Half the phones in the office just went ping as various news apps updated commuters.
Now we just have to hope for some better weather so that it stays open for cyclists.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News
Avoid FRB tomorrow
(404 posts)-
Posted 9 years ago #
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Lets hope the bridge can handle traffic better that it's website. Looks like all the commuters have just launched a DDoS attack.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@forthroadbridge 2 hours ago
"The east footpath will be open to cyclists and pedestrians from 6 a.m. tomorrow, weather permitting"Posted 9 years ago # -
Forumer(?) quoted on RS this morning. "Glad to save money on fares and get some exercise on cycle from Rosyth to Edinburgh".
Wonder how many people were 'converted' to other commuting routines. I reckon not many. Those that cycled or drove before return to their usual regime.
Someone I know had option of delivering something to Kirkcaldy several days ago. Despite the fact that driving was slower they still rated it as 'viable' based on fact they reckoned train was expensive and crowded (versus a solo occupant of a 2 litre vehicle).
Driving is not simply about speed but the fact you carry your own space. Airline travel of course is the only exception where habitual drivers do 'public transport' - a necessary hardship to go somewhere quickly.Posted 9 years ago # -
Was also much lighter this morning than yesterday.
Things looking up. Bax is even going to be able to get to his girlfriend's parents for Xmas dinner.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Cycle path was completely blocked by road signs this morning at Ferrytoll. Tweeted a picture to them but no response. Had to use the muddy verge which was very slippy, nearly came off. How can contractors think that's acceptable? The mind boggles!
Posted 9 years ago # -
I think cost has a lot to do with it. I normally get the bus to Dunfermline when I'm not cycling and it works out about the same price as the car. I have enjoyed using the train but given that it would cost more than taking a car the majority of the time and is less convenient than then bus I'm not likely too.
If the train is too expensive to persuade me as a single occupant out of a car what hope is there for those who care less about the environmental cost or have multiple occupants in their vehicle.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Things looking up. Bax is even going to be able to get to his girlfriend's parents for Xmas dinner.
Unfortunately i have already booked three non-refundable nights at the godforsaken travelodge in edinburgh..
Cycle path was completely blocked by road signs this morning at Ferrytoll. Tweeted a picture to them but no response.
AMEY don't bother to respond to tweets. Their customer is Transport Scotland.
They also don't feel the need to respond to formal complaints.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Are the signs moveable?
Posted 9 years ago # -
Yeh they're just the large 'A' frame ones. They just responded with a one liner saying they'll pass it to the relevant team.
Posted 9 years ago # -
AMEY responded?
wonders will never cease
Posted 9 years ago # -
Well the FRB twitter account did! (assume that's run by Amey?)
They've sent a further tweet to say the signs have now been removed.
Posted 9 years ago # -
FRB twitter is run by AMEY, yes.
to be fair i did get a reply once, by email when encouraging them to fix the wind speed graph.
anything more complex tends to be left unanswered tho.
in the FETA days, you could email individual employees, but AMEY funnel all enquiries (and responses, if you're very lucky) through a single corporate enquiries email account
Posted 9 years ago # -
Is the A985 open at all to bicycles? I'm thinking of doing 2 bridges tomorrow morning, but I seem to recall that that road was is currently only used by HGVs? I'm only going to be on it from Pattiesmuir to Cairneyhill, but if I'm not allowed on it, I'll need to find an alternative way.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@kenny I thought they let light goods vehicles along too to assuage Amazon? And now only hgvs banned from FRB but presumably there is some official info to confirm?
Posted 9 years ago # -
Now the FRB is re-opened all the restrictions on the A985, Kincardine Br, etc. are lifted.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@gembo - honestly, I have no clue, and I couldn't find any useful info on teh interwebs.
@cyclops - ok, good to know. I'd heard at the point when FRB was opened to cars, that the a985 was staying HGV only, but I likely heard that wrong.
Sounds like I should be good to go on it then, cheers.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I was lucky to be able to WFH a bit, but everything is that bit more difficult than in the office, and I don't get to ride my bike...
First commute for a month and all the Xmas excess made it a tough one. But very glad bridge is open and looking forward to working back to full fitness.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Keep up pressure for proper contingency planning. Weather related closures for cycles and peds should have mandate that scheduled service bus routes (including the X coaches) will be required to carry peds and cyclists between South Toll Plaza and Ferry Toll stopping point FOC or for the equivalent saving that FRB makes from not having to provide a van to carry people across on demand as instructed by FRB Control Room. After all most of these services are registered and claiming BSOG and some may even be subsidised by Fife Council (and for the latter the Council could write this condition in to the contract).
Not quite sure if Joan Aitken as TC for Scotland can do this on a Scottish basis for Forth, Tay, Erskine and possibly Moray Firth crossings through PPV Act legislation? Or if those nimble enough spot a new/changed service registration involving these crossings in the Notices & Proceedings, to put in a comment/objection requiring this condition when weather closes pedestrian and cycle access to crossing.
Posted 9 years ago # -
"
MOTORISTS heading into Edinburgh across the Forth Road Bridge now face average speed cameras and risk a fine of up to £1000 if they break the 40mph limit.
Safety cameras went live yesterday on the southbound carriageway of the A90 over a five-mile stretch from the Admiralty turn-off on the Fife side to the junction for the M9 spur near South Queensferry.
"
http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/forth-road-bridge-speed-cameras-in-operation-1-4002034
Posted 9 years ago # -
Enforced 40mph should make for much more reliable journey times at busy periods. ASCs really do work well and are the antithesis of every 'cameras are only there to make money' argument.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I seem to recall that it was Newcastle where it was reported, some years ago, that there were ructions in the Council because they had spent a very substantial sum on installing these but were getting next to no income from them.
Posted 9 years ago # -
"
A structural fault which forced the closure of Forth Road Bridge may have happened years ago but remained undetected because it was hidden from view, a Holyrood inquiry into the shutdown heard today.
Engineers told MSPs the fault could not have been foreseen despite regular inspections of the area beneath the bridge’s carriageways.
They also said a decision to scrap repairs for a separate problem, planned in 2010, which might have also covered the fault, was the right one at the time as it was not classed as safety critical.
"
Posted 9 years ago # -
Forth Road Bridge closure linked to maintenance budget cuts
Former chief engineer for the bridge, and former head of FETA (one Cllr Lesley Hinds) give evidence. SNP government don't come out of it looking very competent...
Posted 9 years ago # -
What is people's strategy with getting onto and off the bridge at the north end just now.
Insto and I had a bit of a climb stairs, wade through road works to eventually end up going up the east approach, down the stairs, under the bridge and back up to emerge at the gate on the west side.
Facebook FRB account seems to be suggesting that bog all has been thought about and you either do the above or go the N Queensferry road and go into the Queensferry hotel carpark and down that way.
Again, how are people getting off the bridge Northbound. The last two times I threaded down the road to join the sliproad onto the FT roundabout. Doesn't feel like any sort of officially sanctioned route although I don't think an officially sanctioned route for bikes has been thought of at all.
Posted 9 years ago # -
TractorFactory- Heading from the North, I've been asking the same question and got more or less the same answer as you. I assume the wee path down on to teh NQ road we used a couple of years back is completely taken over by the building site...
I used the steps this morning. Assuming the bridge is closed to cyclists tonight and tomorrow morning, I'll do more of a recce tomorrow night, but I'm not at all surprised that no thought has been given...
Posted 9 years ago # -
You can go through the hotel car park - going north, immediately where the bridge ends there's a tarmac path (footpath-width) that rises to the hotel; from there turn left to the access road (care - may be slippery) and then right onto the NQ road. This new road meets the Ferrytoll - Rosyth road at a signalled T junction. If you are going to Inverkeithing and points north/east, turn right there, along a section where one lane is coned off (hoping there are no impatient motorists behind) to the roundabout. There you have a choice of either turning left up the hill (B980/Castlandhill Rd), or right to the big roundabout at ferrytoll. The former is preferable in my view as it doesn't involve negotiating the roundabout or climbing through Inverkeithing. If going up the B980, take the right turn over the motorway bridge and then after a short climb it's downhill to the minit roundabout in the centre of Inverkeithing.
Going south - just reverse the above.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Thanks @panyagua- was going to try that- hoped it would work
Posted 9 years ago # -
South to North, I'll take the bus lane and then primary on the ferytoll slip road.
North to South, I'll be participating in the carrying bike up/down the stairs farce, while bitterly reminiscing on Transport Scotland's unimplemented sustainable travel hierarchy.
"We can't please everyone" - AMEY bridge controller
Posted 9 years ago #
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