"I assume this is for traffic coming over Abbeymount and might be because priority is changing at the Abbeymount junction and they're trying to avoid the right turn onto Montrose Terrace?"
I had kind of assumed that too. But we shall see!
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Roadworks @ Easter Rd / London Rd / Abbeyhill
(55 posts)-
Posted 8 years ago #
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I noticed this morning that the pedestrian crossing phase on the temp lights (across London Road, on the Abbeyhill side of Easter Road) came on green at the same time as the lights were (presumably) still green for a left turn out of Easter Road. Now I couldn't see the lights, but given the number of cars that came round without hesitation (including a Lothian Bus), I can only presume they were green.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Great unintentional filtered permeability now open at the top of Easter Rd. Major works now mostly completed and new lights turned on. The climb up the hill is still coned off but able to be passed through on a bike. The improvement in pavement space is enormous.
Lights now out and renewals starting at the Abbeymount junction, about a week and a bit late. No TTLs for emerging up Easter Rd - so just watch out and give way :)
Posted 8 years ago # -
"The improvement in pavement space is enormous."
Also long overdue. It's always been busy at the top of Easter Road, now that retail and cafes are rejuvenated there the pavements need to be wider to accommodate all the folk on foot.
Last time I was there, a couple of days ago, they had yet to move a signpost with bike hoops attached, which is now sitting in the middle of the newly widened pavement. May spin by there soon to see if details like this are being taken care of. Not that I prefer bike parking to be at the road's edge from a cycling point of view, but it does rather negate the benefits of widening the pavement surface for pedestrians if it's left where it is.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Just been warned by a colleague that he was warned by his wife that Princes Street is "all blocked off at the Scott Monument due to a 'police incident'".
I tried Easter Road this morning. Hopefully it won't take too long before buses turning left into the top of it remember that they now have to go very slowly if there's a cyclist in the south-west corner of the advanced stop box.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Crossed at top of Easter Road and then again across London Rd in each direction yesterday evening. Agreed that it is a vast improvement - and such a simple thing as well.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I have to go to Leith tomorrow for work stuff, commuting in via Morningside. Since Leith Street is currently full of traffic cones* and traffic, and Abbeyhill is shut†, and George St is rapidly filling up with buses and taxis again, what options are left?
It seems ridiculous that I'm even having to ask this question, but I'm so utterly fed up of the sheer amount of traffic at the moment that I'm almost looking for an excuse to not use the torpedo (which the rest of the time is fast, hugely comfortable, warm and dry, and has my best lights).
Am I best going down the Mound, bouncing my way over the cobbobbobboles of Scotland Street and picking up the cycle path at the park? This is a route I use in the other direction sometimes. But of course it has that anti-torpedo switchback ramp at Queen St, so I will need to ride my other bike anyway.
I think the closure of the West Approach Road is having huge knock-on effects on the Calder Road and everywhere to the west. My commuting has been less than enjoyable the last couple of weeks.
* It caught me completely by surprise the other day when I was on the motorbicycle at 10pm, as I attempted to turn right out of York Place.
† Is it still shut?Posted 8 years ago # -
Leith street had a lane going up and another going down today (both on the east side).
I went to prospectbank the other week from Waverley via holyrood, then under the railway and up to London road and down via marionville. Actually that is probably the route to go anyway but it avoided all roadworks of which the city is currently blighted.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Abbeyhill is 'open ish' - you can cycle both ways over it if you ignore the road closed signs, or just hop off and walk it down the steps if you so wish. Liable to be dug up any day now, I guess.
Leith St is bearable downhill, less so with the slower speed achievable up the hill
Posted 8 years ago # -
Abbey lane is open. Thence to Marionville, then Lochend or Restalrig Road?
Speed bumps on Abbey Lane, though...
Posted 8 years ago # -
I went with my original plan. Drummond Place, Scotland Street and later Coburg St, all on a Brompton with slick tyres, on a damp morning, is this:
Not Fun.
Also, I had a splendid and slightly too exciting leafmulch related tactile moment while traversing the Meadows.
I'll have a look at Abbeyhill and maybe Leith St as well on my way home.
Posted 8 years ago # -
All open now. Project ran 3 weeks late overall, or 30%. Surely planning should be better than that?
Only two functional changes, both noted at the end of phase 1:
1) The removal of the left filter Easter Rd - London Rd northbound
2) The provision of a pedestrian phase over the same bit of the junctionPlenty of space for some mandatory cycle lanes to be painted on both sides of the hill, they really would be valued by all users due to the slowish climbs.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Also the left filter lane from Easter Road onto London Road heading east has been removed.
"Plenty of space for some mandatory cycle lanes to be painted on both sides of the hill"
Simple answer: buses. That's the route of the 35. Can't be messing with buses now, eh?
IMHO it would make more sense to have segregated cycle lanes from London Road just east of there, up Montrose Terrace and on to Regent Road to link to Waterloo Place. Fairly busy route for cycle commuters, plenty of space to do it, parking on north side of that route hardly ever used.
While they're at it they could improve the junction at London Road/Montrose Terrace: dreadfully short pedestrian phase considering there's a primary school and old folks' sheltered housing opposite.
One of the aspects of the junction upgrade at London Road/Easter Road that is really welcome is the widening of pavements. Much more pedestrian friendly, and better for bikes too no that left filters are gone on both north and south approaches.
As a local resident I can honestly say it has improved things significantly.
Posted 8 years ago # -
As a local resident I can honestly say it has improved things significantly.
Ditto. The very act of widening the pavements at the top of Easter Road (the flat bit, not the hill up past Regent Road School), losing the filter lane, and actually putting pedestrian crossing lights on the south side of the Easter Road / London Road crossing junction are huge improvements, although 10 or 15 years too late.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Next time anyone's through Easter Rd towards the Parliament could you make an effort to notice if you think the louvres on the red farside signal are correctly set or not.
I think they're pointing somewhere completely wrong, but the tarmac man says the whole installation was checked and signed off back to the council yesterday so it's a clarence job to get it fixed.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@ crowriver Agree. If you're coming from the east it's the gentlest route to the west.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I think the top end of the junction is now a deathtrap with the amount of water flowing.
The junction works at the Abbeymount/Easter Rd junction have left the road insufficiently cambered to collect water in the west-side gully on Easter Rd. The result of this is that in heavy rain the gully flows from Regent Road and particularly Carlton Terrace Brae flow ACROSS the entire stopping and waiting area at the top of Easter Rd.
A similar problem exists at the junction with London Rd, where the drains are unable to cope with the volume of water and as a result much flows in an uncontrolled fashion across the centre of the junction.
Please can you urgently review the work carried out here as in my opinion it presents a terrific icing hazard in cold weather, and the excessive water volume will cause premature breaking up of the new surface so will also be a long term liability.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Must say I'm somewhat underwhelmed by the junction at Regent Road/Abbeymount. Basically a resurface, dropped kerbs with tactile paving, new traffic lights. Oh and ASL boxes at each signal, which is good. Don't know if they've widened the pavements at the junction but if so it's subtle enough to not be noticeable on foot.
Posted 8 years ago # -
From what I saw of the works, the pavements on the north side of Abbeymount were widened in places, but by no more than 6 inches.
I noticed a lot of standing water at the bottom of Montrose Terrace this morning that had run down the hill, I suspect that there's generally an issue of blocked gullies and civers and exceptional levels of rain recently contributing to the surface water problems. Abbeyhill just now is really bad for overflowing bins and flytipping.
Posted 8 years ago # -
" the pavements on the north side of Abbeymount were widened in places, but by no more than 6 inches."
Better than nowt I suppose. Haven't actually tried walking that bit yet since the works, but no doubt will if/when weather improves.
"Abbeyhill just now is really bad for overflowing bins and flytipping."
Whole Easter Road/Leith Walk area has been bad for this for a long time. Partly to do with lots of private rented accommodation: when folk move out they turf a lot of stuff into the street: mattresses, furniture, appliances. One side benefit of this is there's an informal recycling that goes on: local residents, passersby or even guys in vans pick up anything half decent quite sharpish.
Posted 8 years ago # -
One side benefit of this is there's an informal recycling that goes on
I couldn't possibly comment. But I do have a nice IKEA swivel chair in red corduroy and a nearly new chest of drawers that didn't last long at the side of the road.
I'm on the lookout for a wingback if anyone sees one in good nick going spare ;)
Posted 8 years ago # -
Similarly we have an IKEA swivel chair, Muji storage boxes, and a small table and a wooden stool which we acquired in similar fashion.
So the flytipping has its up side. However I hate the stained and torn mattresses, sofas and MFI wardrobes which periodically litter the pavements and gutters...
Posted 8 years ago # -
I have a novel suggestion for some of these drivers - open your @@!?@@ eyes!
Driving is not hard
Posted 5 years ago # -
There were apparently two collisions in the area this morning. One was a head-on smash which looked pretty nasty, hopefully no-one seriously injured: pictures on Twitter showed the damaged cars. Also heard that a car ran into a bus and a female passenger fell over in the aisle and injured her knee. Driver drove off without leaving details, much less waiting for police.
Basically drivers have grown accustomed to tearing round the area at some speed over the past year (especially on Montrose Terrace which became a drag strip). They ignored the speed limit signs so it's hardly surprising they failed to notice the various yellow signs warning them of the change back. Thank goodness neither of these collisions involved pedestrians or cyclists.
I even had to point out to the driver of a van on London Road that he was pulling up to the lights on the wrong side of the road...
Some dreadful, dreadful unobservant drivers out there. I'd say to any cyclists, just avoid that junction for the next few days until the idiots have got used to the new (old) layout.
Posted 5 years ago #
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