has happened to the second consultation on George street that is to happen in September?

    Posted 9 years ago #

  6. Tulyar
    Member

    Very interesting that the corduroy ribbed tactile paving often used wrongly for the share use path delineation will, when set transversely across the pedestrian side give the message to a blind user that they are approaching a hazard or obstruction (eg a flight of steps with this paving at the top and bottom) Glasgow Council's contractors installed this paving on the new Connect 2 paths and in checking back I called the supplier who was adamant that the wrong design they were supplying was the correct tactile pattern for shared use paths. When suppliers show such incompetence it seems hardly surprising that a contractor with lax client supervision of the work can deliver the wrong results.

    One detail that I spotted on Sauchie tonight just outside the CCA (Third Eye to veterans of the Traverse when it was in the Grassmarket/Lawnmarket - delete as applicable) was a 'park' ing space in the street outside - largely decking with minimal greenery.

    Useful chats with the bus people (Stagecoach East Scotland MD and Willie Hamilton of Lothian Buses) raised detail of getting ready access to use coaches to cross Forth Bridge when wind speeds get cycle path(s) closed, rather than wait for Bridge Authority to send truck/van. Apparently buses & coaches can keep running at higher wind speeds than trucks, but have to stop before cars are stopped. The X7 Dundee-Aberdeen coach service is also recording bikes carried, and it seems to be a stable 30-40 bikes/week with a peak week at 57, a useful option, and I'm going to ask about tandems, as coach is 2.45m wide inside the hold.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  7. SRD
    Moderator

    @arellcat really useful. Do you think the necessary people heard and understood?

    How's your ankle?

    Posted 9 years ago #

  8. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Lesley Hinds didn't stay - or wasn't able to stay - for the whole event. I'd hoped she might try to talk with more of the disabled people at the meeting. But the cross party group on cycling finished about halfway through the meeting, hence JL and KI et al coming along.

    As Tulyar noted, it might be that suppliers of tactiles are actually ill-advised. You wouldn't think it possible, but the guidance is pretty clear.

    My ankle seems just about up to cycling but is rapidly turning purple in various areas. Perhaps I should start a "Cyclists' injuries - show us your gore" thread.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  9. Arellcat
    Moderator

    The presentation from the Paths for All/EMW meeting is available online now. The photographs show everyday hazards from the perspective of Mike Harrison (Edinburgh) and Michael Tornow and his dog, Norton (Glasgow/Stirling). There are also one or two photos from Elgin.

    http://www.pathsforall.org.uk/pfa/news/european-mobility-week-event.html

    No tactiles at a platform edge? Unbelievable.

    Posted 9 years ago #

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