There's a 'Road Closed' sign on S St David St on the approach to the left turn onto George St. In fact, that section of George St is open as far as the junction with Hanover St, where there's a pretty serious barrier, just on the south side of the street, and a large 'Cyclists Dismount'. But there's no sign of any reason for the closure. I just rode briefly onto the other carriageway, crossed back via the pedestrian island and carried on. Anyone know what's going on?
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
George St closure
(76 posts)-
Posted 7 years ago #
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It's in order "to maintain the traffic flow"
<ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY TRAFFIC GOD>
going through Mound / Hanover St / Dundas St instead of Leith St.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I assumed it was to stop rat running too, but that makes more sense.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Can they put similar barriers either end of Rose Street? Might help stop the articulated lorries, delivery vans, and taxis from "just squeezing through" the allegedly pedestrianised street on their way to whatever highly essential destination.
Posted 7 years ago # -
According to @edintravel on Twitter it's to give the traffic from Queen Street more green light time at the junction of Hanover Street and George Street - which makes sense I guess.
The first day it was blocked off, I dutifully dismounted, then walked my bike across the crossing and re-mounted at the roundabout. Except I forgot it's not a roundabout, and almost got wiped out by an HGV coming up from Princes Street... Now I just go via Queen Street and play with the traffic there. Yay, cycling in the city centre...
Posted 7 years ago # -
The 'Cyclists Dismount' is white text on a blue background, so not a legal notice - I ignore it every single day.
CEC - at the forefront of adding barriers to active travel.Posted 7 years ago # -
The 'Cyclists Dismount' sign is still there but the barrier has been adjusted (in what looks like an official way, not guerrilla activity) to allow cyclists through. The traffic lights are switched off so there's no official time in the cycle to proceed, but it works fine as long as you pay close attention to the other traffic.
Posted 7 years ago # -
More closures tonight, that definitely weren't there on Satuday. Southern lane blocked off at the Charlotte Square end. Big truck branded Underbelly was there. Closed to motor traffic, open to cyclists.
Whit noo?
Posted 7 years ago # -
@dougal. It's CHRISTMAS! don't you know. I did hear that they might have some sponsored Electric Bikes for getting between various sites.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Aye, that version of Christmas that starts on 30th October. That one.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@crowriver Pfft. Edinburgh's so late to the party. Don't they know that Christmas starts in August*?
*Tesco Hardengreen certainly had their Christmas aisles up and running back then.
Posted 7 years ago # -
No, August is FESTIVAL. Any fule noe dat.
October is a brief "nowt going on" period before all Hell breaks loose again in this Disneyland-on-sea.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Getting worse around here at the moment. Diverted onto pavement both ways today, delivery lorries allowed on the section between Charlotte Sq and Castle St, and the Castle St junction blocked by the new dome construction...
I'm all for Christmas festivities but it's not been that long since the festival George St issues... If it's going to be that frequent then a temporary segregated lane on Queen St or Young St/Thistle St required... How about that corridor as being the safe cycle route east west?
Posted 7 years ago # -
An interesting point DJK. Since they close George St so regularly the provision of a cycle lane should not only be slick but by this stage barely require thought - rather than the obvious "tacked on" lanes that disappear, get rerouted, parked in, cordoned off or made too narrow for most cyclists to comfortably use.
Posted 7 years ago # -
And to add to the confusion the 'Road Closed' sign on S St David St on the approach to the left turn onto George St has been joined by a yellow 'Diverted vehicles' sign, with arrow pointing vehicles down that closed section.
Posted 7 years ago # -
What *have* they done. Someone has decided that squeezing most of Alton Towers into George Street is what this town needs over winter.
All humbuggery aside at least the gluhwein stalls and the ice skating were vaguely thematically relevant. How they managed to argue "Edinburgh's premier boutique shopping street needs a neon-lit crane that lifts you 100m into the air then plummets you back to the earth", I'll never know.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@dougal Oh, I don't know. Nothing says "Christmas" quite like head-spinning disorientation followed by vomiting.
Posted 7 years ago # -
If they want something traditionally Christmassy they could project a wee film clip of my mum saying "well, that's it all over again for another year" sometime around half-ten in the evening onto a building's wall.
The Street of Light™ was disruptive, but had a slightly less inebriated and shouty customer base than whooshing rides will have, so I expect the cyclist diversion will soon become unusably strewn with shattered intoxicant vessels debris and the imbibers thereof.
Posted 7 years ago # -
"Edinburgh's premier boutique shopping street needs a neon-lit crane that lifts you 100m into the air then plummets you back to the earth", I'll never know.
Is that what the Obscene Erection is? Have been watching this with horror from a distance and wondering what the heck is going on. It towers over the castle from some angles (eg Inverleith Park)
Posted 7 years ago # -
That's the market open, cycling through between Castle St and Charlotte Sq at any reasonable pace greater than walking near impossible... the cycle lane appears to be literally on the Christmas Market. This is NCR1 for goodness sake, and as far as I can see the only reasonable way of getting through from west-east unless you want grinded up by cars on Queen St or buses on Princes St.
Really disappointed that it's happened again. What's the alternative? Young St?
Posted 7 years ago # -
Nothing says "Christmas" quite like head-spinning disorientation followed by vomiting.
I thought that was what eggnog was for.
I went along George St the other day while the Obscene Erection was still being erected, and thought the cycle lane provision was suspiciously well thought out. TIE, after all.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@DJK: What's the alternative?
Well, the council could perhaps explore the idea of not obstructing our thoroughfares for weeks on end in a pathetic attempt to persuade people to hand their cash over to here-today-gone-tomorrow businesses in exchange for a feeble 'thrill', unhealthy junk food or seasonal tat much of which is probably made from single use plastics that will eventually end up polluting the oceans.
Or they could just turn the whole bloody place in to a theme park and pay the residents to go live somewhere else...
Posted 7 years ago # -
I have a client whose windows it overlooks.. he now has the joy of working through the screams and projectile vomiting.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I'm quite happy (in fact- extremely pleased!) to see George St being used in this fashion rather than as a car park.
Edinburgh's public space is so sterile the rest of the year.
Posted 7 years ago # -
The Spurtle nails it yet again
http://www.broughtonspurtle.org.uk/news/its-beginning-feel-lot-%E2%80%A6
Posted 7 years ago # -
It really does.
19. But what about those party-poopers who claim that all this harmless fun and frivolity spoils the historic city for residents? Says Edinburgh’s Director of Pleasure, Councillor Callum Bland: ‘In terms of tourism, you've got to strike a balance between catering for the lowest common denominator and turning the city into a fifth-rate Disneyland where no-one in their right mind would actually want to live. I'd say we've got that balance about right.’And this comment from the "Uberbelly spokesperson"
He adds with a wink: "Thank God I live in London!’
I love the Spurtle and want to have its babies.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Genuine query: Who benefits from these awful crapfests? And I include a large proportion of the August festivals. Where does the large amount of money which is undoubtedly spent end up? And what are the costs to the city in holding them?
Posted 7 years ago # -
It is good for The Economy. This must be accepted without question.
Posted 7 years ago # -
just walked along George St. A carpet of starbucks cups - very festive.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Look -
I’ve just clicked that Spurtle link.
All very amusing and someone has obviously had great fun with Photoshop.
BUT
The City Fathers would NEVER allow such mammonistic displays or traffic flow stoppers.
Closing George Street during the Festival for a bit of summer outdoor drinking isn’t popular with everyone, but it’s only once a year and people can always escape to Charlotte Square for a bit of culture.
Posted 7 years ago #
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