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IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
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There will probably be a consultation in the spring about segregated cycle paths on Dundee Street from Fowler Terrace (linking to Harrison Park) all the way to Semple Street (and possibly as far as Lothian Road). This would be one-way on each side of the road
WHAT!!! Now that is something that I will definitely be in favour of.
(Not, to be clear, that I'm not in favour of the rest of it.)
Is it worth starting a new thread to gather early thoughts for the Dundee Street consultation?
Yes
Please
Would be great to discuss Dundee Street.
I just want to stress the 'probably' in my remark suggesting this would be consulted on next spring, I don't know how far council plans have progressed. This was a throwaway comment from one of the council people at the consultation who mentioned that the potential new route along Dundee street would have to be taken into consideration when designing the link from Telfer Subway to the canal, and that this route was likely to be consulted on in the spring. I don't think that a final decision has been taken, and priorities might get changed. The council certainly haven't announced that this is happening...
New thread created. Even if it is some way away then it's worth recording thoughts and suggestions.
Well, if Arellcat can get her torpedo (or C. her tricycle) along it, I will be gobsmacked.
Here is some video of me trying out the Innocent-Meadows route with its plethora of right-angled turns. In every case I was turning the machine as tightly as it could and in all but one I had to borrow extra ground to make the turns. If it was like a channel with high walls, it would be impossible!
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Was there anything about the physical plans visible at the consultation which isn't in the downloadables? I can make one or both of the remaining Roseburn-Leith events but couldn't get to the canal one, so will be relying on the online plans.
I'd similarly hope it could avoid making cyclists have to turn up and cross Sauchiebank, but I assume the bike entrance is tucked round the corner for maximum spreading-out of the required ascent, with the introduction of an extra hairpin to speed down reckless maniacs a useful side-effect. Presumably they've anticipated the creation of an EXTREME-ists' straight-down desire line, as present to the north of the hairpins down from the NEPN, and will leave gaps in fences accordingly. Presumably the consultation-leading landscapers haven't done any swept path analyses the way they would have to with something like a bus station entrance, so anyone else with any data on/footage of the minimal turning radii of non-basic-upright cycles should punt it in. Regular-wheelbase non-augmented upright cycles' operators sometimes struggle to make the Roseburn slope-turns in one if they're not concentrating or are impeded by someone not considering others' routes.
I wonder if a Duff St Lane entrance would ever be used in the future as an excuse to not bother making Dalry Road any better, instead Quiet Routing cycles along the back ways towards Haymarket? It'd still be useful to have as an extra escape route, particularly around a wooded bit leading to an enclosed bridge.
Extra nearby access from the LIDL car park notwithstanding, the entrance from the subway/Orwell Terrace is extremely unfriendly at the moment. Not as bad but similarly needing a little extra even if there may eventually be a toucan there is the opening opposite Downfield Place.
I'll reference the toucans between Springside/Morrison Circus and Fishwives' Causeway/Baileyfield Road as examples of toucans which make it very clear that they're only there to allow motor vehicles to steam past for the vast majority of the time without getting inconvenient dents in their bonnets. A pedestrian/cyclist crossing across the WAR at such a potentially useful place should prioritise those for whom it exists to theoretically convenience. Future consideration of some sort of WAR-bridging link between the corner of Dundee St/West Approach down-slip and the revised park area would be nice.
ROSEBURN TO CANAL CYCLE LINK
Sunday 6 December 10am – junction of Sauchiebank with Russell Road.
Walking the route – anyone interested?
Euan and I are part of the Spokes group who are putting together a submission for the consultation. We are going to have a look at the route on Sunday 6 December at 10am, starting at the junction of Sauchiebank with Russell Road.
Would anyone be interested in taking part and coming up with some ideas?
We won't do the whole route, as that would be physically impossible but will concentrate on these key points:-
• -at the top of the stairs when exiting from the subway and the narrow section up towards Dundee St,
• -crossing of WAR - the crossing and approaches to both sides
• -the potential for a ramp down to Orwell Terrace
• -the path as it starts/stops at Sauchiebank or Russell Road
Just turn up if you would like to join us.
Oh, at the consultation at Haymarket last night there was something about extending a path by the side of the WAR from where this bit will cross over.
Rosie, is the plan on Sunday to be on foot or on bikes?
Depending on how adventurous you feel, it's possible to walk nearly all the route, except the bits across the road and railways obviously. It's worth a scramble up the embankments to help get your bearings.
@drnoble
Walking. I live very near and Euan will chain his cycle at the start at Russell Road.
I meant at the start of the route, at Sauchiebank/Russell Road.
In case it's useful to anyone writing their own responses, here's some photos I took while walking around with Rosie et al earlier today: https://goo.gl/photos/D9UYC6ZPPx7nDhsU8.
On a related note, I was chatting to Allan Hutcheon and Phil Noble (from CEC) at the Roseburn to Leith Walk consultation on Wednesday and asking what the link between that and Sauchiebank would be. He mentioned that they are planning to upgrade the existing path on Russell Road so that there is a clearer link and that consultation/engagement is forthcoming. Indeed, he said that they've got about 18 projects on the list (!!) so it sounds like there's a lot to look forward to! :-D
Great stuff. sorry i didn't make it, although I did have a nose around the Dalry side on my own as I dragged the kids to Lidl from Harrison Park.
I don't know if you looked at the back route from Dundee terrace to the canal at all? I think that was the route marked on the ATAP (although it was always made clear that that was purely speculative.
the route to Gibson terrace looks better, but I can see the logic of also improving the route south/west from Dalry too. or at least consider it when thinking about the route.
@SRD - we didn't look at the canal links, really just assumed Gibson Terrace. We did discuss if Murdoch Terrace could be knocked through, which would be a very direct route.
I was really interested in Drysdale Road which slopes gently up to Fountainbridge from WAR and if there was (a) a crossing across WAR and (b)a wide shared pavement by FB you could turn left and then cross to Gilmore Park to hit the canal.
It was a very useful walk. Note to self - wear walking boots rather than trainers after torrential rain and carry walking poles to get up slippery embankments.
Is Drysdale the one that comes up next to the pizza place? I had a taxi driver take that the other day - totally bemused me. occurred to me that if that connection becomes more used, they will definitely need to 'civilise' the WA.
Dundee Terrace makes a decent quite route (except for all the parking) to the canal, and also connects to the old railway that runs over to the Shandon colonies.
Drysdale Road is a new road linking Fountainbridge to the WAR. If you cycle or walk down it you can turn on to the WAR in either direction without passing a prohibited notice.
@SRD Drysdale is part of the new development there, so probably is beside pizza place (mean to check later). As the whole area becomes residential the WAR goes from being urban motorway to city street with normal access. Doubt if the kiddies will start playing there yet though...
Once would have been a railway with tenements backing on to it one side and, I imagine, factories the other.
Didn't know about Dundee Terrace. Will check it out when there is light again.
Once would have been a railway with tenements backing on to it one side and, I imagine, factories the other.
The tenements of Caledonian Crescent to the north (Dalry) side, what is now the alignment of Drysdale Road was within the site of the original Fountain Brewery (i.e. not the 1970s one on the other side of Fountainbridge.) Although the road was never there, the junction with Fountainbridge was the access for the brewery.
There were latterly residential tenements on the north side of Fountainbridge and Dundee Street, and also a short street called "Dundee Place" where the east access to Fountainpark is and another called "West Fountainbridge" alongside the Telfer Subway. Access to the subway was originally from the end of West Fountainbridge, there was a building where the graded steps now are.
Some photos of Drysdale Road, linking the WAR to Fountainbridge - https://flic.kr/s/aHskndJYaP
Notice the lack of prohibition signs saying pedestrians and cyclists are not permitted on the WAR
There's no right turn out of Drysdale Rd onto the WAR and no right turn eastbound off the WAR into Drysdale.
That tends to suggest that "they" are still treating the WAR as an urban motorway rather than a civilised street. And traffic 'flow' is king. (Why add another phase to the lights? - that would slow down the motorway.)
"Notice the lack of prohibition signs"
I did, a couple of weeks ago! Slightly strange but not exactly unexpected.
Though in a city that takes great 'care' over TROs...
I wonder if they have forgotten/not to get round to putting signs up or haven't empowered themselves to do it!
No idea how straightforward it would be to remove cycling restriction from here to Lothian Road. Not the most pleasant road but better than many - especially if this section was all 30mph (which it really should be given the increasing number of signalled pedestrian crossings.)
The WAR from Fountainpark to Lothian Road is all 30mph now. You can just see the 40mph signs in the last photo.
Personally I don't like the WAR being made more pedestrian friendly. With every extra set of traffic lights introduced it makes it quicker to drive through the residential areas of Fountainbridge and Dalry than it is to drive along the WAR.
"You can just see the 40mph signs in the last photo."
Ah, hadn't realised/noticed, thanks.
"makes it quicker to drive through the residential areas of Fountainbridge and Dalry"
Perhaps, but I suspect most drivers don't realise or bother to change their habits for so few seconds (though some will!) not least because if enough people did their timings would lengthen!
The bigger picture is that 'traffic' should be discouraged more. If vehicles are displaced then the pedestrian crossing times in Dalry and Fountainbridge should be increased (and Princes Street).
I'd probably shut the WAR completely to motors, though a bus and bike (not the Westfield bit) corridor might be optimum.
Where WAR descends to Westfield Road there's a bus stop. The road is very busy and dangerous to cross – I would not venture over it with a child. We had a light controlled crossing when they were building the tramline, then they removed it. Finally they built a traffic island when they were fixing the road a couple of months back, which is a great relief. But there does seem to be a real desire to keep the WAR as the urban motorway.
"I'd probably shut the WAR completely to motors, though a bus and bike (not the Westfield bit) corridor might be optimum. "
@chdot – I don't know if I'd care for that much as it would route traffic through Roseburn Street (where I live).
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