CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

Russell Road dangerous right turn onto start of NEPN

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  1. Duncan
    Member

    Today I had the nearest miss in 40 years of cycling in Edinburgh. I was cycling NW on Russell Road and had just passed under the tram bridge. I was stationary, indicating to turn right at the left-bend, across the oncoming traffic, to join the NEPN up the steep zig-zag path.

    A car came round the bend towards me, cut the corner so that it was mostly on my side of the road, and suddenly I had a car driving straight at me, with no way for me to move. At the very last moment it swerved a fraction, and brushed past me. Fortunately I had not placed myself in the very middle of the road next to the white line, as normal, or I would not be writing this now.

    I suspect I was in the driver's blind spot as he turned his car.

    I have reported this to the council and flagged up the danger of cyclist invisibility at this point - but I wonder if others have had a similar experience here? I'm asking for some way of segregating the point at which cyclists pause before turning right.

    This is not the first time I've seen drivers cutting this corner - it's scary to realise that up till now my safety at this junction has simply been a matter of luck...

    Posted 7 years ago #

  2. Klaxon
    Member

    Join the pavement at the end of Sauchiebank - the kerb's been dropped as if to allow you to do that and there is some meek shared use signage probably supposed to face the other way

    Posted 7 years ago #

  3. cb
    Member

    That's not a blind spot unless he was only using one eye.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  4. crowriver
    Member

    Sounds like a case of "driver failed to look properly", the number one cause of collisions in the UK.

    As others have said, much safer to join the shared use path earlier: it runs right under the bridge IIRC.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  5. Roibeard
    Member

    At a recent council consultation, another member of the public showed me footage of him being hit by a driver in exactly these circumstances.

    I believe the driver was prosecuted, but that didn't reduce his victim's injuries.

    Robert

    Posted 7 years ago #

  6. Stickman
    Member

    Roibeard - that was probably Big_Smoke who sometimes posts here.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  7. Dave
    Member

    I hate this bit, it's the worst part of my commute now they burned off the double yellow lines to allow parking on the corner.

    I still generally ride this way (rather than using the pavement under the bridges) but it sucks. Have had numerous near misses.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  8. SRD
    Moderator

    I turn off under the bridge if I have kids with me, but that can be tricky too - neither option ideal, except when traffic quiet.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  9. Dave
    Member

    Yeah. My experience tends to be that it's always low level hassle going on the pavement - you have to deal with the oncoming traffic, traffic coming down the road from the right which you're cutting across, then often people drive out from the road on the left too if they sense you're slowing down. Plus you've got cyclists and pedestrians coming up the pavement towards you, there's crap on the surface and it's really dark.

    By comparison it used to be really nice just using the drop kerb. Zoom down the hill, under the bridges, stick your right arm out, find a gap, and you were done. Now I'm always trying to decide whether to risk being shunted from behind or nailed from in front.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  10. chdot
    Admin

    Best to shut the road again - like it was for two lots of bridge works.

    The world didn't collapse.

    (Any current world uncertainties are not related to Russell Road.)

    Posted 7 years ago #

  11. Frenchy
    Member

    (Any current world uncertainties are not related to Russell Road.)

    Maybe not, but it's worth a shot, isn't it?

    Posted 7 years ago #

  12. chdot
    Admin

    "it's worth a shot, isn't it?"

    Most definitely.

    Of course it should have been part of the current 'Roseburn plans'.

    So until that's all sorted can't see CEC wanting to propose a closure.

    Well worth raising with candidates for May election (not just those with R Rd in ward) - points are 'key commuting route', 'road safety' etc.

    Also, if you contact SNP candidates '10% by 2020'.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  13. davidsonsdave
    Member

    I reported this exact problem on 17 June 2016 after they removed the double yellows. Went into the black-hole which is Clarence never to be seen again.

    https://www.fixmystreet.com/report/842876

    After a trying both the before and after bridge routes for a couple of weeks, I now always use the Sauchiebank route due to the better sight lines giving motorists a better chance to see me, and it gives me some leeway to time my arrival at the junction to make the right turn without stopping.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  14. Rosie
    Member

    There's planning permission for 36 Russell Road to turn it into student accommodation!

    https://citydev-portal.edinburgh.gov.uk/idoxpa-web/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=OJKMHWEWJ4S00

    Exclamation as the student accommodation empire is spreading from Fountainbridge.

    Includes bicycle storage & access.

    With the Roseburn to Canal link and a Canal to Meadows link i.e. a route to Edinburgh University the whole area could become more cycle friendly, which should suit the students.

    But - naïve question - where has been the great expansion of the universities that needs all this student accommodation?

    Posted 7 years ago #

  15. Frenchy
    Member

    But - naïve question - where has been the great expansion of the universities that needs all this student accommodation?

    UoE has ~12000 more students now than it did 10 years ago (increased from ~24000 in 2005/2006 to ~36000 in 2015/2016).

    Student halls are (mainly) used by first year undergraduates and students who are only here for one year (exchange students and students doing taught postgraduate degrees). The number of undergraduates has gone up by about 5000 (so an increase in first year undergraduates of >1000) and the number of taught postgraduates has also increased by ~5000 (from ~2800 to ~7600). So that's, roughly, 6000 extra people looking for student accommodation.

    Napier and Heriot-Watt will have similar stories, I think.

    Additional pressure on the availability of rented flats from the increase in short term lets won't help, either.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  16. SRD
    Moderator

    "But - naïve question - where has been the great expansion of the universities that needs all this student accommodation?"

    huge numbers of masters students and foreign undergraduates over past 15 years, even while UCAS quotas for home students have remained stagnant.

    Final year students writing dissertations in my department have gone from numbers ranging in the 20-40s to more than 160. masters students even more dramatic. Programmes that used to be lucky to have 4-6 students per year now have 40-60; new ones have even more. etc

    edit: thank you Frenchy for moving beyond the anecdote!

    Posted 7 years ago #

  17. Rosie
    Member

    @SRD & Frenchy

    Thanks both. From a cycling point of view it's good to have a younger demographic.

    36 Russell Road - between the Western Approach Bridge & the Tram & Railway Bridge. Not as handy to shops as the Fountainbridge residents - however may bring business to the Roseburn shops & cafes.

    Re lets of flats - a pal of mine rents out a couple and says when one becomes available he has huge interest. It's really a letters' market.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  18. Big_Smoke
    Member

    Hello there. Yes the guys are correct I was taken down there and I'm sorry it almost happened to you.

    FYI, the lobotomite that hit me was only fined best of 350. I'm getting compensation thanks to the solicitors (great people) but it still feels hollow.

    Honestly the responses from him suggested he's deluded. Especially as when confronted he didn't believe he cut the corner and that, "he didn't see me but I had it recorded anyway." Once my solicitors are finished with me I'll post the clip someday.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  19. drnoble
    Member

    I had a driverist look at me in disbelief on Sunday, as I was preventing him from cutting that corner, as I waited to turn right on my side of the very faded white line (which I pointed to).
    No harm done, but it was closer than I would have liked, and sounds similar to the experiences of others on here.

    I have created an issue for this on cyclescape https://edinburgh.cyclescape.org/threads/3006

    Posted 7 years ago #

  20. Duncan
    Member

    Thanks folks for your suggestions and confirmation from others' experience that it's not just a one-off. Big_Smoke, I'd be interested to see your footage. Once may be unlucky, twice a coincidence, but three times, and counting...

    DrNoble - good to see you have taken action on this as well. When I hear back from the council I will draw their attention to this evidence.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  21. 559
    Member

    Reading this chain at lunchtime, reinforced my bike antenna for the journey home.
    Waiting on white line to turn right onto cycle path, two cars come round from Roseburn. Not too fast. Second car gets slightly caught out by my presence, uses his horn.
    Decide to ask for his opinion on this, so follow and catch him in Murieston.
    Apparently as there is no junction, I should not have been there! Highlight start of cycle lane denies it exists.

    Log Clarence complaint about central white lines, and the parked cars on the bend.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  22. LivM
    Member

    Dear Mr/Ms Council
    Can we have a right-turning bike lane painted on the road please, in a place visible to people coming in the opposite direction? Loveandkisses, Us.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  23. neddie
    Member

    painted on the road

    Sounds more like an island is needed...

    ...one with reinforced concrete bollards and paint scratching spiky bits.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  24. LaidBack
    Member

    It does need warning signs and island. Closure would be better of course.

    Fact is that 99% of drivers neither know nor care where entry point to cycle routes are.

    Simialr problems exist if you ever try to go onto Bruntsfield Path when doing a right turn at Toucan crossing (when green to cars). Average driver thinks you're just about to cycle on pavement into park and might discourage you by tooting horn or worse.
    Safer/slower way is to ride onto pavement at Leamington and join light phase.

    At Russell Road the pavement is what I use a lot but has annoying drain and posts on it. Plus it makes a very sharp turn onto ramp.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  25. gibbo
    Member

    "I wonder if others have had a similar experience here?"

    Yes, repeatedly. (Including with council vehicles coming the other way.)

    One thing that might help would be double yellow lines on the easbound lane. That would allow vehicles to go deeper into the corner, rather than cutting the corner.

    (Another thing that might help is if Police Scotland treated dangerous driving as a crime, rather than a joke.)

    Posted 7 years ago #

  26. Luath
    Member

    "I wonder if others have had a similar experience here?"

    Yes, me too.

    Exacerbated this morning by a road works van parked on the remaining bits of double yellow. On the other hand maybe they were about to install the much needed island?

    I think it got a mention in this twitter thread:
    https://twitter.com/EdinPolSE/status/818719873840906240

    Posted 7 years ago #

  27. Frenchy
    Member

    Drove along Russell Road last night. There really isn't much room at that corner when there are cars parked on the outside. Those double yellows need to be put back.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  28. Harts Cyclery
    Member

    When's this elevated bit across Dalry Road getting built? Will that solve this problem?

    To be honest, even going South here is horrible coming out at the industrial estate. You have to look over your shoulder to merge with traffic, watch out for folk turning right and watch out for folk coming out of the industrial estate. And the parked cars mean that when you do join, you get squeezed by passing traffic. Certainly on my cargo bike it ain't pleasant. Not so bad on a normal bike when going a bit faster.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  29. Dave
    Member

    Coming off the path, I would never ride under the bridges on the pavement and try to come out at the junctions. If there's passing traffic preventing me riding out at the drop kerb, the most I do is get some speed up on the pavement then drop off onto the road ASAP.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  30. Frenchy
    Member

    Asked Cllr Paul Edie to look into getting the double yellows back. He got this response from a council officer:

    "We have previously logged this issue on our confirm data base. We will issue a works order in due course to our Road Services road lining squads to paint the markings to close the gap which could not be painted on first visit ironically due to parked cars. We will carryout the works when squad resources become available from other backlogged road marking commitments. In the meantime I will ask [the] Area Engineer to liaise with the road marking supervisor to assess when this work can go ahead."

    (my emphasis)

    So it will be done (sometime). Hopefully enquiring about it pushes it up the queue a wee bit too.

    Posted 7 years ago #

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