So.... How are things working out at the selected schools? Parents obeying the rules? Has it made a difference? ( can't find the original thread)
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
School Street closure
(49 posts)-
Posted 8 years ago #
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Main thread here -
http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12412
Sciennes only started yesterday.
Two policemen and a piper.
Police spoke to quite a few drivers, but traffic MUCH lighter than previously.
Apparently drivers are getting ticketed at 'more mature' sites.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"Two policeman and a piper"
There's got to be a joke about the piping keeping all the drivers away due to the noise, but I can't quite work it out...
Posted 8 years ago # -
It appears to be working well at Abbeyhill. Not driving to school is the "new normal" which is great.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Good to hear. Despite hysterical protests to the contrary, people are flexible and adapt to change.
Roll on more school streets and 20mph.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Lunchtime at Sciennes
"
No police again. A few parents flaunting the rules and over 30 vehicles counted by traffic warden during the first 15 minutes. I stopped a few and just explained nicely that it was a no through road. Most people were ok.
"
Posted 8 years ago # -
Happened to pass Sciennes about 8.35 this morning. 20 cars, 3 taxis and 2 vans went through until I left at 8.45. One car above the speed limit. No drop-offs within the zone. Some were stopped by parents for a quick chat. One man came up to speak to me, as he had apparently driven through yesterday for the first time and been windscreen slapped. He'd stopped and been educated. His main point was that the signage is rubbish and cluttered, and he didn't know about it. His point was that the flashing lights are no different to a regular 20 zone light that you'd see outside a school, and unless you stop to look at the sign you wouldn't know the street is closed. Probably true.. Possibly a role for cones outside this school pending full street closure!
Posted 8 years ago # -
"pending full street closure"
My expectation is that (assuming there is some monitorign going on) that it will be obvious that flashing lights and signs dont work - and hence they have to recemmend full closure.
Frankly, I dont want my son walking along there on his own thinking it is safe when it is anything but.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I've been told that barriers staffed by parent volunteers may be coming.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Things are not too bad at St. John's Portobello. There's a marked reduction in traffic, but still a number of cars flaunting the ban every morning (I don't see home time so can't comment on that).
I've seen a few drivers pause at the entrance, look at the sign, glance up and down the road then drive on in anyway. It's a calculated decision by many.
I think it needs the police to turn up and hand out some point and fines. This will then be reported as a war on hard working motorists by the chip-wrapper, but it will get the message out. People do not like to be hit in the wallet.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"I think it needs the police to turn up and hand out some point and fines."
That was supposed to happen. Don't know if 'still coming'.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Flouting the ban. Flaunting means something different.
</pedant mode off>Posted 8 years ago # -
/flounces off.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Yesterday afternoon with School Streets sign lights flashing away merrily I was greeted by the spectacle of a huge John Lewis delivery van attempting to reverse down Abbey Street as parents and kids made their way home on the very narrow pavement alongside. Two staff in the van, the non-driver didn't bother to get out to check if they were perhaps reversing over young child unintentionally.
I literally could not believe it. Luckily I was saved from having to intervene as they must have decided Abbey Street was two narrow and proceeded exit Abbey Street and parked (blinks on of course) adjacent to the pedestrian crossing on Montrose Terrace, on double yellow lines, at a junction. The crossing attendants gave them a telling off so they parked further up Montrose Terrace eventually.
Yes, people need to deliver fridges/washing machines/etc. However John Lewis need to train their delivery personnel in pedestrian safety and the rules of the road!
Posted 8 years ago # -
That's interesting with John Lewis, crowriver. Probably worth a complaint?
I moved house recently and had a bed delivered by them. Our house is down a single track lane but there is a lot of room at the bottom to turn. John Lewis delivery lorry reversed a whole maybe 800 yards to get in, despite being able to drive in forwards and turn at the houses. You'd think in these days of google maps/street view they could work out in advance where is best to park/whether a transit van is better suited to the task!
Posted 8 years ago # -
I made a complaint about a JL driver once.
Got a bit of 'the driver has a different opinion', but at least they did interview him.
Certainly worth making JL aware of the fact/point of School Streets.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Two bobbies and a parking attendant outside St. Johns in Duddingston this morning stopping drivers who were in the street while the restrictions were in place. I didn't get a chance to ask but it looked like they were just warning drivers and recording names/numbers rather than handing out tickets.
They were highly visible and I saw at least one car make a last minute course alteration when the driver spotted the officers. My neighbour's daughter who is a persistent, almost daily, offender must have spotted them as she was parked up outside the street.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"it looked like they were just warning drivers and recording names/numbers rather than handing out tickets."
I think the policy is to do that first.
Next time they do this it will be tickets.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Does anyone know why James Gillespie's hasn't been included in the 1st or 2nd stages of the plan?
It seems like one that is crying out for action. The corner of Whitehouse Loan and Warrender Pk Rd is just chaotic in the morning.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Maybe the school didn't apply? It's a pilot scheme (initially for 5 schools, since extended to 10, but 2 schools withdrew): schools have to apply, and are then assessed against criteria. The shortlist, criteria scoring, etc. is all buried somewhere on the council web site education pages...
Posted 8 years ago # -
It would appear that a wee drop of rain magically waives the ban on parents driving to the school gates to drop off kids. Or at least, that's what you'd think to judge by the behaviour of around a dozen drivers this morning on Abbey Street.
I'm now starting to see that enforcement will be essential for the future efficacy of the School Streets scheme. People are just lazy and don't like walking in the rain.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Parent's seemed well behaved at Sciennes this afternoon except for three one at least of which had a blue badge. Non parents on the other hand were certainly not well behanved.
Kudos to the kid who strolled slowly across the road and stopped to give a couple of approaching cars a long hard stare as they drove past the flashing lights.
One Dad did have a chat with a driver, it's just a shame he waited until one minute after the road reopened to do so.
I'm not sure the closure is long enough. Having watched it from about 3PM when the road was abandoned after the infants had cleared the older kids then came out at 3.20 but hadn't cleared by the time the road reopened at 3.30. Is there any reason a barrier couldn't be erected outside the school during the road closure times?
Posted 8 years ago # -
"Is there any reason a barrier couldn't be erected outside the school during the road closure times?"
Might cause some damage to the ambulances accessing the sick kids :-)
Don't worry, this is the start - the end game is a closed road so the kids can play across the road.
Posted 8 years ago # -
There can't be many locations where the quickest route to Sick Kids is across the front of the school. Guess it will have to wait until the hospital relocates then.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"...the end game is a closed road so the kids can play across the road."
Leith Primary got a bit of St Andrew Place (already fenced-off at the Duncan Place end) fenced-off to use as extra playground, albeit ostensibly temporarily whilst some of the playground is occupied by the ostensibly temporary nursery Portakabin, since the nursery was in the Duncan Place building.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Living Streets Scot
@LStreetsScot
Year one report shows @Edinburgh_CC school streets pilot is helping kids walk to schoolFrom the report (link to download PDF above), my emphasis:
3.1 Issues and suggestions were also provided through initial engagement exercises, and follow-on statutory consultation exercises, as well as via service requests and correspondence received from residents and the school community. The main themes to emerge through stakeholder feedback were (in priority order):
- road restrictions will not be/are not obeyed unless the police are present: 223;
- the problem will move/has moved elsewhere: 142;
- School Streets perceived as beneficial: 129;
- School Streets perceived as an inconvenience: 65;
- the signage is not clear: 48;
- School Streets has made no difference: 35;
- School Streets has helped local residents park more easily: 15; and
- School Streets is causing conflict between parents: 6.Posted 7 years ago # -
BTW I responded to the consultation and the 'issues' identified correspond to my experience.
Parents dropping off just outside the restricted zone, "loading" on double yellows while parked across a pedestrian crossing? Check.
Parents ignoring the ban because of lack of enforcement? Check.
Parents flouting the ban completely whenever the weather's a bit wet? Check.
Posted 7 years ago # -
On BBC Radio Scotland NOW - phone in 'expanding school streets scheme across Scotland'
Posted 7 years ago # -
Staggering hypocrisy from John MacLellan, complaining about cars speeding down wide residential streets.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Had occasion to be standing outside Sick Kids today at schools out time for Sciennes. The School Street Closure flashing lightes were ignored by about 40 cars (including 4 taxis), none of whom stopped at Sick Kids. One particular car must have been going about 40 mph through it as well. Must be really frustrating for Sciennes' Parents. Will drop a line to councillors.
Also mighty suspicious group of 5 teenage boys at 2.30pm, riding eclectic range of bikes for their age (2 fold up Brompton styles, one heavy oversized city commuter bike -like a Charge). Paying an unusual interest in bikes locked to lampposts...One went by the name of Campbell. They didn't do anything other than stop or cycle slowly past bikes though, so my interest in them may be misplaced.
Posted 6 years ago #
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