https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/sfc/design-cycle-walk-nepn/
Addressing lighting/drainage/surfaces/vegetation/access.
Identifies a number of spots on the path and asks for any other suggestions.
Get suggesting....,
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
NEPN improvements - consultation
(51 posts)-
Posted 7 years ago #
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Cheers done.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Done. Path near Davidson's Mains still floods regularly, but not on their map of 'issues' Have suggested they look into this.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Done.
Surprised to learn NEPN designation stops @ Ostara Cafe, i always thought it went all the way to the bridge at Sandport place.
Didn't see any mention of instant life sentences/deportation for dog owners who don't clean up after their muts. Maybe they forgot to include that.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I have been contacting the council about the path at Davidsons Mains for years and have not once had a response from them. I even contacted the DM & Silverknowes Association (Community Council equivalent) who told me that it was on the list for 2015/16. but that due to funding, it was unlikely to be done this year.
I can't help but think that if it was a road, it would have been sorted within a few months. 43% of Edinburgh residents do not have access to a car but they can't manage to find a comparatively small amount of money to fix things like this.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Filled in the survey, thanks.
It is asking users to add Notes to OpenStreetMap where path issues lie. As an active OSM contributor I do not think this is appropriate, the Notes as I understand it are intended to hightlight issues with the mapping so people can fix it, not chuck a bunch of ECC issues into their database. I can see a couple of Notes have already been unceremoniously closed off by contributors.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I will complete the consultation, but meanwhile, what's this forum's view on improving the NEPN generally? A lot of the older sections, and that's most, are too narrow, the surface has deteriorated, the edges are decayed to the point of being dangerous to cycle near. Is it reasonable to ask for a programme of complete renewal, wider and smoother with drainage designed in, and properly constructed path edges?
Posted 7 years ago # -
@ih: I'd be concerned that they would see improving the existing NEPN as an easy way to spend the cycling budget, and so avoid having to tackle the more controversial proposed extensions. The NEPN isn't too bad - improvements can wait until we have a more connected network, that consequently will be more heavily used and so can justify improvements by the increasing volume of cycle traffic it will carry.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@colonies_chris: agreed, I was about to make a similar point.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Completed it. I did mention that any improvements for walkers must not be to the detriment of cyclists. The NEPN is a main cycling commuter route and if they were to start putting chicanes all over it I would stop using it.
Posted 7 years ago # -
what's this forum's view on improving the NEPN generally?
There's a lot of room for improvement.
Things I raised:
#1: Council not removing glass or leaves.
#2: Allowing vehicles to use it (e.g. trucks going to building site).
#3: Poor surface west of Boswall Rd.
#4: Loose stones at Craigleith junction.And some others.
The glass issue is so bad that, if I'm cycling from Davidsons Mains to Leith Walk, I'll usually go via Hillhouse Rd and Inverleith, rather than go via Blackhall and Telford paths and risk a puncture.
Posted 7 years ago # -
There has been some tarmac plonked and heeled into the crevasses at the bridge crossing Craigleith Drive on the Blackhall stretch. Not sure if this addition improves the ride quality?
Posted 7 years ago # -
The final designs for improvements based on this consultation were supposed to be completed by March 2017. Has anyone seen anything yet?
Posted 6 years ago # -
I've e-mailed CEC for an update.
I trawled the minutes and papers of the Transport & Environment Committee and found nothing related. Morningsider's consultation-fu is probably stronger than mine though.
Posted 6 years ago # -
The council transport ctte has been postponed until 10th Aug.
AFAIK, the papers & agenda are not out yet, but they normally come out one week in advance.
A lot has been deferred from previous meetings to this one, so it should be interesting...
Posted 6 years ago # -
I've heard that the scheme was delayed due to procurement problems but construction is due to start within 1-2 months.
Apparently mainly drainage and re-surfacing but expected to cover a large area.
Sounds promising.Posted 6 years ago # -
I was told that these improvements were due to start in the next few weeks. I am waiting for more details to be sent to me but has anyone else heard anything?
Posted 6 years ago # -
I'm also awaiting a reply to my request for details...
Sincerely hoping that the new signage is not all that we are going to see.
Posted 6 years ago # -
I haven't been given any details of the work but I am told that a contractor has been appointed and that the plans and contract are just about finalised.
I note that the consultation website states that "There will be further opportunities to respond to the designs as they are refined". As far as I can tell, that has not happened. I hope it is not another Silverknowes Roundabout.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Not that it's any less valuable than any of the other consultations which came out at a similar time (or long before) but any idea why this one is being progressed first? Is it a TRO thing?
(Or more optimistically, are we about to get a big wave of infrastructure now to match the wave of consultations we got a year ago?)
Posted 6 years ago # -
The signs on the way to work did make me chuckle. It was super awesome to see a dog one, but then it turned into a bit of a moral panic (dip your lights! Have lights! don't have flashing lights! The Greater Good!)
Posted 6 years ago # -
If I am not wrong (and I sincerely hope I am wrong), they are spending £900k on the NEPN improvements (drainage, surfacing).
Nine hundred thousand pounds. Nearly £1 million. That's over half the cycle budget.
any idea why this one is being progressed first
Because it's easy to do, shovel-ready. There aren't enough staff on the active travel team to cope with the workload. There's also an embargo on employing any more staff.
So now CEC have a huge amount of budget to burn up. The other segregated stuff we've consultated on won't ready for construction until the next financial year, or the year after that, or... or never.
And stuff like that is HARD. So let's put it on the back burner for a bit...
RRRAAAAAAAAARGGGHH!
Posted 6 years ago # -
@nedd1e_h I think a million was around the figure that was mentioned when I was speaking to the chap from the active travel team at the Craigleith junction the other week for the launch of their new signage.
It's not all drainage and surfacing though - there was mention of bollards too!
Posted 6 years ago # -
@nedd1e_h
Because it's easy to do
Alternative theory: Because it has no impact on driving.
This is, over and over, where the council blinks. They talk the talk, but when it comes to taking away road space from drivers, it never gets beyond talk.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@gibbo, if that were true, then the Powderhall path would have been expedited as soon as the waste depot closed. I tend to go with nedd1e_h here: NEPN is "the path of least resistance" in more ways than one...
Posted 6 years ago # -
Don't get me wrong - I'm as angry as the next person that CEC are busy gold-plating stuff that's already good (the NEPN).
They should instead be employing more staff on the AT team. £900k would pay for 15 staff for a year! (Assuming £30k salary and £60k total per staff costs including pension etc).
There are only 4 staff on the active travel team at the moment.
They should be getting on with the HARD and most-useful stuff first.
Posted 6 years ago # -
If they put any bollards on the mainline NEPN, I would advocate 'citizen' removal.
Spending 900k on already good infrastructure when there are only a handful of flood spots and any surfacing defects are mainly due to Cityfibre or other utilities doing a lousy reinstatement is ridiculous.
Posted 6 years ago # -
The entire east-west route has a budget of £6m. How one earth can they spend £1m on the NEPN? Are they planing to build new access points?
Posted 6 years ago # -
They could start with proper drainage, not the half hearted attempt they made a couple of years ago. There are bits which are near perpetual swamp and the surface in some bits is borked, some access points are broken to unusable etc.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Meanwhile the surface of the Restalrig railway path is slowly being broken up by tree roots so that parts of it are nearly unridable. Also a near permanent issue with surface flooding under Lochend Road bridge. So that's another half million to spend next year, then?
Posted 6 years ago #
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