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East Lothian Segregated Active Travel Corridor Feasibility Study

(25 posts)
  • Started 8 years ago by Schemieradge
  • Latest reply from chdot

  1. Schemieradge
    Member

    This might interest some of you.

    "East Lothian Segregated Active Travel Corridor Feasibility Study

    East Lothian Council is investigating the feasibility of creating an East Lothian Segregated Active Travel Corridor (SATC), which will connect East Lothian’s major settlements to Edinburgh and beyond, with spurs to local towns and villages. The proposed active travel route (cycling, walking) will form a key component of East Lothian’s Green Network.

    As part of the study, Ironside Farrar has been appointed to facilitate a workshop with stakeholders from the public and private sector to discuss the potential route options for the SATC. The aim of the workshop is to review the Strategic Access Map, discuss the potential route of the SATC and better understand opportunities and constraints, in context of the local development pressures and connections to existing path routes. We hope that the event will be informative and appreciate your input to the process.

    East Lothian Council Partnership & Community Services would like to invite you to an event on:

    Wednesday 21st October 2015
    at Musselburgh East Community Learning Centre (Haddington Rd, Musselburgh EH21 8JJ)
    please “drop-in” anytime between 5.00 - 7.00pm

    If you are unable to make the date, please pass the invitation to a colleague with a similar interest in the subject area. Alternatively, please contact us at the email address below if you wish to input to the consultation process but are not able to make the event. We’ll be in touch.

    R.S.V.P. jane.dixon@ironsidefarrar.com"

    http://allevents.in/edinburgh/east-lothian-segregated-active-travel-corridor-feasibility-study/1636270273307819

    Posted 8 years ago #

  2. chdot
    Admin

    Any map anywhere?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  3. Morningsider
    Member

    Why do people insist on writing such guff, it could simply say - East Lothian Council wants to build a cycle path linking our major towns with Edinburgh. Please come and tell us what you think.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  4. Mandopicker101
    Member

    Creative copywriting must be someone's job at ELC or Ironside Farrar (cool name...do they rock up to work in mid-17th century armour and decry the monarchy?). Surely you wouldn't deny an advertising wannabe a job...

    Posted 8 years ago #

  5. chdot
    Admin

    Makes it sound grander.

    (And perhaps more undoable...)

    Posted 8 years ago #

  6. neddie
    Member

    Well I'm glad they mentioned 'segregated' and not just 'cycle path' (aka red paint).

    Would be even better if they mentioned 'contiguous' & 'convenient'

    Posted 8 years ago #

  7. wingpig
    Member

    Pity they didn't start this before a convenient means of crossing Newhailes Road was demolished.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  8. chdot
    Admin

    Think the bit where the 'ideal' bridge was is still Newcraighall Road.

    That, like the recently removed and underfilled railway bridge, are of course in Edinburgh.

    It's a real shame there seems to be no way of 'making' cross (council) border cycle routes happen.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  9. PS
    Member

    It's a real shame there seems to be no way of 'making' cross (council) border cycle routes happen.

    Unless Ironside Farrar really add some value here by getting the CEC bods they are dealing with in relation to the George St consultation speaking to the ELC bods they're dealing with on this...

    Posted 8 years ago #

  10. Schemieradge
    Member

    Totally agree abou the language. loads of people will be interested in the subject - but how many of them will be turned off by the management speak. It might be their job to decipher stuff like this but when soliciting public opinion there's no excuse for it.

    On that note, I'm not sure, but I *think* it may be related to the plans in this document - there's a list at the end.

    http://www.sesplan.gov.uk/assets/Joint%20Committee/29%20May%202015/Item%206%20Background%20Document%206%20-%20Green%20Network%20Technical%20Note.pdf

    Posted 8 years ago #

  11. Claire
    Member

    I hope Ironside Farr's consultation event for this proposal is a bit better than the George St consultation experience I had, which was lacklustre to say the least.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  12. chdot
    Admin

    Indeed p45

    "

    Spinal route would serve settlements:
    Dunbar, East Linton, Haddington, Macmerry, Tranent, Wallyford, Musselburgh and onwards to City of Edinburgh, with link routes off to other East Lothian settlements along the way.

    "

    Described as "Existing NCN route upgrade to off-road".

    Don't think it will be quite as simple as that...

    UNLESS ScotGov plans to finance some sort of demo project??

    Posted 8 years ago #

  13. paulmilne
    Member

    Not sure why East Lothian Council needs to hire consultants . Doesn't anyone who works at the council know how to run a public meeting to get opinions on one of their projects? And if not, why not?

    As for the "spinal route" we call that the "old A1". There is the bones of such a route as a wide pavement exists for a large part of it from Dunbar onwards, 'twould be good to see something more than signposting existing "infrastructure" though.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  14. chdot
    Admin

    "SEStran Strategic Cross Boundary Cycle Development" (new report)

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15007

    Posted 8 years ago #

  15. HankChief
    Member

    It's a real shame there seems to be no way of 'making' cross (council) border cycle routes happen.

    I think this should be a key part to CEC's cycling plans. With more & more housing being built just outside Edinburgh's boundaries, those commuting into Edin (inc the business parks round the edges) continues to grow at a rapid rate, with the associated increases in queuing traffic.

    For many of these satelite suburbs there isn't much alternative to driving, but being only a few miles out of town cycling could be a viable alternative. They also typically have garages which helps with home storage & *big assumption* sufficient funds to buy a bike, which removes some of the barriers if a safe route exists.

    Routes outside of the city centre *should* be easier to build as you don't have to take space away from the beloved cars.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  16. crowriver
    Member

    "A199 – East Lothian Cycling and Walking Superhighway"

    So, shared use path alongside the road? Or (gasp) segregating some carriageway by use of kerbs, i.e. taking space from cars?

    What about the bits that go through towns? Segregated routes through Tranent and Musselburgh?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  17. sallyhinch
    Member

    I think councils need to hire consultants to do proper bottom-up consultations. They're not used to asking what people think, except in the usual 'we're going to do X is that okay?' sort of manner.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  18. chdot
    Admin

    @Sally

    I'm sure consultants exist who can do 'proper' community consulting, but I suspect most consultants are only too aware of who hired them.

    They will have an idea of what is 'possible' before they start.

    Might help if ELC let people know how much they intend to spend...

    Posted 8 years ago #

  19. chdot
    Admin

    @HC

    Good points - esp about the fact that it's not just housing that's being built, so reasonable expectation of commuting from Ed.

    Also a fair amount of new development - Ratho and anything that gets built around Gogar/airport - still in CEC.

    Sestran doesn't seem to be able to enable much - though it's report ought to be able to encourage something.

    Useful subject to ask Lothian list MSPs (and next year's candidates) to look into.

    Presumable Spokes (The Lothian Cycle Campaign) is actively working on this.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  20. DdF
    Member

    It's a real shame there seems to be no way of 'making' cross (council) border cycle routes happen.

    There was a way until 2007 when SNP govt scrapped capital funding for Regional Transport Partnerships - this also explains why A90 path wasn't been built much sooner. More info ... see 2007 entries here...
    http://www.spokes.org.uk/documents/members-campaigning/edinburgh/a90-forth-bridge/.

    We tried to make the case for the RTP capital to be reinstated - as did other sustainable transport groups - but no luck. Really unfortunate (not just for cycling) that the snp govt were so keen to weaken the regional transport bodies.

    As for what spokes is doing re the current E Lothian consultation, we are notifying members, but whether we do more than that will depend (as often is the case) on whether anyone in spokes planning group (or maybe anyone else) has the time to prepare a response.

    Routes outside of the city centre *should* be easier to build as you don't have to take space away from the beloved cars.

    Yes, they are easier - this is why Edinburgh council have in fact so far concentrated much of their capital on routes such as the A90, the Gilmerton-Midlothian route, Leith-Portobello, etc. Resulting in (justifiable) complaints that not much is happening in the city centre! But with council courage starting to rise it looks like we are going to see more in the central areas and, consequently, less on the outer routes.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  21. chdot
    Admin

    "with council courage starting to rise it looks like we are going to see more in the central areas and, consequently, less on the outer routes"

    I hope the first part of that is "good news".

    I hope the "courage" includes 'faster and cheaper' - the newly finished(?) Meadows to Innocent doesn't seem to show enough for £1.25m, and it took more than 3 years.

    "consequently, less on the outer routes" - all the more reason for better value for money and strategic planning especially 'cross-border'.

    As DdF says, a lot of responsibility lies with SNP Gov - which is likely to continue in power after May.

    Important to have better policies in their coming manifesto.

    Important that Spokes and PoP keep up the pressure.

    Important to remember that both orgs are 'staffed' by volunteers...

    Posted 8 years ago #

  22. sallyhinch
    Member

    The more people we can have show up in Aberdeen on Saturday outside the SNP conference the better

    http://walkcyclevote.scot/snp-conference-ride-17th-october/

    Admittedly, Aberdeen is a long way away, but if you could all contact your SNP MSPs, councillors and MP and say that you'd appreciate seeing them show up, that would be great.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  23. crowriver
    Member

    Unfortunately, the SNP seem to have defunded the regional transport partnerships not only as part of their distinctly centralising tendency which concentrates power in the Scottish government's hands, but also I get they impression that they can't stand the thought of councillors from other parties having any meaningful say over these kinds of decisions.

    Whether or not the RTPs were "Labour fiefdoms" this was a very short sighted and retrograde act of political sabotage. Reminds me rather of the decision to withdraw Transport Scotland officials from the Edinburgh trams project: another short sighted act of spite.

    After nearly a decade of SNP government, local government seems to feel slightly empowered again, at least to the extent that initiatives like the SES plan are developing and, it seems, councils looking to implement parts of it. The big question I suppose is where will the money come from?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  24. Rob
    Member

    "Hi Kirsty, we funded a feasibility study looking at a route from Musselburgh to Portobello. Will link once available on our website"

    https://twitter.com/SEStran/status/881900655291637761

    Posted 6 years ago #

  25. chdot
    Admin

    My bold

    "

    SEStran (@SEStran)
    04/07/2017, 11:33
    @KirstyLewin @Edinburgh_CC @ELCouncil support its implementation. V important cross-boundary route. Will have final copy of report next week will link when online 2/2

    "

    https://twitter.com/sestran/status/882185480846139393

    Posted 6 years ago #

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